According to Human Events, van and bus loads of non-English speaking Somali people are being transported to polling stations in Ohio, for early voting, and are being told who to vote for by Democratic get-out-the-vote volunteer interpreters.
An anonymous poll worker at the Morse Road voting station told Human Events that the Somali "voters" are being given a voter "slate card" and told by the Democrats to “vote Brown all the way down.” Sherrod Brown is running for re-election there, so it's assumed they are referring to her. And though there were plenty of Democratic interpreters, there was not one Republican in sight.
I had no idea, but Ohio has one of the largest Somali populations in the U.S., outside of Minnesota. Around 45,000 live in Ohio, so that could mean some nice votes for Obama. Problem is, who knows how many of them are even citizens. Human Events checked on the Somali Community Association of Ohio's website and:
Only 40 percent have become citizens of the United States, and only 25 percent speak English well enough to get a job.
Apparently, though people who do not speak English are allowed the use of an interpreter, those interpreters are not allowed to tell them who to vote for. Another anonymous volunteer poll worker told Human Events she also saw Democratic interpreters telling the Somali voters how and who to vote for. And it looks like they aren't doing much to ensure that the voters are actually citizens. Sara Marie Brenner of Human Events writes:
The voter is not required to show the driver’s license or social security card, but must merely write it on the absentee ballot request form. While the individual would be required to show a utility bill, bank statement or other printed document if he or she chooses that option, this is in lieu of writing the driver’s license or social security number. Therefore, the information cannot be checked against the Bureau of Motor Vehicles or other state databases. Essentially, a person is asked to check a box stating that they are a citizen, and the poll worker is to trust that they are the person who is listed on the item being shown or the information being written. In other words, someone can be an illegal resident of the state of Ohio and the United States, get an apartment, turn on the heat, bring in the Columbia Gas bill, register to vote by the deadline, and vote by showing that same bill. There is then no verification that this individual is a citizen of the United States.
Matt McClellan, the press secretary for Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted, explained, “There is a process to challenge a voter’s eligibility. The point in time for a challenge to be brought ended mid October. A poll worker could challenge a voter if they had questions as to whether or not a voter was registered or eligible to vote.” However, if the poll worker does not raise the issue at the time the voting occurs, that person’s vote will otherwise be counted on election day along with everyone else’s vote. McClellan was not aware of any reports of irregularities at the Morse Road voting place in Franklin County.
Two phone calls and a text message to the Public Information Office at the Franklin County Board of Elections were not returned.
And that's not all, there has also been voter intimidation at the same voting station, according to one of the anonymous poll workers.
A Mitt Romney bus stopped near the voting center, approximately 30 Democrats who were outside handing out the slate cards rushed over to the bus. They yelled at the bus, and swarmed around its door when anyone attempted to exit the bus.
Of course, voter intimidation isn't anything new. Remember, the Black Panthers in Philadelphia in 2008?
Not that there hasn't been voter fraud problems perpetrated by Republicans, it's just that when it's conservatives doing something inappropriate, their actions get prime time exposure, the Democrats don't.
No comments:
Post a Comment