Wow, isn’t that blatantly illegal? For this to happen, the election officials must be turning a blind eye.
docdave - 12:05pm on 05/06/2008
Unfortunately, the video is blocked for me (damn corporate filters), but I’ll take a guess from the headline. As an election judge myself, I can tell you that allowing a candidate into the polling area or even within 100 feet of the door is a violation of election law in Texas. Their campaigners may enter within the 100 foot limit if a) they have no signage, t-shirts, et cetera and b) they have legitimate business (i.e. to complain to me about some perceived violation or they have other business in building and are just passing through to said business). The only exception to that rule is if the candidate is entering to cast their own ballot. Otherwise, they and their surrogates must remain outside the 100 foot limit.
Not having seen the video, I can’t offer comment on the actual circumstances, but if Obama is inside the 100 foot limit of a polling place in Indiana and the election judge is allowing it, then I can only hope the one or more voters will file a complaint with the Indiana Secretary of State (assuming that is the office with oversight of elections as it is in Texas). In Texas, it is a felony as an election official to knowingly violate the law in this regard.
kbiel - 12:05pm on 05/06/2008
There is a simple explanation: Obama supporters are not literate.
They aren’t intelligent either. “No campaigning” at the polls is an old rule. With Democrats, the rules don’t apply!
likwidshoe - 01:05pm on 05/06/2008
Campaigning at the polls is OK. Campaigning in the polls, not so much.
kbiel - 01:05pm on 05/06/2008
I was under the impression that was illegal?
goon - 02:05pm on 05/06/2008
As long as any one campaigning, including the candidate, remains outside the 100 foot limit, then they can do anything they want from an election judge’s perspective. Obviously, if they are intimidating or harassing voters, even outside of the 100 foot limit, they are violating the law, but just simply standing outside the polling place, handing out push cards or holding signs is not illegal. Distasteful maybe, but not illegal.
I usually get at least one or two complaints each election about it too. All I can tell people who complain to me is that as long as they are outside my 100 foot marker then there is nothing I can do. If the person sees a campaigner doing something else that is illegal (e.g. harassing or intimidating voters or violating some city ordinance about sign placement) then I always suggest to them that they should call the police. No one ever has and I haven’t had to have any one arrested in my polling place ever, though I have had to send some people away to change shirts or had them throw away or hide campaign literature that they are keeping out in plain sight.
kbiel - 02:05pm on 05/06/2008
How low can they go?
Zsa Zsa - 05:05pm on 05/06/2008
I worked at a voting site in ‘06 and I am pretty sure that is against voting and campaigning laws.
dougee - 07:05pm on 05/06/2008
I worked at a voting site in ‘06 and I am pretty sure that is against voting and campaigning laws.
I can’t imagine a democrate breaking a campaign law.
goon - 07:05pm on 05/06/2008
OK, I’ve finally been able to watch the video. If that is in a polling place (and the video is not completely conclusive on that point) then making the video was illegal as well. Recording devices are not allowed to be used in the polling place.
Wow, isn’t that blatantly illegal? For this to happen, the election officials must be turning a blind eye.
Unfortunately, the video is blocked for me (damn corporate filters), but I’ll take a guess from the headline. As an election judge myself, I can tell you that allowing a candidate into the polling area or even within 100 feet of the door is a violation of election law in Texas. Their campaigners may enter within the 100 foot limit if a) they have no signage, t-shirts, et cetera and b) they have legitimate business (i.e. to complain to me about some perceived violation or they have other business in building and are just passing through to said business). The only exception to that rule is if the candidate is entering to cast their own ballot. Otherwise, they and their surrogates must remain outside the 100 foot limit.
Not having seen the video, I can’t offer comment on the actual circumstances, but if Obama is inside the 100 foot limit of a polling place in Indiana and the election judge is allowing it, then I can only hope the one or more voters will file a complaint with the Indiana Secretary of State (assuming that is the office with oversight of elections as it is in Texas). In Texas, it is a felony as an election official to knowingly violate the law in this regard.
There is a simple explanation: Obama supporters are not literate.
They aren’t intelligent either. “No campaigning” at the polls is an old rule. With Democrats, the rules don’t apply!
Campaigning at the polls is OK. Campaigning in the polls, not so much.
I was under the impression that was illegal?
As long as any one campaigning, including the candidate, remains outside the 100 foot limit, then they can do anything they want from an election judge’s perspective. Obviously, if they are intimidating or harassing voters, even outside of the 100 foot limit, they are violating the law, but just simply standing outside the polling place, handing out push cards or holding signs is not illegal. Distasteful maybe, but not illegal.
I usually get at least one or two complaints each election about it too. All I can tell people who complain to me is that as long as they are outside my 100 foot marker then there is nothing I can do. If the person sees a campaigner doing something else that is illegal (e.g. harassing or intimidating voters or violating some city ordinance about sign placement) then I always suggest to them that they should call the police. No one ever has and I haven’t had to have any one arrested in my polling place ever, though I have had to send some people away to change shirts or had them throw away or hide campaign literature that they are keeping out in plain sight.
How low can they go?
I worked at a voting site in ‘06 and I am pretty sure that is against voting and campaigning laws.
I can’t imagine a democrate breaking a campaign law.
OK, I’ve finally been able to watch the video. If that is in a polling place (and the video is not completely conclusive on that point) then making the video was illegal as well. Recording devices are not allowed to be used in the polling place.