At just two polling places today - Stafford and Greene-Hills schools -- at least 70 independent voters were turned away when they sought to vote in the primary.
One fellow at Greene-Hills School "got very upset," according to Terry Parker, who helps run the polling place there.
The problem, officials said, is that many unaffiliated voters didn't know they weren't eligible to vote in the primary -- where only registered Republicans and Democrats can cast a ballot -- and others didn't realize they were officially independents.
At Stafford, moderators kept an unofficial tally of those turned away. They had a count of 19 shortly before 7 p.m.
Parker estimated that he'd turned away between 50 and 100 voters who weren't eligible.
If those numbers are similar across town, it means that as many as several hundred independent voters who tried to participate had to return home without voting.
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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
10 comments:
When I went to vote this afternoon, there was an independant voter in front of me being turned away (South Side School). I can't think of a time when there was such interest in a primary
I kinda like a system that prevents people who are that ignorant of the process from participating in the process.
Shows just how much the voter pays attention to what is happening.
And these same people will complain to Bristol Officials when it is a state decision.
If you could not vote in last sept's primary why would you think you could vote now .
Taxpayers foot the bill for these primary elections , yet ,you must be a registered voter to make use of your taxes , and then only for one party .
If taxpayers PAY for it they should be allowed to use it . I say in any election ANY taxpayer should have the RIGHT to vote in ANY Election/Primary .
Think about it . ;-)
Stop whining, get off the fence, and join a party. If you don't like either one, then pick one to join and work to change it from within.
Than register with the party. This primary was a party process to pick the candidate for thier party.
If you want to be independant of a party than you should have no say in who the candidate is of any one party.
You cannot have it both ways.
If the parties want total control over who votes for them ..... let them pay for it themselves and give the taxpayers a break .
How many non-voters wanted to vote????
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