Tiff stalls voting at Mummers hall

Voting was shut down briefly at the Mummers Museum in South Philadelphia this afternoon after an argument flared between elections officials, one of a number of scattered election problems reported around the city.

In addition, a man "dressed like a Black Panther" at 12th and Fairmount caused several people to call a election watchdog group.

Problems at the Mummers Museum, at 2nd Street and Washington Ave., started as polls opened Tuesday in the Second Ward, said Christopher Randolph, an independent voter who was elected as minority inspector of that division. An elections judge didn't show up on time and the polls opened 40 minutes late, Randolph said.

When the Democratic inspector questioned his credentials, Randolph went to elections court in City Hall. Common Pleas Court Judge Leon W. Tucker ordered that he be seated, but when Randolph returned to the museum, a shouting match ensued about who was the proper judge. Police were called to sort the mess out.

"Police didn't allow anyone in the room to go near the equipment, or the books," Randolph said.

The majority inspector, and acting elections judge, Angela Trusko, declined to comment.

At one point, there were several dozen people milling about, including reporters, police, and lawyers from both parties, the Committee of 70 watchdog group and the District Attorney's office.

Randolph said there were also disputes about his credentials during the spring election but he thought it was all straightened out.

"This is the first moment of calm we've had here since 6:30 this morning," he said in midafternoon. "It was all unnecessary."

At 12th and Fairmount, where two representatives of a "New Black Panther Party" were accused two years ago of intimidating voters, the Committee of 70 said it received reports of a man "dressed like a Black Panther."

There wereno complaints of voter intimidation.

During the 2008 election, members of the New Black Panter Party stood outside the facility and allegedly hurled racial threats and insults at voters. One member was said to have brandished a nightstick. Federal prosecutors in the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division accused the Panthers of violating the federal Voting Rights Act, charges that were later dismissed. However, the organization's president, King Samir Shabazz, was barred from displaying a weapon within 100 feet of any Philadelphia polling location on any Election Day through 2012.

"That happened two years ago," Judge of elections Lugina Robinson said, then sighed, "and the media is still blowing it out of proportion."

Standing near Robinson was Jerry Jackson, wearing a Black Panther button pinned to his long black trenchcoat, and a red-black-and-green medallion around his neck, as he quietly handled out Democratic ballots to voters.

"Have a nice day," Jackson wished one lady as she exited the polling place.

Robinson looked over at him and continued. "There hasn't been any static and turnout has been great. He's not bothering anybody."

Jackson declined comment.

"He seems to be just looking at people and that's not against the law," said Sean Scully, deputy policy director at the Committee of 70.

There were other conflicts throughout the morning, including disputes over election signs and sample ballots. At least 11 machines didn't work, at least temporarily.

In West Philadelphia, there were reports that a key broke off in a lock at one storefront polling place in the morning. Someone got a sledgehammer and smashed in the door, according to reports received by the committee.

"We like that determination, but officially we're not recommending that approach," Scully said.

The group's election monitors fielded calls from across the city, with voters asking a myriad of questions about the rules at the polls. One consistent complaint was that polling places had changed and weren't well marked.

"People just didn't feel they were getting the proper information to figure out where they were supposed to go," Scully said.

A team of backup lawyers from the firm of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP had attorneys visiting polling sites when problems needed on-site help.

One of the main reasons for a lower number of complaints so far is that turnout is considerably less that it was in the 2008 presidential balloting, election workers said.

"In 2008, lots of reports were flying. Everyone showed up before work," said Jon David, a volunteer working at the Morgan Lewis law firm.

He said there were few reports of long lines at the polls.

Still, there were enough problems to keep lawyers scrambling.

"It's not just there," David said of the Second Ward snafu over credentials. "There have been a number of them around the city. We've seen it in the Northeast, West Philadelphia. That's something we see pretty routinely."

In heavily Democratic Philadelphia, he said, minority poll workers sometimes need the backup of lawyers, who usually resolve the problems by explaining the laws to the majority polling authority.

But the problems were bipartisan. A voter at the firehouse at 13th and Shunk Streets in South Philadelphia complained that a campaign worker was improperly handing out Republican literature inside the polling site.

Most of the problems were more mundane.

In the Lawncrest section of the city, at Rising Sun and Comley Street, a voter reported that the polling place had not opened at 7 a.m. and was told machines were down. Polling officials were not offered alternative ballots, and the voter had to leave for work.