Comments on: Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) Talks Voters, Elections, And Protecting Your Vote http://firedoglake.com/2008/10/17/sen-ben-cardin-d-md-talks-voters-elections-and-protecting-your-vote/ Firedoglake weblog Sat, 18 Feb 2012 07:17:34 -0600 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: Margot http://firedoglake.com/2008/10/17/sen-ben-cardin-d-md-talks-voters-elections-and-protecting-your-vote/#comment-1688213 Margot Fri, 17 Oct 2008 20:13:10 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/10/17/sen-ben-cardin-d-md-talks-voters-elections-and-protecting-your-vote/#comment-1688213 <p>New post<a href="http://firedoglake.com/2008/10/17/meet-joe-the-real-plumber/" rel="nofollow"> upstairs</a></p> New post upstairs

]]> By: john.henderson.clark@gmail.com http://firedoglake.com/2008/10/17/sen-ben-cardin-d-md-talks-voters-elections-and-protecting-your-vote/#comment-1688210 john.henderson.clark@gmail.com Fri, 17 Oct 2008 20:11:10 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/10/17/sen-ben-cardin-d-md-talks-voters-elections-and-protecting-your-vote/#comment-1688210 <p>Sen Cardin, I have to admit that I did not vote for you in the ‘06 primary, but did in the general. While I supported you strongly, it was my partner who persuaded me to touch Mfume instead. </p> <p>In the ‘06 primary in my county, Prince Georges, there were many reports of former Green party voters who re-registered as Democrats that were never re-registered in the system. When they showed up, they were only allowed to vote for the school board. Watching the results come in at the Baker rally that night, it was very disturbing to me that results in the Northern parts of the county (Baker strongholds) were not being reported. Add to this reports that Baker as well as other anti-Johnson candidates didn’t show up on some voters screens.</p> <p>In the days following the vote, none other than the Washington Post reported (a newspaper which never has anything good to say about PG) that machines were found in a parking lot in what is now (but not in THAT vote) Donna Edwards district. Nothing was done about this.</p> <p>My question is, what can we do to make sure that these kind of things don’t happen again? When I voted in this primary, after my canvassing work for Obama, I was told by an election official to cover up my Obama teeshirt. It was only recently that I found out that this was a violation of our law. She ain’t gonna do it it to me on November 4th, I can tell you that.</p> <p>In our vote, I worry much more about the fairness of down ballot issues, like the slots vote. Are our machines being properly tested in every county in order to ensure a proper vote? Can the GEMS system still be hacked by anyone with a little knowledge of Microsoft Access? Will the DRE’s be secured and not turn up in some parking lot this time? Will the ExpressPoll have current data and not turn away voters?</p> Sen Cardin, I have to admit that I did not vote for you in the ‘06 primary, but did in the general. While I supported you strongly, it was my partner who persuaded me to touch Mfume instead.

In the ‘06 primary in my county, Prince Georges, there were many reports of former Green party voters who re-registered as Democrats that were never re-registered in the system. When they showed up, they were only allowed to vote for the school board. Watching the results come in at the Baker rally that night, it was very disturbing to me that results in the Northern parts of the county (Baker strongholds) were not being reported. Add to this reports that Baker as well as other anti-Johnson candidates didn’t show up on some voters screens.

In the days following the vote, none other than the Washington Post reported (a newspaper which never has anything good to say about PG) that machines were found in a parking lot in what is now (but not in THAT vote) Donna Edwards district. Nothing was done about this.

My question is, what can we do to make sure that these kind of things don’t happen again? When I voted in this primary, after my canvassing work for Obama, I was told by an election official to cover up my Obama teeshirt. It was only recently that I found out that this was a violation of our law. She ain’t gonna do it it to me on November 4th, I can tell you that.

In our vote, I worry much more about the fairness of down ballot issues, like the slots vote. Are our machines being properly tested in every county in order to ensure a proper vote? Can the GEMS system still be hacked by anyone with a little knowledge of Microsoft Access? Will the DRE’s be secured and not turn up in some parking lot this time? Will the ExpressPoll have current data and not turn away voters?

]]> By: Peterr http://firedoglake.com/2008/10/17/sen-ben-cardin-d-md-talks-voters-elections-and-protecting-your-vote/#comment-1688209 Peterr Fri, 17 Oct 2008 20:10:43 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/10/17/sen-ben-cardin-d-md-talks-voters-elections-and-protecting-your-vote/#comment-1688209 <p>The “lady looking officious with a clipboard” might think twice about getting too officious if there was a person wearing a “poll watcher watcher” button who kept a video camera pointed at her while she was walking, sitting, and watching.</p> The “lady looking officious with a clipboard” might think twice about getting too officious if there was a person wearing a “poll watcher watcher” button who kept a video camera pointed at her while she was walking, sitting, and watching.

]]> By: Christy Hardin Smith http://firedoglake.com/2008/10/17/sen-ben-cardin-d-md-talks-voters-elections-and-protecting-your-vote/#comment-1688208 Christy Hardin Smith Fri, 17 Oct 2008 20:10:39 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/10/17/sen-ben-cardin-d-md-talks-voters-elections-and-protecting-your-vote/#comment-1688208 <p>Yes, and we try to feed them regularly. *g*</p> Yes, and we try to feed them regularly. *g*

]]> By: foothillsmike http://firedoglake.com/2008/10/17/sen-ben-cardin-d-md-talks-voters-elections-and-protecting-your-vote/#comment-1688205 foothillsmike Fri, 17 Oct 2008 20:09:45 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/10/17/sen-ben-cardin-d-md-talks-voters-elections-and-protecting-your-vote/#comment-1688205 <p>Christy, as I noted in an earlier thread, look in the lists that are available on spotlight. Do you see any “investigative journalists”? What you have are reporters whose job is to report what they are fed.</p> Christy, as I noted in an earlier thread, look in the lists that are available on spotlight. Do you see any “investigative journalists”? What you have are reporters whose job is to report what they are fed.

]]> By: MsAnnaNOLA http://firedoglake.com/2008/10/17/sen-ben-cardin-d-md-talks-voters-elections-and-protecting-your-vote/#comment-1688201 MsAnnaNOLA Fri, 17 Oct 2008 20:06:37 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/10/17/sen-ben-cardin-d-md-talks-voters-elections-and-protecting-your-vote/#comment-1688201 <p>In light of the fact that ACORN offices have been vandalized and people have received death threats due to the most probably false accuzations leveled at ACORN for the umpteenth time, is it possible that the trumped up charges and vitrol have incited a crime? </p> <p><a href="http://www.mcclatchydc.com/251/story/54360.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.mcclatchydc.com/251/story/54360.html</a></p> In light of the fact that ACORN offices have been vandalized and people have received death threats due to the most probably false accuzations leveled at ACORN for the umpteenth time, is it possible that the trumped up charges and vitrol have incited a crime?

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/251/story/54360.html

]]> By: Christy Hardin Smith http://firedoglake.com/2008/10/17/sen-ben-cardin-d-md-talks-voters-elections-and-protecting-your-vote/#comment-1688195 Christy Hardin Smith Fri, 17 Oct 2008 20:04:49 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/10/17/sen-ben-cardin-d-md-talks-voters-elections-and-protecting-your-vote/#comment-1688195 <p>What a huge contrast, Margot. That’s jarring…</p> What a huge contrast, Margot. That’s jarring…

]]> By: RonD http://firedoglake.com/2008/10/17/sen-ben-cardin-d-md-talks-voters-elections-and-protecting-your-vote/#comment-1688194 RonD Fri, 17 Oct 2008 20:03:50 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/10/17/sen-ben-cardin-d-md-talks-voters-elections-and-protecting-your-vote/#comment-1688194 <p>Greetings, Senator, and thank you for being here.<br /> Senator, it seems to me the core problem is a macro-issue: Why do all these dirty, underhanded tactics that “have no place in American politics” have a place in American politics? Who is responsible? Why have they been allowed to get away with it for so long? Why does the sanctity of the democratic process mean so little to these people?</p> Greetings, Senator, and thank you for being here.
Senator, it seems to me the core problem is a macro-issue: Why do all these dirty, underhanded tactics that “have no place in American politics” have a place in American politics? Who is responsible? Why have they been allowed to get away with it for so long? Why does the sanctity of the democratic process mean so little to these people?

]]> By: Margot http://firedoglake.com/2008/10/17/sen-ben-cardin-d-md-talks-voters-elections-and-protecting-your-vote/#comment-1688191 Margot Fri, 17 Oct 2008 20:00:38 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/10/17/sen-ben-cardin-d-md-talks-voters-elections-and-protecting-your-vote/#comment-1688191 <p>I vote at a small precinct. 6 old lady poll workers for 10 old lady voters, or at least that’s my impression.<br /> But I took a friend to her polling place in a traditionally African-American part of town, and wow, there were signs there saying that it was illegal for people to intimidate you so you wouldn’t vote, and you should report it. Inside was a challenger, a lady looking officious with a clipboard, walking around and then sitting and watching.<br /> I wasn’t even voting there but I found it intimidating.</p> I vote at a small precinct. 6 old lady poll workers for 10 old lady voters, or at least that’s my impression.
But I took a friend to her polling place in a traditionally African-American part of town, and wow, there were signs there saying that it was illegal for people to intimidate you so you wouldn’t vote, and you should report it. Inside was a challenger, a lady looking officious with a clipboard, walking around and then sitting and watching.
I wasn’t even voting there but I found it intimidating.

]]> By: Sen. Ben Cardin http://firedoglake.com/2008/10/17/sen-ben-cardin-d-md-talks-voters-elections-and-protecting-your-vote/#comment-1688189 Sen. Ben Cardin Fri, 17 Oct 2008 20:00:01 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/10/17/sen-ben-cardin-d-md-talks-voters-elections-and-protecting-your-vote/#comment-1688189 <p>Let me thank firedoglake and Christy for making this opportunity available to take up the critical issue of voter integrity. Because of your concern, and activism, I am more optimistic that the voters’ choice on November 4th will be our next president.</p> Let me thank firedoglake and Christy for making this opportunity available to take up the critical issue of voter integrity. Because of your concern, and activism, I am more optimistic that the voters’ choice on November 4th will be our next president.

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