Vote Cast - Power Out

I had no problems casting my vote and as expected there were no challengers at my precinct. I ran into problems at home when my power was out. It hit a large portion of Mt. Washington. I am therefore back enjoying a Mocha at Panera.

The oddest thing at the polls, and this may just be normal practice because it happened for someone else at another poll, is that they have a second checklist they workers where checking off. When I asked what that was for, one of the ladies said they have to post it at 11:00 AM. I have no idea why and it seems like a secondary log of the polls which seems good, but it just struck me as odd. Also, the registers are printed in a new format, easier to use.

I'm Off to Vote

I have my camera in hand.

If you have own voting stories or reports, please share them here.

Targeted Challenges

According the article on the appeals court ruling: the GOP states they will have "3,500 challengers" in Ohio. Well, that says at least that every precinct will not be gummed up. What it also says that the GOP is only sending challengers to certain polling locations. Hamilton County alone has 1,025 precincts. The GOP is going after the Democratic vote, and will ignore anything at precincts where they dominate. Prior reports indicate they will be targeting minority polling locations. We are going to have problems and this may get out of hand.

I hope the media keeps a tally of how many voters they challenge and how many are successful. Oh, wait, they will not be allowed in the polls to watch the GOP. The Dems will have to do it. Damn it, I am getting a bit pissed about this. Up until now I still held out hope that the GOP was just flexing its muscle, trying to act tough in light of a bad situation. I know think they are truly out to keep people from voting at the polls. We are headed for something bad.

More from Kos and Make Ohio Blue, including the first report of challengers.

Please are going to be confused when reading their Newspapers like this.

It is going to be a long day.

Back to a Mess

Well the 6th Circuit lived up to its reputation and has reversed both the Dlott and Adams decisions and will allow challengers into the polls. We now will have a mess at the polls. It might have been nice of the judges to ah, do this yesterday maybe? I mean now will have poll workers who at this point don't even know that the challengers are allowed in, and the polls are now open.

It is now going to be nasty at the polls. Tension has mounted and people will not have heard about this ruling before some idiot tries to challenge someone.

Please remember that when you go vote you do not have to talk to anyone but the poll worker. Bring some ID and check out these two sets of questions you might be asked: DDN and Enquirer.

I wonder what Blackwell is saying about this.

I wonder if exit poll workers will get in too.

Ohio Voter Suppression has more.

Go Vote!

If you are reading this and you have not yet voted, then what are you waiting for?

Happy Election Day!

Polls Open at 6:30 AM in Ohio and Close as 7:30 PM.

Vote early and often.

Happy Ken Blackwell

After the rulings today from two Federal Judges (Dlott and Adams), Ken Blackwell must be pleased. I even think Jim Petro, Ohio AG, is pleased. He is so pleased that he is putting off appealing the state law allowing poll challengers until after the election.

I think this issue will not be much of a post election talking point for the GOP, at least not if Tacitus is right when "Von" reported that Judge Adams was appointed by Bush. Dlott is the much reviled Democrat appointee that every local Republican seems to hate.

I think Blackwell saw the challengers as losing issue, but the Bush campaign and the state wide GOP wants to claw at any issue they can. Blackwell wants to be governor and he can't have presided over the messiest Ohio election in history and win in a harsh GOP primary.

I think the County BOEs are going to be the real mess now.

The issue that is going to be at issue in Ohio is the exit polling. Will it be worth anything? I mean I know it never is and this year all polling is whacked, but with Blackwell's order to keep the media out of the precincts, will they be able to get as accurate results?

Voter Information

In case anyone is search for last minute information on the election for Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OH: Smart Voter is the place to go for all needed info.

In case you wonder how I am voting, well here are the highlights:

President/Vice President of the United States
John F. Kerry/John Edwards, Democratic

US House; District 2: Charles W. Sanders, Democratic

US Senate: Eric D. Fingerhut, Democratic

State Representative; District 34: Glen Miller, Democratic

Judge; Supreme Court; starting 1/1/05: Nancy A. Fuerst

Judge; Supreme Court; Unexpired Term: William O'Neill

Commissioner; starting 1/2/05: Todd Portune, Democratic

Commissioner; starting 1/3/05: Eve Bolton, Democratic

Clerk of Courts; County of Hamilton: Martha Good, Democratic

Prosecuting Attorney; County of Hamilton: Fanon Rucker (write-in)

Sheriff; County of Hamilton: None of the Above or Mickey Mouse as a write in

Recorder; County of Hamilton: Steve Brinker, Democratic

Treasurer; County of Hamilton: Bob M. Drake, Democratic

Coroner; County of Hamilton: O'dell M. Owens, Democratic

Issue 1 Proposed Constitutional Amendment Banning Gay Marriage: Fuck No!

Issue 3 Proposed Charter Amendment Repeal of Article XII: Hell YES!

Issue 4 Proposed Charter Amendment Property Tax Repeal: No!!!

Issue 32 Tax Levy-- Cincinnati City School District: Yes

Issue 43 Tax Levy --Drake: Yes

Issue 44 Proposed Tax Levy Hamilton County: Yes

Others I am rooting for:
US House; District 1: Greg Harris, Democratic
State Representative; District 33: Tyrone K. Yates, Democratic
State Senate; District 8: Jeannette Harrison, Democratic
US House; District 4 KY: Nick Clooney Democratic
US Senate - KY: Daniel Mongiardo

Video Vote Vigil

Covington Jim points out a site collecting video and images of disturbances or other irregularities at or around the polls.

No Exit Polls in Ohio?

What is Ken Blackwell doing when he unexpectedly banned all media exit polls from within 100 feet of any polling station? I guess he fears they would challenge voters too or is this just another liberal bias charge against the media? FOX is part of the lawsuit trying to allow exit polling, so the right-wing media is at least in the fray with the rest of the mainstream press.

GOP Challengers From Outside County

Mean Jean Galvin of Make Ohio Blue has seen and reviewed the list of GOP challengers for Hamilton County. His review indicates that white suburbanites are being sent into most black neighborhoods. Also he indicates that the GOP is not sending any challengers to all-white suburbs.

Challengers Being Sworn in at BOE

A source indicates that 5 men were sworn in by Director of Elections John Williams today as Challengers. This took place at the Hamilton County BOE and the men were reported to have a list of individual voters to challenge. The number of voters on the list or the identity of the voters are unknown.

My guess would be that even with the court rulings, Challengers would be permitted at the BOE to challenge voter's eligibility to vote.

Panera WiFi

I think someone in comments said that Panera did not have very good WiFi. I am using it here on Beechmont right not to post this, and it actually works quite well. It might get worse if there were more users, which is likely true for all WiFi connections.

This post has unfortunately not been brought to you by the fine folks at Panera Bread. I eat there all the time and all I ever got out of it, beside good food/drink, was a free coffee mug at the grand opening of a location up in Mason.

Weeks?

Carl Weiser is reporting that provisional votes cannot be counted until November 13th by law. BOE's will be able to review each provisional voter's eligibility status, but can't see how they voted. I would assume absentee ballots are counted as soon after the polls close and after it is determined that they could make the difference in a race. This is going to be ugly.

All Challengers Banned From Ohio Polls

A Federal Judge has ruled voter challengers can not be deployed by any party or group in this year's election. This ruling coming at this late hour just adds more confusion to a confusing situation. I think overall this is the best way to run an election, but the timing is not good to really make it come true for the whole state.

What this does is put an increased burden on the county BOE's who will then get piles of challenges of every voter possible under law, but they were going to get that anyway, so in the big picture, I think this will make the polls go smother. That was after all the purpose. Ken Blackwell should be supporting this ruling. Will the AG try to appeal it today? The Ohio GOP stated in the article that they will appeal.

The mess is beginning to take form. Ground is being set for court challenges come Wednesday.

This story now is the Top Story on Yahoo. It is going to be a new turner.

UPDATE: A second Judge has ruled to ban the challengers.

UPDATE #2: Here is a copy Dlott's ruling (PDF).

Hate in Ohio

Atrios posts on a Salon article that illustrates pure hate from Bush Rally attendees up in Columbus. Did we get any of the same kind of thing from Cincinnati Bush supporters? Anyone saying "We don't want faggots in the White House?"

A Sample of Right-wing Voter Suppression

This is how you try to suppress the vote of non-Republicans.

Now, to be fair, we don't know for sure if this came from a Republican. We will likely never know who actual mailed them. This has the earmarks of Young Republicans everywhere. Kos has more examples.

Axinar's Universe Lays Down the Law

Axinar puts a thumping bigot/racist blogger from Springfield in his place by, well, pointing out that he is a racist and bigot and frankly a teenager who knows next to nothing. As adults we know next to that which is next to nothing, so we are ahead of the game only slightly, but in "Obi Ken's" case that slightness is measured in light years, something far beyond the scale of the Kessel Run. Let us hope this kid can go away to a good state college and grow out of his upbringing.

Edwards In Town On Monday

There are no details but WCPO reports at Dem VP nominee Senator John Edwards will make a stop in Cincinnati tomorrow.

Someone is likely staying at the Cincinnatian tonight; whether it is Edwards or Bush I have no idea. I say this because of the additional security in alley behind the downtown hotel. While at the rally today I observed blocked alleyways next to the building I parked in.

In case you have not figured it out, I did not go to the Bush Rally. I did not want to have to sit with a bunch of right-wing zealots for two plus hours waiting to hear Bush say blah blah blah and then have to fight traffic. Odds are that I would have gotten into the event and would not have had anyone notice me and my lack of cheering or clapping. If I find out Edwards is having a public event I will be there definitely, but at this point I would say it is more of a focused event, not for a mass crowd.

Questions by Vote Challengers

The Enquirer is reporting that these are the questions a voter could face if their vote is challenged at the polls

• Are you a citizen of the United States?
• Are you a native or naturalized citizen?
• Where were you born?
• Have you resided in this state for 30 days immediately preceding this election?
  Where have you resided?
• Please give names of two persons who know your place of residence.
• Have you been absent from this state within the 30 days immediately preceding this election?
• Have you continuously resided outside this state for a period of four years or more?
• Did you, while absent, look upon and regard this state as your home?
• Did you, while absent, vote in any other state?
• Do you now reside in this county?
• Do you now reside in this precinct?
• When you came into this precinct, did you come for a temporary purpose merely or for the purpose of making it your home?
• Are you 18 years of age or more to the best of your knowledge and belief?

These questions differ slightly from the ones the Dayton Daily News reported last week.

Kerry Rally at Fountain Square

Overall Thought: for Cincinnati this was a pretty good rally. I would put the number of people from 500 to 1000, which is really good considering this event received no attention in the local media or PR before hand otherwise. For my first foray into live blogging I will call it success, but I must say that the Wifi on the square leaves a lot to be desired. The speed really was worse than dial-up at many times. The city and CincyBell need to get on the ball and open-up more hotspots around town.

2:55 PM: Roxanne Qualls

Write in Rucker! Write in Rucker! Write in Rucker!

2:50 PM: David Crowley tells us he would never have thought that we would have to worry about voter intimidation in Ohio.

2:45: William O’Neil Running for Supreme Court of Ohio

2:40 PM: David Pepper asks those working the polls to ask their Republican counter part, “Do you know this is a Jim Crow law you are endorsing?”

Glen Miller

Steve Brinker

2:30 PM: “I am not a Myth” so says the crowd responding to Stephanie Jones, daughter of Nathanial Jones

2:20 PM: Tim Burke

2:00 PM: Music is starting up. The rumored speakers are to include Mark Mallory, Charlie Luken, and Roxanne Qualls.


1:45 PM: My first on location live blogging event: Kerry Rally on Fountain Square.

First element: it is taking way to long to log into Cincinnati Bell Wifi, but I was at least able to easily able to connect to the network.

The crowd so far is limited, but very enthusiastic. The funniest thing is seeing the Bush people coming in for the rally at GAP tonight. They all so far have looked like they came right out of West Chester or Anderson and as I sit outside Rock Bottom Brewery they are heading in to eat before they sit and wait 6 hours for Bush to speak.