While reviewing the King County Elections site for information on electronic ballots, and electioneering, I found something that worries me a tad:
All observers and poll watchers may not:
Electioneer within 300 feet of the polling place entrance or exit.
What worries me about this is, during the 2000 election there was heavy pressure outside many polling places from PAC’s and other groups (I’m not bold enough to assume the pressure came from any candidates election team officially). This happened at my polling place (just up the street from my house), where I was pressured by firemen to vote for George W. Bush.
Electioneering is defined (dict.org) as “To make interest for a candidate at an election.” In other words, presenting handbills for/against a measure or candidate(s), speaking in a suggestive manor to any person waiting to vote - or having voted, displaying stickers or posters or any other materials on vehicles or polling locations suggesting for/against a measure or candidate(s).
Now here’s what worries me: Early polling monitoring has shown as much as five hour waits for voters. If the lines are so long, and the wait so lengthy, won’t voters be in line a distance greater than 300 feet? Potentially beyond the public land used as the polling place? If so, there’s nothing stating on the State elections Web site guarding the voters.
I haven’t yet learned whether electronic ballots will be used throughout King County (I have learned that advanced voting for accesible requirements does include electronic ballots). From previous elections, I understand some counties/states allowed for the request of a paper ballot wherever electronic ballots are used.
I’m a tech-head, and I still wouldn’t trust my vote to an electronic ballot. This coming from a person that lives off his ATM machines.
Update: Not an electioneering issue, but something of even greater importance: My wife just notified me (she learned from a mailroom notice) that the absentee ballots in WA require .59 cents in postage - so please don’t forget to check your postage before mailing!
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