Dear Friend and Reader,
Earlier today I linked you to a New York Times article regarding the anticipation of polling problems due to a high turnout for this year’s Presidential Election. I have found some more information regarding the lawsuit filed by Pennsylvania, which I relay to you here.В Mary Claire Dale of the Associate PressВ writes:
Pennsylvania election officials must make paper ballots available to voters if half the machines at a polling place break down, a federal judge ruled Wednesday.
The state has previously required that paper ballots only be offered if all the machines break down, but several voter groups filed a lawsuit last week in which they said long lines at the polls could disenfranchise voters.
Chief U.S. District Judge Harvey Bartle III agreed, finding that the potential harm to voters far outweighed the arguments of state and county officials who believe the rule change could cause confusion among poll workers.
‘We find that there is a real danger that a significant number of machines will malfunction throughout the Commonwealth, and this occurrence is likely to cause unacceptably long lines on Nov. 4,’ Bartle wrote in a 25-page ruling late Wednesday, a day after taking evidence in the case.
Pennsylvania, by the way, is a state that is leaning towards Democratic. For the cartographical break down of states, click here. Map is courtesy of NPR.
For the complete article, please click here.
For an additional resource regarding the rights of voters, check out this website. I will post more resources as I find them, so stay tuned!
-Genevieve
I think it’s going to be interesting to see Obama win at the polls and McPain contest it…..