Election Day -- Committee of Seventy reports problems at the polls
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Election Day -- Committee of Seventy reports problems at the polls
It's a busy day out there at the polls in Philly. Here are the first two updates from watchdog group Committee of Seventy about any problems going on:
Election Day Update from the Committee of Seventy
First update, 9:25 AM - "Problems at the Polls"
"It's looking like a messy election."
That was Zack Stalberg, President and CEO of the Committee of Seventy, yesterday
Stalberg's comment looks accurate - already.
Here's what's happening out there already, according to Seventy's volunteers on the phones and at the polls.
* Election Court is dealing with a host of minority (Republican) inspectors being denied access to their polling places in Philadelphia.
* The New Black Panthers are back. They're reportedly at the polling place at 11th and Germantown Streets.
* There are "You need a photo ID to vote" signs at a number of polling places. Seventy has asked the City Commissioners to have Judges of Elections take those signs down immediately. We're also hearing that judges of election at at least two other polling places have been telling voters they need a photo ID to vote. You don't need a photo ID to vote today in Pennsylvania, though elections officials are supposed to ask you if you have one.
* A polling place at 7th and Cayoga Streets - in the city's Latino area - has numerous voters who do not speak English - and reportedly no interpreter in sight.
We'll be delivering you updates all day long as we hear them from our army of 800 volunteers here at Seventy, working in Philadelphia and throughout the Delaware Valley to help voters on Election Day, 2012.
Update, 9:45 AM. New Black Panthers, Nowhere in Sight
Seventy dispatched volunteers to the Philadelphia polling place at 11th St. and Germantown Avenue this morning, where reports surfaced earlier today that the New Black Panthers were back in Philly and at this polling place. Neither Seventy's volunteers, nor City officials who visited the polling precinct and checked in with Seventy, saw any signs of the New Black Panthers. We'll keep you posted, but as of now, no hard evidence that this report is true.
This story has now made national headlines. Once again Philadelphia gets a black eye because we all can't get along. Disgraceful.— aviator- I was the 16th person to vote at my polling place -- I was asked for my name and as the poll worker found my card another poll worker asked me for ID. I said I didn't have it. The first woman said, 'She doesn't need ID'. The 'judge' said, "You need ID to vote". I protested and all the other voters in line rose to my defense. The polling judge made a call to the city and was informed that voters DID NOT NEED to show ID in order to vote. A neighbor who voted after I did let me know that they had stopped asking for ID.— Margmg
- Why don't you have an ID? You've had months to get one. Do you need a government employee to hold your hand and take you to get one? 100 bucks says you will be whining next year too when you really need one. — ObamaSolyndra
- This story made the national news because Philly is a cesspool of democrats who want to steal elections.— jersey girl
- This comment has been deleted. — sharkmeat
- And Sharky, which party was it who illegally refused to allow certified poll watchers into polling places this morning? It was the Democrats, pulling the same thing as always. — jfar86
- This comment has been deleted. — sharkmeat
- Sharky, the poll watchers were allowed in only after they obtained a court order. There was not even an accusation that the GOP poll watchers were intimidating voters.
Your version of events is a complete fabrication. The bottom line is the Democratic election judges violated the law and the GOP poll watchers had to obtain a court order to get the democrats to comply.— jfar86 - jfar-from-the-truth, look around the nation in the past two weeks. Story after story of GOP voter intimidation, violation, and crimes. Just because Philadelphia won't let thirty GOP poll watchers into the polling stations to make sure Thurston Howell III is elected does not constitute election fraud. If you really want election fraud news, look to Ohio, Florida, North Carolina, Alabama, Arizone, Mississippi.... what do you think those states and the election fraud crimes have in common... that's right the good ole GOP. So, nice try. — TheLowDown
- Typical Philly. Stuffing the ballot box and keeping the watchdogs out.— CD75
I personally observed a family of three recently registered black voters being turned away at the polling station at Westtown School in Chester County. They had photo ID, but apparently not some other piece of paper the poll workers wanted. This is not an exaggeration/fabrication from a right-wing "news source", but a witness account. The Republicans are the ones trying the hardest to steal this election.- This was my experience at around 7:20 AM. As I interacted with the clerk at Pennfield Middle school location, Hatfield, Montgomery County location, she was very insistent that I show ID, only after I suggested that the law requires only 1st time voters show ID, she stated meekly that I didn't have to provide ID. I didn't ! When I alleged that this practice seems to be Voter suppression, the adjoining clerk (who had nothing to do with me, and who was not involved made an offhand sarcastic comment publicly, "Hmmm, Voter Suppression."
I attempted to phone a complaint with Committee of Seventy appx. 8:00 AM. A recording told me to call back later. I finally got thru to a League of Women Voters line and reported it. However, the response was "We'll pass it along" ! The PA Department of State website requires that complainants file a form, with a vague statement that they may investigate at a later date ! On Google and Bing search engines with search word- "PA Voter Complaints," only the PA Department of State comes up in the initial several choices. The PA Dept of State "process" is to complete an on-line form for later (after election) consideration.
— redhand32 - This was my experience at around 7:20 AM. As I interacted with the clerk at Pennfield Middle school location, Hatfield, Montgomery County location, she was very insistent that I show ID, only after I suggested that the law requires only 1st time voters show ID, she stated meekly that I didn't have to provide ID. I didn't ! When I alleged that this practice seems to be Voter suppression, the adjoining clerk (who had nothing to do with me, and who was not involved made an offhand sarcastic comment publicly, "Hmmm, Voter Suppression."I attempted to phone a complaint with Committee of Seventy appx. 8:00 AM. A recording told me to call back later. I finally got thru to a League of Women Voters line and reported it. However, the response was "We'll pass it along" ! The PA Department of State website requires that complainants file a form, with a vague statement that they may investigate at a later date ! On Google and Bing search engines with search word- "PA Voter Complaints," only the PA Department of State comes up in the initial several choices. The PA Dept of State "process" is to complete an on-line form for later (after election) consideration. (HTML deleted)— redhand32
- At one polling place in MontCo the democrats outside are again reminding people to NOT show ID. — coniljw
- Anyone who think there is no election fraud is Philadelphia is willfully delusional.— tr88
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David Gambacorta spent a small eternity writing about cops, drug dealers and serial killers. Now he’s writing about power and politics – which sometimes reminds him of the old crime beat. He joined the Daily News in 2005. And yes, he knows you’re not quite sure how to pronounce his last name. E-mail tips to gambacd@phillynews.com
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Jan Ransom, a native New Yorker, joined the Daily News in 2010 after graduating from Howard University. She has since written about the difficulty of filing police complaints, tax deadbeats and life after violent home invasions. She joined the Daily News City Hall Bureau in 2011 and has plunged headfirst into reporting on administration budget battles and City Council shenanigans. E-mail tips to ransomj@phillynews.com
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Sean Collins Walsh is from Bucks County and went to Northwestern University. He joined the Daily News copy desk in 2012 and now covers the Nutter administration. Before that, he interned at papers including The New York Times, The Dallas Morning News and The Seattle Times. E-mail tips to walshSE@phillynews.com
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