Reply #12: Flathead County, Montana- the pencil part worries me [View All]

[AnIndependentTexan]

Can someone tell me why anyone would ever use pencils for casting ballots?

042440 11/02/04, 1:40 PM PST Registration-related problem; Other ballot-related problem City Hall - Columbia Falls, Columbia Falls, Flathead County, Montana Last election caller voted and observed her ballot was not placed in lock-box with others; instead it was thrown into a cardboard box under the table. She called to complain about this afterwards. This year when she went to vote, she was told she was inactive, because she didn't vote last election, although she did. Also they did not use the voting machines they have used in the past, which were in the room, but used paper ballots and pencils. She was upset they marked ballots with pencil rather than pen. No

045477 11/02/04, 3:25 PM PST Machine problem City Hall, Columbia Falls, Columbia Falls, Flathead County, Montana Caller has voted in this location since 1995 and always used punchcards. Today she was given a ballot with ovals to fill in and was given a pencil. She asked for a pen (was concerned pencil could be erased/changed) but was told they didn't have any. The form just said fill in "black." Everyone got the same ballot. Punch machines were present, but they had the machines folded down and used as tables.