Voting Experience today.....

[49jim]

I wasn't going to write anything about this but I wanted to share my voting experience today. I have been voting in this precinct for 30 years....federal, state, local (town) and all the poll workers know me. (retired school administrator). My signature is large (they say it looks like John Hancock). I use my middle initial and Jr. They always make a fuss over my penmanship. I was given the book to sign and my signature was on the left side of the page and I write my name next to it. Today as I went to sign my name the poll worker covered up my signature on the left side of the page with her hand. When I was done she turned the book around to see if they match. I voted w/o any problem, but it was the unusual behavior that caught my attention.This never happen before. I wonder if it was just the poll worker or instructions given to all of them. Anyway..it was raining hard here this morning in NY 24. Hey...VOTE!

[Delphinus]

1. Thanks for sharing -

it kind of raises my hackles.

[2naSalit]

2. That's odd.

I would look into that and maybe report it if it's not something that were told to do. Even if they were, sounds kind of hinky.

[phylny]

3. My license was scrutinized. She questioned

the pronunciation OF MY MIDDLE/MAIDEN name.

Other than that, smooth sailing in VA-05.

[YessirAtsaFact]

4. This is something to fight before the next election

These people aren't handwriting experts, just average people working the polls

And everybody's signatures vary

This shouldn't be something for a poll worker to judge

[mr_lebowski]

7. Well, Voter ID's are the only other choice, other than maybe a computer/scanning program ...

The latter of which I'd bet would be at least as flawed as a human.

In fact, the most compelling argument AGAINST 'voter ids' is that, in fact, poll workers are 'handwriting experts', or at least 'capable of telling two signatures match'.

[Neema]

11. Honestly though, my signature is all over the place. I was in a bank once signing

a whole bunch of documents and she told me "If I didn't see you sitting here signing all these, I would never believe these were the same signature." Luckily it's never been a problem voting because I live in a very blue place that knows the risk of voter fraud is crazy low. But I could see it happening.

It seems like there's got to be another solution.

[Jim__]

5. It is the law in New York state - not sure if it's a new law.

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/ELN/8-304

New York
(N.Y. Election Law §8-304) Sign the poll book Compare the signature to signature on file
Compare the voter’s physical appearance with information on record





Section 8-304 Voters; signature identification
Election (ELN)

1. A person before being allowed to vote shall be required, except as provided in this chapter, to sign his name on the back of his registration poll record on the first line reserved for his signature at the time of election which is not filled with a previous signature, or on the line of the computer generated registration list reserved for his signature. The two inspectors in charge shall satisfy themselves by a comparison of this signature with his registration signature and by comparison of his appearance with the descriptive material on the face of the registration poll record that he is the person registered. If they are so satisfied they shall enter the other information required for the election on the same line with the voter's latest signature, shall sign their names or initials in the spaces provided therefor, and shall permit the applicant to vote. Any inspector or inspectors not satisfied shall challenge the applicant forthwith.

...

[brush]

6. Repug poll worker too full of herself...as if you could forge a signature right there on the fly.

[Baitball Blogger]

8. I am glad they don't use my original signature.

I initially registered in this county back in the early nineties. It was a time when I was experimenting with the "r"s in my name. I just was never happy with my signature, especially the "r"s. But, the result looked like a teenage girl was intentionally trying to flourish a name. Certainly not something you take with you as you get older and wiser.

Thankfully, Florida has a new driver's license, which is supposed to be fraud resistant. They matched my signature to the driver's license. The woman who took my license said it was a perfect match. I felt like she should have given me a gold star.

[AlexSFCA]

9. my vote was once rejected because signature didnt match

driver’s license. It was when I just renewed DL and for some reason signed my name instead of my regular signature. Even though I mailed the ballot two weeks before election, I was not notified about this until after election when I received a letter in the mail saying my ballot was rejected. I was never given a chance to correct it. And this was in the most liberal of places, SF.

[DFW]

10. I still want a constitutional amendment worded like the Second Amendment

The right of the people to vote shall not be infringed.

If you are a citizen of the United States or of an indigenous nation within U.S. boundaries, you are registered to vote. Period, end of story, no exceptions. Anyone trying to deny you that right is a felon and deserving of a five year mandatory jail sentence for EVERY voter he or she deliberately tried to disenfranchise (poor Brian Kemp--he'd be in jail for the next forty thousand years). Making up fictional voters carries the same penalty (you KNOW the Republicans will try to conjure up right-wing voters out of thin air to compensate for the real ones they no longer can block from voting).

[rsdsharp]

12. Several years ago, our bank called to question my signature on a check.

My wife asked if they could read it.

"No. It's illegible."

"It's his."