More Room on the Outside in the Roundup

On the night of the September 14 Primary Election, I was a guest along with journalist Pete Tucker on More Room on the Outside hosted by Dr. Baruch and Toussaint Tingling-Clemmons.

The program was about observations that Pete and I made while visiting polling places during the day. As Election Education Inc. observers, we were joined by former DC Board of Elections and Ethics’ Precinct Captain Kenlee Ray, who is seen here with me in a photograph taken by Pete. In total we visited and surveyed 20 polling places distributed among the District’s eight wards. A report of our findings will be made available on October 8.

The Fight Back has posted the More Room on the Outside interview on their website at http://thefightback.org/2010/09/more-room-on-the-outside-on-dctv-tuesday-september-14-2010-election-day/. When you get there, move the time bar to 31:00.

More Room on the Outside, which airs on public television, can be seen on DCTV on Comcast channels 95 and 96; RCN channels 10 and 11; and Verizon FIOS Channels 10, 11, and 28.

News Roundup of Primary Election Problems

Voters, candidates, elected officials, election observers, and pollworkers reported problems at the polling places for the Primary Election held last week on Tuesday, September 14.

I have pasted below a roundup of news articles and television broadcasts of the problems reported in the local media. I am interviewed in the first three posted below.

You will find that some of the 20 articles contain information that is repetitive; however, I believe it is important to see the breadth of the reporting. And I am sure there is more from other media outlets that I have missed. If you know of any, feel free to send a message to me with the link to wofield@gmail.com.

TBD News Channel 8

BOEE’s Performance On Election Day at
http://www.tbd.com/blogs/news-talk/2010/09/live-on-newstalk-boee-s-performance-texting-and-driving-and-montgomery-council-at-large-race-2027.html and search for my name.

WUSA9

New Voting Machines Cause of Delays at
http://www.wusa9.com/rss/local_article.aspx?storyid=111193

The Washington Post

DC Board of Elections, Scolded By Politicians, Defends Counting Pace, Cites Crushing Pressures at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/15/AR2010091506918.html

Live Blog: D.C. Primary Day Evening – Returns Trickle In at http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dc/2010/09/live_blog_dc_primary_day_2010_2.html

Judge Rejects Gray’s Request To Extend D.C. Voting at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/14/AR2010091407846.html

Once Again, Delays Plague Counting of Ballots InThe District at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/15/AR2010091500626.html

The Washington Times

Gray’s Campaign Threatens Legal Action If Voting Hours Not Extended at http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/sep/14/board-considers-gray-request-extend-voting-hours/print/

Delays Occur In Results For D.C. Primary Races at http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/sep/14/glitches-mar-early-voting-in-dc-mayor-race/

D.C. Mayor Fenty Loses To Gray In Democratic Primary at http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/sep/15/dc-mayor-fenty-loses-gray-democratic-primary/

The Washington Examiner

Gray Asks Elections To Toss Fenty Votes at http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/Gray-asks-elections-board-to-toss-Fenty-votes-797391-102579509.html

There May Be No Quick Call In D.C. Mayoral Race at http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/There-may-be-no-quick-call-in-D_C_-mayoral-race-846493-102818099.html

Election Board Problems Mar D.C. Mayor’s Race, Delay Results at http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/Election-board-problems-mar-D_C_-mayor_s-race_-delay-results--862475-102925424.html

UPDATE: Judge Denies Voting Hours Extension at http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/blogs/capital-land/dc-elections-officials-deny-grays-call-to-extend-voting-hours-102884129.html

Washington City Paper

Vince Gray Takes Charge at http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/articles/39775/vince-gray-takes-charge-dc-election-night

Democracy Threatened By Missing Seal at http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/looselips/2010/09/14/democracy-threatened-by-missing-seal/

Watch A Working D.C. Voting Machine at http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/looselips/2010/09/14/watch-a-working-d-c-voting-machine/

Five Things That Made Voters Mad at http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/looselips/2010/09/14/five-things-that-make-voters-mad/

themail@DCWatch

Down For The Count at http://www.dcwatch.com/themail/2010/10-09-15.htm and http://www.dcwatch.com/themail/2010/10-09-19.htm.

NBC4

Voting Problems At Some D.C. Polls at http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/politics/Voting_Problems_At_Some_DC_Polls_Washington_DC.html
Problems Reported At Polls at http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/politics/102873514.html.

D.C.’s Early Vote Centers Have Had Overnight Security

After disclosing at a press briefing on Wednesday, August 25, that there would not be any overnight security at D.C.’s Early Vote Centers, the DCBOEE ultimately added the presence of Protective Services at the Centers.

The announcement came at the regular meeting of the DCBOEE last week in response to a question posed to the Members of the Board by a public witness. During the public matters portion of the Board’s agenda, the Board’s Executive Director Rokey Suleman responded that “yes, security had been provided since the opening of the centers” on Saturday, August 30.

This was welcomed news considering the possibility of not only vote tampering of the machines left unattended overnight, but also vandalism that could have occurred at the four Centers.