Advertisement
First and foremost, thank you for your persistence, patience and dedication yesterday.
With the exception of a few glitches early on, Election Day was surprisingly tame compared to recent years. Here's a link to some Columbus Dispatch coverage of voting issues.
While the headline and lead are congratulatory, deeper in the article there are many of the same observations and concerns Video the Vote documented as well. Confusion over paper versus provisional ballots and early voting as opposed to absentee demonstrate the need for clearer communication at all levels of the voting process. Poll worker training, independent voter registration and increased media coverage leading up to Election Day did turn out voters in greater numbers, but still not in the quantities anticipated. Further, the high number of provisional ballots, especially in urban areas, suggests opportunities for improvement.
Sawyer Tower, noted in the article, and five precincts nearby all had Video the Vote teams dispatched to cover the significant push toward provisional ballots as a first remedy for registration issues rather than a last option. In the six near eastside precincts documented within walking distance of each other, provisional ballots exceeded an average of twenty percent of all votes cast.
Also, there is follow up forthcoming on hundreds of homeless voters denied the right to vote or pushed into provisional ballots because their registration address was a homeless shelter. Though the Secretary of State's office has made it abundantly clear that these registrations are proper and voters registered at shelters should vote a standard ballot, this did not appear to be consistent at all. With roughly twenty five percent of homeless men also being veterans, it is a disgrace that homeless voters have their ballots set aside for nearly two weeks after the election. Clearly, with some contests being determined by the slimmest of margins at the local, state and national level, specific precincts and groups with such high percentages of provisional ballots may ultimately have their voices heard, but only after the winners have been determined.
As observed by Rachel Maddow last week, long voting lines have in effect become a new kind of poll tax. Childcare, eldercare, fixed incomes and tight family budgets pose an unfair burden on many voters. Hours of work are lost, limited vacation days are taken just to wait in lines that result from registration and communication problems Video the Vote has documented. Even with early and absentee voting as options, these choices had the effect this election of increasing provisional ballots due to inconsistent implementation.
With Ohio essentially moving away from an Election Day and more toward an Election Month, several Video the Vote volunteers discussed the possibility of organizing earlier in the election cycle next time around, perhaps even expanding to some permanence in the coverage of political events in central Ohio between elections. This evolution into a proactive rather than a strictly reactive organization is a genuine possibility.
As this idea takes shape, I'll keep you posted. Those who express further interest can sign up for future updates. While this goal somewhat exceeds the original mandate and objectives of Video the Vote, the philosophy remains the same — every voice should count, but not only on Election Day. Those dedicated to keeping some voters from expressing their opinions run a permanent campaign, so perhaps we should consider the same.
Thanks you again for all your time and effort. Limited problems yesterday proves that increased observation and information at the precincts is working. Not everyone in central Ohio was called out, but that is a measure of Video the Vote's success, not a shortcoming.
With the exception of a few glitches early on, Election Day was surprisingly tame compared to recent years. Here's a link to some Columbus Dispatch coverage of voting issues.
While the headline and lead are congratulatory, deeper in the article there are many of the same observations and concerns Video the Vote documented as well. Confusion over paper versus provisional ballots and early voting as opposed to absentee demonstrate the need for clearer communication at all levels of the voting process. Poll worker training, independent voter registration and increased media coverage leading up to Election Day did turn out voters in greater numbers, but still not in the quantities anticipated. Further, the high number of provisional ballots, especially in urban areas, suggests opportunities for improvement.
Sawyer Tower, noted in the article, and five precincts nearby all had Video the Vote teams dispatched to cover the significant push toward provisional ballots as a first remedy for registration issues rather than a last option. In the six near eastside precincts documented within walking distance of each other, provisional ballots exceeded an average of twenty percent of all votes cast.
Also, there is follow up forthcoming on hundreds of homeless voters denied the right to vote or pushed into provisional ballots because their registration address was a homeless shelter. Though the Secretary of State's office has made it abundantly clear that these registrations are proper and voters registered at shelters should vote a standard ballot, this did not appear to be consistent at all. With roughly twenty five percent of homeless men also being veterans, it is a disgrace that homeless voters have their ballots set aside for nearly two weeks after the election. Clearly, with some contests being determined by the slimmest of margins at the local, state and national level, specific precincts and groups with such high percentages of provisional ballots may ultimately have their voices heard, but only after the winners have been determined.
As observed by Rachel Maddow last week, long voting lines have in effect become a new kind of poll tax. Childcare, eldercare, fixed incomes and tight family budgets pose an unfair burden on many voters. Hours of work are lost, limited vacation days are taken just to wait in lines that result from registration and communication problems Video the Vote has documented. Even with early and absentee voting as options, these choices had the effect this election of increasing provisional ballots due to inconsistent implementation.
With Ohio essentially moving away from an Election Day and more toward an Election Month, several Video the Vote volunteers discussed the possibility of organizing earlier in the election cycle next time around, perhaps even expanding to some permanence in the coverage of political events in central Ohio between elections. This evolution into a proactive rather than a strictly reactive organization is a genuine possibility.
As this idea takes shape, I'll keep you posted. Those who express further interest can sign up for future updates. While this goal somewhat exceeds the original mandate and objectives of Video the Vote, the philosophy remains the same — every voice should count, but not only on Election Day. Those dedicated to keeping some voters from expressing their opinions run a permanent campaign, so perhaps we should consider the same.
Thanks you again for all your time and effort. Limited problems yesterday proves that increased observation and information at the precincts is working. Not everyone in central Ohio was called out, but that is a measure of Video the Vote's success, not a shortcoming.