Voter Harassment: Officials Try to Prohibit Woman Wearing Pro-life Shirt From Voting [Wayne County]

witness account

[Notwithstanding]

Yesterday a woman had to call her attorney in order to vote. Election officials in a Wayne County precinct refused to let the woman vote because she was wearing a pro-life t-shirt. After her attorney explained the law, she was allowed to vote. Meanwhile, the attorney also convinced the officials to require union poll watchers (who were sitting on polling place premises wearing candidate t-shirts and parking their cars with candidate stickers on site) to move to another are and park their cars offsite.

[NB: The law prohibits any form of campaigning for individual candidates or specific ballot measures, but does NOT prohibit other first amendment activity such as wearing things like union, environmental or pro-life t-shirts or buttons]

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

The things that the secret-ballot laws prohibit are things that we'd do without a moment's thought anywhere but the polling place. And the secret ballot is what makes fraud so difficult to prevent; otherwise you could just keep a running tally of each candidate's votes.

Obviously the secret ballot is very important. Then why are people allowed to perform exit polls?!

If Florida were to prohibit--and enforce a law against--exit polling, broadcasters would have no data on which to base a projection of election results before the polls close in the Panhandle. Journalists would hate it, but it couldn't happen to nicer guys.

[Teacher317]

Well, it would be tough to promote non-registered voters as "disenfranchised"... unless they're minorities of immigrants... then maybe! =^)

[onevoter]

You claim that Democrats, in general, were not allowed to vote?!! Somehow, I believe that would have been picked up by every liberal newcaster in the country. Just where are you come from? I'll bet your local papers had a field day with this one!

[Balding_Eagle]

Yes

[Paulus Invictus]

RATS and Independents were denied the chance to vote here in a Primary because there were no candidates from either party. Only Republican candidates were on the ballot and only registered Pubbies were recognized as legally allowed to vote. Lots of people complained, but thems the rules---no candidate and no name on the rolls equals no permission to vote.

[Theodore R.]

Is Wayne Co. named for the late "Mad Anthony" Wayne? I bet he would not approve of the voter tactics in liberal Detroit. Imagine fighting for his country -- only to have to see it turned over to the lowest level of corrupt politicians running things.

[CyberAnt]

Orrrr ... if the woman had been black or Hispanic; shall I go on ... (barf).

[CyberAnt]

"Attorneys ARE GOOD GUYS when they take stands like this!"

Thanks for that statement - I'm seriously considering law school! Probably a crazy idea, but it just keeps surfacing in my brain.

[Edmund Burke]

Yes, Wayne County is in fact named after General Mad Anthony.

[unixfox]

After her attorney explained the law, she was allowed to vote.

That would be the 1st amendment, right?

Geez...I swear this country has gone to hell in a hand cart when an effing ATTORNEY has to point out that we STILL have free speech in this country !!!

Well sort of....

[brat]

. "As in the Clinton years - the chief enemy of this country was not the Terrorists who want to kill us all - but prolifers who only want to save the lives of children!"

Well said, Freedom! Perhaps we should all wear Prolife shirts to the polls and see just how widespread this is.

[RAT Patrol]

I got in trouble for wearing a Bush shirt to the polls in 2000. I didn't even think about what I was wearing. I wore that shirt for 6 straight months every time it was clean, LOL (and the creep betrayed me by signing CFR) A guy in line loaned me his jacket and I complained, whined, and mumbled the rest of the time I was there. The 'rat workers were mad at me (I don't blame them to be honest, but it really was just an oversight). The Republican workers laughed and whispered to me about what a dictator that 'rat lady was. LOL!

[tophat9000]

They were eventually given provisional ballots, which aren't even counted...She had her voter registration card with her even

I’m not sure what you mean by her “voter registration card” I live in L.A. County so I’m somewhat familiar with how voting works in California.

There is no “voter registration card” you do get a postcard telling you your polling place and also a sample ballot but nether acts as a “voter registration card”.

There was a problem in So. California during the 2000 election that was reported election day.

A Democrat mass mailing of official looking “voter registration card” causing major confusion with people thinking it was real

The problem being they sent it to just about anybody they thought would vote Democrat including non register voter and illegal aliens.

To vote your name needs to be in the polls books.

Give them you name and address and they look you up to see if your register to vote at that polling place.

If your not on the polls roles you can do two things

... Call the voters registration office to see if your at the right poll

(Very common problem being at the wrong poll as they change locations and redraw the boundary between polls. There are cards they give at the poll with the phone number of the voters registration office.... Note I have a little gripe about this... the cards have a phone number for about any language you can think of… the problem being the English line is a toll number and all the rest are toll free 800 numbers)

..Or ask for a provisional ballots

(A lot of poll workers do not tell you or know about provisional ballots,during the 2000 election a friend of mine ..A Republican Bush voter.. got turned away at his poll as they didn’t have him on the rolls. I told him about the provisional ballots and he went back and got to vote with about 10 min to spare)

Now provisional ballots are counted after the voters register office confirms your were your eligible to vote and if it will affect to outcome of the vote.

[tophat9000]

affect the outcome

[stands2reason]

I'm curious about your post name. Can you explain it?

[stands2reason]

I wonder why do you post on this site? Are you a conservative?