Must Read: Influx of Voters Expected to Test New Technology
Ian Urbina of the New York Times has written an article about the problems that could occur during the November election. And although it doesn’t offer concrete solutions, it is a must read for every voter for it sheds some much needed light on what to expect on election day and can help us work towards alleviating some of the problems that might occur.
In the article, Urbina covers:
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Heavy turnout, Long lines, Not enough poll workers, New statewide databases to verify voter registration, Increased wait time and long lines due to electronic voting machines, Reduction of wait times and long lines due to paper ballots, Adequate number of ballots, Paper backups in case of machine malfunction, Ballot design flaws, Early voting, Purging of voter rolls, Influx of new registrations, High turnover of state election directors, Uninformed distribution of machines and ballots (esp. in swing states like Florida, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio and Pennsylvania, which lack uniform rules for distributing machines and ballots), No fault absentee voting, Lack of oversight of the purging of voter rolls
And while it is thorough, there are a few red flags:
Advocacy groups have encouraged voters to check their registration with election officials at least two weeks before the polls open.
Two weeks before the election is too late, especially in states where the cut off for registering is at least a month before the election. Please find out when voter registration ends in your state and check your registration accordingly.
I’m concerned about the weak spots,” said Rosemary E. Rodriguez, the chairwoman of the United States Election Assistance Commission, which oversees voting. “So much depends on whether there will be enough poll workers, whether they are trained enough and whether their state and county election directors give them contingency plans and resources to handle the unexpected.
It’s always a red flag when an election official picks a particular problem to focus on because it appears to make it easier, after the election, for that official to blame any shenanigans on that particular problem. We’ve already seen Louisiana officials singling out and blaming newly registered voters for problems that might occur on election day.
But poll workers will have to explain the system to new voters and make certain to print and distribute enough paper ballots for each polling place. In the past, shortages of paper ballots or electronic machines have been a common cause of long lines and people leaving the polling places without voting, said Adam Fogel, a program director at FairVote, a voting rights advocacy group.
“For us, the issue isn’t what type of machines will be used but how they are distributed,” Mr. Fogel said.
What this excerpt leaves out is that in the past - particularly in Ohio in 2004 - voting machines were distributed in such a way as to create a modern day Jim Crow effect - systematically eliminating the votes of minorities. (Watch the Uncounted Jim Crow Segment for more detail).
Solutions that can be implemented prior to November:
- Organize or volunteer for a voter registration drive or GOTV initiative
- Encourage follow up on new registrations to make sure they have been prcessed and processed correctly
- Know the specific ID laws and other rules that govern elections in your state.
- Volunteer as a Poll Worker and know the rules.
- Volunteer as a Poll Watcher and know the rules.
- Fight back against intimidation - never let anyone tell you that you cannot vote.
Organizations mentioned in the article that can be helpful:
If you’d like to find a voting rights advocacy group in your area, Google your state and/or city and “election integrity,” “voting rights,” or “voter registration drive.”