Polling Locations Across the State (North Beach: buy, inspection, closing)

[DaveinMtAiry]

My experience at the poll was fine on the first day, 45 minutes total. I expect to survive the experience.

I still can't believe PA still has a law that prevents any mail in or early voting ballots from being counted until Election Day. For crying out loud they had months to change that, at least for this election. As PA is one of the key states it is ridiculous that we won't have a final count for days after the election.

[westsideboy]

The EV wait in Allegany County was about an hour yesterday, pretty long line for these parts. I did not partake. I'll see what it is like next Tuesday as my usual polling place will be open. There is still a strong chance I skip this one, most of my ballot would be blank or 3rd party and there are no local races of interest to me.

[North Beach Person]

Originally Posted by DaveinMtAiry

My experience at the poll was fine on the first day, 45 minutes total. I expect to survive the experience.

I still can't believe PA still has a law that prevents any mail in or early voting ballots from being counted until Election Day. For crying out loud they had months to change that, at least for this election. As PA is one of the key states it is ridiculous that we won't have a final count for days after the election.

At least PA didn't have video like this:

https://www.fox5dc.com/news/montgome...-is-misleading

The explanation and resolution are acceptable and should have been standard years ago. However, in all the years I was involved in local government I never heard of this being done. Canvassing was always just matching up names of absentees and receipts.

Since a couple of you will discount the story because FOXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX here is a WTOP writeup:
https://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2...nvass-process/

And a Montgomery official blaming someone else.
https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/p...b-8190822fc0ee

As to why PA (not to mention other states https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/...ts-timing.html) aren't counting now you can see its not alone.

Remember that absentee ballots historically haven't been counted for several days after the election and unless their results would have an impact weren't really a priority.

Some of you wanted mail in voting for years, now you got it with all its quirks.

[The Very Man Himself]

Originally Posted by North Beach Person

At least PA didn't have video like this:

https://www.fox5dc.com/news/montgome...-is-misleading

The explanation and resolution are acceptable and should have been standard years ago. However, in all the years I was involved in local government I never heard of this being done. Canvassing was always just matching up names of absentees and receipts.

Since a couple of you will discount the story because FOXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX here is a WTOP writeup:
https://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2...nvass-process/

And a Montgomery official blaming someone else.
https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/p...b-8190822fc0ee

As to why PA (not to mention other states https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/...ts-timing.html) aren't counting now you can see its not alone.

Remember that absentee ballots historically haven't been counted for several days after the election and unless their results would have an impact weren't really a priority.

Some of you wanted mail in voting for years, now you got it with all its quirks.

If you say that the explanation and resolution are acceptable, why would anyone doubt Fox?

I'd guess that the darkening of ballots, was at a minimum a response to hanging chads Florida 2000

As a point of clarification, the MoCo official you reference as blaming someone else is the President of the MoCo BoE, a Republican. From your wusa9 link:

Montgomery County's BOE President James Shalleck, a Republican, said the sharing of the video was someone who took legitimate ballot canvassing and made false claims on social media that it shows fraud, spreading "potentially intentional misinformation."The video*tweeted*Tuesday by the account @C_L_I_C_K alleged “blatant election fraud”, citing that the poll worker was "filling out, changing, or marking up ballots!".

Ironing out the quirks in mail-in voting might be easier than landing a man on the moon, (if that ever actually happened)!

[North Beach Person]

I mentioned Fox because there are those who discount any news story by them.

As far as the Chair being Republican it wouldn't matter whether he's a Republican, Democrat or a Martian, the procedure looked bad and should have been anticipated. If you remember the "hanging chad inspections" all had two people looking.

At the polls there is a pen at the voting booth. I've seen Election Judges reminding people to use those pens on multiple occasions over the years. I didn't get a mail ballot but didn't the instructions have "Please Use A Black Pen" somewhere on the ballot?

Having said that I can see relatives of mine (most now long dead) using a pencil just because they were told to use a pen. Then again, many of them were the common clay of the New America. You know, morons.

Which is why ironing out quirks in mail in voting won't be easier than landing someone on the Moon, they're everywhere.

[DaveinMtAiry]

First thought I had when I watched that video was he was probably completely filling in the circle. Are you suggesting he was attempting to change the vote? How exactly would that be possible without removing the ink from the intended circle? Did the video show white out?

Nothingburger.

[North Beach Person]

Originally Posted by DaveinMtAiry

First thought I had when I watched that video was he was probably completely filling in the circle. Are you suggesting he was attempting to change the vote? How exactly would that be possible without removing the ink from the intended circle? Did the video show white out?

Nothingburger.

Without the explanation that came later what would a normal person's first thought be? Especially when no mention, ever, has been made that, "Oh, we fill in the ballot if it's marked in pencil". I've been a canvasser a couple times and all we did was make sure the number of votes cast matched the number of people who voted.

With Maryland's history of questionable voting practices (remember "walking around money"? as an example) then every effort needs to be made to make sure things look right.

I get kind of cranky about voter fraud because I've seen both attempts to commit it and actual fraud. I was involved in two different lawsuits as a plaintiff about it.

[Digger 68]

Originally Posted by North Beach Person

I mentioned Fox because there are those who discount any news story by them.

As far as the Chair being Republican it wouldn't matter whether he's a Republican, Democrat or a Martian, the procedure looked bad and should have been anticipated. If you remember the "hanging chad inspections" all had two people looking.

At the polls there is a pen at the voting booth. I've seen Election Judges reminding people to use those pens on multiple occasions over the years. I didn't get a mail ballot but didn't the instructions have "Please Use A Black Pen" somewhere on the ballot?

Having said that I can see relatives of mine (most now long dead) using a pencil just because they were told to use a pen. Then again, many of them were the common clay of the New America. You know, morons.

Which is why ironing out quirks in mail in voting won't be easier than landing someone on the Moon, they're everywhere.

[DaveinMtAiry]

Originally Posted by North Beach Person

Without the explanation that came later what would a normal person's first thought be? Especially when no mention, ever, has been made that, "Oh, we fill in the ballot if it's marked in pencil". I've been a canvasser a couple times and all we did was make sure the number of votes cast matched the number of people who voted.

With Maryland's history of questionable voting practices (remember "walking around money"? as an example) then every effort needs to be made to make sure things look right.

I get kind of cranky about voter fraud because I've seen both attempts to commit it and actual fraud. I was involved in two different lawsuits as a plaintiff about it.

Now I won't go so far as to claim fraud does not occur when we know that's not the case but this is simply nothing that looks like fraud. You are just looking for things that simply are not there, nothing wrong with this look.

I would think a normal person's first thought, note I said normal person not a Trump fan who has been convinced that voter fraud is rampant when that is simply not the case, would be the thought I had before reading the article. And that was the worker was simply filling in a circle that appeared too light. And again how could he be changing a vote with a pen and not white out? I would think that would be a a normal person's first thought, you can't change a vote that has already been filled in with just a pen and not an eraser or white out.

There is nothing that looks wrong in that video, this is a nothing burger and another example of how Trump has manipulated his followers into believing things that are simply not true.

[MidValleyDad]

Originally Posted by DaveinMtAiry

First thought I had when I watched that video was he was probably completely filling in the circle. Are you suggesting he was attempting to change the vote? How exactly would that be possible without removing the ink from the intended circle? Did the video show white out?

Nothingburger.

That is exactly what was being done. That is a processing center for Absentee (Mail in) Ballots. Some come back with the marks light or unclear. He was filling in completely or darkening the existing mark.


If he had marked a different oval than had been originally marked the machine would have rejected it when scanned because it would see both the original and new marks (It will reject for extra much lighter marks than it will accept as good)


Don't mention white out. The machines (especially the high speed ones) hate that stuff. You have to take the machine off line and clean the sensors.