Voters complain of discrimination at polls

The Michigan Daily ^ | 11/04/04 | Michael Kan

[machman]

The ballots were picked up by the Ann Arbor City Clerk’s office after her manager informed them, but Schiesser said she can only imagine how many ballot boxes are just waiting to be found.

I can imagine how they got there.........

[Army Air Corps]

I have been dead since 1985 and only got to vote twice...I was robbed! Robbed, I tell you!!! :-)

[Moconservative]

The RATS rely on this every year. Their playbook is so old it gets tiresome.

[rocksblues]

Kerry did carry this state so they are complaining about what?

[MplsSteve]

The site had no ballot translated into Arabic?

What a bunch of BS!

Hey, I got a better idea...LEARN SOME ENGLISH!

Then you won't feel discriminated against!

[kipita]

This issue is like beating a fading speed horse on a muddy track.

[Westlander]

Dearborn, MI has the highest number of Arabic people outside of the Middle East.

[just me]

had language interpreters and provisional ballots on hand.

I think you should read and speak English before you are allowed to vote...

Just my opinion..

[spunkets]

"One of them said, ‘You Oriental guys are taking too long to vote,’ ” she said. "

No one says anything when I eenie, meenie, miney, moe behind the curtain.

[Labyrinthos]

Fung said their exit polls of Asian Americans in eight states indicated widespread instances of voter discrimination, leaving many of the voters feeling disenfranchised.

They weren't actually disenfrachised; they just felt disenfranchised.

A polling site at Cleveland Middle School in Detroit suffered some of the same difficulties, as the site had no translated ballots for Arabic speakers and lacked any interpreters. Election officer Susie Johnson said she could only resort to explaining slowly to non-English speaking voters how to vote. “We just keep repeating what’s on the ballot until they understand,” she added. Many non-English speaking voters managed to submit the ballot, though, with their family members functioning as interpreters.

If the law allows only citizens and naturalized citizens to vote and if the law requires people seeking to become naturalized citizens to have a basic understanding of English, thenn why we are handing out bilingual ballots of any kind.

[MplsSteve]

I know it does.

But they should still learn enough English anyways.

Screw 'em if they can't!

I've had it with this muilti-lingual crap!

[Prime Choice]

In an election already marred by provisional ballot challenges, numerous reports of voter discrimination from nonpartisan poll monitoring groups underline the possible flaws in the nation’s voting systems.

[airborne]

Words cannot describe my feelings, so...

[netmilsmom]

>>I think you should read and speak English before you are allowed to vote...<<

I do so agree with you!!!!

[San Jacinto]

They are laying the early ground work to outlaw poll watchers/challengers in the future. I suspect the normal fraud activities were somewhat hindered in this election. Don't bet that they won't succeed. Cries of "Racism" pretty much trump anything in this society.

[Outland]

Agreed. If you moved to Mexico, for instance, and didn't learn Spanish (or rather, the Mexican dialect of it), don't expect to see a ballot in English at their elections. There's no reason why we have to cater to every other language in this country when we already have one of our own. What next... ballots in Klingon?

[onevoter]

Anyone who believes that the blacks in Detroit were intimidated by anyone hasn't walked through the streets of Detroit. There is some serious intimidation going on for sure but it isn't the blacks on the receiving end.

[kipita]

The best people in American society are racists. I think people should aspire to be called such a great title. Bush is racist, Cosby is racist, Powell is racist, Rice is racist, and I’m proudly racist. Long live racism! We will work to make race a forgotten issue.

[arjay]

Let's make it easy. Make federal presidential election rules that everyone who votes must show picture ID. No exceptions!

That ought to cut fraud considerably.