In Northeast Philadelphia, poll watchers are told they are not appropriate

I make it a point, generally, to vote early in the morning. By doing that, I generally miss the long lines, interesting debates that sometimes lead to heated debates, but also so I can get my civic and patriotic duty completed, knowing nothing can prevent me from voting later in the day.

This morning was no different. Polls in Philadelphia opened at 7 a.m., and I was checked in at 7:25 a.m. as voter number 23 for my precinct. The folks manning the sign-in tables said it is generally noon or 1 p.m. before 25 people have cast votes in my area, but today that was number was hit before 7:30 a.m. Things weren’t without issue, though.

While checking in, I overheard a debate with the Northeast Committee person — someone who answers to the local city council representative — with a long-haired man whose hair had gone white long ago. The debate focused on whether he was permitted to be in the actual polling place. The committee person, a woman in her 60s or 70s, who has been a committee person for many years, but also, by her position, manned the polls for many years, as well, got loud enough that I could hear the debate from more than 10 feet away.

What was the debate about? Something incredibly stupid: If a poll watcher, with a certified certificate from the City of Philadelphia, allowed the gentleman to be in the actual voting area or if he had to "step back 100-to-150 feet. Because the debate was getting more interesting the longer I listened, I pulled up a chair, pulled out my cell phone, and snapped a few photos. At the right, you see the poll watcher — the man with the gray, long hair — being tag-team debated and challenged about his "appropriateness" of being in the polling area.

As I said, it was a stupid argument. Before it was concluded — for then, anyway — the committee person "decided" he needed to step back about 40 feet from the voting area. Since the polling place is inside of a normal busy restaurant, and is done in the far end of the restaurant, with voters having to trek through the restaurant from the far left to the far right side of the building, which includes a dining area, the poll watcher was being told he was to stand in a different dining section of the restaurant.

Listening to all this, I was half-amused and half-puzzled. All issues, including this, are clearly defined in the guidebooks issued to each polling place. In this case, the polling place is Jack’s Deli, in Northeast Philadelphia. The guidebooks were clearly visible on the sign-in tables, and another of the sign-in people brought one over to "argue the case" that the poll watcher was not allowed in the actual polling area. In the end of that round of debate, she and the committee person said, "The rules aren’t exactly clear as to where you can stand."

Having spent too many years as a reporter, covering election, polling places, and other issues of voter fraud in Illinois, including Chicago, the city where everyone (including the dead!) are encouraged to vote early and vote often, I asked to have a peek at the rules. I got a great laugh when the committee person told me that I was "not allowed to see the rules because you’re just a voter." That’s right, I am just a voter. Just a citizen. The rules of all elections in the United States, interestingly enough, are open to all, not just a select few, as in corrupt politicians and others on the take.

When I made my case, which included being very direct with a threat to call the police — I showed that I had already dialed 911 on my cell phone and was ready to hit CALL — and then place a call to the District Attorney’s office and the Philadelphia Board of Elections, the attitudes changed. I was suddenly allowed to see the rules that are supposedly secret.

Looking at the rules, I quickly found the section covering poll watchers, which is the thing these brainiacs overseeing the voting for my area couldn’t find. Under the various sub-sections about resident vs. non-resident poll watchers, was another section detailing various things about poll watchers. The second sentence clearly showed that poll watchers "are allowed to be in the polling area." This was the section of text the committee person and others involved with the sign-in process failed to read, or, perhaps, conveniently overlooked.

If you live in the City of Philadelphia and have questions or concerns about anything at your local polling place today, here are two telephone numbers that you can call for assistance. When you call, you will likely be sent direct to voicemail, so in your message be sure to leave your name, telephone number, and zip code, as well as clearly explaining your complaint, but also give the location of the polling place, such as Joe Shmoe School or Bob’s Restaurant, along with the address, if possible.

• Philadelphia District Attorney Voting Complaints Hotline
  • 215-686-9643
• Committee of Seventy Voting Hotline
  • 215-557-3600

In the case above, I did point out the section on poll watchers to the committee person who was somewhat belligerent and dictatorial toward the authorized poll watcher. I did that even though the poll watcher in this case was representing one of the two primary presidential candidates, and the candidate he represented was not the one I had voted for just moment before. It’s about doing what’s right, regardless of politics.

My primary concern and reason for my actions were to ensure my vote — as well as the votes of all other citizens in my area — really do count, are counted, and all things at the polling place are handled legally and ethically. For those reasons, I did call the Philadelphia District Attorney Voting Complaints Hotline. The District Attorney’s office, obviously, has legal jurisdiction over all polling place, including committee person’s with too big of an ego and too little background on dealing with poll watchers (not to mention voters).

With all the new electronic voting machines, there’s no tangent, no real record of my vote or anyone else’s vote here in Philadelphia. That, to me, is still a disgusting slap in the face to the citizens, the voters, but one, unfortunately, that we must deal with and fight to change. Until that change happens, we must do all we can to ensure the voting process remains free of corruption, free of impropriety, free from unethical or illegal actions, and that’s a role a poll watcher serves, in part. That’s the role one committee person in Northeast Philadelphia would have done away with by banishing the poll watcher if she would have had her way.

The Committee of Seventy is a good resource for finding out the basics, as well as if something truly is fishy, possibly unethical, or possibly illegal. Again, that’s where the District Attorney’s office would come into play, and since today is election day, there are attorneys ready to file complaints before at least one municipal judge who is also on stand-by for election issues.

Tagged as: 2008 Presidential election, Barack Hussein Obama, Barack Obama, citizens, city of Philadelphia, Committee of Seventy, committee persons, courts, election day, election issues, ethical, get out and vote, get out the vote, Jack's Deli, John McCain, judges, just vote, Legal, legal action, Northeast Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Philadelphia Board of Elections, Philadelphia City Council, Philadelphia District Attorney, political parties, poll watchers, polling area, Rock the Vote, voter complaints, Voter Hotline, voters, voting complaints, voting complaints hotline, voting oversight