Urban, Diverse Areas Not Given Enough Voting Machines

TMZ, of all sites, has an interesting story up about a political saboteur telling Democrats in Deerfield Beach, Florida that they are supposed to vote at a different location.

Putting aside, for the moment the dirty tricks going on, there is another important nugget to glean from the story.

Nearly 400 people were firmly planted in line at 6:15 this morning, waiting for the polls to open at 7:00 AM. There is one voting machine to accommodate all of them.

This is a predominantly African-American community, with only one machine to punch in residents' votes.

Contrast that with an email we received from a voter near Columbus, Ohio, where, he says, historically very few people show up to vote. There were 14 voting machines on hand -- in this case, a needed amount for the influx of nearby college students showing up to the polls.

At 6:10 I was 31st in line. By the time the doors opened there were more than 100 in line. I am 57 years old and this is the first time there were more than 3 people present prior to the doors opening. Usually I am the first and only voter at opening. I finished voting by 7:00. The tech still had about 14 machines to start up and get running. About 60 people had voted and about 250 in line. The entire crowd was Students and people older than me. We're next door to [Ohio State University].

This problem is a constant gripe of Democrats: there is simply not a proper, proportional allocation of infrastructure to meet the needs of densely populated communities. Indeed, the Huffington Post has been getting tons emails from urban locales reporting a lack of machines, election workers and even ballots necessary to deal with the high turnout.

Comments

[cloudmaker]

I guess the Repubs are going to find it harder to steal the election this year.
But they must be planning to do it. Tha's the only reason that could explain
McCain's optimism. No! Wait! It could also be senility.

[ErnestineBass]

The GOP pulled this same crap in the predominantly Democratic urban areas of Ohio back in 2004.

[JulieDole]

Are you talking about misleading the voters as to their precincts, or the # of machines?

Both are lame, but who was in charge of getting 1 solo machine to a precinct???

[bannorhill]

In Palm Beach County Florida the election Supervisor in charge of getting 1 solo machine to a precinct is Dr Arthur Anderson. He is also in charge of allocating the machines between the precincts. Please feel free to e-mail him your complaints.

By the way he is a Black Democrat. The County board of supervisors who were in charge of purchasing the machines are also Democrats. Feel free to send them your complaints too.

Don't blame the GOP for their mistakes. These were good old Democrat mistakes.

[TheBrizz]

There need to be laws against this sort of thing. All they would have to do is require a specific number of machines or booths for every 500 registered voters or something like that.

I live in a right-leaning city of about 120,000 on the "good" side of town, and voted this morning at 7:15. I walked in the door and right up to the table to get my ballot, and then waited about two minutes for a booth to open up. There's no reason it can't be that way everywhere.

[demofem]

After the election is over, we've got to work on this, and pressure for changes that ensure everyone's right to vote and for the security and fairness of the vote count. There has to be an end to voter suppression of all kinds.

[gttim]

My condo happens to be in a very affluent and white part of Cobb County, a GOP stronghold outside Atlanta, GA. Since I have moved here I have never, ever waited in line to vote. Today was no different. I was in and out in a few minutes- just like I knew I would be. However, if I drive across the river to Fulton County, most Democrats and minorities, that includes parts of Atlanta, GA, there are lines with waits of up to 2 hours. It was the same way when I lived in Fulton, except then I was one of the folks having to wait in line- in effect paying a poll tax of hours of y time. It has always been this way, even when the Secretary of State was not a Republican, and it is just criminal. At what point can we sure to get the Feds in here to fix this mess? It is just criminal!

[ConcernedAboutRFuture]

The Feds are an extension of the current crooked administration. You can be sure nothing will be done.

[bannorhill]

Precincts and voting locations are normally set up on the county level by the county commissioners and a supervisor of elections. So when the Democrat run Fulton County has long voting lines and the Republican run Cobb County has short lines it is because of the budget and actions of local officials. Each county has its own budget for elections. It appears Republican run Cobb County allocates enough money to ensure there are enough voting precincts and machines. Democrat run Fulton County does not. In most examples cited it appears the Democrats in charge of the voting have not done their jobs.

If you have complaints about long voting lines, take them to your local Elections Supervisor. He is the one in charge of getting the voting machines to the precinct. He is the one who did not do his job, not President Bush or the GOP.

[BluePrideSMW]

I really don't think the repubs can get away with it this time... The tsunami for change is too great.

Abraham, Martin & John:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ge32xtm23rQ

[Abby Mae]

I am so blown away that only one machine was made available for 400 residents. Most people are missing work to vote, most people cannot afford to miss a couple hours maybe 3 to vote..... Unbelievable, it's about time the tide change and we bring about change. I am a white Caucasian living in Hawaii. Our little village of about 250 people had 3 booths and one electronic machine...­..

It's about race and I am tired of it..... this is not the 60's. Our next president will be a mix of white caucasian and African, not African-Am­erican....­.

Why is Florida so inept and biased? So many unused voting machines and not enough for those who need to vote and go back to work.....

May God Help us all through these changing times.... Go Obama

[KoreanVet]

Not AA, sure could have fooled me, what is your definition of AA?

[Pennsanic]

Just meant that Obama is bi-racial, I think. His mother is white from Kansas, father black from Kenya.

[oxford]

It's obvious, look at who runs, and has run, that state. Nothing changes.

[bannorhill]

In Florida the elections are run by the county elections supervisor. Not by the State. Not by the federal government. In all cases I have heard of, long voting lines are in counties with Democrat election supervisors. The problems may be due to ineptitude but NOT a GOP vs Democrat bias.

[KevinMast]

Big surprise. Ever hear this quote by "moral majority" pioneer Paul Weyrich about his goal to stifle democracy through voter suppression. “I don't want everybody to vote. Elections are not won by a majority of the people. They never have been from the beginning of our country and they are not now. As a matter of fact, our leverage in the elections quite candidly goes up as the voting populace goes down."

[Biolante]

It won't be like this next election. The days of ugly discriminatory practices are coming to an end.

Now for all of you who are waiting in these godforsaken lines, thank you for your fortitude. It will make life different for all of us and we're grateful.

[sueinmn]

we need election fairness and also the polls all need to close at same time regardless of time zone.

[doawkins]

Voting fairness begins with removal of ACORN. the seed bed of voter fraud. Anybody whining about voting and not getting steamed up about ACORN needs to do some learning.

[keepitreal50]

First of all there can't be voter fraud because Mickey Mouse and Jive Turkey won't show up to vote. Second, what you need to learn about is why Republican supporters and some in the party have been purging votes in masses and why Republicans have been trying to suppress the votes of people who have been foreclosed on (mostly minorities). If Jive Turkey does show, let me know, genius.

[diamondgirl9]

ACORN self reported registration fraud-ACORN is not responsible for voter fraud.Ther­e is a difference­.The GOP is guilty of voter suppression-lack of machine,voting machines notnot counting the votes-sending people to the wrong precinct-voter intimidation. Get your facts staight t.r.o.ll.

[RealityBaseCamp]

Republicans accuse ACORN every election cycle. Please post a list of all the confirmed incidents of voter fraud, the ones that were convicted. should be easy, as it's very short.

[Saganslegacy]

Proven non sense.

Still hanging on to that Mickey Mouse story?

[Ifans]

It's always good advice to "do some learning", and you are advised to be the first. ACORN only registers voters, and registering is not tantamount to voting. Dead people usually don't show up, Mickey Mouse is too busy, and the last I heard Karl rarely Marx his ballot.

[sunshine89139]

This is serious BS.

Do they honestly need the machine to make their voice be heard?! GIVE THEM PENS!!!!

[TruthandReconciliation]

They cannot use pens because there are not paper ballots for them. It is a result of HAVA and the "hanging chads" of 2000 which was an egineered problem to allow the voting machine monopoly. These are corruptable.

[gwhizz]

Wrong.
In FL there are paper ballots. There are several carrells set up where voters fill in their ballots (see the picture above) then there are one or two SCANNERS in each polling station. It takes less than a second to scan a ballot. The case about the "one voting machine for 400 voters" here is purposely misleading and I had hoped the columnist would have made the distinction here. But it appears that he prefers the hysteria he's whipped up.

Have there been problems? Very likely. But this particular case is NOT ONE OF THEM.

[keepitreal50]

More like gloomy day for you

[JulieDole]

We have paper ballots here (Santa Monica CA, an affluent area), with pens to fill in the dots ("Ink-a-dot" system.)

Never had a problem - there is no need for electronic voting - or chad - anywhere.

It's called: "appropriate technology­."

No more electronic voting - we don't need it! Never did!

[4TJefferson]

Note to Obama/Biden. Let's get this fixed first thing. Modify H.A.V.A. or something. We cannot be the laughing stock for countries like Haiti when it comes to voting.

[doctordoubt]

This is so like the way they handled Katrina. Go figure.

[Happyexpat]

Indefensible, inexcusable, unacceptable!! We have to demand voting by mail as they do in Oregon. Machines are unreliable and easily tampered with. What is so stunning about this is the arrogance with which these inequities are once again perpertrated even after the last 8 years. It's as if they know beyond a doubt they will suffer no consequences.


I'M MAD AS HELL AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE!! Paddy Chaefsky, Network

[Rivcuban]

I live in the most GOP area of the US (in California). I just got back from voting. There was no waiting. There must of been 25 voting machines and half were empty.

[ErnestineBass]

Heh heh...I live in a predominantly GOP area and when I voted, the hall was almost empty.

[JulieDole]

I'm in affluent, heavily Dem Santa Monica, and we had over 100 in line at 8am at my (2 precinct) polling place - but we had maybe 25 - 30 paper ballot booths to accomodate, so no problem. The line took about 20-30 mins to get to the door - just enough time check all my fliers and fill out my sample ballot.

There was likewise a line of about 60 people waiting to vote at the Tom Bradley Youth Center in Hollywood at 10 am - there's your Bradley Effect - people of all races patiently waiting to vote!

Voter repression tactics remind me of anti-Civil Rights shenanigans - those have to stop, and hidin gbehind "states' rights" isn't gogin to shield them anymore.

Na na na na,
Na na na na,
hey hey hey,
Goodbye!