The Disenfranchised Speak Out

Ohio Voters On 2004 Election Irregularities
Republican - majority districts did not have voting problems

No waiting , plenty of voting machines in GOP strongholds .

'' No problems . I was runner in Bexley precincts 1A , 1B , 1C . There were no lines in my visits to these precincts three times . I will point out that 1 B is perhaps the weathiest precinct in Franklin County - including the Governor , OSU ( Ohio State University ) President , etc . ''
Joseph Kuspan , affidavit , 11/15/04 (Bexley, near Columbus)

'' I was a volunteer all day on Nov . 2 and noticed a big discrepancy in the number of voting machines . Where I vote , in an affluent neighborhood , a voting machine had been added (total of five machines ) . In the lower- income neighborhoods , there were two-three machines and people waiting over three hours to vote ! ''
Julie Jacobson , affidavit , 11/13/04 (Columbus)

'' The only conclusion I can draw from this is there was an intentional effort to usher Republican voters through relatively short lines while creating excessively long lines in Democratic areas to suppress their right to vote by ensuring some peolpe would leave without voting , because they were incapable of standing in lines for three or four hours or they had to get to work . ''
Robin Smith , testimony , 11/15 hearing (Columbus)

Plenty of voting machines at GOP- leaning university , but not nearby liberal school .

'' You had a previous person talk about Kenyon College .... Knox County has two colleges .The one that has been profiled is Democratic , had long lines , that has already profiled as a Republican . That one did not have any problem as to waiting lines .''
Mike Swinford , testimony , 11/13 hearing (Mt. Vernon)

Voter Registration and Absentee Ballot Snafus

New registrations not properly processed , voters told not on rolls at poll .

'' A young African-American woman had been denied her right to vote at Glenwood Elementary School . I was told she was one of many from earlier that day .
'' Alessondra Hernandez , affidavit , 11/13/04 (Toledo)

Voters with multi-year residences told not on rolls , given provisional ballot .

'' I had a lot of people in my precinct who voted religiously and some of them , their names were not in the poll books .
'' Patricia Jackson , testimony , 11/20 hearing , Cleveland

'' My friend , Kathy Janoski , attempted to vote in our precinct 73F , but she was not on the rolls . I saw her being given the punch card to vote provisionally .... Ms. Janoski andI have resided together at the above address since 2001 . Between 2001 and 2004 , I personally saw communications from the Board of Elections to her address .
'' Gorman Paul Gregory , affidavit , 11/13/04 , (Columbus hearing )

College student vote suppressed , 2004 voter registrations not processed .

''I am a student at Bowling Green State University and moved from on-campus housing to an off-campus apartment over the summer... By mid-October , I had still not recieved my voter registration card .... They then told me that they never recieved my registration form and I would have to come down and fill out a change of address form ... I went to my polling place ... they looked on their printed voter rolls and my name was not on it . ''
Kyle Gebhart , statement , (Bowling Green )

Absentee ballot requests not properly processed in timely manner .

'' I never recieved the absentee ballot for the Nov . 2004 election . I went in person to the Hamilton County BOE on Oct . 29 to cast an early ballot and was informed there that they had mailed me an absentee ballot earlier that week ... The BOE informed me on Nov. 15... that somebody else was able to register a counted vote with my absentee ballot . ''
Max M. Lachman , affidavit , 11/15 (Cincinnati)

'' I filled out my form with the same address I have lived at since 1986 , and I checked my registration as a Democrat , which I decided to do this year , and a few days later I recieved in the mail a rejection of my application for the absentee ballot stating that I had filled in the wrong address . But it came to the right address ... ''
Harvey Wasserman , testimony , 11/13 hearing (Columbus)

Voters bringing absentee ballots to polls told to go to county offices .

''I was a poll worker ... my group witnessed numerous people who received absentee

ballots but had not mailed them in . When these voters tried to vote in their precincts , they were not allowed to cast regular ballots or their absentee ballots at their precincts . Instead they were told that in order to vote they had to bring their absentee ballots downtown and cast them at the Board of Election office .
'' Natalie Dobie , affidavit , 11/13/2004 ( Cincinnati)

Longtime voters not receiving absentee ballots , given provisional ballots .

'' I was sent a provisional ballot card forwarded by the post office due to a permanent change of address . I have been a resident at this address since 1980 - January to be exactly .''
Barry Mc Peek , affidavit , 11/15/04 (Reynoldsburg)

Voting Machines Shorted In Minority Districts
Polls in urban precincts assigned too few machines .

'' I waited in line for 1 hour 45 minutes . A friend of mine left after voting . At this time I was standing where he was when I came in . I have a 1 hour 45 minute wait until I get to vote . Total three and one-half hours . My voting place had three voting machines and appears to be 90 percent black voters . ''
Ted Dyrdek , Jr.,affidavit , 11/2/04 (Columbus )

''11:30 am . I visited the Columbus Precinct 25C ,where 1275 voters had voted . I observed three voting machines only ... 4:30 pm . I visited the 25C precinct again . The lines were longer , well past the inside front door . I personally observed at least 175 voters in line , plus babies and children . The building was hot and uncomfortable . Almost all people in line were black . Less than 20 were white . ''
Gorman Paul Gregory , affidavit , 11/13/04 (Columbus)

'' Our register went from 300 odd voters to 825 and we still had only three machines to process our votes . ''
Kay Kranz , 11/15/04 , affidavit , (Columbus)

'' I live in Franklin County and was a poll monitor at Columbus 12A the whole day ... My concern is that they knew - the Franklin County Board of Election knew the voter registration was double what it was in previous elections and they made absolutely no efforts to account or make any availability of ( machines for ) these people to vote . ''
Jason Parry , testimony , 11/15 hearing , Columbus

Voters recall more voting machines at same polling place in past elections

'' I arrived at 1:45 and left at 4:20 pm in order to vote . Most time when I vote there were six booths . Today the most important election in 75 years there were only three booths in my voting area . That is unfair to the people . ''
Marcia Woods , 11/2/04 , affidavit , (Columbus)

'' Long line , a wait of two and one-half to three hours . That's too long . Help . Recalled in the past there were five voting machines . ''
Loretta Ingram , affidavit , 11/2/04 (Columbus)

Too few machines assigned to liberal college campuses , suppressing vote .

'' I am here to represent Kenyon College ... Kenyon students and residents of Gambier had to stand in lies up to 10 to 12 hours in the rain , through a hot gym , and crowded narrow lines , making it extremely uncomfortable . ''
Mathew Segal , testimony , 11/13 hearing , Columbus

'' Right next door in Oberlin , where the Board of Election knew well that there was a huge increase in voter registration at Oberlin College ( up from 600- 700 students to over 2,100 this year !) . The two polling places where students voted had lines that snaked around blocks for hours , and the students were forced to stand in the rain for up to 5-6 hours . ''
Penny Maroldo , statement , (Oberlin)

Broken machines delivered to democratic precincts .

'' Usually , we have five-to-six voting booths , but there were only three on this day . One of the three machines was not working and had not benn since 6:30 am ... At 9:45 am people arrived to fix the machine . The repairmen reported that the machine had been sent without a cartridge . Whitehall is a racially diverse with a significant youth and African - American voting population . ''
Angela Greene , affidavit , 11/13/04 ( Whitehall)

'' Alarger than normal turnout - out the door ! Which is great except there were too few voting machines (through plenty of booths ) and one of them broken . ''
Sandra L. Francesconi , affidavit , 11/13/04 (Akron)

Voters turned away because of broken machines

'' What I witnessed at a Columbia Alternative High School , during the hours of 6:30 am to 8:30 am . Everyone was turned away due to broken machines ... They started turning people away because they did not have any working machines . ''
Eliza Jane Synder , testimony , 11/13 hearing , Columbus

Calls by poll workers to get more machines mostly unanswered

'' We were busy all day . Voters waiting 2-3 hours . We had an overflow all day . No breakfast . No lunch snack . I called several times to get more machines . The lines were always busy . Ithen called 462-4100 . No luck . No answer . They refused to send any more machines . ''
Margaret Thomas , 11/2/04 , affidavit , (Columbus)

'' I called downtown to the Board of Elections ... and I asked how they allocated their voting machines . And he said you get approximately one to one and one -half machines for every 300 people .... So I said , at 1,200 , how many should you have ? He said , ' Well , you should have six , possibly seven , maybe eight . There were four in this precinct . This is a highly Democratic precinct and there were four machines . ''
Pat Johnson , testimony , 11/15 hearing , Columbus

'' I was the presiding judge ... I called to get more machines and ended up being connected to Matt Damschroder , the Director of the Board of Elections .After a real hassle - and someone here has it on videotape - he sent me a fourth machine which did not dent the length of the line . ''
Carol Shelton , testimony , 11/13 hearing , Columbus

'' I had a shortage of equipment . I called them about seven in the morning - I needed another booth . I had another apparatus to accommodate another poll booth , but I did get one at six in the evening . ''
Patricia Jackson , testimony ,11/20 hearing , Cleveland

'' My precinct , Perry Township Precinct A at Worthington Hills Elementary School had four voting machines . However , the poll workers told us that only two were working ... I saw someone come in and fix the machines .... The voters I observed that day and in the past at my precinct are almost all white . ''
Catherine Cheney , affidavit , 11/13/04 (Columbus)

Poll workers improvise solution , but votes may not be counted

'' The director tried to alleviate my precinct's wait by '' borrowing '' from the other precinct (where the line was much shorter ) . When Iasked if this switching back and forth might damage the vote count , she assured me not . ''
Sandra L. Francesconi , affidavit ,11/13/04 (Akron)

Poll Worker Snafus
Polls opened late , overwhelmed poll workers .

'' When I arrived to vote at Livingston School at 6:30 am , the polls were not open . The machines were not up . The election officials who sign you in had not arrived . I left without voting , as did a number of other people . This is precinct 4-B . ''
Donald D. Germany , affidavit , 11/2/04 (Columbus)

'' I arrived at my polling place ( 17B ) at 11: 30 am . I voted at 3:25 pm . The polling place was verydisorganized , not enough machines . The poll workers were rude and inefficient .
Jason D. Kimble , affidavit , 11/2/04 (Columbus)

Long lines , people waiting for three-to-five hours , at times outside in rain

'' I reside in Columbus ... My race is black . I am , or believe I am , a registered voter in Columbus , OH . I have been registered for 40 years . On Nov . 2, 2004 , I arrived at the polls at 9:45 am . I left at 1 :15 pm . There were only three voting booths . I had to wait three and one-half hours to vote . ''
Luther Greene , affidavit , 11/2/04

'' I had to wait in line for approximately four hours before I could actually vote . ''
Vincent Bomar , affidavit , 11/2/04 (Columbus)

'' I got in line at 4: 25 pm and voted at 9:33 pm ... Lukily for me COLS 18-A line was indoors . However , COLS 18-C had to wait mainly outdoors in poor weather . ''
Christopher C. Mc Guoid , affidavit , 11/12 (Columbus)

Elderly and handicapped people not accomodated .

'' I requested curb-side voting at Wards 17A and B . A chair would single me out as disabled . This is an unacceptable accommodation . No curbside voting was provided ... My disability is unable to stand for long periods of time . The wait is over three hours . ''
Mary Taylor , affidavit , 11/2/04 (Columbus)

'' I came to vote around 2 pm . I had to wait approximately two hours to cast my vote . I completed voting around 4 pm . I am 90 years old . ''
Bertha Boatley , affidavit , 11/2/04 (Columbus)

'' I had to wait a long time to vote . I was unable to vote until 3:15 pm . There were alot of people waiting . There was a handicapped woman and they told her there was no one to help her . ''
Toi Crimley , affidavit , 11/2/2004 (Columbus)

'' And with a wheelchair - bound voter pulled up to the voting site ( Hillman Elementary School ) . The driver tried for one hour to gain access to the voting machines . He couldn't , so he drove off with the disabled voter who did not cast his vote . ''
Werner Lange , affidavit , 11/13/04 / (Newton Falls)

Once inside polls, people were not told that they were waitng in wrong lines .

'' There were two unidentified lines . It wa snot clear which line to stand in . ''
Donna Adassa , affidavit , 11/13/04 , (Columbus)

'' I saw many people leave because of the long lines . I also saw people stand in the wrong lines for long periods of time and then have to get in other lines . ''
Kris Usselman , affidavit , 11/2/04 (Columbus)

'' After I was directed into one line and waited for approximately one hour . I was told that we were changing lines and I had to wait an additional two hours and 20 minutes . This site was understaffed and noot enough booths . ''
Tanya Thivener , affidavit , 11/2/04 (Columbus)

'' I waited one hour and 45 minutes . Many people were in line for two hours . The room was small and crowded and everybody was very confused . There are different lines and it is not clear where people are supposed to go . I was not given sufficient direction on where to go , what lines to be in , etc . ''
Jackie Scott , affidavit , 11/2/2004 (Columbus)

Poll workers did not send people to proper polling place .

'' My name was on voters list at precinct 26B but I was sent to precinct 56 and waited two hours , then called and got correct onfo and came back to vote . ''
Steven Mason , affidavit , 11/2/04 (Columbus)

'' Told I was not registered and unable to vote . Was not told there was another precinct around corner where I could vote . ''
Margaret Downs , affidavit , 11/2/04 (Cincinnati)

Voters were not adquately instructed how to use machines .

'' The lady at the booth explained to me that once I voted for each issue , I was to push the vote button . I was not told how to properly work the machine until after I cast my first vote , then the machine shut down and I was told it could not be restarted . ''
Frankie Hines , affidavit , 11/2/04 (Columbus)

Cops ticket illegally parked cars at poll , because of long wait .

'' What I saw was voter intimidation in the form of city employees that were sent in to stop illegal parking . Now , in Driving Park Rec Center , there are less than 50 legal spots and there were literally 100s and 100s of voters there , and I estimate that at least 70 percent of the people were illegally park in the grass around the perimeter . ''
Boyd Mitchell , testimony , 11/13 hearing , Columbus

'' Imagine the sight , in a Black neighborhood where alot of young black voters are showing up for the first time , you have full police presence , even though they are sitting in cars .... You have six cars in the parking lot , and you have a well-known Republican businessman in the community asking people , ' please disperse , please get into your cars . ''
Michael Hayes , testimony , 11/13 hearing , Columbus

Long lines, People waiting , People leaving
People waiting in the rain for a long time .

'' Long lines . My vote would have been for Kerry . Not enough machines for people to vote . About 200 people in line ahead for me and it was pouring down the rain and freezing cold . I had worked all day and had the flu . ''
Joann Clark , affidavit , 12/12/04 (Franklin)

'' I stood in the rain , then once on the building it took three and one -half before I could place my vote . The process was slow and relentless . It was like playing musical chairs
... I was amazed to see only three voting booths - and all the people that were inside and outside waiting to place their vote . ''
John Wooden , Sr., affidavit , 11/14/04 (Columbus)

'' The line was long . It was raining and I had to wait in line for one and one-half hours . I believe the turnout was at least 80 to 85 percent . ''
Isaac Kinser , Jr . , affidavit , 12/19/04 (Franklin)

People left without voting , citing long wait .

'' I served as a volunteer for the Ohio Voter Protection Coalition outside the pollin place for Precinct 6C , City of Columbus . At least 12 voters told me that they were leaving without voting because the line was so long . ''
Christopher J. Collins , affidavit , 11/2/04 (Columbus)

'' We had five machines , needed about 10 machines . People could not wait two to three hours to vote . They had to go to work , school , doctors , etc .
Harry R. Kelly , Sr ., affidavit , 12/19/04 (Columbus)

'' The lines were three hours long . I have three children and no one to watch them for that long . I was not able to vote . However , I would have liked to have voted for John Kerry . I wish we could have a chance to vote again . ''
Danielle Speakman , affidavit , 12/12/04 (Columbus)

'' I waited for one and one-half hours but heard that it was a three-hour wait . I had to leave because I didn't have anyone else to watch my child . At the time I was there , only two machines were working . ''
Heather Shannon , affidavit , 11/2/04 (Columbus)

'' I have to work ! ''
John Saler , affidavit , 11/2/04 (Columbus)

People returning to polls several times to try to vote .

'' After arriving at about 12:45 pm , I waited on line outside of Shepard Branch Library . I finally voted at shortly before 4:00 pm , probably at 3:55 pm . I had attempted to vote twice earlier in the day , waiting 30 minutes for my first attempt and one-and-one-half hours the second time . ''
Dawana Martin , affidavit , 11/2/04

'' I cannot wait three hours to vote . I have to pick up my children . This is the third time today I have been here today - I cannot wait in excess of one hour . I would be willing to return after 7:30 pm . ''
Jeff Szczygiel , affidavit , 11/2/04 (Columbus)

Time taken to vote took undue personal toll .

'' I 'm here on behalf of a friend . Evelyn Nesbitt Fox . She came to my home saying she will never vote again as long as she lives . While she stood four hours voting , her husband passed away . Mr. Larry Fox , his funeral was on 11/13/04 . ''
Marion Brown , affidavit , 11/14/04, (Columbia)

'' There are only three voting booths !!! Ihave been here for hours , standing in the rain , waitng to vote . People are leaving without voting due to work policies . My husband (age 77) fell from fatigue while waiting . It is now 2:07 and I have not been able to vote . This is wrong . ''
Stacy G. Hunt , affidavit , 12/1/04 (Columbus)

'' I took 3 hr. vacation time to vote . Now I have to try and get 3 hours more of vacation . ''
Carlos Pace , affidavit , 11/2/04 (Columbus)

Voters Challenged ; Given Provisional Ballots; Provisionals Not Handled Properly

College students challenged , given high number of provisional ballots .

'' My name is Ian McConnel and I voted at precinct 16 B , which is on the Ohio State University campus , I attempted to vote in the same place that I voted in the primaries and was told that my name was not in the rolls . I was then told that I needed to vote provisional , was very disturbed about that , because I didn't know exactly what they meant . I said , ' Will my vote be counted ? ' They said , ' Yes , it would . '''
Ian MacConnell , testimony , 11/13 hearing , Columbus

Minorities , youth in urban areas targeted , cahallenged , some given provisional ballots .

'' I was told that I was being challenged . Asked for ID and told ''Sorry I would be unable to vote today . '' I refused to take this and then I was asked for a utility bill . I looked in my car - nothing . I called and had a bill faxed to my polling location . Walked in with a bill , ID , and registration from Internet , again told no . I demanded representation from Democratic Party and attorney and I was told no . Then offered provisional ballot . ''
Sherri Suarez , affidavit , 11/15 , (Reynoldsburg)

'' I received a letter from the Lucas County Board of Elections containing both the challenge of (my) right to vote and correction of registration list , as well as a notice of hearing . The challenge of my right to vote was filled by Daphne Sims , with an address included here . I never met Ms . Sims , and I have reason to believe Ms . Sims does not know who I am ... ''
Susan Husami , testimony , 11/13 hearing , Columbus

'' There were about 1,600 - 1,800 ballots at the four precincts , of which 90 were provisional . My observation was about 10 percent of the voters were black . About 40- 50 percent of the provisionals were black . Other than that disparity , things went rather smoothly . No Republican challenger was present . ''
Don Brezine , affidavit , 11/13/04 (Xenia)

Minority youth incorrectly challenged by alleging they had felony record .

'' (1) Ward 48 , Precinct D - excessive long line . (2) Ward 48 , Precinct D - inadequate no . Voting machine . (3) Witnessed a young black youth - first time voter - who was initially told he was not allowed to vote because he had a felony .When they made a call and determined he had no record , he was allowed to vote .''
Renee Smith , affidavit , 11/1304 (Columbus)

Ex-felons targeted by disinformation campaign saying they cannot vote .

'' I met numerous ex-felons who absolutely believed they had no right to vote . The ones I had approached prior to Oct . 4th I was able to convince to register . The ones I had encountered after Oct . 4th still honestly believed they had no right to vote . ''
Catherine Buchanan , affidavit , 11/12/04 (Toledo)

Longtime voters challenged , poll workers incorrectly cite address changes .

'' My wife received a notice on Nov . 2 challenging her right to vote . She was to appear before the Franklin County Board of Elections for a hearing ( Oct .28th , 9 am ) . The challenge was in Ward 68 (2003) . Her current address is Ward 55 ( 2004 ) . Her voting record is current : 40-plus years . ''
Richard M. Smith , Sr., affidavit , 11/15/04 (Columbus)

Longtime voters incorrectly were given provisional ballots .

'' Too many provisional ballots were cast as opposed to real ballots . Voters who had been voting for years at the same location weren't on list , and so had to cast provisional ballots . ''
Michael Sowiski , statement (Cuyohoga County )

'' I voted there in elections for the last five years ... I came in and looked at the list and my name was not on the list . It was a computerized list . My wife's name was on the list . I asked them how could this be ? They had no explanation . They were very cooperative , gave me a provisional ballot ... But I cannot imagine my name could have been removed from the list without some active action . ''
Michael Greenman , testimony , 11/15 hearing , Columbus

'' Precinct 16 , City of Lebanon , Warren County . Two voters - not related , had '' I.D. Required '' next to their names on the voter roll . They presented valid I.D., then were told they needed to fill out a '' HAVA Provisional Voter Statement of Affirmation . '' They voted and their ballots were put in a '' provisional '' envelope . I questioned why ... ''
Martha Parge , affidavit , 11/13/04 (Lebanon)

Poll workers not familiar with provisional ballots , improperly recorded .

'' I was transporting voters to polling place at 2355 Middlehurst Ave . and South Mifflin School . I found that the polling place had no provisional ballot booklets - resulting in that no one has been allowed to vote provisionally the whole day . ''
Daniel G. Johnson , affidavit , 11/2/04 (Mt. Gilead)

'' I was a Democratic Party poll challenger at Election Day Ward 13 , precinct K .. Nearly 50 percent of the provisional ballots were not completely properly filled out .... I'm concerned that the counting might not be a standard inclusive approach . ''
Daniel Lotz , testimony , 11/20 hearing , Cleveland

'' None of the election officials at the polls know how to deal with the provisional ballot issue , and we were forever trying to go back to the rules and clarify them . But no-one seemed to have received training about how to deal with provisional ballots . When we had problems , we were unable in many cases to reach either of the two phone numbers we had for the board of elections . ''
Patricia Blochowiak , testimony , 11/20 hearing , Cleveland

Precinct judges not familiar with provisional ballots , ballots not offered to voters .

'' When setting up for voters , we asked for paperwork to deal with provisional voters ... At the end of voting while closing up , the Presidng judge mysteriously found the information needed to guide provisional voters . We were not able to guide voters to the correct precinct and they were made to vote provisionally . ''
Kay Kranz , 11/15/04 , affidavit , (Columbus)

Voting Machinery Flawed

Ballot layout and design confusing , leading to mistaken votes .

'' Both my wife and I were slowed down in our voting because the layout of the layout of the presidential race confused us ... I couldn't get over the feeling that I was looking at a botched ballot ... The feeling I got was that I was being tricked , but passed the test . ''
James R. Hanson , statement , 11/26/04 (Columbus)

Voters given punch card ballots with presidential choices already punched .

'' I was handed a ballot in the usual sleeve . I took it out of the sleeves and was ready to put it in the voting apparatus , when I noticed that the bottom third of the ballot had already been punched out . ''
Lisa Casini , affidavit , 12/28/04 (Independence , Cuyohoga County )

'' Ballots with holes already punched in them when voters received them . ''
Michael Sowiski , statement (Cuyohoga County)

Punch-card machine not working properly .

'' I was a Democratic challenger ... We had a machine malfunction . It was off-set . We don't know if those votes were counted accurately or not . ''
Patricia Blochowiak , testimony , 11/20 hearing , Cleveland

Electronic machine malfunction , no flashing lights for presidential vote choice .

'' Once in the voting machine , I was puzzled that the lights were flashing for candidates for all the offices except the presidential office . I wondered why these didn't flash so I just looked for Kerry's name and pressed the rectangle and the red light came on . ''
Sarah Locke , affidavit , 11/13/04 (Columbus)

'' When I went in my voting booth , the red blinking light was not on in the presidential race . I voted for president and then told the presiding judge of the problem . He then told me that he could not do anything . I finished my other voting selections . No one checked the machine after I was done voting . ''
Gorman Paul Gregory , affidavit , 11/13/04 (Westerville)

Electronic machine malfunction , voters chooses Kerry ; machine selects Bush .

'' I pushed the button besides John Kerry's name and my vote jumped up to George Bush . I began complaining about them cheating again this year . The attendant ran over to my booth and announced '' just push the button again , that's been happening alot . '' I then pushed the button again . It remained on John Kerry . Many others in different precincts experienced the same problem . ''
Jeanne Smith White , affidavit , 11/15/04 , (Youngstown)

'' When I press Kerry I get Bush . I press it three times , then I get Kerry . I speak to the presiding judge . I had them call the Board of Election . They show up about 11:30 am . ''
Josephine Hulett , affidavit , 11/19/04 (Youngstown)

Electronic machine malfunction , screen goes black or registers no vote .

'' The electronic voting machine would not take my vote although I tried repeatedly by pressing the '' vote '' button . Election officials tried to help , then finally the screen ( front of machine ) went black and I was told I had voted . '' I felt that I had been blocked from voting . Multiple calls resulted in no help . ''
Esther Hampton , affidavit , 11/13/2004 (Columbus)

'' A problem with the voting machine . It would negate my vote for John Kerry by returning to '' no- vote '' status .''
Thom Pintello , affidavit , 11/15/04 . (Columbus)

Vote Counting Problems

Homeland Security Threat , banning press from observing Warren County count .

'' Problems I saw in Warren County during Election Day . They claimed level 10 Homeland Security threat to bar all media out of the BOE (Board of Election ) during the vote count . They did not warn the citizens of Warren County through the color code system . They did not warn the Board of Election of the threat level '' ,
Elizabeth Kent , affidavit , 11/2/04 (Lebanon)

Secretary of State orders Election records sealed until after vote is certified .

'' The other thing that I have seen is they are not letting us look at the records . They are not letting us go to the Board of Elections and look at the records . Blackwell , again , made phone calls to counties , teeling them that we are not to see those records , and this is public information . The Ohio Open Records Act says so . ''
Victoria Lovegren , testimony , 11/13/ hearing , (Columbus)

'' On Nov. 12 , I went to the Trumbull Board of Elections and asked to see precinct logs ; This was denied and the BOE official said I could not see them until after the official vote was given . ''
Werner Lange , affidavit , 11/13/04 , (Newton Falls)

Secretary of State's last - minute provisional rule change disenfranchises voters .

'' I was also concerned about the directive or whatever you want to call the rules or the laws that Blackwell comes up with... The date of birth has to be on the envelope of the provisional ballot for it to be acceptable , and this is a change in the rules . ''
Victoria Lovegren , testimony , 11/13 hearing , Columbus

Reports of spoiled ballots - or no votes for president - don't make sense .

'' Look at the ballots cast for president , in practically all cases , there's a discrepancy ... In the case of my precinct , where I was at , 16A , you 'll see there's a discrepancy of about 18 people . That means 18 people voted but are not reported as voting for president . That means 5 percent of the people who voted did not have their votes counted for president . It's unlikely that 5 percent of the people who showed up on Election Day and stood in line for an hour or so , actually didn't want to vote for president . ''
Sarah Taylor , testimony , 11/20 hearing , Cleveland

Reported turnout numbers did not match what people at polls saw .

'' It was quite a day ... I was in some sense heartened by the long lines ; figuring this meant that we'd had an incredible turnout . So when the next day - when the first canvass report was posted , I was astounded to see that in my precinct , that according to the official numbers , we actually had fewer people vote than voted in 2000 . When there was essentially no campaign at all ... ''
Cyrus Taylor , testimony , 11/20 hearing , Cleveland
Adams County 27330 26721 48 0.18%
Allen County 108473 92147 13225 12.19%
Ashland County 52523 51231 424 0.81%
Ashtabula County 102728 96635 3247 3.16%
Athens County 62223 58166 1485 2.39%
Auglaize County 46611 45735 110 0.24%
Belmont County 70226 66698 2553 3.64%
Brown County 42285 41474 389 0.92%
Butler County 332807 303510 17531 5.27%
Carroll County 28836 28316 155 0.54%
Champaign County 38890 37230 894 2.30%
Clark County 144742 127541 12954 8.95%
Clermont County 177977 172866 1621 0.91%
Clinton County 40543 38917 886 2.19%
Columbiana County 112075 108071 2468 2.20%
Coshocton County 36655 35685 399 1.09%
Crawford County 46966 46022 279 0.59%
Cuyahoga County 1393978 938863 382634 27.45%
Darke County 53309 52290 208 0.39%
Defiance County 39500 36575 692 1.75%
Delaware County 109989 103663 2774 2.52%
Erie County 79551 70514 6876 8.64%
Fairfield County 122759 116803 3274 2.67%
Fayette County 28433 27182 589 2.07%
Franklin County 1068978 806851 191196 17.89%
Fulton County 42084 40254 103 0.24%
Gallia County 31069 29596 839 2.70%
Geauga County 90895 88553 1110 1.22%
Greene County 147886 131975 9414 6.37%
Guernsey County 40792 39275 623 1.53%
Hamilton County 845303 616487 198061 23.43%
Hancock County 71295 67832 789 1.11%
Hardin County 31945 31159 224 0.70%
Harrison County 15856 15300 348 2.19%
Henry County 29210 27845 169 0.58%
Highland County 40875 39599 612 1.50%
Hocking County 28241 27547 259 0.92%
Holmes County 38943 38564 127 0.33%
Huron County 59487 57094 575 0.97%
Jackson County 32641 31953 193 0.59%
Jefferson County 73894 68341 4200 5.68%
Knox County 54500 53226 367 0.67%
Lake County 227511 217041 4527 1.99%
Lawrence County 62319 60169 1302 2.09%
Licking County 145491 139147 2990 2.06%
Logan County 46005 44233 786 1.71%
Lorain County 284664 243514 24203 8.50%
Lucas County 455054 352678 77268 16.98%
Madison County 40213 36896 2511 6.24%
Mahoning County 257555 208727 40884 15.87%
Marion County 66217 60987 3805 5.75%
Medina County 151095 146956 1323 0.88%
Meigs County 23072 22548 159 0.69%
Mercer County 40924 40286 39 0.10%
Miami County 98868 94694 1932 1.95%
Monroe County 15180 14986 40 0.26%
Montgomery County 559062 428084 111030 19.86%
Morgan County 14897 13952 508 3.41%
Morrow County 31628 31111 85 0.27%
Muskingum County 84585 79438 3392 4.01%
Noble County 14058 13010 940 6.69%
Ottawa County 40985 39576 265 0.65%
Paulding County 20293 19451 194 0.96%
Perry County 34078 33581 74 0.22%
Pickaway County 52727 48482 3391 6.43%
Pike County 27695 26786 246 0.89%
Portage County 152061 143545 4840 3.18%
Preble County 42337 41691 136 0.32%
Putnam County 34726 33426 58 0.17%
Richland County 128852 113600 12151 9.43%
Ross County 73345 67288 4544 6.20%
Sandusky County 61792 56974 1650 2.67%
Scioto County 79195 75139 2163 2.73%
Seneca County 58683 55770 1033 1.76%
Shelby County 47910 46011 714 1.49%
Stark County 378098 341342 27219 7.20%
Summit County 542899 453336 71608 13.19%
Trumbull County 225116 203084 17778 7.90%
Tuscarawas County 90914 88976 663 0.73%
Union County 40909 38965 1149 2.81%
Van Wert County 29659 28896 222 0.75%
Vinton County 12806 12560 45 0.35%
Warren County 158383 149919 4327 2.73%
Washington County 63251 61563 585 0.92%
Wayne County 111564 107677 1749 1.57%
Williams County 39188 37821 283 0.72%
Wood County 121065 114802 1540 1.27%
Wyandot County 22908 22429 32 0.14%
Ohio Map
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From Florida 2000 to Ohio 2004: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly                                                                             by Jude Julien

The controversy surrounding the Presidential Election of 2000 lingered in the hearts of many Americans. We all know that America is far from perfect; however, Americans have a great deal of pride in the electoral system because it gives them an opportunity to participate in the government. After all, voting is the foundation of our democratic nation. The 2000 election revealed that our voting process is far from perfect. In Florida, there were countless allegations of irregularities and illegal tactics used at the polls that may have cost Al Gore the presidency. Incidents such as the infamous butterfly and caterpillar ballots may have changed the outcome. Even more alarming was the allegation of violations of the Voting Rights Act. A number of registered African-American voters reported that they were denied their right to vote. For instance, many African-American voters were turned away from the polls because they did not have appropriate identification, yet white voters who lacked identification were accommodated. Given the fact that Bush won Florida by a slim margin of approximately 500 votes, some political analysts believe that these and other factors could have made a difference in the outcome.

In the aftermath of the 2000 presidential elections, many believed that appropriate steps would be taken to ensure the legitimacy of this basic democratic process. Although some reforms were instituted, they werent sufficient. Reports of major voter anomalies have surfaced again, this time in Ohio. Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Ohio) has requested an investigation into irregularities in the Ohio presidential election. These irregularities include the following:
  • Due to the misallocation of machines, some inner city voters had to wait ten hours to vote while their suburban counterparts had no wait.
  • A voters registration was thrown out because it did not meet the paper weight requirements of the Secretary of State,
    Ken Blackwell.
These are just a few accounts of the unjust practices that transpired during the Ohio presidential election. Conyers believes that these irregularities created voter disenfranchisement and warrant a widespread investigation by Congress. He also suggests that the electors from the State of Ohio be challenged. Finally, Conyers recommends that election reforms be enacted immediately to restore the publics faith in our democratic process.

It is quite peculiar that these incidents have received no press coverage. Prominent Democrats such as John Kerry, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have made little to no of the reports of voter disenfranchisement in Ohio or the actions taken by Conyers. Conyers received support from fellow Representatives Stephanie Jones Tubs, Ted Strickland and Maxine Walters. Senator Barbara Boxer was the only Senator courageous enough to allow the issue to be raised for debate on the senate floor.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of American Politics, is represented by those that spoke out against injustice, those that sat silent and those that conspired against a people. Perhaps Kerry felt it was better to save face and be a good loser rather than blame his loss on voting misconduct in light of the 2000 election fiasco/controversy. I sincerely hope this is not the case. Congressman Conyers and others have uncovered a serious problem in our society that should be investigated. The United States has recently been involved in establishing democracies in other countries. It seems as though our leaders should invest more time addressing the problems of democracy at home.