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LessAspin

(1,151 posts)
Thu Nov 12, 2020, 01:08 PM Nov 2020

"I love America, but some of you make it so hard."

This is a little dated now but gives some insight into what poll workers went through...



'Security Guards Had To Escort Us Out' -- U-M Law Student Who Monitored Detroit Ballot Challenges

November 06, 2020, 11:20 AM

The writer, a third-year University of Michigan law student, posts Thursday night about experiences as a certified poll challenger at Detroit's absentee ballot processing center. Her 10-tweet thread is consolidated with slight editing for clarity.

By Julie Moroney

I was at the TCF Center in Detroit [Wednesday] as a nonpartisan poll challenger. ... At one point, [a Republican challenger] yelled that a ballot needed to be thrown out because it "looked sticky." Another time, she demanded that the poll workers stop what they were doing and back up all computers in case of power outage or tornado.

Just baseless, bad-faith challenges to slow the process.

And after Trump filed his lawsuit and Michigan was called for Biden, the GOP strategy shifted to challenge every single ballot. I know this because I overheard their organizers pass on the new message. They didn't even pretend to have a reason for doing so, just repeated: "I challenge this ballot; I challenge that ballot" over and over again as the poll workers tried to count.

At one point, my good friend and law school classmate Sumner Truax looked over at me and said: "This is not how democracy is supposed to work." It was so true, and so sad.

The optics of it all weren't lost on me either. Picture a huge space filled with predominantly Black poll workers just trying to do their jobs while white Michigan GOP challengers hovered over them, yelling at them that they're wrong, doing a bad job or committing crimes.


The harassment and intimidation — both from the GOP challengers in the room and the GOP supporters banging on the windows trying to get in — is seared onto my brain. Security guards had to escort us out a side entrance so we could leave the building safely.

One of the most jarring things was stepping outside of the building and seeing the sun set across the river in Canada. The juxtaposition of exiting an epicenter of "American democracy" that felt more like mob rule and seeing the Canadian flag gently flap in the wind a mile away, an example of a functioning democracy -- the irony was painful.

I left exhausted, but mostly just sad. I love America, but some of you make it so hard.

How did we get to a place where you challenge other people's ballots simply because you believe they voted for the other guy? How did we get to a place where you file a lawsuit claiming lack of access, when you have 100+ challengers in there fucking shit up? How did we get to a place where you're so deep into conspiracy theories that you claim ballots are coming out of thin air when you are there, witnessing the process, and doing everything in your power to impede it? ...

https://www.deadlinedetroit.com/articles/26584/security_guards_had_to_escort_us_out_--_u-m_law_student_who_monitored_detroit_ballot_challenges
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"I love America, but some of you make it so hard." (Original Post) LessAspin Nov 2020 OP
I thought I was going to need a DU beg to get me out of jail this morning. redstatebluegirl Nov 2020 #1
Good for you. Stand your ground. These bullies have no leg to stand on, and are certainly ... SWBTATTReg Nov 2020 #2
Trumper/Detroit Police Chief LessAspin Nov 2020 #3
The Asshole chief needs to be fired MustLoveBeagles Nov 2020 #4

redstatebluegirl

(12,265 posts)
1. I thought I was going to need a DU beg to get me out of jail this morning.
Thu Nov 12, 2020, 01:11 PM
Nov 2020

Out walking my dogs like I always do, a nutcase Trumper who still has his signs and flags up, hollered at me from his garage, calling me a libtard, elitist snob for having Biden signs in my yard. I started to keep walking and then just had to do it, I did something I haven't done since I was in High School, I flipped him off. He started out of his garage, saw my three dogs and thought better of it. I have just had enough of these people!

SWBTATTReg

(22,065 posts)
2. Good for you. Stand your ground. These bullies have no leg to stand on, and are certainly ...
Thu Nov 12, 2020, 02:20 PM
Nov 2020

proving what sore losers they are, in every sense of the word. You're right, I too, have a dirty taste in my mouth from listening to these thuggish stories of 'stolen votes', 'fraud' at every step of the way, etc.

Republicans need to take their party back. They need to repair their party, not the Democratic party. Why is it that I seem to hear 'oh, democrats need to reach out and embrace the republicans...' etc. nonsense? We have (as democrats) been here all along, it's they who disappeared into the trump swamp and thus, need to be pulled out of the muck and mud. No one else does.

LessAspin

(1,151 posts)
3. Trumper/Detroit Police Chief
Fri Nov 13, 2020, 10:05 PM
Nov 2020

The story below brought the OP to mind. Detroit's Police Chief attacks peaceful protesters, fails to protect pollsters, and colludes with Proud Boys...


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