CHEATING at the METROPLEX in Wichita...HERE IS MY STORY

[greenbriar]

I voted...got right in and voted paper after I verifyed it would be counted...


Hour later I took Hubby to vote...was looking and watching and noticed the sample paper ballots for voters to look over. I picked one up to look at it and someone had blackened the circles to all the repuke candidates...blaaaaa

I picked up the ballot and went over to the bossy poll lady and said. YOu need to throw this away...she said NOOOO I said YES YOU DO, SOMEONE HAS MARKED IT AND THAT IS ILLEGAL If you do not toss it, I will call the media RIGHT NOW

She folded it and looked at me like I was crazy.

[JuniperLea]

1. Turn them in!!!

It's your duty as an American citizen and a witness to the crime!

[JeremyWestenn]

2. Confused here..

I understand that the sample ballots are not to be marked on, however they have SAMPLE written on them. I can see it as a desperate but highly ineffective way to influence peoples votes, but I don't see how it counts as cheating.

The entire board that counts paper ballots is going to be composed of people from both parties and I doubt the big written words of SAMPLE BALLOT will get past them.

o_O

Am I missing something? There is NO way they could be cheating.

[galloglas]

5. "Cheating" is not the answer you are looking for...

You asked: "Am I missing something?"

I think so. Greenbriar made a great post. And did the right thing, BTW.

But let me answer your question with what I wrote to Greenbriar, which was before I read your post more closely.

And a clarification for Jeremy Westenn's answer:

Jeremy, using anything that even might influence a voter's decision, consciously or not, is illegal.

Voting is a public trust. Doing anything that betrays that trust is not just dodgy, or even desperate. It is worse than cheating, it is either criminal, or the betrayal of a sacred trust that each pollworker has.

Think of it like jury duty. But, instead of holding the fate of one person in your hands, you hold the fate of democracy itself.

[galloglas]

3. A simple question.

You said:

"I voted...got right in and voted paper after I verified it would be counted.."

Good for you for picking out the paper to vote on.

But when you write "after I verify ed it would be counted..", I wonder how a person ever really "verifies" it will be counted until the day comes when we return to the process of Hand Counted Paper Ballots?

Unless the public has their eye constantly on the place the ballots are put, until they are counted, seeing that no one ever touches them until the count, how would we know?

Also, if ballots aren't counted at the precinct, there is a period of time that we have to "trust" someone while they are transferred.

If they are "counted" at the precinct by Optical Scanning devices, we can never be certain that the numbers transmitted to central tabulating locations represented the votes and ballots run through the scanner. Correct?

So, though you did a great job of covering the bases, "verifying" may not have been possible. So, maybe, your words would be different... in a technical sense?

Which brings me to this question:

What did the poll people actually say to convince you that your ballot would be counted (even if it was impossible for them to "verify" it)?

[galloglas]

4. One other question

You wrote: "she said NOOOO I said YES YOU DO, SOMEONE HAS MARKED IT AND THAT IS ILLEGAL If you do not toss it, I will call the media RIGHT NOW".

A comment... "Good for you!" and then the question.

What did the bossy lady do with the sample "Repuke-marked" ballot after she folded it up?

Do you figure she brought it back out later? Or was smart enough to know to leave things well enough alone after you confronted her? (BTW, you deserve a medal for doing what you did!)

And a clarification for Jeremy Westenn's answer: Jeremy, using anything that even might influence a voter's decision, consciously or not, is illegal.

Voting is a public trust. Doing anything that betrays that trust is not just dodgy, or even desperate. It is worse than cheating, it is either criminal, or the betrayal of a sacred trust that each pollworker has.

Think of it like jury duty. But, instead of holding the fate of one person in your hands, you hold the fate of democracy itself.

[JeremyWestenn]

6. I see your view now.

I actually was an election worker this past election, and I had to take the oath and everything. Really brought down the gravity of the situation there to me, just how important it is doing what I was doing. I suppose my main idea in regards to that marked sample ballot was whether or not she had any idea they were checked or whether or not she did it herself or ment anything malicious. Personally, I'd have thrown it away immediatly having seen it as an election worker and more then likely would have done the same thing as poll worker(after telling them to remove it) and subsequently also as a voter.