Have you ever been challenged at the polls by a "poll challenger"?

[bluestateguy]

What happened? What did you do? How was it all resolved?

What would you do in such a situation?

[jobycom]

1. What's a poll challenger?

You mean like someone trying to interrupt the polling, or an official who challenged something about my voting registration?

[AndyTiedye]

7. Part of the Repiglickin' Keep-Out-the-Vote Drive

[WinkyDink]

14. Doesn't have to be "an official".

[Eric J in MN]

2. No.

Nor have I ever seen anyone else challenged at the polls.

I've voted in NY, CA, and MN.

[slampoet]

3. There aren't any dead bodies around me so.....no.

[BluegrassDem]

4. I'd wish some prick would challenge me at the polls...I'd kick his ass after I voted

I swear, just the idea boils my blood.

[cliffordu]

5. Yep - I'd cripple some prick for that.

[backscatter712]

18. Same here! Put these fuckers in the hospital!

They can't slow down the lines and harass voters if they're getting bones set in the ER, can they?

Do not fuck with my right to vote - I will hurt you. I don't care if it's illegal to say it. I don't care if it could get me thrown in jail. I don't care if it gets me a pizza and a tombstone from DU.

I. DO. NOT. CARE.

Try to prevent me from voting, and you pay the price in teeth. I don't care if you're 80 years old - if you're Republican, and try to stop me from voting because I'm on The List, I'll reduce your osteoporosis-ridden bones to powder.

Our ancestors and our country's forefathers gave their lives so we could vote. More importantly, they picked up guns, and KILLED PEOPLE to gain the right to vote. Violence was indeed justifiable then, and it is now to protect our sacred birthright. Don't tell me I have to turn the other cheek in the face of naked bullying from wannabe tyrants. I ain't doing that. If they want to suppress my rights, I'm perfectly ready for war.

[orestes]

6. Unless you live in a swing state,

in a place that tends to vote democratic, particularly in urban (read black) areas, you aren't likely to see a poll challenger. Also, their purpose isn't so much about denying voters outright, as it is to slow down the lines to a snails pace to discourage as many people from queuing up as possible, or to just get folks tired of standing around in line and go home.

[EFerrari]

13. Exactly! So, urban swing state DUers, try to go to the polls with a friend

and don't let the wait get to you.

[RagAss]

8. Show my id and tell them to fuck themselves with a dry stick !

[Birthmark]

9. No, but...

...I'm a rather scary looking, middle-aged, white guy. So, they probably assume that I'm voting Republican.

[kwolf68]

10. Nope

Wonder why?

-my precinct covers mostly Republican areas

-i am white

-my precinct covers mostly Republican areas

-i am white

[illuminaughty]

11. Not myself. But we had plenty of challengers at the polling

place I worked in 2004. I was with MoveOn.org and we rented a van to bring people from City Mission and other shelters to the polls. They gave them a hard time with ID and some had to accept provisional ballots.

As I wrote on previous thread, there was a lot of voter intimidation in minority areas.

[VolcanoJen]

15. MoveOn ROCKED in 2004 on Election Day!!

That's so wonderful that you were involved in their efforts that day!! I voted in Ohio and while I wasn't challenged by some dick of a poll challenger, I was harassed by a poll WORKER who took great offense at the list of Democratic Judges I had taken into the voting booth with me. Of course the list is completely legal, and he didn't start in on me until I had filled out my ballot and went to drop it into the box. The guy totally started in on me, saying "You shouldn't need a cheat sheet to vote young lady; you should do your homework."

Well, he'd probably been harrasing people all day long, but he fucked with the wrong person that day. I basically went off on the guy and started a scene. "He's just joking with you!!!" yelled the poll workers rushing to his defense. He tried to take the ballot out of my hand. I marched to the box and stuffed it in myself. It was just unbelievable and I was shaking in anger. He ruined my voting experience and I'll never forget it.

As I left the polling place, MoveOn volunteers were outside. I went right up to them, reported this guy's name and description. All five of them yanked out their cell phones. This was in Ohio, mind you, in the morning, and that day there were so many voting irregularities going on that they were SO busy but I can't believe how kind and patient they were with me. I waited around about fifteen minutes until one of their attorneys was on the line. I explained my story to him and they were sending someone else over to the polling place. The MoveOn workers immediately informed the people in line of this man and said to look out for him until they were able to challenge him and have him removed from the polls.

WOW that just felt really cathartic to repeat that story again. MoveOn workers are THE BEST. Thank you, illuminaughty!!!!

[illuminaughty]

16. You're welcome. I'm glad you got it out.

I know that "head in flames" anger. I can feel it approaching as we get closer to election. I'm glad you did research on judges. Just got my absentee ballot today and realized this is what I need to do also concerning judges.

I hope Ohio will fare better this time. Saw that idiot Blackwell on Fox News the other day and it just infuriated me.

[VolcanoJen]

17. The good news is we crushed Blackwell in that foolish gubernatorial run in 2006

We have Governor Ted Strickland now, and Blackwell's not the Secretary of State anymore, we have the AMAZING Jennifer Brunner!

We're taking this shit really, really seriously in Ohio in 2008 and we know the eyes of the world are upon us. Let 2006 buck everyone up... and the fact that people like me live here. :-)

[mrreowwr_kittty]

12. How do they operate? Do they stop random voters and demand ID?

Do they stand over the poll workers and watch for the people on the "list"? Seriously, how do they do it? And how do they get away with it without violating people's rights?

[1Hippiechick]

19. Palin is a pole challenger, but the X-rated episode is unprintable here. n/t

[1Hippiechick]

20. Wow - never had that happen - duplicate post! n/t

[trueblue2007]

21. If someone really went at me telling me I could not vote ..I WOULD SLUG THEM

I'M SERIOUS.

I'm only 5'2". I was bullied when I was little. But I've never let people really push me around. I have a horrible red head temper and I would scream bloody murder if they tried to stop me.

Luckily we live in Oregon and vote by mail. Ain't no way they can stop me.

[LiberalFighter]

22. Don't do that. Just get their name and report them.

Slugging them would get you arrested. Reporting them to the right people will get them in trouble.

If nothing else find a crate or foot stool and get on top of it so you can stand face to face with the jerk and let him have a piece of your mind. (Not intended to put down short people. But doing the crate or foot stool would probably intimidate the other person.)

[LiberalFighter]

23. Looks like there is a bug in the DU software.