Emergency Ballots and Training Needed in PA
Voter Protections Newsletter Volume 3 Issue 2
September 5, 2008
PENNSYLVANIA - Advancement Project has partnered with Pennsylvania groups to protest voting policies that may violate citizens’ rights to equal protection under the U.S. Constitution. Following the April 22 primary, Advancement Project found that Pennsylvania had significant problems with voting machine breakdowns that impeded state residents’ ability to vote during the primary.
For instance, our analysis determined that 50 polling sites had at least one inoperable voting machine during the primary. At about 30 polling places, poll workers and voters found that all machines were not functioning at some point.
Although the breakdown of machines is troubling, Advancement Project was more troubled by the disparate responses at polling sites to address the breakdowns.
Most voters affected by these problems either weren’t offered a paper ballot or had to wait up to 90 minutes to be offered a paper ballot. Some voters were told to go home and return later.
In some cases, scribbled out provisional ballots were distributed and ballots were cast in cardboard boxes.
The majority of these problems happened in communities that were disproportionately populated by People of Color and poor people.
After communicating with Secretary of State Pedro Cortes for months about issuing clear directives to all counties about these problems and making little headway, Advancement Project and a growing coalition launched a campaign, in late August, to bombard Cortes and the Bureau of Elections Commissioner Chet Harhut with emails and phone calls, demanding that directives be issued statewide.
The coalition is calling for: the issuance of emergency paper ballots when at least half of the voting machines are not functioning; distinguishing emergency paper ballots--which must be counted as regular ballots--from provisional ballots and training poll workers in all these procedures.
Advancement Project has been working with a diverse and growing group of grassroots, local and national organizations, including: civil rights, voting rights, and civic and religious organizations.
