2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: A disabled Bernie Sanders Supporter raised a good point [View all]wormhog
(5 posts)I am the original sleazebag poster on Reddit. ADA requirements are set by the FEDS and they are in charge of enforcement, not the state. So what the state says doesn't really matter. The statements made by officials conflicted. Earlier in the day, Clinton was warned he couldn't enter the polls, but was with a mayor to ease his passage and did it anyway. My complaint was specific to the ADA requirements because I saw no discussion of that. But I the whole thing left a bad taste in my mouth.
Here are quotes from the earlier in the day before the later shitstorm:
We had to remind some of our poll workers that even a president cant go inside and work a polling place, William F. Galvin, the Massachusetts secretary of state, said in an interview.
We had to remind everybody what the rules are, that there is no campaigning within 150 feet of the voting booths because people are entitled to their privacy, Mr. Galvin said. And its not just him but his media entourage.
He can go in, but he cant approach voters, Mr. Galvin said. We just took the extra precaution of telling them because this is not a usual occurrence. You dont usually get a president doing this.
In a 1 March 2016 Boston.com piece, Brian McNiff, a spokesman for the Massachusetts secretary of state, reiterated that the Clinton campaign was "reminded" of election rules during the Massachusetts primary:
McNiff was asked if Clintons presence would, on its own, constitute a solicitation. Hes a well known person. And hes a spouse of a candidate, McNiff said. That should answer the question. He declined to further elaborate.
They sure changed their tune. Have they really cleared him of doing any wrong? The mayor's office told me yesterday the SOS is still investigating. The quotes I saw only cleared him of electioneering on the *inside* of polls. And you see that the Secretary of State has said he can't approach voters. Photos show that he did. These officials hope Hillary will do them favors when elected so they are looking the other way, but the feds have to support the ADA act. I just don't want to see a rally block me or my precinct's votes, whether it's Trump, Clinton, or even Bernie.