So much for a “closed” Florida primary…
The Sun-Sentinel buries a flag-raising paragraph at the bottom of a story today on voting in Florida:
In northern Coral Springs, near the Sawgrass Expressway and Coral Ridge Drive, David Nirenberg arrived to vote as an independent. Nevertheless, he said poll workers insisted he choose a party ballot.
“He said to me, ‘Are you Democrat or Republican?’ I said, ‘Neither, I am independent.’ He said, ‘Well, you have to pick one,”’ Nirenberg said.
In Florida, only those who declare a party are allowed to cast a vote in that party’s presidential primary.
Nirenberg said he tried to explain to the poll worker that he should not vote on a party ballot because of his “no party affiliation” status.
Nirenberg said a second poll worker was called over who agreed that independents should not use party ballots, but said they had received instructions to the contrary.
“He said, ‘Ya know, that is kind of funny, but it was what we were told.’ … I was shocked when they told me that.” Nirenberg said he went ahead and voted for John McCain.
What the law says:
Florida Statute 97.052 requires the designation of party affiliation or the designation of no party affiliation at the time of registration. Florida Statute 97.1031 stipulates a voter may change his party affiliation by providing written notification to the Supervisor of Elections. Florida Statute 97.055 provides a voter may change his political party at any time up until the registration books “close” which is 29 days prior to the election date. Further, no party changes can be processed between the first primary book closing date and the day after the runoff (2nd) primary election date. All party changes must be in writing under oath and signed by the elector.
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Florida can’t do anything right. Pun intended!
I hope the record turnout isn’t from Democrats trying to insure the easily beatable McCain is the Dem opposition in Nov. Romney would destroy any of the Dems in a debate….”cue card” McCain would only prove he is too old…and too liberal, for the job.
When I went to vote, I noticed they had 3 cards, REP, DEM and NP. No party votes on local and state issues but not presidential candidates in primaries
All I can say is that in my area, it was exactly the opposite…if you had no party affiliation on the records, you got an orange non-partisan ballot..but if you claimed you’d changed parties and that it had not been recorded, you could ask for a provisional ballot which may or may not be counted (it went into a special pouch).
My wife is a poll worker and they had a day’s training for this….so whoever manages elections in northern Coral Springs is an idiot.
Democrats only get to choose among Democratic candidates. The issue here is whether someone with NPA can vote in the primary of their choice. They can’t (legally). Hopefully this is just an isolated case.
well, i figured, just like a dem, mccain would figure out a way to cheat. is anyone surprised?
this is supposed to be a truly closed primary. mccain has only been able to win with the ‘independent’ vote. i guess getting the gov’s endorsement is going to help him in the long run.
well, i have just lost my hope. preparing for a loss of soveriegnity and loss of rights.
Come on MM, look at the good side of McCain being the guy. . . at least you get him out of the senate. That’s a good thing, right?
cheer up. . .it’s tough seeing you so depressed.
Seems as if there should be an IQ test for a lot of Floridians from government
on down through the election workers to the voters. Is there always going to
be something screwy in Florida elections?
This is in southeast Florida, home to liberals. As such they never seem to get their act together.
Dr. Brenda Snipes, is the Supervisor of Elections in this county, Broward. She is a Democrat. This is the county that was home to the “hanging chads” of 2000. (Palm Beach was home to the “butterfly ballot.”). Broward has been a mess that never seems to get cleaned up.
While Dr. Snipes was not the SoE there during 2000, it is her responsibility to make sure that all poll workers are properly trained.
Please do not think that all Florida counties are like this. I have a relative who was SoE in a north Florida county for decades who ran a clean, tight, ethical ship.
The only way liberals can win is by fraud. Then through their corrupt means they seek to entrench themselves into power.
Once they’re “in” they’ll NEVER get out, so let’s say “NO” to McCain while we can!
Floriduh
I voted in Florida this morning, it’s a closed primary and you cannot change anything after 30 days before the primary. I witnessed three things.
One voter turned down wanting to add their party affiliation, denied.
One voter wanting to change from Independent to Republican, denied.
One voter wanting to register and vote, denied.
This happened while I stood in line waiting to vote. There were more, but I was late and had to go. All the above was ruled illegal by the people running the voting — they called home for help.
Out here in Glen Saint Mary, Florida (population 6,676), there were three ballots. NP only got to decide about property taxes. It’s easy enough if they hire the right people to do the job…
Well, McCain’s neither either.
hehe,
rrrrup tssss (my attempt at a rimshot)
If this is report is accurate…Hello President Obama!
Sayonara G.O.P. (for at least the next 4 years)!
Yes ACHefty, you are right about the three ballots. I may not have been clear. The voters who were registered but turned down for changes were given the option of using only the ballot they were qualified for. Both did. The unregistered voter had to leave.
I agree, if you hire people who follow directions, the results are as intended. Our poll place ran a tight ship, and was very busy, even more so than in 2006.
This story could be a plant in order to cast doubt. I suggest that everyone just ignore it as some kind of political ploy. I voted this morning and the only thing handed to me was a Republican ballot. If I wasn’t registered as a Republican, I couldn’t have voted for a Republican candidate. I don’t believe the “I went ahead and voted for McCain BS” either. I’m sure the MSM will run with this story but conservatives should ignor it..
Another election scandal brewing in Florida? C’mon …
It sounds like at least the counties that the people on this site voted at are doing what their supposed to, but out of 67 counties how have some of the other’s done? I guess we will just have to see if anyone else step’s forward and has the same experience as Nirenberg. Unfortunatley their is one vote for McCain that should not count, the question is how many more are their?
or has the MSM are ready called it.
One more thing…it looks like whoever came up with this story is acheiving their desired result based upon some of the comments I’m reading.
all ready called it.
orlandocajun
You may very well be right if their were several indep saying it but this is one guy so it is a little hard to believe him.
Since when does our Constitution begin with WE THE PARTIES?????
WE THE PEOPLE need to take our country back from the Parties. Our two-party system is broken beyond repair. Party affiliation should not be a part of any election. In fact, we should outlaw any references to parties in all areas of government. Belonging to the Democratic or Republican Party should be no more imortantant than belonging to the PTA, NRA, Baptist (or whatever) Church, or Bowling League.
This is just a practice run for the election in November. Clearly the liberals are realing over the loss in 2004 and are trying to come up with a new way for them to steel the Florida vote.
By scewing the election now in favor of a liberal who is not senial in favor of the demorap candidate is the plan.
This is only the tip of the iceburg. Should a republican RINO win the fall election the cries of frauds and disenfracement will be loud, obnoxious, and spun.
Sorry Seabecker, but this is a PRIMARY, not a general election. In primaries, only party affiliates should vote. I think all states should have this rule. If you have an independent candidate, then the independents can vote for them, but you isually have about 1 month (in FL you do) to select your party and if you did not get to do that, then you should not be allowed to vote in a REPUBLICAN primary.
Alas, the things in life you can depend on …
Death, Taxes and Election problem claims from Florida …
I hope this really is a planted story and is BS … or at the very least an isolated incident … but either way the MSM will be all over it for sure …
I think a lot of libs and independents probably did register as republicans a month ago in order to screw up our election. So, if McCain does win, we almost for sure will know why. Also, I am so sick and tired of these rinos attacking Mitt Romeny. The more they attack him, the more I like him.
Let’s all keep one thing in mind. Even if McCain does win tonite, Romney is not finished. Wait until the public hears about McCain/Lieberman putting a 50c tax on every gallon of gas for global warming..(I just heard about this today). That, along with the rest of the crap McCain has done should do the trick. I hope Mitt uses his airtime to broadcast this.
If McCain is the Repub RINO on the ballot, and is running against Alabama, er, Osama, uh, Obama, then I’ll vote for the Democrap. If the country is going to hell in a handbasket, then might as well let the Demo be the one carrying it.
If McCain is running against Billary, I’m staying home. Can’t bring myself to vote for either one…
“Nirenberg said he went ahead and voted for John McCain.”
*sigh*
I heard this on Rush today. Maybe I’m being a little naive, but couldn’t he have not voted for President and just voted on Amendment 1?
Where I live, in NJ, if you are unaffiliated, then you can declare party affiliation at the polls and vote. No waiting. I don’t think this applies to someone who is registered as an Independent, though.
To RealImmigrantChick @27.
Yea this is a PRIMARY. But where in the Constitution does it say we elect anyone by pitting the top DEMOCRAT against the top REPUBLICAN (or any other party for that matter)? It doesn’t!
Political parties have come to control this country. Parties have taken power away from the People, and in most cases the People’s Representatives. My Senator (D, R, I or otherwise) should have no more or less power than than some weasley Senator from Nevada.
If people want to run for office, let them put their hat in the same ring as everyone else. No Ds or Rs or Ls or whatever after their names. If they want to claim that they are endorsed by the Dems or the GOP or the NRA or the NFL, that’s their business. If there are too many folks, have a primary to pare it down to a manageable few.
The parties claim rights that the Constitution does not grant.
You can’t be an Independent in the primary in Texas. You declare your
party affiliation when you vote in either the Dem or GOP primary. There is
no way to vote Ind. Then, for the next two years, you are either a Dem or
GOP. We have separate primaries for presidential and gubernatorial
elections.
If McCrazy wins Florida, it’s time to form a new party. It will be clear that conservatives, and their principals no longer count to Republicans. Four years in the wilderness, might not be so bad with what’s comming to this economy, after one of the dead heads wins the general election. I’ll never vote for another RINO.
Another Florida election problem…Hanging chumps this time.
I reckon that the South Florida Sun-Sentinel marchs in lockstep with its far left brethren the NY Times. They are endorsing Barack Obama and John McCain for president in primaries. Well, I know McCain is a Republican because he says he’s a conservative. Maybe a RINO to many conservatives though.
Sun-Sentinel is out of Ft. Lauderdale. Here in Palm Beach Co. the toucvh screen voting system is being dumped for 1001 optical scanning machines at cost of $5.5 million. The old screens cost $17 mil and county still OWES $2.4 mil on them. Congressman Wexler (moonbat- Delray) says we are becoming model for the nation. He is one of nation’s leading critics of touch screens. Now if he can only manage the Bush/Cheney impeachment and get eyeblink Pelosi into Oval Office by default.
Well, you see. It’s really more like a guideline than law or something.
/sarcasm off
My parents had the butterfly ballot in 2000, and got it right. My old man told me then…
“Son, if your mother and I are ever unable to figure out a ballot, or are too feeble to push the thing through…euthanize us, the house is yours.”
I pray this does not lead to 10,000 lawyers again.
Respectfully,
eric aka the Tygrrrr Express
I knew that DIM CHEATING was the ONLY WAY that McCain could have any APPEARANCE of being a candidate that GOP CONSERVATIVE voters would turn out to vote for.
I don’t know if the RINO GOP is trying to force the Conservatives to vote with them as “THE LESSER”, or if they just want us OUT of the Party entirely.
Strangely, they seem to think they have the power to blackmail us into supporting this $%#$#%$.
Whatever. The Dims handed us Gerald Ford and Robert Dole, and we didn’t take them – I ain’t gonna support this $AD#%#%##%#%##$#$%#$#*TT Liberal RINO trojan donkey, either.
As long as I can, I will support Mitt – if he hangs on til the Texas Primary in March…
If nobody who is a good man will be there by then, I will do a write-in for such as Michelle, or Ann Coulter, or Oliver North, or Franklin Graham… someone with CHARACTER.
That won’t be this clown, or Rudy or Huckleberry, and kind, et al.
You guys are talking about Florida, one of the many states caught with DOUBLE DIPPERS – voters who are snow-birds or other BI- or TRI- state dwellers, who have been caught LITERALLY BY THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS, voting in 2-4 states, the last decade or so.
Naivete is never considered a VIRTURE, you know.
The Bible says be GENTLE as Doves and WISE as a SERPENT.
But it didn’t say be IMMORAL as a SERPENT, and STUPID as a silly bird.
These people have been caught over and over and over – and they are stealing our nation WITHOUT COST TO THEMSELVES AT ALL, while we sit and sip our tea.
NO WONDER that McCain and his wife were so deliriously ecstatic when they left the polling station, today, with Governor Crist, who turned o ut ot be “so much more influential” than any of the Conservatives thought he and his endorsement were!
Keep on sleeping, o ye boiling frogs. It will all be over soon, now, and you can get you plenty of rest.
On January 29th, 2008 at 6:54 pm, Barry F. said:
What the law says:
Well, you see. It’s really more like a guideline than law or something.
/sarcasm off
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
“SUGGESTION” is the word I believe you are looking for, dear Sir, is it not?
/sarc off, too
That’s the point, fellow Texas Rose – they weren’t allowed to vote in the GOP Primary in Florida, either.
But we Southern States remember well the DIM MACHINES and how they operate.
And they do love doing favors for their friends, we know.
I was wondering about the condition of the old “Machines” in Texas when Kay Bailey Hutchison took about 75% of the vote in HER last re-election bid, since I don’t know anyone who likes her at all!
I hope her race wasn’t just an exercise in greasing up the old machines, again – but it appears that is precisely what it was!
I thought at the time, people just talked big, until they saw the ballot and figured she was one of those “LESSERS”, and voted for her anyway.
NOW I really have to wonder!
It’s just the result of the law having decreasingly less meaning. In the land of plea bargaining, illegal immigration, and political pandering, it’s assumed that nobody says what they mean and means what they say.
When the fear of consequence for breaking the law goes away, the law isn’t going to mean much. I’ll bet if they knew exactly who broke this law, they still wouldn’t do anything about it. It certainly doesn’t disqualify the vote that was placed.