Maryland Election Problems

 

Baltimore  (Touch screen switching votes from Kerry to Bush)

Montgomery County (Touch screen switching votes from Kerry to Bush)

Harford County (Touch screen switching votes from Kerry to Bush)

Prince George’s County (Touch screen switching votes from Kerry to Bush)

 Total         (17 cases reported to TrueVoteMD.org)

 

Baltimore ( polling place problems in minority precincts, long lines, too few and broken machines, suppression, provisional ballot problems)

 

Prince George’s County (Broken machines, long lines, minority voter suppression)

 

Montgomery County (Polling Place Problems/long lines/absentee ballot problems)

 

Student Voting Problems(thousands unable to vote due to registration problems, hundreds or thousands unable to get absentee ballots)

 

                                                                                                         More detailed summary and documentation at end of cases

Baltimore County

Touchscreen Switching

Reported to VotersUnite:    I waited for 2 hours to vote in Baltimore City, Cong. District 7, Precinct 005-09, 3500 Hillen Road,

 Baltimore, MD, AVC Advantage Model 315 (Sequoia),   tried to vote for Kerry but screen showed Bush;

 also long lines-waited 2 hours to vote. I heard others with similar experience.     (see votersunite.org   at end)  

 

Polling place problems in minority precincts

030953

11/02/04, 6:14 AM PST

Other polling place problem

Sandlewood Elementary School, Baltimore, Baltimore County, Maryland

Election judge has left, no one can vote.

034909

11/02/04, 8:58 AM PST

Long lines

Public School #84, Heath & Light Streets, Baltimore City County, Maryland

No chief judge on site; very disorganized; voters made to wait in three different lines for administrative bottlenecks; while several of the voting machines are open and waiting. They have to wait 5-6 times as long as the voters at the other polling place in the same gymnasium (precinct 3 ward 23)

040470

11/02/04, 12:14 PM PST

Long lines; Other polling place problem; Other

Liberty Road Senior Citizens Center, Randallstown, Baltimore County County, Maryland

Certain cards were missing @ polling place, able to vote but took a long time--thought this action was intentional to deter voters.

040989

11/02/04, 12:37 PM PST

Late opening; Other polling place problem

Dickey Hill Elem/Middle School, Baltimore, Baltimore County County, Maryland

Precinct opened @ 7:30, machines not on, waiting for judge to come, notebooks to sign in were blank

048866

11/02/04, 5:30 PM PST

Disability access problem; Polling place inquiry

Catonville High School, Catonville, Baltimore County County, Maryland

change polling entrance and handicapped people couldnt get up two flight of stairs

049111

11/02/04, 5:34 PM PST

Voter Intimidation

Sinclare Lane, Baltimore, Baltimore County County, Maryland

person asking question and was told if he come back he will get locked up because he had been there before trespassing

052531

11/04/04, 11:37 AM PST

Polling place inquiry

St James Academic, Sparks, Baltimore county County, Maryland

Election officials asking what party affiliation and then put your card in.

029574

11/02/04, 5:14 AM PST

Late opening

Lyndhurst Elementary, Baltimore, Baltimore City County, Maryland

Polls didn't open until 7:15. Balt.City Police opened polls late.

050272

11/02/04, 6:40 PM PST

Machine problem; Long lines; Other polling place problem

Baltimore City School #84 (E. Heath & Light Street), Baltimore, Baltimore City County, Maryland

Confusion @ the polling place, no chief judge present, officials weren't verifying numbers, long lines, people didn't know what was going on.

052486

11/04/04, 11:10 AM PST

Polling place inquiry

Pimlico Elementary School, Baltimore, Baltimore City County, Maryland

when a person go into the booth a button is to be pushed by the monitor but they never did it correctly very poor.

052580

11/04/04, 12:19 PM PST

Voter Intimidation; Identification-related problem

Windsor mill and Mondamin, Baltimore, Baltimore City County, Maryland

polling place asking people for ID they had voted before or not

052619

11/04/04, 12:41 PM PST

Long lines

Chickapin High School, Baltimore, Baltimore City County, Maryland

Last year the site had 6 booth but now they only have 3 lines was long

 

 

Voter suppression: mostly minorities

012795

10/20/04, 10:24 AM PST

Registration-related problem

Baltimore, Baltimore County, Maryland

Attempted to register at an African American festival - were told they had registered. Later went online and found out that they were not registered.

013552

10/21/04, 12:08 PM PST

Registration-related problem

Baltimore, Baltimore County, Maryland

Voter registered in mid-September at a mall in Laurel but has not received any confirmation.

015993

10/27/04, 11:06 AM PST

Absentee-ballot related problem

Baltimore, Baltimore County, Maryland

States that a family member at the Manner Care Rehabilitation Center was not given the chance to get an absentee ballot

016429

10/27/04, 5:04 PM PST

Absentee-ballot related problem

Baltimore County, Maryland

Caller did not want to give his name or phone number because he described himself as an election official. He wanted to notify the hotline of an absentee problem. He is helping folks who are unable to get to the polls, and are therefore voting absentee ballots. The ballots arrived with instructions that the return ballot envelope "needs extra postage," but when he called the county election office, no one could tell him how much extra postage should be used. They told him to go to the post office, but he is concerned that the people who can't get to the polls due to disability will also not be able to get to the post office. Access issue.

019048

10/31/04, 4:19 PM PST

Registration-related problem

Baltimore County, Maryland

I dropped my registration application at DMV on time. I haven't received anything yet

022264

11/01/04, 11:00 AM PST

Criminal status-related problem

Baltimore Co MD County, Maryland

Calling on behalf of his nephew Greg. Greg's a first time voter and convicted felon. He says his rights were restored. He mailed in his registration form, but polling place says he's not on their list.

 

024306

11/01/04, 1:48 PM PST

Registration-related problem

Baltimore, Baltimore County, Maryland

He called Baltimore County election board. They said that he wasn't on the rolls. He surmised that the Owings Mills precinct dropped him from rolls when he submitted a change of address and that there was an error putting him in the Baltimore precinct. Official said it was too late and there was nothing they could do at this point.

 

039695

11/02/04, 11:43 AM PST

Provisional ballot problem; Other ballot-related problem

Timer Grove Elementary, Owings Mills, Baltimore County, Maryland

Not allowed to cast ballot or provisional ballot @ location filed in 2000 election

040090

11/02/04, 11:58 AM PST

Registration-related problem

Library in Dundalk, MD, Baltimore, Baltimore County County, Maryland

Was told that she wasn't on the registration roster

043508

11/02/04, 2:07 PM PST

Registration-related problem

Hazelwood Elementary, Baltimore, Baltimore County, Maryland

Rec'd new voter reg. card bc they moved in May. Went to vote and name wasn't on the roster. Has been voting since 1991.

050102

11/02/04, 6:26 PM PST

Other

Glenmill Elementary, Baltimore City County, Maryland

Elderly woman was refused the right to vote bc she didn't have her registration card nor picture I.D. Official refused her this right. No one else was present at the polls. [P]

050559

11/02/04, 7:19 PM PST

Registration-related problem

Church Lane Elementary School, Randallstown, Baltimore County County, Maryland

Barnes was told she was only eligible to vote via absentee ballot but can't remember sending all information in.

038769

11/02/04, 11:18 AM PST

Registration-related problem

Hollifield Station El Sch, Baltimore, Baltimore City County, Maryland

If you get a postoffice box, you are automatically changed to that address. Resident at same address for 7 years. Went to Supervisors' Board. After a lot of provocation, they found a 15 year old address in Howard Co. Met with entire board. They sent her to Howard Co. Not interested in a provisional vote. Her voter's card was flagged in Howard Co. because the address was a PO box.

050055

11/02/04, 6:23 PM PST

Long lines; Other polling place problem

Forest Park Senior Center, Baltimore, Baltimore City County, Maryland

75 year old woman who stood in line for an hour to be told that she was in the correct polling place but the wrong ward line. Referred to another line that included another hour long wait. Left out of frustration and didn't get to vote.

050182

11/02/04, 6:30 PM PST

Disability access problem

Calloway Elementary, Baltimore, Baltimore City County, Maryland

Disabled and went to the polling site twice but unable to vote bc of no way to get inside the polls.

050564

11/02/04, 7:19 PM PST

Polling place inquiry

Baltimore, Baltimore Cuttt County, Maryland

told not on role but have voted there 4 times prior they turned at least one other away.

050755

11/02/04, 7:52 PM PST

Voter Intimidation; Provisional ballot problem

Baltimore, Baltimore City County, Maryland

(Precinct Judge) was rude and turned people away. She was denied a provisional ballot at first but went to report it to the NAACP. When she went back to vote she was treated very harshly. [P]

 

Prince George’s County

Voting Machine Problems

 

016783

10/28/04, 1:58 PM PST

Machine problem

Prince George's County, Maryland

electronic machines in the last election only let you vote the party line. Voter wanted to make sure that did not happen this time.

 

034613

11/02/04, 9:16 AM PST

Voter Intimidation; Disability access problem

Chillum Rec. Center, 6120 SARGENT ROAD, Hyattsville, MD, Rolling Crest, Prince George's County, Maryland

Precinct captains are preventing people from voting. 1 long line instead of 3, nobody to help those that can't read. Another line circles the floor, leading to the machines. Enough voting places that the line is not necessary. Problems for those with disabilities because of long wait. Some drug-taker deliberately smoking near the lines inside the voting place, standing too close for comfort. Poll workers not controlling these problems, intimidating those with disabilities. Precinct captain wouldn't leave desk to help with problems. No exit at side door, forcing people to leave through incoming lines. Insulting situation to seniors.

 

041323

11/02/04, 12:50 PM PST

Voter Intimidation; Machine problem; Unable to read ballot; Other ballot-related problem; Other polling place problem; Other

Perry Wood Elementary (Voter Ctr. 3004), Upper Marlboro, Prince George's County County, Maryland

Computer not working, asked election official to assist in instruction for voting and was told to click 'vote' even though that was not her willing vote. Election Chief Judge S. Thomas said there were no other complaints therefore it was a 'user error' and she was told that her vote had been cast. Computer # 100711 Machine kept ejecting her card. Other people were allowed to vote at that machine after her.

 

041693

11/02/04, 1:01 PM PST

Machine problem; Other ballot-related problem; Other

Greenbelt Community Center, Prince George's County County, Maryland

Voting machines kept shutting down & rebooting. Was told that the rest of the days votes would be counted manually. Chief Judge was counting the votes but system shut down several times.

 

050159

11/02/04, 6:31 PM PST

Machine problem; Other ballot-related problem

kettering baptist church, Mitchellville, prince george County, Maryland

voting machine malfunction code 013 came up

Large numbers of voters not allowed to vote in Prince George’s County- told not on rolls

Examples:

 

030000

11/02/04, 5:30 AM PST

Registration-related problem

2720 Iverson St, Temple Hills, MD, Hillcrest Heights, Prince George's County, Maryland

Several registered voters told names are not on list

 

030128

11/02/04, 5:38 AM PST

Registration-related problem

James Madison Middle Sch, Upper Marlboro MD School, Upper Marlboro MD, Upper Marlboro, Prince George's County County, Maryland<