More voting booths needed for heavy South Mississippi turnout

Sun Herald ^ | 11/4/03 | TOM WILEMON

[William McKinley]

Sheriff's deputies asked to monitor poll watchers in some precincts

Election officials had extra voting booths hauled into South Mississippi precincts on Tuesday morning to accommodate a heavier than expected turnout. Although many voters had to wait in line, only a few mechanical glitches were reported.

The biggest complaint in Harrison and Jackson County has been about aggressive poll watchers. Jackson County Sheriff's deputies were dispatched to two precincts after election holders complained about behavior from poll watchers.

"It got a little hectic in a couple of precincts," said Ben Sanford, chairman of the Jackson County Election Commission. "We had sheriff's deputies go out to the Sue Ellen Rec Center and one other precinct. The election workers said the poll watchers were overstepping their boundaries. At one point, a poll watcher was trying to go in with a voter and help mark the ballot. That's illegal. That was the report I got."

Harrison County Circuit Clerk Gayle Parker also received complaints from election holders.

"There was one who poll watcher who wanted to sit at the table," Parker said. "They just can't do that. They can't interfere with the voting process. There was one in Long Beach are who wanted to look at the sign-in book. We are so busy, we can't do that. They can't interfere with people coming in to vote."

Several other counties in Mississippi, including Madison, Copiah and Lafayette reported problems with poll watchers.

Secretary of State Eric Clark sent a statement to circuit clerks and poll watchers notifying them of the reports. State law requires the election holder with bailiff duties to prevent any interference with voters casting their ballots. The bailiff can ask law enforcement for assistance.

In Harrison County, 20 additional voting booths were brought to precincts after a heavy morning turnout. Election holders wanted to make sure they had enough booths for the expected rush of voters at the end of the work day.

[William McKinley]

South Mississippi went heavily for Bush.

Harrison County went Bush 61%-36%. Jackson County went Bush 66%-31%. Madison went Bush 61%-35%. Copia went Bush 53%-46%. Lafayette went Bush 56%-41%.

Turnout being high in these areas is a very good thing. No wonder the Democrats are trying to interfere with the voting in these precincts.

[Dog]

At one point, a poll watcher was trying to go in with a voter and help mark the ballot. That's illegal. That was the report I got."Wonder what party this poll watcher belongs to...

[William McKinley]

A poll watcher interfering in heavily Republican districts? One can only guess. :p

[AuH2ORepublican]

"Turnout being high in these areas is a very good thing."

---

Absolutely. Unlike the NE MS area, which voted heavily for Bush in 2000 but which supported Musgrove in 1999, the Gulf Coast counties gave fairly large margins to Republican Congressman Parker when he ran against Musgrove in 1999. Unless Musgrove gets an even larger turnout among blacks in the Delta, which is highly unlikely, Haley Barbour will win today.

[DodgeRam]

Here is an article put up by The Clarion Ledger.

Exit polls show some voting party straight-ticket



By Ana Radelat
Clarion-Ledger Washington Bureau

and Andy Kanengiser
akanengiser@clarionledger.com



UPDATE 12:15 a.m.
Mississippi voters sounded off on their choices as they left polling places today, some saying they voted a straight-line ticket.

At the Eudora Welty Library precinct on North State Street in Jackson, about 10 people had voted as of about 9 a.m.

Harold Reeds of Jackson said he voted for Haley Barbour for governor and considers himself a "Dixiecrat." He said that Barbour got his vote because he considers him the more conservative of the two candidates.

But he's not totally impressed with Barbour.

"I was irritated by Haley bringing in people from outside to tell me how to vote," Reeds said.

At Galloway Elementary on Idlewild Street, about 40 people had voted as of 9:30 a.m. Voters there seemed to trend Democratic; five voters interviewed by a reporter said the voted a straight Democratic ticket.

"I'm a Democrat, and I'm just voting Democrat. I don't know of any Republicans who have done anything for us," said Savannah Brown of Jackson.

At Wells United Methodist Church on Bailey Avenue in Jackson, 105 people had voted as of 10:10 a.m. Of four voters interviewed by a reporter, all said they had voted Democrat.

Bridget Clark of Jackson, a nurse, said she voted for Democratic incumbent Ronnie Musgrove for governor because "I just like what he has done in the last few years. You can't blame him for losing job. People are losing jobs all over the country."

Voters today had the chance to approve a constitutional amendment that would change the way the state College Board is selected.

Retired teacher Harriet Caldwell of Pearl said she voted against the amendment. "It was confusing. I wish more information had been given to voters," she said after casting her vote at Pleasant Grove Missionary Baptist Church on Old Brandon Road in Pearl.

But Joel Hammond, 34, of Pearl, an accountant, said he voted for the amendment. "I'm a USM graduate. We don't have any representatives on the College Board," Hammond said. Hopefully, he said, the amendment's passage would help a USM grad join the board.

Voting for the first time today was Keyvon Clark, 20, who cast his ballot at Wells United Methodist Church.

"I just listened to what the other Democrats tell me to do, especially my mother," he said, referring to Bridget Clark.

Shortly before noon, a line more than 100 people long stretched in front of the precinct at Northside Baptist Church in Clinton, with many voters complaining that their wait has been an hour or more. By 11: 30 a.m., 575 people had voted.

As she left the church, Sally Baker of Clinton said she "very definitely" backed all Republicans on the ballot. "I'm a Republican, but I also liked their personalities," she said.

At about noon, Jane Jones came to vote at Northside Baptist on crutches with a cast on her leg. She said she voted for Republican Haley Barbour for governor, Republican Amy Tuck for lieutenant governor, Democrat Eric Clark for secretary of state and Democrat Jim Hood for attorney general, splitting her ticket.

"I vote for the candidate, not the party," Jones said.

Lillian Fortenberry said she voted straight Republican. She said she voted for Amy Tuck over Barbara Blackmon because Blackmon's "comments were inapprpropriate. They were below the line."

[governsleastgovernsbest]

For some reason the Mississipi map flips the colors. The national county-by-county maps show Bush areas in red.

[bigeasy_70118]

Louisianian here. We hope y'all do the right thing and give Jindal a GOP partner in developing the Gulf South.

[SuziQ]

At one point, a poll watcher was trying to go in with a voter and help mark the ballot. That's illegal. That was the report I got."

Lemme guess. Was the poll watcher a Democrat?

[Graybeard58]

"At one point, a poll watcher was trying to go in with a voter and help mark the ballot. That's illegal. That was the report I got."Wonder what party this poll watcher belongs to..."


...Election laws are different in different states.

...In 1968 as an election judge in Missouri, I voted for people who couldn't read or write. They told me who they wanted to vote for and I marked their ballots accordingly.

[VRWC_minion]

So, one poll watcher wanted to sit down, another wanted to escort someone to polling booth and it doesn't say why were they disabled ?, a third had the audacity to actually want to look at sign in book ?

Can we say some reporter is swallowing some biased reports ?

[SuziQ]

But Joel Hammond, 34, of Pearl, an accountant, said he voted for the amendment. "I'm a USM graduate. We don't have any representatives on the College Board," Hammond said. Hopefully, he said, the amendment's passage would help a USM grad join the board

I'm a Southern Miss grad, too, and the board has always been heavily skewed toward Ole Miss grads cause they tend to be the lawyers and doctors and wealthy families in the state.

[WKB]

Ms ping

[concerned about politics]

Mississippi:
Republican -50%
Democrat - 45%

Kentucky looks good for Republicans (Fox). Light turn out.

[trebb]

I'm voting in the next hour - I would welcome an attempt by a poll watcher to intefere with me...

[Graybeard58]

"Kentucky looks good for Republicans (Fox). Light turn out".


...I gotta get a better TV, all my Sanyo gets from Fox is Lacy/Scott/Kobe and ditech.com.

[Husker24]

"I just listened to what the other Democrats tell me to do, especially my mother," he said, referring to Bridget Clark.

*sigh*

[GalaxieFiveHundred]

More voting booths needed for heavy South Mississippi turnout

[sultan88]

"I'm a Democrat, and I'm just voting Democrat. I don't know of any Republicans who have done anything for us," said Savannah Brown of Jackson.

Translation: "I love the plantation."

[Mudboy Slim]

That map never ceases to amaze...thanks fer sharing.

FReegards...MUD

[onyx]

I trust that you, WKB, (AAAAH) have voted?

The huge turn-out bodes well for Haley, but I am nonetheless nervous and I'm busy praying.