I was not permitted to vote in Florida today.

[GreatAuntK]

"May not vote in this election since there are no questions or candidates they are entitled to vote on in the precinct."

"There's a zero beside her name, what the heck does that mean?"

That's the message that was read to me at Boca Raton Precinct 5148, as they looked up my voter ID file in Theresa LePore's Palm Beach County, Florida, database.

I had in hand a valid voter ID with my current address in Boca, and my driver's license, also current. When I went to my Precinct 5148, Pines of Boca Barwood, to vote this morning, my name was not on the list. I had voted at the same location for the primaries a few months ago, and they had me on the list at that time.

Three ladies sat me down and got on their laptop, and looked for my record. They found the record from my old address in Boynton.

Then they read to me a note that had been placed in my record. I asked them to repeat it, so I could write it down word for word: "May not vote in this election since there are no questions or candidates they are entitled to vote on in the precinct."

The three ladies said they had never seen such a thing before, and they all looked at it to confirm it on the computer. They called their supervisor on the phone, to talk about it.

It had taken me two letters/documents and four phone calls to get my address changed to the new address in Boca. And I had called LePore's office a few weeks ago to request an absentee ballot for the November election. But I finally did get a valid Voter ID card with the correct (Boca) address, which I had also presented at the last election, as I mentioned above.

I could understand if they didn't get my address change, that might have been an error - except that it did go through since I had voted at the new precinct a few months ago. My record was moved back to my old precinct in the last several months, for some unknown reason. But the note in my file "May not vote..." etc. - sounds fishy to me, even sinister.

I voted with a provisional ballot, but they don't count them unless there is a close race. The whole process took about an hour.

I called LePore's office about 1:00 today and spoke to Mary, and she took down all of the information to look into it. She looked up my record and found they have me registered at my old address from last year. She said there was no note in my file at that time about "May not vote in this election since there are no questions or candidates" etc. That note which the three ladies at the precinct had seen had obviously been removed from my record.

Theresa LePore won the election today. Her opponent Art Andersen, who was supported by Congressman Wexler, supports paper ballots.

[Rose Siding]

1. Oh, man, what a day you had

That's horrible. I feel furious and helpless.

[Lancer]

3. And this was just a primary.

What will November 2 bring?

[GreatAuntK]

5. Thank you.

We have a senate race coming up, Bob Graham's slot. I wrote a lot of emails to Bev Harris, and others. I studied up on the candidates, and I really wanted to have it count - but it's not just that - a lot of people would just blow it off and walk out, I wonder if there's someone out there just posting stuff like that randomly.

[bluestateguy]

2. LePore has not won yet

SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS
Completed Precincts: 433 of 693 (62.48%)
Vote Count Percent
Arthur 'Art' ANDERSON 68,316 50.11%
Theresa LEPORE 67,665 49.64%
WRITE-IN 344 0.25%
Total 136,325 100.00%

Looks like your provisional ballot will be counted.

[LisaL]

4. Hopefully, not by Theresa LePore personally.

Grrrrrrrrr. It just makes me so mad.
If she is breaking election rules by counting absentee ballots herself, why isn't anything being done? Can't somebody take her to court for it?

[GreatAuntK]

6. That's encouraging.

Silly me, I listened to the local election news on Fox 29 tonight, and they just stated that LePore had won. I've been just aflame all day about this. Greatly appreciate that you took the time to respond to me.

LePore was a Democrat, but she switched her loyalty when she got blamed for her part in the 2000 debacle, and now the Repugs support her.

[bluestateguy]

8. If somebody did all that to me, I would insist on voting no matter what

I would demand they arrest me before barring me from the polls.

[carpetbagger]

18. You listened to Fox? shame.

The more you watch, the less you know.

As of 1243AM EDT...

Completed Precincts: 554 of 693 (79.94%)
Vote Count Percent
Arthur 'Art' ANDERSON 87,186 51.35%
Theresa LEPORE 82,195 48.41%

Don't stay up too late, you've gotta start boarding your windows in the morning. We wouldn't want you blowing away before November.

[carpetbagger]

19. You listened to Fox? shame.

The more you watch, the less you know.

As of 1243AM EDT...

Completed Precincts: 554 of 693 (79.94%)
Vote Count Percent
Arthur 'Art' ANDERSON 87,186 51.35%
Theresa LEPORE 82,195 48.41%

Don't stay up too late, you've gotta start boarding your windows in the morning. We wouldn't want you blowing away before November.

[GreatAuntK]

23. Good news from Broward

At first I thought you were calling me a lightweight... But, yes, I've put up canned goods, water, and wine, and I have roll-down hurricane shutters. Still a couple of days to prepare. Stress is high. By God, I'll be so happy to see her lose.

GOOD NEWS - The infamous Miriam Oliphant seems to be losing...

SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS
(Vote for ) 1
Jamie BLOODWORTH . . . . . . . . 22,314 18.50
Miriam McKinzie OLIPHANT . . . . . 19,432 16.11
Brenda Calhoun SNIPES . . . . . . 78,853 65.38

I was for Jamie Bloodworth - Brenda Snipes is supported by Jeb Bush, though. Snipes might be more inclined for paper record of votes, according to statements she's made lately - but I can't be comfortable with anyone Jeb would appoint, though.

[madfloridian]

7. Still hope for Anderson! What time was this entry?

SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS
Completed Precincts: 433 of 693 (62.48%)
Vote Count Percent
Arthur 'Art' ANDERSON 68,316 50.11%
Theresa LEPORE 67,665 49.64%
WRITE-IN 344 0.25%
Total 136,325 100.00%

Dean rallied with Anderson last week and slammed LePore, and she cried. I would love to see her cry some more. Is she running as a Democrat or what? She changes so often.

[Lorien]

9. Here in Central Florida in 2000, a friend of mine

had a similar experience, except they wouldn't tell him why he wasn't allowed to vote. The woman at the polls that day just said "you won't be voting today", then nodded to a cop, who escorted my friend out of the polling station by the elbow and told him not to come back (he was a newly registered Dem with a voting card). Yes, my friend called every official imaginable that day, but other than a few sworn statements taken down, nothing was done for him. The rest, as they say, is history. :grr:

[Democrat 4 Ever]

10. Afraid this is just scratching the surface for what is coming

I think that we will see wide spread problems on November 2, with machines, voting lists, etc. The Repugs are DETERMINED to win.

[GreatAuntK]

12. Here's another sad tale.

My co-worker received a letter from the State of Florida telling him that he cannot vote in the coming elections unless he comes into the office of the Supervisor of Elections and provides evidence that 1) he is not an ex-felon and 2) he is mentally competent to vote.

The letter he showed me was very vague, with no instructions on just what he should bring along to prove that he's mentally competent...

He's been too busy traveling to resolve it, but I'll keep bugging him about it. And again, I think they depend on people just being not aggressive enough to set them straight.

I thought about whether I should have fought harder. I made quite a lot of noise. The poll workers are not allowed to talk about politics, but I AM. I gave my opinions loud enough for everyone to hear. I didn't know until after I left, when the Democratic poll watcher told me that the provisional ballots aren't counted unless there is a recount.

But we can't have a recount, only re- printouts.

I really needed to blow off some steam about this. There are many devious ways being used to disenfranchise Democrats in Florida.

[GreatAuntK]

13. Just curious

What city?

I really like your quote.

[GreatAuntK]

16. Jen6 - note

I got this response from verifiedvoting.org tonight, and I'll call them tomorrow. Jen6 - send this to your friend who was "shown the door" at the poll?

"Thank you so much for writing to us and reporting this incident. I appreciate the detail and care you took! I don't know if you had an opportunity to call the hotline for reporting election incidents, but this would be very important information for the Election Incident Reporting System (EIRS) which we launched today specifically for Florida's primary. The EIRS is a coalition effort established by the Election Protection Coalition and this
primary is its first use so that we can expand it for November. So every callhelps! and is very important. The hotline is staffed by legal experts.

If you have NOT called the hotline, please take a moment to give them a call at the toll-free number 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683). Our representative at the hotline can then add this detailed note into the record, if you ask them to tell him the case # which they will provide you...

If you have called the hotline already, did they give you a case #? If so, if you can email it back to me, he will be able to attach this report in the record. (Your personal information will be kept private.)

THANK YOU AGAIN - your information is very important.

[PA Democrat]

11. How many people would not have taken the hour that you spent

to insist on your right to vote? How maddening that must have been.

You should call the local news and tell them your story. Maybe others had the same problem.

[jburton]

14. Yes -- call the local media

Pitch this story to your local TV & Print media.

[GreatAuntK]

15. Sure thing

I've been writing emails to lots of places, media and representatives. I had a long talk with Congressman Wexler's assistant.

[frylock]

17. please mail your experience to greg palast..

he is the expert on this subject. Also include the issue your coworker has experienced.

http://www.gregpalast.com/contact.cfm

[GreatAuntK]

20. Done, Frylock.

Thanks for reminding me. Always glad to have an opportunity to pay my respects to a real journalist, Mr. P.

[frylock]

22. you ROCK!!!

:bounce::yourock::bounce:

[Kazak]

21. Deliberate incompetence...

Thugs have gotten quite far on it, you'll find.

[GreatAuntK]

24. 1:18 AM Update

SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS
Completed Precincts: 655 of 693 (94.52%)
Vote Count Percent
Arthur 'Art' ANDERSON 90,956 51.45%
Theresa LEPORE 85,418 48.32%
WRITE-IN 402 0.23%
Total 176,776 100.00%

And that's as fine an ending to this story as I'm gonna get.

Thanks all for the encouragement. G'night all. Gotta get some rest to prepare for the storm approaching.