I discovered this morning that there’s a new process in voting. It used to be that the election officials there at the precinct had a book with a page for each registered voter with a digital copy of your signature printed on the page. They would tear out the page, have you verify your address, and sign the sheet. Then they would compare the signatures.
Today, upon walking in, I had to print my name and address on a small pre-printed form, and then show it to the election official, who then verified that I was registered to vote in that precinct. No signature required.
I wonder why they eliminated the signature requirement? It seems like someone with felonious intentions could pretty easily look up registered voters who don’t regularly vote, then walk into those persons’ polling places all over Peoria and cast a vote as that person. Shouldn’t there be some sort of verification that you are who you say you are? I know the signature verification wasn’t much, but at least it was something.
UPDATE: I called the Peoria Election Commission and was told that they were doing it wrong at my precinct. Apparently your signature is required. You’re supposed to sign in the poll book next to your name. They told me they would call my precinct to make sure they’re requiring signatures.
I thought maybe I was exempt becuase the lady knew my aunt.
I signed in, but I voted two weeks ago at the County courthouse downtown. They most certainly were getting it right!
Thanks for calling it in – your whole district’s votes could have been tossed! Election Day hero nomination for CJ!
DailyKos has a really interesting post about Vote By Mail – it sounds very interesting, and mentions that Barack Obama is on board with promoting changing our voting systems to this method:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/11/7/13535/4734
and here’s the link directly to a site about it:
http://www.votebymailproject.org/
Giselle: KOS is also carrying that story about supposed GOP phone calls in VA – without proof.
Okay, sure, the robocalls story is not substatiated…
But the post about Vote by Mail is STILL interesting and relevant to this conversation.
Blogs are not about accuracy, usually, they are about conversation and information. Come to think of it, what source, blog, media or otherwise, liberal or conservative, offers any kind of, let alone a guarantee of, accuracy in reporting?
When I voted today in the city of Peoria, I had to sign a paper that the election judge compared my signature to the one on file.
PC,
It’s amazing at the subtle differences that are going on when voting. At our precinct it went like how the Commission stated it should be.
Vonster,
Guess it is even an unsubstantiated story when the Webb campaign has turned over audible recordings to the FBI, eh?
I too had to sign next to a photo copy of my signature. Did you vote in Beruit?
From God’s lips to Scotty’s ears, eh?
You must have gone in as early as I did. No sig from me as well. I told my wife later about it and she said that when she went in the afternoon she had to sign. I even went to grab the book ,pen in hand and was told no, I asked if they were sure and was again told that the new procedure no longer required a signature. I would bet that if there were a recount my poor chad would be left hanging. Oh well, at least now they know.