Posted on 02/18/2009 3:52:58 AM PST by Born Conservative
A Tunkhannock Township election worker accused of trying to manipulate a voter's presidential choice is facing criminal charges.
Sean Stevens, 59, of Long Pond, is accused of unlawfully assisting in the voting, interfering with an election, soliciting a candidate's vote within the polling place, and violating his oath of office. He has been issued a summons to appear March 12 before Magisterial District Judge Richard Claypool of Pocono Pines for a preliminary hearing.
Stevens was dismissed as a voting machine inspector in last November's general election after a voter said Stevens reached over the top of the voting booth and tried to switch a vote for presidential candidate John McCain to Barack Obama. Stevens said he was merely informing the voter, after being asked for help, that the voter could change his mind after making an initial selection.
The voter filed a formal complaint with the Monroe County Elections Board. The elections board interviewed Stevens, the voter and other Tunkhannock poll workers, before referring the matter to the county District Attorney's Office to determine if a crime had been committed.
County Detective Eric Kerchner said the voter closed the voting booth curtain election morning and cast his votes on the electronic voting machine.
"Just before he pushed the button to finalize his vote someone leaned over the top of the booth from the rear and said, 'Do you need any help?'" Kerchner wrote in his affidavit of probable cause. He said Stevens peered into the voting booth and told the voter, "Obama is your man."
The detective said the voter refused help, but Stevens reached into the booth, looked at his selections and "selected and deselected" a number of his votes. Stevens told the voter "you can change your vote as many times as you want," Kerchner added.
Kerchner said when the voter went back to push the final vote selection button, he noticed his choice for president had been switched from McCain to Obama. The voter changed the vote back to McCain and completed the process.
Kerchner said this incident was part of a wider pattern of conduct by Stevens on Election Day.
"After the polls opened Stevens placed a plank across the rear of three of the voting booths he was assigned to manage," Kerchner wrote.
"While electors entered the booths to vote Stevens would 'walk the plank.' This allowed Stevens to peer into the booths, revealing electors' voting choices."
Stevens, working his fourth election, was immediately dismissed after the voter filed a complaint and asked to leave the polling area.
The charge of interfering with an election is third-degree felony, carrying a maximum fine of $15,000 and a prison term of up to seven years. The other three charges are misdemeanors.
Ping
This is what they call “direct action”. Change we can believe in?
Liberals truly believe that changing votes in the booth or influencing a person in the booth is OK.
However, like most liberal policies, they cannot see the slide toward third-world status if followed through.
LLS
Be assured....... there are 1000’s who didn’t get caught.
ping
This, does not surprise me. With all the ex-flatlanders there it is no wonder Monroe Co. is so blue.
Check out this news video about it, shows him in action
http://www.wnep.com/wnep-mon-poll-worker,0,1677193.story
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