Oh my god. The people running elections in Philly are beyond the pale.

[BzaDem]

This is the deputy election commissioner for Philly on 10/17. I am at a loss for words.

http://newsproject.org/node/155

Summary: people concerned about long lines need to get a life, you always have to wait in life for things, and if people are specifically disenfranchised because they can't miss work, it's not a problem, because everyone knows that Philly votes 5-1 democratic. That is seriously what this guy said. This is the one responsible for making sure long lines don't happen, but apparently to him, it's not even a problem if they do occur.

:mad: :mad: :mad:

[readmoreoften]

1. I keep thinking that it's impossible for them to steal this one.

I keep telling myself that.

[ColbertWatcher]

3. Honestly, I think that was the problem with 2004.

We should have learned our lesson with 2000.

I hope we've learned it now.

[BzaDem]

4. How is it impossible to steal?

PA is always very close. We need to run up large margins in PA (say, 600,000 votes) to offset the hundreds of thousands of vote margins Republicans get from the rest of the state.

Now, what happens if there are 5 hour lines in Philly, with no early-voting, where the most unreliable e-voting machines break down? Do you think that every person is just going to stay in line for 5 hours and risk losing their jobs? There won't be long lines in less-populated areas where Republicans run up huge margins -- just Philly.

[ColbertWatcher]

2. What an asshole.

The fact that they're allowing paper ballots only after all machines are inoperable and that they're pushing this idea that voting should be some kind of martyrdom is ridiculous.

Thank you for posting this.

Kicked and recommended.

[droidamus2]

5. I don't understand

Of course there is going to be some waiting at any polling place that has high turnout. I don't think a wait of less than 1 hour is unreasonable. There should be laws that protect citizens jobs on days of presidential elections or even better make election day a national holiday. What I don't understand is the idea that the people responsible for setting up the polling places seem to have the attitude that they only need to set up a minimum number of machines and then it is up to the voter to stand and wait no matter how long it takes. I would think there should be some way to take the number of registered voters in a given precinct (I am saying registered voters not likely voters), the size of the ballot as far as how many things are being voted on, the time it takes an average voter to fill out the ballot and to calculate the number of machines needed to limit any wait to under an hour. Add a few extra machines to cover for machines breaking down and you would have a system that should keep the flow of voters going pretty well. Sure the calculation wouldn't be exact but if your stated purpose was to keep the wait to under an hour then at least you would not have these 4 or 5 hour waits that are being reported. I am sure first reaction from those in charge would be it would cost too much, but I don't think it is too much to ask that they use our tax dollars to make sure that the basic right of our citizens to vote is not seen as a marathon that only those that can finish get to participate in.

[BzaDem]

6. This is how they are going to steal the election.

In Ohio, many thousands were disenfranchised because of 12+ hour long lines because there were too few voting machines. 12 hours is not reasonable for someone who needs to go to work or risk losing their job in this economy. Nor is 2 hours. If it were just 1 hour, it would be as much of a problem, but the idea that it is just going to be 1 hour with completely unreliable e-voting machines that constantly break down in high-population areas is crazy.

Your ideas are good, but I am talking about the upcoming election on Tuesday. If we don't get huge margins in Philly, we are going to lose PA because of the huge margins the Repubs run up in the rest of the state.

[CADEMOCRAT7]

7. It will backfire on him, we are so enthusiastic, we will wait. Repugs won't. n/t

[leveymg]

8. Everyone knows what to expect. We'll win in PA . . .and, across the USA.

Don't fret. People will vote for Obama, no matter how long they have to wait!