Well , I almost got dis-enfranchised......Here is the letter my registrar received......





Hi Suzanne,
I would like to share my voting experience.

I went to my polling place at Silverado Community Center , Silverado , County of Orange , California to cast my vote. I was asked my name and address to which I responded and signed the log.

I was then asked by the next person to state my party. I responded , " That is a personal question , the Registrar of Voters has my political affiliation. I will vote that way". I live in an area with a different slant of politics than myself ,and felt I would discriminated against from my neighbors whom were listening. The man stated "I need you to state your party so I can issue you a number to vote" , I told him "I will not verbally give out my party information ". He told me , " Sorry I can't give you a number then". I said " You are asking personal information, does this mean I can't vote!!??". He said " I guess so". At this point I left and went home fuming angry.

I contemplated the whole scenario and decided , BULLCRAP, I WILL NOT BE CHEATED OUT OF MY VOTE. So I donned my raingear and decided to walk back to my polling place. I had a 0.8 mile walk in the rain to cool off and try to cast my vote .

When I arrived I waited in line again, I was told again that I must state my party affiliation. I asked " What if I was a deaf mute? (thank god I am not) What would you do or how would you handle the situation?". They, I believe the precinct chairperson responded " We don't have any procedures for that ". So I ask , " What gives you the right to require me to state my political party?" She responded. " That's in our instruction manual." I asked " Do you have the laws , to read , that reads to where I have to state my political party?". She said" No Sir, I don't and I wouldn't bet my life that it exists," I asked " Why do you need to ask my political affiliation, then." She responded " Because, the Registrar is usually wrong". Pardon me, the OC Registrar has never been wrong to my knowledge, only the status people have last sent themselves.

Another staff person taps me on shoulder and says " Sir, may we talk outside?", I said "Sure " and I walked outside. I heard the door slam behind me, it then LOCKED. \

I am EXTREMELY APPALLED, I have Honorably served THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA for 6 years and have never missed an election in the last 30 years.

I walked off , the door was reopened about 2 minutes later. I waited until a line of about 10 formed and went back inside and waited my turn. I stated " I will not be denied my right to vote!!!" , the response was " Sir , please leave before we call the police". I responded " Please , call the police. ". "I believe I have the law behind me."I was met with a mouth agape, surprise. A quick , quiet debate in the corner ensued. One of the corner group call to another "(Rosemary?) please help this gentleman out"

WooHoo, finally get to vote, NOT. I asked another stupid question " Where does the number come from?" Response " It's random" ,.

I asked "Do you record it?", response "Yeah, right next to your name."No , I will vote my party, No numbers" He agreed

Great!!!! The Vote is not anonymous.
Well, I got my vote , finally.


The above is true and correct, absolutely

 

huh? where's the koo-koo smiley?

 

So uh, out of plain curiousity that was thoroughly piqued by that letter... what IS your political affiliation???

 

That's so messed up, I would have seriously caused the biggest scene that I have ever heard!

 

That's jacked up.

 

Not sure I completely understand the situation. This was for voting in the Primary’s correct? Some states have at least two different ballots to use for voting, one for democrat and one for republican. In most states for the Primary voting you can “not” vote outside of your affiliation, in other words if you’re a democrat you have to vote on the democrat ballot and you do “not” get the opportunity to vote on the republican ballot.

If that is the law in your state then they did nothing wrong that’s how Primary’s work so as to keep the other party from hijacking another parties ballots and skewing the results of who that party would like to nominate for President.

If the above is what we are talking about and then you where refusing to tell them what party your associated with then they were not denying you your right to vote and you do not have a right to vote in another party’s ballot (depending on what state law states)

It is each state that writes their own laws governing Primary voting. Primary voting is “not” a federal election issue since it has nothing to do with the election of the President of the United States. It is simple each party casting votes to determine who their candidate will be that actually runs for President.

During the actual federal election for President there is only one ballot and all people, with the exception of a few, have the right to vote regardless of party affiliation and then if your case came up I would be absolutely behind you that no polling person has a right to ask what party you are associated with. In the case of the Primary’s, and according to how your state sets it up, they may have a legal right to ask you what party you are affiliated with in order to give you the proper ballot.

Nothing wrong with that at all…

As one example of what I mean by one party being able to hijack another parties “true intentions” for a nominee for President here is an example:

There was really no need for any republicans to go and vote in the Primary’s since President Bush will be the republican nominee. Now if it was possible in all states for parties to cross vote, or for republicans to vote on democratic ballots you could have had the vast majority of republicans casting votes for Dean (of which most people with any brains knows would have lost big time to Bush).

Therefore, that is why many states do “not” allow cross voting, and democrats can ONLY vote on democratic ballots, and republicans on republican ballots. That is each states right to determine how that state will selected a nominee for President and the federal government has no jurisdiction over that, so long as they do not deny each party member the right to vote their parties ticket.

Asking you your party’s affiliation is part of that process and there is nothing disenfranchising about that…

 

The same thing happened to me yesterday here in Ohio. They asked are you voting Dem, Rep, or just the Issues. It was kind of awkward but I just told them.

 

What's wrong with lying?
I wish everyone lied.
Well, not everyone but, enough to screw up the pollsters.
They call an election with 1% of the vote in.
I'm sick of it.
They called a State for Kerry yesterday when Edwards was ahead in the actual vote count.

I lie to a pollster at every oppurtunity and I plead with everyone within the sound of my voice to do the same.

Nothing would make me happier than the pollsters to miss half their calls.

Their big Florida miss in 2000 wasn't enough to end the practice.

 

Land of the Free?

 

That's just what we tell the third world countries when we're trying to liberate them.

You didn't fall for that, did you?

 

01 XLT Sport is correct

Primary elections are completely different than the presidential election. As he said, if Republicans voted in Democratic primaries, they would vote for the candidate that had the least chance of beating the Republican candidate, and vice versa. Not that somebody can't lie about their affiliations.

 

Well it is the primaries and yes, I know I can only vote my registered party line. Maybe this will clearify things.

They told me they ask because the registrar gets it wrong alot of times. So I could have voted for any party ticket not what I registered under. Which I think is wrong.

I only asked to be given the party ballot for which I was registered. It still was not a good enough answer for them.

 

Couldn't you just write it down if you didn't want to say it?

 

so essentially, a bunch of republicans could show up and vote in the Democratic primary? And vote for someone other than the frontrunner? So possibly, some Don King look-alike could win that state if enough Republicans showed up?

 

Sometimes the questions are to thwart voter fraud.
I am asked my address even after I have showed them an ID and they have found the info on their print out.
They are looking for delay, error, lack of memorization.

I quickly recite my address and sometimes even this doesn't satisfy them:
"You think you're pretty smart don't ya?"
"No, not at all."
"YES YOU DO! We can read. We know what you write about us on F150online!"

"uhhh...can I vote or not?"
"This time but, do not quote us again on that Forum. Do you understand?"

"Completely. It will never happen again."