Dade County Absentee Ballot Problems (Analysis of EIRS election hotline reports: 

hundreds of cases reported, dealing with thousands of absentee ballots)

 

Apparent Bias, Misfeasance, or Malfeasance re: absentees; thousands who requested absentee

ballots failed to receive them in time to vote and irregularities in distribution, instructions,

election day voting for those who did not receive their absentee ballot and tried to vote. 

 

Florida Election Protection Hearing Sworn Testimony:

 

EP Hearing: Ms. Marcy Randolph( member of the staff at Senator Bill Nelson's Orlando office in charge of election issues) 

 her office received a string of calls, which ultimately were logged in excess of 180, from voters experiencing difficulties in

obtaining their absentee ballots, especially voters from Broward, Dade and Palm Beach counties who resided in Germany

and the United Kingdom.   When the volume of phone calls requesting absentee ballots reached a peak, Senator Nelson's

office was unable to reach election staff by email or telephone

 

EP Hearing(affidavit), Branford Broon, NAACP,  Dade had many problems with minorities being able to register

and get voter card.  Voting was a very difficult process for those who did not get their card. Many did not get requested

absentee ballots.  Lines were longer in minority areas including early voting.  Non-partisan helpers should be allowed in

 polls to give assistance to voters since poll workers dont provide enough help.  An audit trail is needed. 

 

EP Hearing(affidavit), Mary Peeler, NAACP,    The NAACP received many complaints of many people in Florida not allowed to vote-

many unable to get absentee ballots, people refused provisional ballots incorrectly, because of long lines in early voting due to

not enough sites and not enough workers, by improper exclusion of those without IDs at poll, and by non-uniform policy regarding

provisional ballots.

 

EP Hearing(affidavit), Randall Marshall, ACLU,  Thousands of voters were affected by problems getting absentee

ballots in South Florida.   Also large numbers were denied their right to vote by poll workers improperly not letting

those who had requested absentee ballots but never got them or didn’t choose to use them from voting using a provisional ballot.  

 

EP Hearing(affidavit), Steve Showen,  Since Florida has eliminated runoff elections, we need Instant Runoff Voting(IRV)

 to improve the situation. It provides many advantages to the public and more democratically determined results and has

been used in many cities successfully, such as in San Francisco.   If no majority, 2nd choices of all voters are counted for

those who voted for a losing candidate.

 

 

 

 

Absentee Ballot Problems(EIRS election hotline reports)         voteprotect.org

014841

10/25/04, 12:55 PM PST

Absentee-ballot related problem

Miami-Dade County, Florida

Voter received her absentee ballot but the envelope is too small for the ballot; she contacted her local election officials and was told that she had received the envelope for the "spoiler ballot" and that she had to have the correct envelope; she was told that many others had had the same problem

013057

10/20/04, 1:26 PM PST

Absentee-ballot related problem

Dade County, Florida

Caller stated that the absentee ballot was too large for the envelope that was provided; could not fit it in the envelope. Also, the postage was for more than 37 cents and she was concerned that people would place inadequate postage.

013705

10/21/04, 3:32 PM PST

Absentee-ballot related problem

Miami, Dade County, Florida

Mother requested absentee ballot by mail for her daughter who is currently in Georgia. Received notice indicating that her absentee ballot could not be sent to address other than the address where the request came from.

014657

10/25/04, 9:11 AM PST

Voter Intimidation

MIami-Dade County, Florida

Republican organization called voter to tell her she was signed up for absentee ballot. She states she never signed up for absentee ballot. When she asked for the person's name, they told her to go to her election office to speak to an official. The person she talked to was not there at the election office.

015065

10/25/04, 4:12 PM PST

Absentee-ballot related problem

Miami, Miami-Dade County, Florida

Caller (who works for Dade Democratic Campaign) called to report problem with absentee ballots - return envelopes mailed out with absentee ballots have postage pre-paid but it is in an amount that is $0.20 short of the metered postage for such a mailing. This issue arose in primary elections and Dade Supervisor of Elections (Constance Kaplan) got mandate requiring postal service to process these mailings subject to a true-up of postage shortfalls in the future. Caller could not get post office to acknowledge this when she called them. Caller has received numerous calls from voters at post offices whose return mailings are not being accepted by the post office.

053094

11/04/04, 8:52 PM PST

Absentee-ballot related problem

Snapper Creck Elementary 10157 SW 64 ST, Miami, Miami-Dade County, Florida

Never received absentee ballot. They said he already voted.

 

 

001119

08/31/04, 5:52 AM PST

Other

dade county County, Florida

voter received an absentee ballot although she had not requested one. She showed up at her polling place but was prevented from voting because the system showed that she had received an absentee ballot. Luckily she had brought the absentee ballot with her so the election official voided the absentee ballot and she was allowed to vote in person.

001176

08/31/04, 7:03 AM PST

Other

miami dade County, Florida

absentee ballot issue - voter needs to confirm that she had not requested an absentee ballot because she received a call saying that she had

015061

10/25/04, 3:51 PM PST

Absentee-ballot related problem

Miami, Dade County, Florida

Receieved absentee ballot that was not requested

025033

11/01/04, 2:58 PM PST

Absentee-ballot related problem

Dade County, Florida

Sister-in-law reports that brother-in-law in military in California, received two absentee ballots from Dade County Fla., and voted both and returned both.

045726

11/02/04, 3:53 PM PST

Absentee-ballot related problem; Other ballot-related problem

Liberty Elk Lounge, Miami, miami-dade County, Florida

on rolls, next to woman's name said that she had requested absentee ballot (when she had not done so); they let her vote, but she was concerned that the polling worker said that they were not letting all of the those that had received absentee ballots vote.

053651

11/05/04, 3:05 PM PST

Absentee-ballot related problem

CRISTO VIVE CHURCH, Miami, Miami Dade County, Florida

Requested absentee ballot but never received it. The department of elections showed he had voted already.

053766

11/07/04, 2:19 PM PST

Absentee-ballot related problem

Miami, Miami Dade County, Florida

Voter received an absentee ballot in the mail and Voter never requested it. My daughter received one in the mail.

 

 

001339

08/31/04, 11:23 AM PST

Other

Miami-Dade County, Florida

His daughter is in Gainesville (away at college). She just received her absentee ballot yesterday (in Gainesville). The father was calling on his daughter\'s behalf to see if she can vote in Gainesville

009282

10/15/04, 11:09 AM PST

Absentee-ballot related problem

Miami, Dade County, Florida

Caller requested absentee ballot during the last week in September, but has not received it. Has repeatedly called supervisor of elections and is on hold for 45 minutes.

009311

10/15/04, 11:28 AM PST

Absentee-ballot related problem

Miami, Dade County, Florida

No citizens of Dade County who have requested absentee ballots have received them

010601

10/18/04, 10:49 AM PST

Absentee-ballot related problem

Miami, Miami Dade County, Florida

The caller and a friend of hers requested absentee ballots a long time ago, but have not received them yet. She said that she had attempted to contact the Miami county clerk, but that the phone was always busy.

011509

10/19/04, 7:30 AM PST

Absentee-ballot related problem

Dade County, Florida

Requested absentee problem but has not been received.

011545

10/19/04, 7:45 AM PST

Absentee-ballot related problem

Miami, Miami Dade County, Florida

She is concerned that she has not yet received her absentee ballot.

011585

10/19/04, 8:36 AM PST

Absentee-ballot related problem

Dade County, Florida

Caller and her husband have not yet received their absentee ballots. They repeatedly called Florida's Statewide 800 election hotline, but no one has answered.

012012

10/19/04, 1:24 PM PST

Absentee-ballot related problem

Miami-Dade County, Florida

Called to obtain an absentee ballot from Florida, but was told they had not sent absentee ballots out yet. Has yet to receive her absentee ballot.

012581

10/20/04, 8:02 AM PST

Absentee-ballot related problem

dade County, Florida

Not received absentee ballot

013363

10/21/04, 7:20 AM PST

Absentee-ballot related problem

Hialeah , Dade County, Florida

did not get her absentee ballot Her sister, who sent in the application at the same time has

013606

10/21/04, 1:03 PM PST

Absentee-ballot related problem

Dade County, Florida

2 individuals requested absentee ballots and have not received them yet.

014676

10/25/04, 9:55 AM PST

Absentee-ballot related problem

Miami-Dade cty County, Florida

Caller's daughter is registered in Florida (she has received her voter registration card), but attends college in Virginia. She requested an absentee ballot more than one month ago, but she has not yet received it.

014835

10/25/04, 12:19 PM PST

Absentee-ballot related problem

Miami, Miami-Dade County, Florida

no a/b received

014866

10/25/04, 12:57 PM PST

Absentee-ballot related problem

Miami, Dade County, Florida

Submitted application for absentee ballot in the summer. Not received, no responses to several telephone and e-mail requests.

015191

10/26/04, 8:35 AM PST

Absentee-ballot related problem

Miami, Dade County, Florida

has not yet received absentee ballot after three requests

015225

10/26/04, 8:45 AM PST

Absentee-ballot related problem

Miami-Dade County, Florida

Voter was calling on behalf of her mother to report a problem: her mother had applied for an absentee ballot at the same time that her father had applied; the father has received the absentee ballot, but the mother has not; voter has contacted the local election officials, who told her that the ballot was mailed on October 20 and must be received by the board of elections by November 2; voter's mother is with voter in Oregon and is concerned that, even assuming that she receives her absentee ballot, she will not be able to get it to the board of elections by the 2nd; the application for the absentee ballot had been sent in in July; neither the mother nor the father received the absentee ballots for the primary

015295

10/26/04, 10:04 AM PST

Absentee-ballot related problem

miami dade County, Florida

daughter at school in NY not received ballt

015643

10/26/04, 4:39 PM PST

Absentee-ballot related problem

Miami, Dade County, Florida

voter did not receive absentee form in the mail yet

015761

10/26/04, 8:46 PM PST

Absentee-ballot related problem

Dade County, Florida

Absentee ballot has not arrived yet.

016075

10/27/04, 12:23 PM PST

Absentee-ballot related problem

dade County, Florida

Daughter in NY still has not received her absentee ballot.

016080

10/27/04, 12:33 PM PST

Absentee-ballot related problem

Miami, Miami-Dade County, Florida

Applied for absentee ballot over a month ago but still has not received it. Has called elections office several times.

016194

10/27/04, 2:52 PM PST