Sadly there are many States that are totally disorganized in organizing the voting process. Even more disturbing is that many election boards in states, local counties are even deliberately suppressing the ability of registered voters to cast their ballots today. They are trying to steal the election for whatever candidate they are politically affiliated with by disenfranchising voters with this chaos.
In any of the 50 States, if you become aware of any voting irregularities or are a victim of someone trying to keep you from voting at your local polling place, call 1-866-OUR-VOTE and a human being will answer who will try to provide immediate help so that you can vote.
This is a non partisan, not affiliated with any political party, not for profit organization whose goal is to make sure that the election process is done in a fair manner. It is administered by the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.
A common voter suppression action being deliberately done in States (I just saw it happen in my voting place here in New York State) is that after you fill out your ballot, none of the election officials at your voting location direct you to the correct scanning machine that you are supposed to use, therefore creating your vote to potentially not be counted.
At most voting centers there are several ballot scanning machines, but you can only vote at the specific machine that corresponds to your particular streets voting district. Once you finish filling out your ballot, make sure you ask one of the voting officials at your voting site which scanning machine you should use BEFORE you actually insert your ballot to be scanned.
CALL
First and foremost:
- If you have problems or see problems at the polls, be sure to report them to 866-OUR-VOTE, or at OurVoteLive.org/
- Catch any problems at the polls on photo or video? Upload it to YouTube and social sites, and tell VideoTheVote.org! Also tag it with the #VideoTheVote hashtag.
- Be at the polls when they close and photograph and video tape the results tapes that are printed out from electronic systems. Results have a way of changing between the time they're printed out at the close of polls and the time they show up on the web. Your photographic evidence could help save an election!
- Watching results on the web throughout the night? Take screenshots, save them as you go, and include a timestamp in the file name when you do. Those web results also have a way of changing, sometimes in the wrong direction, throughout the night. Your evidence could help save an election!
- In some places, it may be too late to vote on paper ballots. In others, know your rights and whether you are entitled to vote on a paper ballot if you wish, even if they try to direct you towards an electronic voting system. For example, in OH and CA every voter may vote on paper if they wish and if they know to ask for one. So (politely) demand a paper ballot! Check with your County Clerk or Sec. of State if you're not sure.
- A touch-screen system with a little paper printout is NOT a paper ballot! Those paper printouts are never counted and your vote will be 100% unverifiable.
- Try to capture it with your cell phone camera
- Call poll supervisors to observe the problem.
- Fill out a problem report.
- Refuse to vote on that machine.
- Request that the machine be taken out of service.
- Get the serial number of the machine if possible (may be difficult in some cases).
- Tell other voters in line which machine it was and that they should NOT vote on that machine!
- Report it to county/town election office.
- Report it to the Secretary of State.
- Call local reporters and tell them the story.
- Call 866-OUR-VOTE and tell them.
- Contact bloggers and Election Integrity websites.
- Raise holy hell.
Other Useful Stuff to Keep in Mind
- Make sure you have the exact type of ID you'll need to be able to vote before you leave for the polls. If you're unsure what type of ID is needed, check with your Sec. of State or County Clerk.
- Be prepared for disgracefully long lines, particularly in swing states. Your vote definitely won't get counted, much less accurately, if you leave the line before voting.
- If you're challenged by a poll watcher, take their picture with your cell phone, get their name, and then report it to 866-OUR-VOTE. But do NOT leave without voting, at the very least on a provisional ballot. But try to vote on a normal ballot, not a provisional ballot, if you possibly can.
- If you're in line when the polls close, you still get to vote. Period.
- Help others stay in line. If you can offer water, folding chairs, a snack, etc., to those in line fighting to cast their vote, you're doing a great public service for what's left of our democracy.
- Share this list and/or this blog item with others. Print it out, share it via social networks, etc. to help spread the word.
