Updated! Green Party fields reports of voting irregularities
Illinois Green Party Press Release 05 February 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, FEBRUARY 5, 2008
CONTACT:
Patrick Kelly
ILGP Media Coordinator
773-203-9631
media@ilgp.org
Phil Huckelberry
Chair, ILGP Government & Elections Committee
309-268-9974
phil.huckelberry@ilgp.org
Tom Abram
Media Committee
847-814-6947
tabram@gmail.com
GREEN PARTY FIELDS NUMEROUS REPORTS OF VOTING
IRREGULARITIES IN CHICAGO, ELSEWHERE
Voters who hoped to participate in the Illinois' first ever
statewide Green Party primary are receiving a very rude
reception at many polling places, especially in Chicago.
In the early hours of voting, Green Party officials began
receiving reports from frustrated voters across the state
who, in many cases, had been told by pollworkers that there
are no Green Party ballots available at their polling places,
or that they had to vote on suspect electronic voting
machines, even while other parties use paper ballots.
Some of the most outrageous incidents, however, occurred
across the wards of Chicago, where Green Party ballots have
been apparently tampered with so they can't be read and
accepted by voting machines, voters are given Democratic
ballots despite requesting Green ballots.
What follows are a few examples of reports. Check ilgp.org
for more reports as they are received. More information will
also be available at the Green Party gathering tonight at
Decima Musa Restaurant, 1901 S. Loomis, Chicago (in Pilsen).
UPDATE - NEW ACCOUNTS!!!
LIBERTYVILLE
Voter writes: "This is my first time voting, and i walked
into the polling place to vote and checked my card to vote
Green Party.
"I walk to the counter to get my ballot and the lady working
there tells me, "I'm sorry we don't have any Green Party
ballots." I tell them i was on the county clerk's website
last night and that i've seen the official green party
ballot. I then saw on the table a Green Party ballot. I ask
them what it is, and the lady working there backtracks and
says, "Oh, we have ballots but you cant vote for them
because all the candidates have ped out and there is no
one you can vote for." At this point I told them that I had
heard nothing in the news all day about any candidates
ping out, but they insisted that all candidates had
ped out and that there was no longer a Green Party
ballot. A man working at the neighboring desk got on his
cell phone and supposedly contacted whoever was in charge
only to tell me that all four candidates had ped out.
"I insisted on getting a Green Party ballot anyways, and
they reluctantly gave it to me but not until after more
complaint from me and more scowls from them. I voted,
submitted my ballot, and left.
"After I left, I spoke with a friend who voted shortly after
me, and was told the same thing: that they did not have any
Green Party ballots and he was not able to vote for them.
My friend was not as adamant about receiving a Green Party
ballot and did not contest this, and thus was forced into
ing a different ballot, and in the end a Democrat."
2nd WARD, 12th PRECINCT
Voter writes: At my precinct, the poll workers were unaware
that they had GP ballots; they assumed that "Green" meant
the ballotswith green tabs, which were in fact Democratic
ballots! We called in to the elections office, and they
helped the workers locate the ballots.
In the process I was able to educate the poll workers about
the existence of the party, I voted Green, and we all left
friends. Took about 20 minutes, tho. The poll workers
clearly just didn't know, hadn't been trained well enough
about this (if at all)they were very helpful and
cooperative, I want to be sure they don't get blamed. They
definitely know now!
5th WARD, 11th PRECINCT
Voter writes: "While I was eventually able to vote in the
Green Primary today, it was only after I stood around for
half an hour while various election officials looked
everywhere, called downtown, etc., attempting to find the
GP ballots.
"They at first insisted that what I wanted was the green-
colored Democratic ballot; once I convinced them otherwise
(they at first didn't seem to know at all what I was talking
about) they realized that in fact, on the voter sign-in
form, there was a place to mark that I wanted a Green
ballot, and they then commenced a search for the ballots,
which they did not have out.
"They had several non-partisan ballots on the table, but
they did not have any Green Party ballots ready to give out. And,
like I said, it took them quite a bit of searching to find
the ballots. Overall, it seemed clear that they had not been
given any instruction/training regarding the new Green
primary."
49th WARD, 25th PRECINCT
Voter writes: "The election judges did not have the Green
Party primary ballots available; they were still in the
carrier cart from the Board of Elections. Until I insisted
on what I wanted, one judge tried twice to give me a
Democratic ballot because it was GREEN on top! Luckily,
another judge knew that the Green Party ballots were tan,
and ultimately they were found."
KANE COUNTY, BATAVIA, 10th PRECINCT
Voter writes: "I asked to see the specimen ballots. They
pointed to a stack on the table and asked which party. I
said "Green Party". A judge then told me that there is no
Green Party ballot because there are no candidates!
"She said she was told that by the instructor who taught the
Kane County election judges. Other judges at the tables
rooted around and found some Green Party ballots.
"They then seemed confused about how to do their thing to
let me use the electronic voting machine to vote the Green
ballot. The first judge called someone and after a few
minutes seemed convinced that it really was OK for me to
vote a Green Party ballot. They figured out how to set up
the voting machine for me and that went smoothly."
SANGAMON COUNTY - SPRINGFIELD, 9th PRECINCT
Voter writes: "I wanted to let you know that I was not
offered a GP ballot at my precinct. I was asked if I was
registered Democrat or Republican. I reported it to the
County Elections board and the woman definitely expressed
concern and said she was call them and let them know what
they have to do."
JACKSON COUNTY
Voter writes: "The poll worker offering ballots did not
offer the Green ballot to us; I did remind her that she was
supposed to."
ORIGINAL ACCOUNTS
1st WARD, 26th PRECINCT
A voter reports that all of the Green Party ballots had been
folded in half, causing them to not feed through the machine
properly. The Republican and Democratic ballots were not
folded. Because his first ballot kept getting rejected by
the machine, the voter was asked by pollworkers to fill out
another Green Party ballot, which also had been previously
folded. That ballot was not able to be read and was rejected
as well.
25th WARD, 8th PRECINCT
Pollworkers didn't have any green ballots available and were
asking voters if they wanted a Democratic or Republican
ballot (but not Green ballots).
25th WARD, 24th PRECINCT
A voter asked for a Green Party ballot three times, and was
given a Democratic paper ballot each time. Finally, on the
fourth time, the voter was told only touch screen available
for Greens.
31st WARD
Mary Ann Esler, Green Party Committeewoman in the 31st Ward,
went in to vote in the Green Primary this morning. The
election judges refused to give her a Green Party ballot. The
Democratic Precinct Captain, who was supervising the judges
told them that there were no ballots for the Green Primary
because the Green candidates were running unopposed.
The confrontation ended when Mary found the ballots hidden
under some papers on the judge's table. The judges then went
into a big huddle with the Democratic Precinct Captain while
Mary marked her ballot.
35th WARD
Jeremy Karpen, live blogging from the 35th Ward polling
place, gives the following reports:
9:00am: After reporting an election judge for not orally
offering Green Party ballots (when he is offering Dem and
Rep) he was visited by the Board of Elections and then he
called me [an expletive]. I asked him first to either list
all three ballots or simply ask people what ballot they
prefer, he said "I can if I want to."
9:09am: Craig (my committeeman and roommate) was just handed
a "green" democratic ballot and got all the way to the
little voting booth before he realized what had happened.
Dear lord.
9:45am: The Election Judge, who now seems to have an
attitude, when asked if Green is a real party, said
"unfortunately" and stated that it "isn't a real party." The
person he was talking to was an electioneer for Bradley's
campaign and not a voter but there certainly were other
voters in the room.
http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=188400239&blogID=354973039
47th WARD
A voter was told there were no Green Party ballots. During a
call to report the incident, the pollworkers told him that he
could vote using an electronic voting machine, but they did
not have any paper ballots available (although paper ballots
were available for the Republican and Democratic parties).
50th WARD, 5th PRECINCT
Green committeeman reports that the election judge is only
offering Republican and Democratic ballots.
COOK COUNTY, NORTHBROOK
An election judge reports that judges were instructed to
keep a tally of Green voters on a tally sheet that numbers
up to 50. There is no such tally for the Democrats and
Republicans.
COOK COUNTY, NORTHFIELD TOWNSHIP, 44th PRECINCT
A voter writes: "At approximately 11:30 am, at the polling
place at 74 Park Drive, Glenview, Green Party ballots were
still in shrink wrap, in the box, in the cabinet. Officials
at the desk were indignant about my disappointment, and
challenged me to "have credentials" in order to register my
complaint.
DUPAGE COUNTY, MILTON TOWNSHIP, 28th PRECINCT
A pollwatcher reports that and election judge asks voter
"which parties' primary ballot do you want?" The voter seemed
confused by the question and the judge clarified by stating
"Republican or Democrat". The pollwatcher immediately
interjected and corrected the judge and asked her to please
state all three parties in the primary from now on.
DUPAGE COUNTY, MILTON TOWNSHIP, 44th PRECINCT
A voter writes: "A judge repeatedly tried to give me a
Democratic ballot, which I refused. The Green ballots were
still wrapped up and semi-out of sight. As I approached the
tables, I could hear only "Republican or Democrat?" over
and over.
JACKSON COUNTY, MURPHYSBORO, 12th PRECINCT
A voter writes: "As I was leaving, the head lady was making a
call about getting more Green ballots because they had only
been sent three and at 7:30a they had already used 2 of them
and she was worried about a run on Green voters."
MORE REPORTS AVAILABLE ON ILGP.ORG AS THEY COME IN.
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