Poll workers are ordinary citizens doing a time-consuming and tedious job. Many have been at it for years, and untold thousands across the nation do a fine job. While they undergo regular training, some are not always as competent as the public would like. The fine points of using the newest voting systems or enforcing the newest laws account for many of the “competency” complaints that voter hotlines receive during the primary season. It is important for voters, especially in a high-turnout election, to take a deep breath and be patient and polite if problems arise.
If a member of another political party challenges a voter’s registration—which has been a Republican threat in recent presidential elections and is legal in battleground states such as Ohio and Indiana—keeping one's cool will encourage poll workers to fairly settle the matter. If your voter registration is correct and up to date, you have nothing to worry about. The goal of such challenges is as much to create bottlenecks and delays (in the hopes that frustrated people will leave without voting) as it is to validate voters’ credentials. That partisan tactic is an unfortunate residue of the era in the American South when the governing class sought to minimize minority voter turnout.
Still, staying calm and collected when your vote appears jeopardized is sometimes easier said than done.
7. ISSUE: Voting in multiple-precinct polling places.
Some states are turning to so-called voter centers to replace local polling places. Voters need to be sure and stand in the correct line at these centers. They should know their precinct number and ask to be certain they're in the right place—otherwise they may have to wait in line all over again. Also, in some states, such as Ohio, a voter who receives a provisional ballot must turn it in at the correct precinct—which can be one of several tables in a room. Before 2004, Ohio voters could turn in provisional ballots anywhere in their county.
8. ISSUE: Voter hotlines and legal assistance
If last-minute questions arise, two hotlines are available to help: 1-866-OUR-VOTE connects callers to a lawyer or a trained volunteer, and 1-866-MYVOTE1 offers precinct location information and allows callers to leave a message for local election officials. (Don't forget to leave your name, address, and telephone number so voter advocates or election officials can call you back.) Staffers report that most of the calls received concern registration information and poll location. Both hotlines also contact the media to publicize problems and alert voters.
On some occasions, it might be necessary to notify the local board of election or election administrator’s office to try to rectify a problem. Should a problem require court intervention, a judge will first ask if all other avenues have been explored. It is not uncommon in these circumstances for local election officials, through their lawyers, to claim they never received any complaints.
If a member of another political party challenges a voter’s registration—which has been a Republican threat in recent presidential elections and is legal in battleground states such as Ohio and Indiana—keeping one's cool will encourage poll workers to fairly settle the matter. If your voter registration is correct and up to date, you have nothing to worry about. The goal of such challenges is as much to create bottlenecks and delays (in the hopes that frustrated people will leave without voting) as it is to validate voters’ credentials. That partisan tactic is an unfortunate residue of the era in the American South when the governing class sought to minimize minority voter turnout.
Still, staying calm and collected when your vote appears jeopardized is sometimes easier said than done.
7. ISSUE: Voting in multiple-precinct polling places.
Some states are turning to so-called voter centers to replace local polling places. Voters need to be sure and stand in the correct line at these centers. They should know their precinct number and ask to be certain they're in the right place—otherwise they may have to wait in line all over again. Also, in some states, such as Ohio, a voter who receives a provisional ballot must turn it in at the correct precinct—which can be one of several tables in a room. Before 2004, Ohio voters could turn in provisional ballots anywhere in their county.
8. ISSUE: Voter hotlines and legal assistance
If last-minute questions arise, two hotlines are available to help: 1-866-OUR-VOTE connects callers to a lawyer or a trained volunteer, and 1-866-MYVOTE1 offers precinct location information and allows callers to leave a message for local election officials. (Don't forget to leave your name, address, and telephone number so voter advocates or election officials can call you back.) Staffers report that most of the calls received concern registration information and poll location. Both hotlines also contact the media to publicize problems and alert voters.
On some occasions, it might be necessary to notify the local board of election or election administrator’s office to try to rectify a problem. Should a problem require court intervention, a judge will first ask if all other avenues have been explored. It is not uncommon in these circumstances for local election officials, through their lawyers, to claim they never received any complaints.
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