Election Protection

Photos from my day with Video the Vote. The project was a joint effort between Video the Vote and Election Protection, both non-partisan groups whose goal is was to monitor polling stations for voting irregularities. I was dispatched to polls in Worthington, Hilliard, and the near East Side.

Not surprisingly, there were no problems to be found in the affluent, white suburbs. Several people snubbed when asked to talk on tape, but others were pleased to get the chance. The most interesting thing I found in the suburbs was the make up of the poll workers. I talked to a young white male high school student, a middle aged African American woman and a youngish Islamic woman wearing a head scarf. As usual there were many senior citizens helping out. The contrasting demographics across age was pretty stark.

I have already posted an interview I did with an African American woman on the near east side who was forced to vote provisionally even though she provided 2 forms of ID that matched the id information on file with the Board of Elections. In the 20 minutes I spent in this mostly African American precinct, I saw three people voting provisionally and talked with poll workers and voters who felt the election was rigged and that their vote would not be counted.

So much for the American way.