Changes, confusion drive some away from polls

Wednesday, November 08, 2000

By BRIAN E. ALBRECHT

and AFI-ODELIA E. SCRUGGS PLAIN DEALER REPORTERS

Related Links Whoever Wins Florida Is President 3rd party dreams of Nader backers fail to materialize Gore camp swings from jubilation to nail-biting Bush keeps the faith as results trickle in Ohio picks Bush, splits with other industrial states Hillary Rodham Clinton defeats doubts, beats Lazio to win New York Senate race Delaware elects first woman governor Gore ends marathon with sprint to finish line Democrats show slight gain in early Senate vote returns Bush sticks to message on last day of campaign Election reveals a nation divided DeWine retains his U.S. Senate seat in landslide over newcomer Celeste Congressional incumbents on way to victory Changes, confusion drive some away from polls Complete election coverage Voter's Guide Plain Dealer endorsements More politics news e-Power: E-mail your politicans Talk in our politics forum Frustration and confusion were two unofficial candidates in yesterday's election as Cuyahoga County voters faced problems at the polls.

Many voters went to the wrong polling places due to revisions last year that eliminated some of the county's 1,505 precincts and changed the boundaries of others.

Long lines due to a heavy voter turnout - projected to be 65 to 70 percent of the county's 800,000 registered voters - resulted in long waits at many voting locations.

Thomas L. Jelepis, director of the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, said although cards notifying voters of precinct changes were mailed in March, "some people may have forgotten and gone to their old voting locations."

Board officials admitted that poll workers did not always give provisional ballots to voters who went to incorrect locations. Those ballots would have been counted after the board confirmed the voter's registration, board spokeswoman Maxine Lynch said.

Lynch didn't know how many voters were affected by mix-ups. She did say, however, that about 100 would-be voters came to the board's office in downtown Cleveland.

"The NAACP brought a busload of people to vote," she said.

Voting conditions were particularly troublesome in East Cleveland.

Evelyn Raglin-Jones, who distributed campaign literature outside one East Cleveland polling place, said she met voters who had gone to three or four different locations, trying to find the right place to vote.

"It's havoc, nothing but pure havoc," she said. "We've even had white people coming down here, and I know there's not a white family living in [Ward] 2B.

"They're even in the wrong city," she added. "I told one white man, 'Honey, I'm sure you don't belong here.' They'd sent him down here from Cleveland Heights. It's a mess all over."

Barbara Cloud, 58, of East Cleveland, said she watched many people leave without voting after waiting in long lines at Chambers Elementary School. "People were saying, 'I'm here on my lunch break, forget it.' That's not right. I told my son that's terrible. We're losing all these votes, and we need every vote we can get."

Gail Talarico, 48, of Parma, encountered similar precinct confusion after visiting her usual polling place, being told to go to a different location, but finding her name listed at a third location when she checked to make sure her son was registered to vote there.

Talarico said she met other poeple who had already visited several voting sites and finally quit looking for the right one. "So, somebody screwed up," she said.

Precinct confusion, long lines, problems with an insufficient number of poll workers or voting machines, and other difficulties were reported in parts of Cleveland, Cleveland Heights, University Heights, Solon, Westlake, Warrensville Heights, Pepper Pike and Shaker Heights.

The March 7 primary was plagued by ballot shortages, and hundreds of ballots were temporarily misplaced.

E-mail: balbrech@plaind.com

Phone: (216) 999-4853

E-mail: ascruggs@plaind.com

Phone: (216) 999-4327 Lynch didnBt know how many voters were affected by mix-ups. She did say, however, that about 100 would-be voters came to the boardBs office in downtown Cleveland.

"The NAACP brought a busload of people to vote," she said.

Voting conditions were particularly troublesome in East Cleveland.

Evelyn Raglin-Jones, who distributed campaign literature outside one East Cleveland polling place, said she met voters who had gone to three or four different locations, trying to find the right place to vote.

"ItBs havoc, nothing but pure havoc," she said. "WeBve even had white people coming down here, and I know thereBs not a white family living in [Ward] 2B.

"TheyBre even in the wrong city," she added. "I told one white man, Honey, IBm sure you donBt belong here.B TheyBd sent him down here from Cleveland Heights. ItBs a mess all over."

Barbara Cloud, 58, of East Cleveland, said she watched many people leave without voting after waiting in long lines at Chambers Elementary School. "People were saying, IBm here on my lunch break, forget it.B ThatBs not right. I told my son thatBs terrible. WeBre losing all these votes, and we need every vote we can get."

Gail Talarico, 48, of Parma, encountered similar precinct confusion after visiting her usual polling place, being told to go to a different location, but finding her name listed at a third location when she checked to make sure her son was registered to vote there.

Talarico said she met other poeple who had already visited several voting sites and finally quit looking for the right one. "So, somebody screwed up," she said.

Precinct confusion, long lines, problems with an insufficient number of poll workers or voting machines, and other difficulties were reported in parts of Cleveland, Cleveland Heights, University Heights, Solon, Westlake, Warrensville Heights, Pepper Pike and Shaker Heights.

The March 7 primary was plagued by ballot shortages, and hundreds of ballots were temporarily misplaced.

In Summit County, ballots were missing early today from one of 13 precincts in Copley Township, according to the Summit County Board of Elections.

Tom Wagner, elections director, said officials were "turning this place upside down" looking for the missing ballots.

Officials were seeking out a poll worker to see if she had left the ballots in the trunk of her car. They were also checking where the ballots were to have been dropped off.

There were 649 registered voters in the precinct, with 317 casting ballots.

E-mail: balbrech@plaind.com

Phone: (216) 999-4853

E-mail: ascruggs@plaind.com

Phone: (216) 999-4327

B)2000 THE PLAIN DEALER. Used with permission.

http://www.cleveland.com/news/index.ssf?/news/pd/cc08glit.html

-- Carl Jenkins (somewherepress@aol.com), November 08, 2000

Answers

Carl,

Thanks for the article! I live just North of Columbus and my precint was changed too. I went to three different precints before I found the one I was supposed to vote at. I am a registered voter and never did recieve any notice of the precint change.

I know of 7 other people who had the same problem as I did on Election Day but still made it to vote, as I did. How many others gave up in frustration, I suppose we'll never know.

-- Deb M. (vmcclell@columbus.rr.com), November 12, 2000.