Yesterday, the church bus being used to help get out the vote for Pam Murray’s re-election campaign picked up 5 residents of Sumner County and brought them to the Davidson County Election Commission to vote for Ms. Murray. The Election Commission workers turned them away. Can anyone think of a plausible explanation for this situation that isn’t nefarious?
Unfortunately, voter shenanigans are nothing new to the Pam Murray campaign. During the previous election, poll watchers from the McFerrin Park precinct watched more than one odd character professing support for Pam Murray wander in and claim to live somewhere in the district when s/he clearly did not. One “voter” claimed to live at a physical address that didn’t exist (the poll watcher discovered this later driving down Hancock Street). Another claimed to live at an address occupied by a friend of the poll watcher. These individuals were allowed to vote. It has never been clear whether their ballots were counted or remained provisional.
Update:
Today, 2 individuals from out of the district have tried to vote in the District 5 race. One man was given the chance to give THREE addresses–none of which were in the district–before he was shown the door. He might have been given a fourth if a Hollin poll watcher hadn’t protested.
Now, imagine this was happening at the precinct level–where many volunteers are likely to gloss over problems to avoid conflict–rather than at the ELECTION COMMISSION, where people are supposed to know the rules and abide by them.
October 30, 2009 at 11:10 pm |
I am worried about what happens on Election Day. How can we make sure the people that vote actually live in the district? Is Ray Barrett going to be present?