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This following is a copy of the email that I sent to various news organizations and personal friends on November 3rd, 2004.
Yesterday, I served at the polls. Three disturbing events occurred. First situation: a Hispanic female voter chose to vote democratic, straight ticket. She pushed the help button on the e-slate and I went over to assist her. On every page only ONE candidate per page was selected. Given that she said that she selected democratic, straight ticket, this seemed odd. We asked her to turn back the pages to the first page and sure enough, she did indeed select what she said she did. We assisted her with the long task of making sure her “voice” was heard. I called the local democratic party office and informed them of what happened and then called the county clerk’s office. The party took the information and said that they would get this information to their lawyers. The county clerks office dismissively told me that the voter had to have done something to cause that to happen. I said well what could she have done? The clerk’s representative angrily, dismissively, screamed at me that there was nothing wrong with the machines and that the voter must have done something to make this odd thing happen. After she began to talk down to me and then screamed at me, I abandoned my normal disposition and responded in like fashion. I am ashamed of myself for having responded in such manner. But, she started it.
Second situation: A black female voter selected the help button on the e-slate machine. The voter questioned why did the first summary page indicate that she did indeed select democratic, straight ticket, but, the following line indicated that “John Kerry/John Edwards -------Not selected.” However, the other democratic candidates were selected. This was very, very, very odd. Again we assisted her and I made the calls to the local democratic party’s office and again to the county clerks office. The county clerks office’s INITIAL response again was harsh and dismissive. This different individual gave the same response without even letting me complete my description of what occurred with this voter. This too was odd.
Third situation: A poll watcher stopped by briefly on their lunch break and informed our precinct judge that their were scattered incidents in the city where voters complained that they voted for Kerry but, George Bush’s name showed up on the summary page. Now that is scary. Few things on this earth can shake me like that.
How many voters were in a hurry and just “entered” on through and did not catch similar problems?
Calvin Lott, Jr.
Houston, Texas
Yesterday, I served at the polls. Three disturbing events occurred. First situation: a Hispanic female voter chose to vote democratic, straight ticket. She pushed the help button on the e-slate and I went over to assist her. On every page only ONE candidate per page was selected. Given that she said that she selected democratic, straight ticket, this seemed odd. We asked her to turn back the pages to the first page and sure enough, she did indeed select what she said she did. We assisted her with the long task of making sure her “voice” was heard. I called the local democratic party office and informed them of what happened and then called the county clerk’s office. The party took the information and said that they would get this information to their lawyers. The county clerks office dismissively told me that the voter had to have done something to cause that to happen. I said well what could she have done? The clerk’s representative angrily, dismissively, screamed at me that there was nothing wrong with the machines and that the voter must have done something to make this odd thing happen. After she began to talk down to me and then screamed at me, I abandoned my normal disposition and responded in like fashion. I am ashamed of myself for having responded in such manner. But, she started it.
Second situation: A black female voter selected the help button on the e-slate machine. The voter questioned why did the first summary page indicate that she did indeed select democratic, straight ticket, but, the following line indicated that “John Kerry/John Edwards -------Not selected.” However, the other democratic candidates were selected. This was very, very, very odd. Again we assisted her and I made the calls to the local democratic party’s office and again to the county clerks office. The county clerks office’s INITIAL response again was harsh and dismissive. This different individual gave the same response without even letting me complete my description of what occurred with this voter. This too was odd.
Third situation: A poll watcher stopped by briefly on their lunch break and informed our precinct judge that their were scattered incidents in the city where voters complained that they voted for Kerry but, George Bush’s name showed up on the summary page. Now that is scary. Few things on this earth can shake me like that.
How many voters were in a hurry and just “entered” on through and did not catch similar problems?
Calvin Lott, Jr.
Houston, Texas