One Utah

I wrote about my early voting experience with a paper ballot on Tuesday (post here). I hadn’t gone to the county clerk’s office like some who have had no problems with paper voting, I went to Northwest Multipurpose Center (1300 W. 300 N.) I think the problem may be localized at that location (and hopefully only at that location).

My husband went to Northwest to vote last night. He presented his I.D. to the male poll worker checking in, and then asked for a paper ballot. The man paused, looking at him, then burried his face in his hands. My husband asked, “Is there a problem?”

Another poll worker asked the man checking in what was wrong. He told her that my husband wanted a paper ballot. The woman said, “Oh, another problem child” and helped the other poll worker get through the check-in process and get my husband a paper ballot.

After voting they did try to backtrack, claiming that he was only the second person that day to request a paper ballot. They turned up the friendliness and thanked him, assuring him more than once that his vote counted.

I wonder if the poll workers working at Northwest, when talking among themselves, worked themselves into a snit about the paper ballots?
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I called the county clerk’s office yesterday to register my complaint with my voting experience. There was no formal complaint to file, but I did speak with a woman who took notes and asked a few questions. I also gave her my name and phone number.

She explained to me what my two poll worker friends had confirmed — the training that poll workers receive is to give me a paper ballot when requested, no questions asked.

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It seems to me that what happened at Northwest could easily happen at other polling locations on Election Day. It’s important not to let the poll workers intimidate anyone that doesn’t want to vote on the Diebold machines. Stick firm and tell them that questioning them is against policy and their training.

This entry was posted Thursday, November 2nd, 2006 at 8:55 am and is filed under Utah Politics, Voting Rights. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.