AGAIN, Florida is the cause for concern about election fraud, voting rights, voter suppression. FASCIST right wing republican Polk County, Florida election officials deliberately lied to Democrats who came to vote in Tuesday's primary. An investigation is underway, charges need to be filed against those who denied Democrats their right to vote, and if they are found guilty they should be sentenced to jail time. This from +Daily Kos and The Ledger .....
Theresa Wilbert and her husband showed up to cast their votes in Florida’s primary election Tuesday morning, but things went very wrong. A worker at Polk County polling station (one of the most important voting counties in the state) told the couple it was “a closed Republican primary — and it was not for Democrats.” Melissa Marino with WFLA-TV spoke with Wilbert:
“I couldn’t believe it. I told them I wasn’t leaving … It sure wasn’t politically correct,”said Theresa Wilbert, a Democratic voter originally turned away.
A third Democratic voter experienced the same treatment. Wilbert said if they had not been forceful about it, they would not have been able to vote. There were no Democratic ballots on the table. After refusing to leave and further prompting, Wilbert said someone found a box with Democratic ballots in the bottom of a closet. It was only then, Democrats were allowed to vote.
The Polk County Supervisor of Elections Lori Edwards told WFLA-TV,
“It was a mistake,” said Lori Edwards, the elections official. “It was an unfortunate mistake and it got corrected immediately.”
A “mistake” or not, Theresa Wilbert said she felt “uneasy” about it:
“I think it’s terrible, and I think people that aren’t educated or don’t know what’s going on, might have just voted for whoever,” she said. “It’s suspect.”
Voters at Winter Haven precinct told only Republican ballots available
Call to Polk County Supervisor of Elections headquarters in Bartow fixes 'bad mistake'
Published: Wednesday, March 16, 2016 at 1:02 a.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, March 16, 2016 at 1:02 a.m.
WINTER HAVEN — When three people tried to vote Tuesday in the Democratic presidential primary at a Winter Haven precinct they were told only Republican ballots were available.
“They handed me a Republican ballot and said they didn't have any Democratic ones” at Precinct 321, Teresa Wibert said.
“The boss came over and said we could vote for Republicans only,'' she said. “I couldn't believe it. I told them I wasn't leaving … It sure wasn't politically correct.”
A call to the Polk County Supervisor of Elections headquarters in Bartow fixed the trouble. Wibert said precinct workers were told where to find the Democratic ballots, which were in a closet.
Wibert voted with her husband, who had also initially been denied a Democratic ballot.
Supervisor of Elections Lori Edwards said a third Democrat was also denied but was able to vote eventually.
The clerk at the precinct, who is the boss of the workers there, should have known better and felt terrible about the “bad mistake,” Edwards said.
She tried to look at the bright side of the blunder.
She praised the three voters for standing up for themselves and the worker in Bartow who got to the bottom of things.
“I'm appreciative that the problem was caught,” Edwards said. “And nobody was denied their right to vote.”
— Rick Rousos can be reached at rick.rousos@theledger.com or 863-802-7509.
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