ORLANDO voters told THERE IS NO DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY! Refused ballots.

[nashville_brook]

(as if it even matters -- but here it is, anyway)

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orange/orl-bk-polls012908,0,4785381.story


Area voters reporting problems at polls in Florida primary
One voter was told by poll workers there was no Democratic primary today

By Robert Perez | Sentinel Staff Writer 2:46 PM EST, January 29, 2008



On Florida Primary day, glitches at the polls are cropping up across Central Florida from Daytona Beach to Hunter's Creek, including one Orange County precinct where voters were told by workers early on there was no Democratic primary today.

Phil Marjason said poll workers at precinct 145 would not give him a Democratic ballot. "I thought it was plain wrong," he said. "We need to get Florida straightened out." Orange County Election Supervisor Bill Cowles confirmed that the clerk at the precinct made a mistake.

"I have learned that we did have a situation right at 7 a.m. this morning," Cowles wrote via e-mail to the Sentinel. "The clerk admits she made a mistake." But Orange County officials said their records show Marjason was given a Democratic ballot and it was cast. Marjason disagreed. "You sign a piece of paper then you walk over to the next table and they hand you a ballot," he said. "It probably shows that I signed for it, but they didn't give me a Democratic ballot."

Sheneka McDonald spent 10 minutes trying to convince poll workers at the same precinct that she should have a Democratic ballot. She questioned poll workers when she was handed a Republican ballot but was told, "this is the only ballot we have.
"I said, 'How can this be the only ballot,'" McDonald recalled. "That's when the guy chimed in from the back and said the Democratic primary was in March."

[EFerrari]

1. Good God. n/t

[rodeodance]

65. i know it is not funny but i just laughed now when i read this--for the supidity!

[EFerrari]

68. We're going to have a big vote suppression effort to deal with.

I hope we can come up with a plan to counter it.

[MadBadger]

2. Bunch of dumbasses.

[nashville_brook]

not dumbasses -- people are taking advantage of the DEMS weakened position.

it's classic disenfranchisement. too bad the DNC couldn't broker something that would protect our rights. now the monster of loose. November is going to FUN FUN FUN.

get ready for antoher Repuke admin. oh, unless you think we can win without Florida. lets hope so.

[Bodhi BloodWave]

63. atleast the DNC tried a few times, can't blame them for that the Florida Dem party stonewalled n/t

[The Backlash Cometh]

36. If you want to be kind, you call them dumbasses.

[nashville_brook]

42. that's lovely, isn't it.

that's exactly what the fascists/republicans/bad guys love to see -- collective action is SO NOT A THREAT in this country.

[The Backlash Cometh]

66. You don't know these people like I do.

They have the audacity to use ignorance to do heinous things.

[Renew Deal]

71. Never underestimate the level of floridian stupidity.

:banghead:

It's where votes go to die.

[THUNDER HANDS]

3. some things never change

in the general election, i hope we don't spend a dime campaigning in that stupid rigged state. it would be a waste of money.

[nashville_brook]

13. and i hope your vote gets eaten by a machine -- this isn't "democracy."

[THUNDER HANDS]

24. there ain't much democracy in florida either

[AlCzervik]

what, don't voters also have some property tax thing to vote on today as well?

[Buzz Clik]

4. Gee. What a choice: a meaningless primary or no primary.

[nashville_brook]

25. you know what the best part of my vote not counting is...

that i don't have to give a fuck about the whole hillary-obama drama.

even the death of democracy has an upside.

[Buzz Clik]

72. In Indiana, our primary is in May. May! (Why have one at all?)

I like Edwards, liked Kucinich, Biden, and Richardson.

All through the '90s I was a huge Hillary fan. Defended her and Bill endless. Ditto through her Senate run and in the early stages of her prez campaign. But lately ... gawd damn! Our primary is meaningless, but I strongly object to the current brand of Clintonian politics.

[AlCzervik]

5. what, don't voters also have some property tax thing to vote on today as well?

[Dudley_DUright]

26. Yes, but they also have a ballot with only the ammendment on it

for independents. This issue actually came up when I was voting today (raised by an independent who wanted to vote in the Dem primary, but could not).

[1corona4u]

56. Yep.

[book_worm]

6. what a mess they made of things in Florida.

[nashville_brook]

8. yeah. "they."

[UALRBSofL]

9. Where did you get that information?

I voted in florida and we had a choice of paper or machine, I chose paper. And, I chose Hillary and voted yes on the homestead exemption. :)

[nashville_brook]

20. as long as you vote for the tax break, you're the kind of Dem the Repukes LOVE!

tell them that in line at your precinct and they'll find you a DEM ballot pronto.

[book_worm]

22. where did I get my information? from the OP who said that people are being turned away

what did you think?

[1corona4u]

57. What county are you in?

I just posted a topic about our machines here in PBC.

[krkaufman]

77. Hey, cast me a vote for Buchanan, if you can. n/t

[DrDan]

7. LAW SUIT

Of course there is a Democratic ballot. My wife early voted - there was certainly a ballot.

Also, there is the vote on the Property Tax.

[pampango]

10. Can we demand a recount, if no delegates are at stake? n/t

[nashville_brook]

11. the DNC has castrated Florida. it's beyond repair.

[avrdream]

16. Which is going to kick our asses in the GE.

Dumb, dumb, dumb.

[nashville_brook]

19. you said it. people i've been talking to want NOTHING to do with the DEMS in November.

good old salt of the earth types. people who smoke in their garage and watch football -- they don't give a rats ass about party infighting. all they see is the DEMOCRATIC PARTY abandoning them once again. these people should be our base. they are going to either stay home or vote Repuke.

Florida is going to red this November and for MANY to come.

[rateyes]

59. And, it's the Florida Democratic Party's fault...

people in FL should be outraged at Senator Nelson and Alcee Hastings, et al, not at Howard Dean.

Rules are rules, and the FL DEM PARTY voted for them. They knew the consequences of their actions.

Thanks a lot, you DINO Senator Nelson.

[Jai4WKC08]

75. It doesn't matter whose fault it is

Most voters don't give a damn about that shit. They just know their vote doesn't count and it's because the Democrats won't count it.

You know, it ain't just FL. If Romney is the Repub nominee, the pissed off Democrats in Michigan could be enough to make the difference in that state too.

[krkaufman]

79. Yep. And if the people of Michigan and Florida vote for the Republicans in November ...

... then they'll deserve every damn dollar of support they don't get in the next 4-8 years.

[krkaufman]

76. Then Florida will again be responsible for putting the death-dealers ...

... back in the White House. You make Floridians sound like ignorant, petulant children.

The Florida Democratic Party is at fault, here. And so Florida Democrats who elected their leadership need to look in the mirror for whom to blame.

[Jai4WKC08]

82. So what?

We'll still be stuck with a Republican.

I really don't care who caused the problem, or whose fault it will be in the long run. I ONLY care about the end result.

And no, I don't think all Floridans are ignorant, petulant children. But if you remember correctly, there were only about 500 votes between Bush and Gore in 2000. It doesn't take many people voting the wrong way for the wrong reason, or for any reason, to make a difference.

[krkaufman]

83. Your point is that Floridians and Michiganders will be angry at "Democrats" ...

... and so will vote Republican in November.

Well, one would hope that voting-age citizens in both states are capable of looking beyond their short-term anger and outrage and decipher exactly what the root of the problem is... and hold those parties responsible... and not allow their short-term anger and desire for vengeance to, in fact, compel them to cast a ballot against their own welfare.


> there were only about 500 votes between Bush and Gore in 2000

Yep. Very true. But only because there were 2,912,790 other votes cast in favor of an utter imbecile. With an untold number cast because they'd prefer having a beer with said candidate.

[rateyes]

61. The Florida Democratic Party castrated Florida...

not the DNC.

[krkaufman]

78. No. The Florida Democratic Party tried screwing over the other states ...

... in the agreed-upon calendar, and the DNC had no final recourse than to somehow penalize the FL Dem Party.

And now it is quite likely that Florida will again be largely responsible for putting the death-dealers back into the White House.

[Ravy]

12. At my precinct, the registration mechanism was down for 20 minutes...

.. the lady claimed it was some guy who started to sign his name too quickly on the touchpad. They finally figured out how to reboot it. There was no paper backup to see who could vote in the precinct or not.

[avrdream]

23. Reminds me of when I tried to vote for Kerry in Texas.

Computers had to be rebooted right in the middle of the voting and then you started again. Made me wonder if that was how Dubya got extra votes.

As per usual, it didn't get investigated because Texas was supposed to go for Dubya.

[nashville_brook]

30. i'm such a civics geek -- i used to get teary waiting in line to vote.

it felt so good to be standing there with all my neighbors who i never get to see, unless i've lost my dog. there they are in novelty red/white and blue sweaters, with their grey hair and zen master-like patience matching my name in a giant book of registrations. it takes a moment and use that time to look notice their well groomed fingernails or i try to imagine their affiliation through their facial expression or shoe choice.

when i was a kid my mother used to take me into the booth and let me pull the lever. i pulled that bastard for hundreds democrats before i was 18 (if you count all the state races, etc).

now, the whole process feels cancerous. i feel paranoid. i don't like machines being between me my neighbors. i WANT them to look me in the eye. i want my ballot to be SEEN by people and recognized, and counted by my party. it take a while to vote and i like to savor the fact that this is democracy at work. this is where the rubber meets the road. where the magic happens. this should be a personal exchange -- not a machine tabulation. when i look around a polling place i see people who need their grandchildren to program the DVR. the thought of them using flash cards and wifi is terrfying.

[TechBear_Seattle]

14. Not even bothering to hide the fraud any more

And where is the Florida Democratic Party in all this, seeing as much of the confusion is their own damned fault to begin with?

[nashville_brook]

15. this story is all of 20 minutes old -- maybe you could hold off the firing squad for a while

[suston96]

17. Hell hath no fury as what I am feeling right now......

Lawsuit? You betcha. This is about a denied right to vote, on its face. It ain't about seating delegates. It's about being denied a ballot.

[krkaufman]

81. I'd agree that the denial of a ballot is a separate issue from the delegates ...

... and campaigning issue. (Though I expect the poll workers will use the delegate confusion for cover.)

[GalleryGod]

18. Jesus Wept.

[robbedvoter]

40. I hope to God you're not being sarcastic!

[1corona4u]

58. I still think she was .....sleeping with Jeb.

[Mojorabbit]

21. I walked to my regular voting place

today and they had moved it to a place too far for me to walk. I am so upset. I did not get any notification of this. I had also asked for an absentee ballot online which never arrived which is why I decided to walk it.

[MonkeyFunk]

28. Try calling one of the Republican candidates'

campaign office and tell them you're a Republican and need a ride to the polls. May as well get there on their dime.

[Mojorabbit]

73. My nephew called

and offered to take me so I got to vote! Hurray.
They offered me the choice of paper or electronic voting and I chose paper which was run thru the optical scanner. It was a major mess from them moving the voting venu and people waited in line for 30 min only to be told to go to another place a block away. I know it does not count but it was important for me to vote anyway. I have never missed an election.

[robbedvoter]

33. I am so sad now....

[MonkeyFunk]

27. It's time to send in the National Guard

and protect voting in Florida.

Well, if we still had a National Guard.

[Lucinda]

29. Robocalls went out in Michigan telling people there was no Dem primary.

Shady stuff.

And why in the world would you say that about it mattering?

[robbedvoter]

31. I am having 2000 deja vu. And can't blame the GOP! And Kerry jumping on voters too!

[rateyes]

62. And, you can't blame the DNC, either.

It's the FL Democratic Party that stole your vote this time.

[Blackhatjack]

32. At least Florida is consistent.... (Oh my!) .....

If this happened in another country the voters might be fined for not voting, or the precinct officials might be taken out back and shot on the spot.

But this isn't another country ... THIS IS STILL THE UNITED STATES!!

Incompetence is no way to run a democracy in one of our largest states.

[nashville_brook]

34. i'm afraid it's not as easy as incompetance -- we've been abandoned and we're acting like it.

the other kids are treating us like the wounded puppies that we are, i.e. they are fucking with us before they eviscerate us.

[robbedvoter]

44. Only this time I can just blame the GOP for it.

[The Backlash Cometh]

35. I thought I even read somewhere that Independents were not suppose

to vote in this election. Which makes no sense because it would mean that only Democrats and Republicans would be determining the outcome of that property tax referendum.

[nashville_brook]

37. The Orlando Sentinel has done exactly zero in educating the voter.

i would expect some sort of splashy info-edu-tainment piece -- attach it to some sort of special advertising segment, may attract campaign ads that way. but no.

oh yeah, there IS NO campaigning here. for democrats. plenty of rebulican ads. that's all you see as a matter of fact.

[The Backlash Cometh]

39. Someone is controlling that paper. Someone that favors Republican

control over this area. Or old guard Dems.

[robbedvoter]

43. Oh, noes! Republics controlling a newspaper? Could it be? They are not objective

you mean? I am in shock! And i was so sure the media is so impartial! Especially lately
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=4263047

[robbedvoter]

48. Which makes sense in most primaries in the country (except the open ones in the South)

It's to avoid shenanigans. In NY, when I was an independent, i couldn't vote in primaries either. They are parties primaries, get it?

[The Backlash Cometh]

54. Then maybe it would be a good idea to keep referendums off the

ballot during the primaries?

[robbedvoter]

85. Good point

[Zueda]

38. This is why FL should not be allowed to have an early primary...

Until we have federally regulated voting which standardizes the election process with paper trails...etc. In every state. Then and only then, we should have some sort of rotation system as to what states go first.

On edit: Same for Ohio.

[robbedvoter]

41. There should be a national day for all states anyway - this has nothing to do

with early or late. The asinine DNC decision has emboldened the thugs to be even more abusive than they were before.

[Zueda]

47. No national day!

How the hell would lesser known but more qualified candidates ever get heard?...Of course a public funding policy would eleviate this concern... a little.

[robbedvoter]

49. Public funding, national holliday, direct voting, no more electoral cokkeges/delegates BS

and I'd do away with caucases too after what i learned this year.

[1corona4u]

45. Seems 'odd' that they would hand her a 'ballot'

I thought the whole state was touch screen now? There is no ballot, just a card, and it does not say anything on it but 'voter card'.

I'll have to see what those counties are using...

[robbedvoter]

46. Could be someone who wanted to write someone in? Absentee ballot?

Is Florida now diebolded wall to wall?

[1corona4u]

51. Well, I don't know what the other counties use, but

in Palm Beach, we can write it in. Here is what our machines are, you can play with it. Note that this machine records the vote in 3 places, and there is a papertrail;


(click on the view in English button)


http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/elections/sfl-edge-n-pvote,0,6501232.flash

[Mojorabbit]

74. I was offered the option of ballot or touch screen

in Orange county.

[in_cog_ni_to]

50. I DO hope the FL. Dem chair is "fixing" this little problem? Fucking repukes. And these are the

people Barack wants to play nice with. G-d help us.

[nashville_brook]

53. the damage is already done -- our delegates *shouldn't* count at this point.

there's no "fix." there's soul-searching to do. there's real work to do reclaim our democracy in our hot little flesh-and-blood fists. there's people who need to step aside. there's explaining to do -- but there's no "fix."

[southern_dem]

70. not really

She's on TV proclaiming how great the primary is going and that "Florida's voice will be heard". She's the one who refused to work things out with the DNC, btw.

[still_one]

52. What in the hell is wrong with FLorida? /nt

[in_cog_ni_to]

55. Repuke Governors, repuke legislature and a corrupt government from the inside out.

I'm sure nothing has changed since Jeb and Katherine held the reins.:(

[rateyes]

60. And, the fact that all the Democrats in the FL legislature

voted to break the rules, too.

[still_one]

80. I really feel sorry for the Democrats in that state /nt

[MaineDem]

64. There is NO excuse for this

Regardless of the status of delegates there is NO excuse for this kind of mismanagement at the polls.

What the hell is wrong with Florida?

[rodeodance]

67. you are right.

[laruemtt]

69. flah-di-dah strikes again -

so glad i left that place............

[Tulkas]

84. Florida simply can't hold an election it seems, even when it is meaningless