Running Out Of Ballots In SE Michigan

[umbrella39]

I did not experience any issues at my downriver polling station this morning. However as the day has gone by there have been numerous issues in my neck of the woods with more than just the usual stuff of not enough stations in Detroit, not enough machines, no power at some polls due to a storm last night, not enough blah blah blah... no it is extending out into the burbs and into Oakland County now, too, with there simply not being enough ballots.

https://www.freep.com/story/news/lo...ortage-election-aclu-metro-detroit/930319002/

Ballot shortages reported in Oakland County; voters told to wait

Voters in numerous communities across Oakland County were shocked Tuesday afternoon and evening when they tried to vote and were told, "Sorry! We're out of ballots."

The shortage was blamed on an unexpectedly big turnout for the primary election, typically ignored by many voters. Still, the problem constituted a scandalous potential infringement of voting rights for those unwilling to endure long waits to await new ballots or alternative means of voting, said the ACLU of Michigan. By early Tuesday evening, the organization already had assigned two lawyers to investigate.

No voter would be denied the right to vote, state officials insisted. The Michigan Secretary of State's Bureau of Elections tweeted shortly before 7:30 p.m. the following:

"Polls close at 8 pm. All voters in line by 8 pm will be able to vote and should not leave the polling place. . . Voters can't be turned away due to lack of ballots. Clerks will provide more ballots to precincts as needed."



That's all fine and well... However it is also being reported on the air on my drive home that many people (understandably) had to leave and couldn't wait a couple of hours to vote. In a primary no less.

How the hell can this happen in the year 2018? Shouldn't voting be easier than this...

 

[umbrella39]

Story on the power outages:

Power outages affect 14 metro Detroit polling sites after storms

https://www.freep.com/story/news/po...ry-election-poll-locations-outages/921894002/

Power outages affected 14 polling locations for Michigan's primary elections Tuesday morning in Wayne County, and DTE Energy reports that electricity had been restored to all of them by midafternoon.

Of the affected polling sites, most were in Detroit, and one was in Grosse Pointe Park, according to DTE Energy spokesman Brian Bleau.

Rashida Tlaib, a Democratic candidate for Michigan's 13th Congressional District, reported Tuesday on Twitter that the power was out at Zion Chapel and Gompers Elementary School, both polling places on Detroit's west side.

Tlaib said in a tweet that election workers were sharing a single flashlight at the church and that elevators were not functioning.

"We need the power on ASAP!" she wrote.



That's a shame because for early reports turnout has been more than usual for a primary vote... People who don't usually vote should not be discouraged from voting when they do finally get a fire lit under their assess...

 

[trenchfoot]

Need to see a pattern of a particular party/demographic being disadvantaged/denied their right to vote. If there is, this could lead into something more serious than plain incompetence/neglect on the part of whoever's responsible for running the election.

Lack of ballots is no excuse.

 

[outriding]

Omg. You are from downriver.


That explains a lot

<----- Oakland county

 

[umbrella39]

Omg. You are from downriver.


That explains a lot

<----- Oakland county

LOL good GOD no.... Not from... Just passing through. We move every couple of years. Born and raised in Dearborn which is still a few clicks north of where Downriver starts... Live in the Heights, Allen Park, Livonia, Novi, even Detroit when we first started over by Ford Road and Warren where it used to be not so bad...

 

[Bitek]

Fukin Russians....

In all seriousness, you guys use paper ballots?

Man that sounds old school PITA.

Hope it's all dems showing up tho

 

[compcons]

Need to see a pattern of a particular party/demographic being disadvantaged/denied their right to vote. If there is, this could lead into something more serious than plain incompetence/neglect on the part of whoever's responsible for running the election.

Lack of ballots is no excuse.

Dry run for November? See if it creates a stir or unrest before pulling the same crap later?

Now taking the tinfoil hat off:

This is generally bullcrap. Voting should be like banking or stopping at your favorite drive through. It should take little to no effort and be relatively fast. There should be voting places everywhere. It should be easy to get to with short lines and a really fast process to get your vote in. And on Sunday. And on Saturday. Let's make all Starbucks locations across the nation official polling places. Those fucking things are almost everywhere.

And as a side note, if you think the voting process is not broken and does not need to be fixed, you are a shill and an asshat. Equal representation and all that.

 

[outriding]

LOL good GOD no.... Not from... Just passing through. We move every couple of years. Born and raised in Dearborn which is still a few clicks north of where Downriver starts... Live in the Heights, Allen Park, Livonia, Novi, even Detroit when we first started over by Ford Road and Warren where it used to be not so bad...

Grew up in " county line 10". ( see if you get that reference)

Was in Troy Southfield Utica now Rochester hills

 

[Brainonska511]

In all seriousness, you guys use paper ballots?

NY uses paper ballots too - bubble in your choice and the ballot gets scanned. Leaves a nice paper trail.

 

[Bitek]

NY uses paper ballots too - bubble in your choice and the ballot gets scanned. Leaves a nice paper trail.

When I lived there they used ancient mechanical voting machines where I was at. Flipped a bunch of switches, then pulled the lever to compete.

 

[brandonbull]

Voting early and often?

 

[Jhhnn]

Dry run for November? See if it creates a stir or unrest before pulling the same crap later?

Now taking the tinfoil hat off:

This is generally bullcrap. Voting should be like banking or stopping at your favorite drive through. It should take little to no effort and be relatively fast. There should be voting places everywhere. It should be easy to get to with short lines and a really fast process to get your vote in. And on Sunday. And on Saturday. Let's make all Starbucks locations across the nation official polling places. Those fucking things are almost everywhere.

And as a side note, if you think the voting process is not broken and does not need to be fixed, you are a shill and an asshat. Equal representation and all that.

Vote by mail is great. Never a shortage of ballots because every registered voter gets one. No lines. No drama. Weather & power outages really don't matter.

 

[brycejones]

Voting early and often?

Florida man enters the thread!

 

[Sunburn74]

Honestly don't understand why we can't all just vote from home. Why is it some states can do it and others can't?

 

[brycejones]

Honestly don't understand why we can't all just vote from home. Why is it some states can do it and others can't?

Because officials in some states only want the correct voters voting.

 

[FelixDeCat]

Democrats have no chance. None.

 

[Jhhnn]

Democrats have no chance. None.

So just stay home & relax. Tell your friends.

 

[brycejones]

Democrats have no chance. None.

Be sure to protest our voting against Trump by staying home so you aren't exposed to liberal ideas.

 

[UglyCasanova]

Blue wave

 

[Brainonska511]

When I lived there they used ancient mechanical voting machines where I was at. Flipped a bunch of switches, then pulled the lever to compete.

I remember those clunkers when I was growing up here, but when I returned in 2010, it was all paper/scan.

 

[Jhhnn]

I remember those clunkers when I was growing up here, but when I returned in 2010, it was all paper/scan.

They used totalizers & punch cards. When the polls closed, the punch cards were processed & the totalizers on each machine were added up. The numbers from each polling place had to match. Cumbersome but extremely reliable.

 

[Puffnstuff]

Vote by mail is great. Never a shortage of ballots because every registered voter gets one. No lines. No drama. Weather & power outages really don't matter.

I've been voting by self elected mail in ballot for several years now and it works great for me too.

 

[boomerang]

Honestly don't understand why we can't all just vote from home. Why is it some states can do it and others can't?

But... Russia, Russia, Russia!

More than 30 states offer online voting, but experts warn it isn't secure

"The popularity of voting online is growing and will be in place for the presidential election in more than 30 states, primarily for voters living overseas or serving in the military.

But security experts and some senior Obama administration officials fear there is not enough protection for any ballots transmitted over the Internet. They are warning states that any kind of online voting is not yet secure and most likely will not be for years to come.

“We believe that online voting, especially online voting in large scale, introduces great risk into the election system by threatening voters’ expectations of confidentiality, accountability and security of their votes and provides an avenue for malicious actors to manipulate the voting results,” Neil Jenkins, an official in the Office of Cybersecurity and Communications at the Department of Homeland Security, said at a conference of the Election Verification Network this spring."

 

[brycejones]

But... Russia, Russia, Russia!

More than 30 states offer online voting, but experts warn it isn't secure

"The popularity of voting online is growing and will be in place for the presidential election in more than 30 states, primarily for voters living overseas or serving in the military.

But security experts and some senior Obama administration officials fear there is not enough protection for any ballots transmitted over the Internet. They are warning states that any kind of online voting is not yet secure and most likely will not be for years to come.

“We believe that online voting, especially online voting in large scale, introduces great risk into the election system by threatening voters’ expectations of confidentiality, accountability and security of their votes and provides an avenue for malicious actors to manipulate the voting results,” Neil Jenkins, an official in the Office of Cybersecurity and Communications at the Department of Homeland Security, said at a conference of the Election Verification Network this spring."

Online voting isn't the only way to vote from home.

But nice to see you taking the Russian threat to our elections seriously.

 

[boomerang]

Online voting isn't the only way to vote from home.

Thank you Captain Obvious!

Which states do not allow voting by mail? Reread Sunburn74's question if you need to before answering.