Reply #18: state laws don't allow international poll observers within 100 feet [View All]

[AnIndependentTexan]

Tuesday, September 21, 2004

http://www.columbusdispatch.com/election/election-president.php?story=dispatch/2004/09/21/20040921-B5-00.html

Monitors from Australia, Argentina, South Africa and Thailand arrived in Columbus last weekend to meet with election experts at Ohio State University and Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell’s office. Separate meetings with advocates of voting rights and campaignfinance reform took place yesterday.

"For those who don’t trust the system, you have all the ingredients to assure there is going to be cheating," said Horacio Boneo, a consultant and professor from Brazil who is one of the monitors.

In all, 20 international observers from 14 countries will monitor the U.S. election in Ohio, Arizona, Florida, Georgia and Missouri.

Carlo LoParo, Blackwell’s spokesman, said state law won’t allow them into Ohio polling places during the vote, but they can watch from 100 feet away like other outside groups.

Karen Decker, project manager for Fair Election International, which is sponsoring the visitors, said Missouri law allows international observers to watch from a closer vantage inside the polling places.