MSNBC: Virginia Tech polling center suddenly and unexpectedly moved six miles away from school

[sabra]

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/11/04/1634499.aspx

VIRGINIA: Dozens of polling places are experiencing varying degrees of machine malfunctions. Some polling places are either completely closed or have been closed for hours. Thousands of voters may have been turned away illegally by polling workers. Voters have illegally been issued with provisional ballets where machines have been broken.

Students at Virginia Tech, previously the victims of misinformation, have seen their polling place suddenly and unexpectedly moved six miles to a location with little parking.

PENNSYLVANIA: Voting machine malfunctions are widespread and at least a dozen locations, mainly focused on Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Election Protection has received reports of campaign materials being illegally distributed at polling locations in Pittsburgh. Voters across the state are reporting that they never received their absentee ballots, which is creating additional chaos at the polls.

Several other states like Florida, Ohio, Colorado and Michigan are reporting long lines due to problems with registration lists and poll locations.

[PresidentObama]

1. All just happen to be states Obama needs, and is leading in. Hmmmm.... n/t

[Triana]

17. Yep. And it's NOT a coincidence. WHERE are the damn lawyers and WHO moved the polling place?

And WHY do they still have a JOB?

[Captain Hilts]

18. We need names. nt

[Johonny]

25. maybe

It's also possible that it's happening nation wide and the media is just focusing on the states the media has been told to focus on. Either way a top mission of Obama needs to be to fix voting in America so that every American can vote, and vote on machines that are honest and reliable.

[GreenPartyVoter]

2. I hope the VaTech kids can get rides out there

[burythehatchet]

3. yep. All the battleground states will see many repuublick ploys.

[MadBadger]

The election system in this Nation is a sham

[Muttocracy]

4. 6 miles? Is that even in the same precinct? nt

[WeDidIt]

5. Okay, that goes beyond typical election day problems

That's a real election theft attempt.

[still_one]

6. This spells big trouble. What are the 5000 lawyers doing? /nt

[stillcool]

50. Why would you think..

there are no lawyers there?

[Thrill]

7. Those fuckers are going to do it again. Unreal

[still_one]

15. The question is, I thought we hired 5000 lawyers to prevent this crap /nt

[progressivebydesign]

8. those fuckers cannot win if it's a fair fight! They HAVE to cheat..

they KNOW that there is no way in hell they have enough votes to win..so they cheat in a thousand little and big ways. that's their strategy. If they can inflict enough damage in many places, it adds up. I hate them.

[Supersedeas]

48. there's no such thing as cheating to these fucks

[bigdarryl]

9. The question is why the hell does this country STILL rely on MACHINES for voting

[Supersedeas]

49. b/c the Oligarchy finds it easier to steal election with THEIR machines

[onenote]

10. who would make the decision to move the polling location?

who decides that sort of thing? Anyone know?

[Thrill]

11. WTF is wrong with our Democratic Governors? Why move their polling station

Get them fucking Paper Ballots, you idiots

[Muttocracy]

12. Info for Blacksburg and Radford voters here, including shuttles and polling locations:

http://www.mcdemocrats.org/

[Democat]

13. Amazing, the IRS has no tech problems collecting our money every year, but...

Somehow the same government just can't seem to get voting to work in states where McCain needs to win.

What a fucking shock!

[vademocrat]

30. It's not the federal gov't - it's state gov't that runs elections =

It's a constitutional thing that the feds don't have the right to tell states how to run state affairs. Elections are seen as state business.

I think it's past time for the federal gov't to step in and say "run your state elections any way you choose but here are federal standards for all federal-level elections".

[olegramps]

43. That was true until 2000.

[vademocrat]

44. What changed in 2000?

[stillcool]

51. HAVA..

which legislated computerized voting..not to mention what they've done with centralized voter registrations.

[vademocrat]

53. Oh right - thanks!

Hopefully, we can work on amending HAVA before the 2010 elections...

[vademocrat]

31. It's not the federal gov't - it's state gov't that runs elections

It's a constitutional thing that the feds don't have the right to tell states how to run state affairs. Elections are seen as state business.

I think it's past time for the federal gov't to step in and say "run your state elections any way you choose but here are federal standards for all federal-level elections".

[Democat]

45. Exactly, if they can organize the IRS, they can organize voting!

Ridiculous!

[stillcool]

52. The federal government doesn't 'fix' anything..

they created the problems by legislating that we outsource our elections to voting machine companies.

[mollymongold]

14. HOW CONVENIENT IT HAPPENS NOW

[hedgehog]

16. Time for the students to arrange an ad-hoc 6 mile march!

[file83]

28. I'd go rent a large passenger van and begin a free shuttle...

This has got to be criminal. How the FUCK can they do this? Talk about disenfranchisement.

[jayfish]

19. Digg It Up!

http://digg.com/2008_us_elections/HERE_WE_GO_AGAIN_Voting_issues_in_PA_VA#

The more people that know about this the better and shame on MSNBC for hiding this news.

Jay

[AZBlue]

41. You may want to start a thread on this alone!

Digging is valuable.
(btw, I dugg)

[Lars39]

20. Shuttle buses need to be hired asap

[Muttocracy]

22. there are some, but I hope there are enough (see link above). nt

[bdamomma]

21. I do not like the sound of this.

Aren't there lawyers involved in these voting problems.

to those voters who are having problems please contact Obama campaign number of 1 877 874-6226.

no matter what you must vote.

[GrizzlyMan]

24. Why don't we give them a chance to let them get involved

Jesus Christ the hand wringing here today is far worse than I ever imagined.

[Doctor_J]

23. Not very subtle any more, are they?

Get ready to rumble, DUers.

[CPschem]

26. Hmm.. I bet voting's going just fine over at Liberty U.

n/t

[City Lights]

27. This is why my stomach is in knots.

:argh:

:wtf:

[dennis4868]

32. agree...

I have no confidence that all of Obama's votes will be counted....this is what will make the election close and perhaps a McCain victory...THIS IS SCARY...I am reading about so many voting problems today...in PA and VA....I wonder why?

[file83]

29. Let me take a WILD guess: This is happening only in the precincts expected to heavily go OBAMA.

Just a hunch.

[BigD_95]

33. why the hell

does this shit always freaking happen in Dem strong holds? Im so sick of this shit!

[thoughtcrime1984]

34. Time to hold people responsible. Prison time for those assholes who willfully deny people the right

to vote!!!!!!

[KamaAina]

36. Obama needs to put the Justice back in DOJ

this is as good a place as any to start. :grr:

[TeamJordan23]

35. This is bullshit. we need this state also. nm

[barack the house]

37. Send a fleet of cars there to take voters to the next location would be one idea.

[wroberts189]

38. Repubs - CHEAT - LIE - STEAL CLS is their motto.. eom

[pimpbot]

39. The VT story sounds bogus

Here are pics and an article from the college newspaper, who is liveblogging the election on and around campus:

http://collegiatetimes.com/blogs/election/2008/11/04/polls-are-absolutely-empty-go-vote-now/

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

40. Voter Registration by Students Raises Cloud of Consequences - NYT 09/07/08

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/08/education/08students.html

Voter Registration by Students Raises Cloud of Consequences
By TAMAR LEWIN
Published: September 7, 2008

The widespread practice of students’ registering to vote at their college address has set off a fracas in Virginia, a battleground state in the presidential election.

Late last month, as a voter-registration drive by supporters of Senator Barack Obama was signing up thousands of students at Virginia Tech, the local registrar of elections issued two releases incorrectly suggesting a range of dire possibilities for students who registered to vote at their college.

The releases warned that such students could no longer be claimed as dependents on their parents’ tax returns, a statement the Internal Revenue Service says is incorrect, and could lose scholarships or coverage under their parents’ car and health insurance.

After some inquiries from students and parents, and more pointed questions from civil rights lawyers, the state board of elections said Friday that it was “modifying and clarifying” the state guidelines on which the county registrar had based his releases

I think this looks like a concerted effort to suppress and deny Virginia Tech students their vote. Virginia is KEY and pivotal in this election. The ACLU and the Obama lawyers need to get on this immediately!

[donco6]

42. Not much trouble here in Colorado.

Here's what we've compiled:

In Weld County, numerous Spanish-speaking voters were having difficulty casting their ballots because the county did not provide a ballot in Spanish, and only a few translators were available to explain them.

Colorado Progressive Coalition spokeswoman Angie Diaz says she doesn't know how many voters are affected, but about 20 people called the group with concerns.

Weld County Clerk and Recorder Steve Moreno says he's received no voter complaints, adding that the county is not required to print instructions in Spanish, but translators are posted at some polling places and others are available if needed.

Meanwhile, at the Christ Community Church at Hampden and Colorado, the Denver Elections Commission says the polling judges were missing names beginning with G through U on their voter registration rolls. Once the commission learned of the mishap, they got a new book out to the location within a half hour.

At Manuel High School, touch screen machines were in use for disabled voters, but were not working properly. Denver officials say they are no longer using the touch screens and instead are using paper ballots.

Voting at Green Valley Ranch Rec Center was disrupted briefly when a drunk man arrived at the polling location and refused to leave. Denver Police were called in and asked the man to leave. He left without incident.

At the Church of the Risen Christ in Denver, and at two other polling places, there was a shortage of secrecy sleeves. Denver County Clerk and Recorder Stephanie O'Malley says voters are able to cast their vote without a secrecy sleeve, if needed.

Not bad, and looks like everyone's handling things pretty well.

[AspenRose]

46. kick

:kick:

[depakid]

47. If these idiot state officials had one lick of sense, they'd adopt the Oregon system

rather than continuing to pay big money for these repeated fiascos.