Posted on 11/04/2010 5:29:15 PM PDT by Born Conservative
Two men and a woman who identified themselves as members of the Democratic National Committee were asked to leave an election poll in the City of Hazleton on Tuesday.
Eileen Whitaker, the election judge in Ward 8, which has its polling place in Hazleton City Hall, said the men, one of whom identified himself as Edmund F. Brown, were escorted out when they told poll workers they didn't reside or vote in Hazleton.
Whitaker said Brown appeared at the poll as it opened at 7 a.m., but became a nuisance.
"He was obnoxious, but a nice obnoxious," Whitaker said.
"He was ordering everybody around, where to sit. He was here two years ago, but I couldn't get rid of him because there was no constable."
But this time, Hazleton City Councilwoman Karin Cabell, who was acting as a "floating" poll watcher, challenged the men, who then said they were not registered voters in the city or county, and therefore, could not occupy the poll.
"I challenged them as a poll watcher," Cabell said. "I talked to Lenny (Piazza, Luzerne County's election director), and he said that's the law - if you're not a registered voter in Luzerne County, then you don't belong there. They were there, entirely illegally. It is considered obstruction of voting."
So Whitaker summoned Norman Tarantino, a constable, and Tarantino escorted the men out of the poll "around 9:30" Tuesday morning, Whitaker said.
"(Brown) said he was representing Paul Kanjorski," Whitaker said, referencing the incumbent congressman in the 11th district. "He said he was an attorney who lived in Washington, D.C."
Whitaker said the other man, who did not identify himself, was asked to leave when he could not produce a watcher's certificate.
"He came in to help the first guy," Whitaker said. "(Cabell) challenged him, the man from Harrisburg, and the other man started to give us a hard time."
Whitaker said as this scene was going on, she received a telephone call.
"A lawyer from Harrisburg called and said he wanted those men inside the poll," Whitaker said. "I asked the second guy to leave."
Shortly thereafter, Whitaker said two other men appeared at the polling place.
"They were wearing badges that said 'Voters Protection Association,' and that they were Democrats from Harrisburg," Whitaker said. "The men just walked through the poll, didn't speak to us, or to any voter. They came in the Green Street (side) door and out the Maple Street door."
A little while later, Whitaker said a woman entered the polling place.
"We also asked her to leave," Whitaker said.
Later in the afternoon, Whitaker said the woman made a second appearance.
"Maybe she came in to get warm," Whitaker said. "But we asked her to leave again. That was about 4 o'clock (p.m.)"
Cabell said although she challenged the men as a poll watcher, "anyone can make a challenge. You don't have to be a poll watcher."
Whitaker also said a reporter from a Harrisburg news organization was conducting a poll.
"He was asking people how they voted," Whitaker said. "We asked him to go outside. He could ask people out there."
Several calls were made to the DNC in Harrisburg and Washington, D.C., but no representative could offer comment on the incident in Hazleton.
"A lawyer from Harrisburg called and said he wanted those men inside the poll," Whitaker said. "I asked the second guy to leave."
Sounds like a bit much to me.
Looks like people are not putting up with voter fraud anymore. The Tea Party needs to educate people on becoming involved in polling activities to stop the stealing.
The law or the incident?
I believe it is Hazelton that has a huge population of Somali’s..right?
The constant incidents with all these Democrats.
I should have been more specific.
No, they have a lot of Dominicans.
So if there were no police around, then what?Call the police, ok, maybe next time someone should just kick the mans butt.
Barletta won. Enough said.
I thought that you meant that kicking them out was a little much. Thanks for the clarification.
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