From the Voter Defense Project:
UPDATE #3
OFFICIALS EXPRESS CONCERN ABOUT JACKSON STATE BALLOTS
Voter Defense Project releases latest update on incidents reported throughout Mississippi
JACKSON — Officials with the Democratic Voter Defense Project released an update on voter complications and irregularities reported at polling places throughout Mississippi. Project representatives are in contact with local and state officials to confirm, review and resolve these problems at the polls. Officials expressed particular concern about an unusually high number of affidavit ballots reported at Jackson State University precinct — and have dispatched representatives to better understand why so many voters, potentially as many as several hundred, were not afforded standard ballots.This is the third of several updates to come today and is not an inclusive list.
REPORTS
ADAMS COUNTY
Voter purged from roles and not allowed to complete affidavit ballot. (Precinct 4, Resolved)ATTALLA COUNTY
NEW: Half of machines broken, one that still works logs votes for McCain when Obama is selected. (Precinct 4, Resolved)
One machine is casting votes for candidate other than the one selected, poll workers still using machine (Sallis Fire Department, Resolved)BOLIVAR COUNTY
Several voters who have always voted at the precinct being forced to vote an affidavit ballot. (Precinct 201, Resolved)
Voter who registered at the DMV when she got her driver’s license was told she is not registered. (Precinct 201, Resolved)
Voter who had registered to vote and had their registration card with them was still forced to sign an affidavit ballot. (Emmanuel Baptist Church, Resolved)
Polling machine broken, several people have to fill out affidavit ballots and a few moved to another polling location. (Resolved)
Voter who has voted at the precinct in the past was asked to cast an affidavit ballot. (Resolved)
Election officials checking off voters on an unofficial ledge while in line. When voters get to official ledger they are already checked and turned away. (Resolved)COAHOMA COUNTY
Affidavit ballots were not being written, poll workers were deliberately touching the voting screen for these voters, choosing candidates the voter did not intend. (Precinct 3, Resolved)
Voters who should be casting affidavit ballots were told there would not be able to vote. (Precinct 4, Resolved)
Only allowing six voters in the polling place at a time. (Precinct 5, Resolved)DESOTO COUNTY
NEW: Large number of provisional ballots. Husband on roll and wife not. (Precinct 509, Resolved)FORREST COUNTY
NEW: No more provisional ballots available at polling location. (Precinct 26, Unresolved)
Voter names that are not on the roll are being written on legal pad but they are not being given affidavit ballots. (Salvation Army, Resolved)
Polls did not open on time. (Resolved)HARRISON COUNTY
NEW: Polling site is being blocked by Republican yard signs. (Civic Center, Resolved)
135 votes cast but machine only recorded 24. (Gulfport Precinct 15, Resolved)
Some ballots had already been used. (Precinct 3, Resolved)
Excessive number of affidavits being filed. (Monitoring)
Significant police presence at entrance of polling station. (Resolved)HINDS COUNTY
NEW: Several polling machines down. (Precinct 80, Resolved)
Concerns about who is permitted to vote with affidavit ballot. (Precinct 43, Resolved)
Poll workers don’t have county-wide voter list, instead of figuring out where people should vote poll workers are requiring people to vote provisionally. (Precinct 31, Resolved)
Republican poll worker intimidating African American voters and asking for photo IDs. (Precinct 71, Resolved)
Voters were told they could not vote and/or were not helped in finding their correct polling location. (Precinct 80, Resolved)
Voting machine is taken out of polling location, claiming it’s going “curbside” but poll watcher does not see where it ends up. (Precinct 81, Resolved)
Only one person checking people in creating an extremely long line. (Precinct 1, Resolved)
Poll manager will only add another poll worker to check in table if Republicans say so. (Precinct 1, Resolved)
Voters told they could not vote affidavit or could not vote at all. (Precinct 3, Resolved)
Voters not allowed to cast affidavit ballots, poll workers touching screens for voters and selected an unintended candidate. (Precinct 4, Resolved)
Only allowing six people into polling place at a time. (Precinct 5, Resolved)
Broken machines reported, still not working. (Resolved)
Elderly person requesting curbside assistance, polling officials require woman’s daughter to wait in line for her mother, half hour long lines. (Resolved)
Republican poll watcher standing behind poll workers. (Resolved)
Poll workers giving affidavit ballots to people who have clearly moved and should be voting in another precinct. (Resolved)
General confusion among some workers. (Unresolved)JACKSON COUNTY
Circuit clerk told voter she was removed for not voting in a federal election. (Moss Point, Resolved)
Republican poll watcher behind sign-in desk. (Resolved)JONES COUNTY
Poll workers have quit trying to fix down polling machine, line is down the block. (Resolved)LAUDERDALE COUNTY
Voter asked poll watcher to help with machine, poll watcher did not respond. (Mt. Olive Baptist Church and JC Building, Resolved)
Polling place moved, no sign or note about change of location. (Resolved)
Reports of robust police presence, including ticketing of voter cars. (Resolved)LEE COUNTY
NEW: Voting machines did not count first voters, poll worker said votes would be counted later. (Morning Star Church, Unresolved)MADISON COUNTY
Ballots taken from voters by Republican monitor. (Pleasant Gift Precinct, Resolved)
Several voters turned away; Justice Department is reportedly reviewing the situation. (Precinct 468, Resolved)
Police officer, not in uniform, has twice parked his police cruiser in front of the polling location and gotten out to talk to people. (Precinct 406, Resolved)
Voter reports that Musgrove and Wicker are not on the ballot. (Resolved)
Polling machines list wrong precinct. (Resolved)
Voters not on the rolls require provisional ballots, were told provisional ballots were not available at that precinct. (Resolved)
Voting Machine only registering McCain votes and not Obama votes. Machine taken out of service. (Resolved)MONTGOMERY COUNTY
Front doors are malfunctioning and voters are getting locked out. (Resolved)OKTIBEHHA COUNTY
NEW: Third party group is handing out sample ballots outside polling location. (University Drive, Starkville, Resolved)PERRY COUNTY
Three machines down, hour long lines. (Resolved)QUITMAN COUNTY
NEW: Voter who has routinely voted at the precinct was told she was not on the roll. (Precinct 9, Resolved)RANKIN COUNTY
NEW: Police officers within 150 feet of polling location, walking around, not voting. (Resolved)TUNICA COUNTY
All polling machines down, using paper ballots. (Precinct 001A, Resolved)WARREN COUNTY
Republican poll watcher standing behind desk. (Auditorium, Resolved)WAYNE COUNTY
Several voters turned away that have voted at the precinct in the past, told by poll workers that affidavit wouldn’t count. (Resolved)
I poll-watched at Morning Star in Lee County during the primary, so I hate that they have an unresolved problem. A lady named Miss Opeline runs the show, and has for over a decade. During the primary, she and the other poll workers were so excited to see so many young and first-time voters coming in, and so proud to help. I hope they get that thing dealt with quick!
Mississippi exit polls work out to about 51-48 McCain:
http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/results/polls/#MSP00p1
And the exit polls on the Senate race show 52-48 for Wicker:
http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/results/polls/#val=MSS02p1
Here’s the most serious voting irregularity yet: My nephew was turned away from his Harrison County polling place until he went outside and turned his T-shirt inside out. It was a “Black Sabbath” T-shirt! There is just no telling what that blue-haired poll worker must have thought!
billdees: I agree that is ludicrous
From sunherald.com live blogging:
Harrison County:
McCain/Palin: 3,689
Obama/Biden: 973
Musgrove: 1,312
Wicker: 3,281
Diaz: 2,065
Pierce: 2,461
Harrison County results so far with 10 of 66 precincts reporting
Also in Jackson County, Randy Bubba Pierce is leading Oliver Diaz in the Supreme Court race 1,634 to 1,039, with 7 of 40 precincts reporting.
Speaking of voting irregularities, Ohio has redeemed itself tonight.
from sunherald – Diaz now taking the lead in Harrison and Hancock Counties.
from wlox:
46% PRECINCTS REPORTING
Candidate Votes Vote %
Randy Pierce 69,923 58%
Oliver Diaz 51,348 42%
from the vanity fair live blog:
“22:37–At the RNC party at the DC hilton. Sad angry gathering. Fake acceptance of the inevitable abounds. People are bailing. Going to drink i assume. Someone just walked by saying, “romney and jindal in 2012″ i guess the only optimistic angle on that vision was that it wasnt Palin and jindal. They’re washing their hands of the Palin already. Sweet.”
it’s awesome that there has been this “problem” of long lines all over… people taking a greater interest in public issues is always a good thing
Congratulations Kitch!
amen Fishwater! I’m doing a victory dance over that one.
NMC: I pray the defeat of Smith brings an end to the mean spiritedness that has emanated from the Court toward the people of this state since the last years of the Pittman rule. With the Obama victory and the Kitchens victory, I feel like they do in the northwest when after 60 days of rain, the sun breaks out and the people squint and say “what’s that light?”. Oh yes, the sun! We remember the sun! It’s been a long dark night in this State and this country. I am heartbroken over the defeat of Diaz — kept off the bench for years by Dunn Lampton’s dishonesty and now finished off by a pack of lies uttered by the Chamber. I know the defeat will ultimately be Diaz’s gain and Mississippi’s loss. He will no longer be in the sights of the Bubbas of the Chamber; the people have lost one of the few fair justices on the Court. I hope the House continues it’s investigation of Lampton and we all get to see him in the jailhouse orange that would suit him so well.