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| Home Front: Politix |
| Things Get Ugly At Early Voting Locations |
| 2004-10-29 |
| MIAMI -- The election is growing close, and the heat is on -- especially in South Florida, where thousands of absentee ballots are missing, and now there are claims of voter intimidation. Thursday, South Florida Republicans and Democrats traded charges of voter intimidation at early voting locations. Teams of out-of-town lawyers are here, and already charges are flying that these so-called legal observers are over-stepping their bounds. Outside the Miami-Dade Government Center, Democratic demonstrators tried to shout-down Republican party officials and legislators who had called a news conference to make allegations of voter fraud and voter intimidation by supporters of Sen. John Kerry. Brownshirt tactics - a DNC signature. Of course imtimidation is ok when done by the left. But at the Lemon City Library, it was Republican legal observers who came under fire. Robert McNeal is one of a small army of attorneys who have descended on Florida and can easily be spotted at the polling places. Some people are not happy about their presence and accuse them of using bad tactics. Robert Koenig said he was just talking about Theresa Heinz Kerry with another person while inside waiting to vote when he was harassed. "The gentleman (McNeal) took pictures of me with his cell phone, telling me was breaking election laws," Koenig said. "Insane." McNeal, an attorney for the Republican Party, said. "I don't have a camera. How can you take pictures without a camera?" McNeal told Local 10 that he is an election law attorney from Chicago here working for the Republicans. When asked what he was doing here, McNeal said, "Observing to make sure there is no electioneering going on and we saw electioneering going on in this particular polling station today." Koenig scoffs at that. "I informed him I wasn't in the polling area," Koenig said. "It is a separate area inside and I wouldn't be able to talk in there. But outside the area, if I am having a private conversation with another citizen, I'm allowed to do that." I dont know about florida but here in Washington state you cannot electioneer within 200 feet of a polling place. Lucie Tondreau, a Haitian activist at the Lemon City Library, said she has been hassled even though she is just trying to help Haitian voters who had language difficulties. "The Republican lawyers are accusing myself and many other people who are here to assist voters that we are telling people who to vote for," Tondreau said. Are you? There are still rules for observers: they may not solicit voters inside the library; they may not interfere with the voting process; and they may not approach voters inside the voting room. |
| Posted by:CrazyFool |
| #14 WA law is pretty specific about where you can't carry. Drinking establishments, primary or secondary schools, and federal and state law offices and government buildings are pretty much out. For some reason that seems to include municipal libraries as well. :) Polling places are wide open--with a CCP. .com's right. We need all the backup we can get over here on the Left coast. |
| Posted by: Asedwich 2004-10-30 1:23:27 AM |
| #13 WA - The Lefty Left Coast? Whoa, you DO need to be armed, lol! And I'm glad to see the law doesn't stifle your 2nd Amendment right. I guess there were a few elections in Texas that went "wrong" with armed voters, heh. BTW, General Lucky is up your way - you guys should get acquainted. |
| Posted by: .com 2004-10-29 5:18:28 PM |
| #12 I'm in Washington State and possess a CPL. There is no law here against lawful concealed carry in a polling place. RCW 9.41.300 outlines prohibited carry locations. From WA State Constitution: SECTION 24 RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS. The right of the individual citizen to bear arms in defense of himself, or the state, shall not be impaired, but nothing in this section shall be construed as authorizing individuals or corporations to organize, maintain or employ an armed body of men. |
| Posted by: spiffo 2004-10-29 5:13:33 PM |
| #11 spiffo - Even with a concealed carry permit, it's not allowed in Texas, bro. Guns mixed with elections are waay in the past, heh. Don't want to see you hustled off to jail before you vote, lol! |
| Posted by: .com 2004-10-29 4:35:04 PM |
| #10 This year perhaps we should arrive at the polling place armed to the teeth. I don't go anywhere unarmed, anymore ; } |
| Posted by: spiffo 2004-10-29 4:25:50 PM |
| #9 300ft sounds about righ too. I remember in elementary school being told that we were not to take any 'vote yes! schools!' signs near the polling place. This year perhaps we should arrive at the polling place armed to the teeth. |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2004-10-29 4:06:58 PM |
| #8 Mitch - last time I voted in person, been doing absentee for a long time, no political conversations were tolerated in line. I don't recall the distance in Texas - 90-100 ft sounds about right, but not sure. Anyway, I DO recall an Election Judge (tipped by a Poll Watcher - they have no actual authority) coming out to the line and warning a man to limit his remarks to topics other than the election. And that was a very mild election year - Carter vs Ford. It was all very civil and polite. Today - with this election? Lol! Civility has already been gunned down. It was right behind truth in the firing line. |
| Posted by: .com 2004-10-29 3:46:07 PM |
| #7 Yes, I would say that a "private conversation" should be considered electioneering. Anything involving speech within the legal bounds involving advocacy constitutes electioneering, as far as I can tell. We’ve been told not even to have non-political speech with the judges of election within the precinct, on the grounds that it’s excessively chummy, and might give someone in line the impression of bias. I don't think that you even need to be talking to someone - if some Democrat paid Benny Lunkin, our local paranoid schizophrenic, $50 to debate the voices in his head on the merits of John Kerry while within my poll precinct, I'd by damn call that "electioneering". |
| Posted by: Mitch H. 2004-10-29 3:35:31 PM |
| #6 Colorado its 100 feet. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2004-10-29 3:33:47 PM |
| #5 CF - actually I think the RCW says you can't electioneer within 300 feet of the entrance to a polling place. But, I guess I'm just splitting hairs. But can a private conversation be considered electioneering? dunno. Guess that depends on if you're actually there to vote or not. Two voters having a private conversation sure is different than one voter being talked to by someone who is there for reasons (any reasons) other than to vote. |
| Posted by: spiffo 2004-10-29 3:23:53 PM |
| #4 Back to PC Re-education camp for you, RC! |
| Posted by: Dar 2004-10-29 2:16:03 PM |
| #3 I keep forgetting those rules. Sorry. |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2004-10-29 1:38:18 PM |
| #2 But only Republicians can imtimidate voters. Just as only white people can be racist and only white males can be slaveowners and oppressors. |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2004-10-29 1:31:44 PM |
| #1 Outside the Miami-Dade Government Center, Democratic demonstrators tried to shout-down Republican party officials and legislators who had called a news conference to make allegations of voter fraud and voter intimidation by supporters of Sen. John Kerry. Would it have bothered the reporter to note that the attempt to "shout down" someone proves the allegation? |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2004-10-29 1:27:31 PM |