KPCC Election 2008

5 Comments

Cher Barlevi: February 5, 2008 2:53 PM

I went to the polls at 7am, received my green ballot and was shocked I was told that I could not vote in another party!
I have waited all my 60 years of life to vote for a woman or a black person. I've just found out that I don't get to be a part of that history and I'M VERY UPSET! I was not directed to the "provisional ballet". I left without voting for anything or anyone.
Please post my letter with any group looking for recalling this election.

John Amussen: February 5, 2008 3:05 PM

I voted absentee in the Democratic Party as a Decline to State voter, and I missed filling out the oval that said Democratic Party above the candidate choices.

This may be one of the dumbest things I've ever seen. Since there's no choice of ovals - if you're a DTS voter with a democratic ballot that circle would HAVE to be filled out - why wouldn't the ballots be printed with the oval filled in?

Furthermore, there's a solution, although not a pleasant one: a hand recount of all LA County ballots.

One wonders if people think these things out in advance.

Mary Coleman: February 5, 2008 3:08 PM

On Saturday at an [Dem Candidate] rally I am pretty sure that I heard that California is an open primary state and that Republicans could vote for [Dem Candidate] if they wished to.
My husband is a moderate Republican and my ex husband is a rabid Republican (don't ask). I am a committed Democrat and [Dem Candidate] fan and finally convinced both of them that they could vote for [Dem Candidate] . Both decided to. At the polls they were told that it was not true and had to vote their party.
I think this is ridiculous. Every American should have the right to vote for whomever they want whenever they want. This needs to change. Or I'm going to have to work REALLY hard at getting my husband to switch his party!

June Thurber: February 5, 2008 3:27 PM

I am a long time voter frequently by absentee/mail-in ballot. Both my husband and I requested absent ballots. We waited until today to vote because the choice for Democratic nominee has been a very difficult. When we opened the ballot envelope this morning, we were surprised that at the top of the ballot there was a box to fill in - democratic. After carefully reading, we did not fill in the box. Many people come to the polling place in a rush and would not take the time to carefully read to understand or ask a question of a poll worker if they did not understand. Today, the poll workers were quite busy and may not have had the time or the knowledge to answer a question correctly. If a registered democrat fills in this democratic box, does this invalidate the vote? If at a polling location all the ballots end up in the same box, which they seem to do, why is this necessary? Why is this only in Los Angeles County? I could be very cynical and guess the party affiliation of the ballot designer! I am upset.

Gayle Hites: February 5, 2008 6:38 PM

Super Tuesday? Well let's see.

I was excited about the new date for the California primary. I felt that our State's early primary would contibute to a more viable outcome instead of a block of after-the-fact add ons come convention time. I studied the candiates, listened to the issues, even practiced with my sample ballot. After teaching my classes at a local University, I drove to the American Red Cross building on Madeline Drive and walked in to sign the book. I thought about my students who are not registered and remain straingly unconcerned about elections; I was pleased to have the priviledge of voting and sorry so many miss the oppportunity for whatever reasons.

I signed in, collected my ballot, went to the booth and marked my ballot. Then I carefully checked it - wouldn't want it to be thrown out!

I approached the 'box' and handed my ballot to the lady standing there. She looked it over then jammed it into the slot so hard that the end seperated. But that did not bother her, she jammed it righ on in there. The machine clicked a few times and declared my vote INVALID! What happened next is nothing less than appalling.

She began a full scale inquisition of me, the voter: "Did I check it? Did I damage it? Did I fold it?" I listened until she ran out of accusations and then answered that I had not in any way altered the ballot except to mark it with the pen provided. Meanwhile the volunteer next to her rattled off a list of why the ballot would not count and the two idle volunteers next to him exclaimed loudly the "she {meaning me} had made a mistake and that I must be dumb".

I wonder, if those four people had spent a little more time learning the relatively simple tasks associated with their jobs (yes I know they are volunteers, so am I) and a lot less time developing what can only be called a callous, arrogant attitude (four of the best I've ever seen!) then maybe, just maybe, my vote would have counted!

Super Tuesday? For me? Not super at all! I wish I still voted in New Hampshire!

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