FUCK

caller was from the Southwest. Getting Republican primary mailings but she is a registered Democrat and according to her has always been.

might be people other than the Republican party.

Let's see how this settles out.

Go Bernie!

DNC

Voters who joined the Dems so they could vote Bernie and were still listed as Independents or none.

AKA "FUCK"; yes INDEED

And it sucks.

indeed.

But John McCain might have something to do with it too.

If you can't make a point without invoking Hitler it's probably best left unsaid.

posted such nonesense it seems to be allowed

I'm trying to hold my tongue. But I'm not perfect I'll repeat Jesus line saying he who is without sin, cast the first stone. I could delete it. But then there is no point to be made. I know what could get me banned but 1. we aren't there yet 2. I'm voting 99 % Democrats this year. How that makes me Republican is absurd to say the least. Left leaning even doesn't make me Republican because most Republicans are not fond of me unless they knew me when I was say 11-15 yrs old. Then we can do a good debate. Last one that was rather vile was over Min wage. the $21 an hour thing is not exactly jawdropping had it occured gradually. but if it suddenly went there it would fix what we keep putting on temporary band-aids but they weren't having any of that ...

Yes, that's out of the Florida playbook. Some years back they wouldn't even look at those ballots unless the election was contested.

Counting them can not change the election results.

to view the status of their provisional ballot.
Here: https://voter.azsos.gov/VoterView/Home.do
https://voter.azsos.gov/VoterView/ProvisionalBallotSearch.do

Namely, 4 -6 weeks before an election send every registered voter a sample ballot that includes the voter's polling place, party, and a copy of the ballot for that election? This way you can spot any errors in advance and get them fixed (our county registrar has been very responsive to questions).

I'm a vote-by-mail person with no party affiliation. Our primary is in June: two weeks ago I got a postcard asking which party's ballot I want (I usually go Dem, except the one time the Republicans had an open primary and I wanted to vote against Fiorina as many times as possible).

There are other states that do the same.

Though it took some searching to find it. This is especially bad news since I don't recall a western state like Arizona having voter suppression issues before.

Is it at a state site? How do they handle county or Congressional district-specific elections?

In addition to the sample ballots, we get a voter's guide from the state, containing the full text of all state propositions with arguments pro and con, and statements from everyone running for a statewide office (or at least those who bother to send one in). For local elections we get a similar supplement.

And I have the same opinion about propositions, tough to read and understand some of the more complicated ones right on the spot unless they've received some publicity. Previously, I've seen sample ballots at my polling place, and you could bring them home for someone who hadn't voted yet, but that was when we had the old lever machines.

Since we've changed to the paper ballots that you fill out and stick in the machine, I have worried that some people wouldn't know to turn them over to vote for the propositions on the back.

I have a friend who has never voted before who I persuaded to register and vote in time for this election. She was anxious about the lever machines until I told her about the new ballots and she was relieved. I'm not, worry that too much could go wrong with the new machines.

And here in New York, I guess you're responsible for doing your own homework. We still get a lot of mailings from candidates, got complaints about that when I went door-to-door for my congressman, but no sample ballots. I had to look for them on line - had everything on them provided you know your district and ward - and I knew what I was looking for...

This year at least, Republicans aren't offering their ballot to me. I got a democratic ballot. I'm voting for Bernie.

I've just requested a democratic party primary ballot.

Open primaries the voter decides which ballot they want. They can't vote in both.

As for Independent it depends if it is lower or upper I. If there is an Independent Party and there is primary there can be an election. If you are just an independent not associated with any party you don't vote in any closed primaries.

Just in a primary for the Independent Party.

I don't know if it's because they only do sample ballots for the general election and not primaries though. Or if they came from the Supervisor of Elections or from the League of Women voters.

I honestly can't remember in which elections I received sample ballots or from whom. Crap memory as I get older.

I get it every election no matter how big or small. Part of the problem is that when people move they have to re-register at their new address. Often instead of putting down their party they put down nothing at all thinking they are still registered with the party. But they are not. So they are classified as an Independent since they did not mark any of the boxes.

were being told they weren't registered as Dems, even when they had the registration card they had been sent confirming their status. And they were being given "provisional" ballots.

In many states, the parties are in charge of how their primary or caucus is run - is this true in Arizona?

Most parties are in charge of their caucus. Primaries are run by the state.

being in a caucus state where the parties make the rules, I was led to believe that in some states they get to set a few more rules for the presidential primaries as well.

Or a date just for presidential primaries. Sometimes one party determines when the primary will be without consent from the other party.

With primaries the election law is the same for both regardless of party. Caucuses are run by the parties which also means they determine how they will be conducted. The Democratic Party usually conduct it different from the Republican Party.

Don't you just love the way the press cannot say anything substantial about how voters were denied their rights, but can go on and on and on about alleged "voter fraud" that evidently never acutally happened. Too effing lazy to do any followup investigating and too distracted awaiting the next howling pronouncement from Trumpenfuehrer.

From when I moved to Oregon almost 20 years ago.

I keep it in my wallet along with my auto insurance card, and my car registration.

It says I signed up on 11/05/1996 as a DEM, and what voting district.

Doesn't' everyone who is registered get one of these, or is this only an Oregon thing. Come to think of it, I don't remember ever having one from other state's I've lived in, but maybe I just forgot?

If someone told me I couldn't vote because I'm a republican, I'd whip out my card and say prove it. I'm not leaving till I get to vote.

It depends on the state law. Not every state have voters register with a party affiliation.

It could still be a valid way to prove you are registered to vote, and what precinct you vote in.

I don't really even need it here, since we vote by mail.

We get vote by mail and our right to vote is taken very seriously. I got to register when I got my Oregon drivers license and I just got my registration card after having been away since the early 2000's. I went down to the county voting office(that's right we actually have them) because I hadn't received it yet. The gal at the counter said that I could come down and get a ballot up until closing time on the day of the primary. I'm so glad to be back.

I voted three weeks ago. These long lines are because people refuse to vote by mail and would rather waste time standing in line. Every one of them could have voted by mail.

After that they automatically send you a ballot for every election, big or small. Its been 10 years since I have been inside a polling place.

Some heads should roll for that.

I don't like that system.

Closed primary means something. Many of these people are Independents who just thought they could show up and vote....NOT. It's not someone trying to steal votes or deny registered voters their right to vote. Heard from the ground that sure, many people are registered but many want to change registration and cross over now...too damn late! Independents thought they could just show up and ask for a ballot and vote. yes they are legally registered voters but they are registered Independent.

Our county recorder is F. Ann Rodregues a Dem. As the president of the Marana Dems Democratic club I have had several chances to interact with Ann. In fact, she was the guest speaker at our February meeting. We spoke to her for about an hour and a half and I can assure you, she trucks no bullshit. In fact, I think she is a Bernie supporter based on some of her remarks. Maricopa county on the other hand is Republican. In Tucson, we call it Aritucky so who knows.

We hear about the shit that goes down there we just shake our heads....instead of of calling it "douchebagland"......

it could be largely a less suspicious fuckup.

I'm a pollworker here, and collect petitions, do a bunch of GOTV and other low lever stuff. First problem is that many people don't eve nknow how they are registered. One friend of mine was actually surprised when I had him registered as a Republican. He said he once was, but thought he changed it.

Every election we get a few people who aren't registered the way they think they are. If registered at all.

And that's here in the NYC suburbs, where things are reasonably straight and properly done. But far from perfect.

So, depending on the Arizona county, it could be simply incompetence.

Not that that's any better, but it does have a better chance of being dealt with than charges of corruption.

and register before the deadline. Those that did not will be turned back. its closed caucus.

They could have signed up to get an early ballot, as most voters did.

We do all our balloting by mail (except for caucuses) in WA and it works very well.

(& who would benefit, I wonder?)

I hope it's just a screw up & not a nefarious plot.

But in the general election, not having "Democrat" associated with your voter registration card might come in handy.

from 220+ to less than 70 this time, according to the local NPR.

The Clerk or registrar in charge in this county, where I live, has had problems virtually every election. AZ primaries are closed primaries and we are being told that many registered independents are in line to vote because they wrongly think they are eligible to vote in primaries.

Independents outnumber each of the other parties, but AZ refused to let them vote in primary elections.

Party primaries are for the purpose of the party selecting their own candidates for the general election. Indies have no business interfering with that. If they want to select a nominee then become a member of that party.

to 60 in Maricopa County. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,817,117, making it the most populous county in the state, and the fourth-most populous in the United States. and it only has 60 polling places for the whole county.

Not only have they gerrymandered districts. They changed the name of this election from a “primary” to a “presidential preference” election which does NOT allow any independent voter to be able to vote.

Along with running out of Democratic Ballots, it is almost as if the repugs don't want anyone else to vote (snark).
- - - -
The line was more than a half-mile long near 4th and Glendale avenues in Phoenix when the polls closed. Voters near the front of the line said they have been waiting to vote for just over three hours. http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/elections/2016/03/22/live-arizona-primary-coverage-presidential-preference-election/82096726/

Thank you to all voters in AZ for making your voice heard.

(*Thanks Ptah for pointing out my typo.)

“presidential preference” election which does allow any independent voter to be able to vote.

because Bernie won,eh? They just happened to run out of ballots in Democratic strongholds like FLINT, Detroit, Lansing, etc. - ALL OVER THE STATE. Nobody on DU - except Michigan voters cared.

Do you call that fraud?

I'm in Michigan. I'm bad at writing so this is stream of thought format, somewhat edited. It started out as an indignant post (original title was "Excuse me?&quot and transformed as I researched.

- First, the problem was biggest in west Michigan -- Bernie country (specifically Kent County). That's what all the news reports were about too because it was so significant.

- I concede that other areas were affected too, with not as much immediate reporting. Here is the most comprehensive report I could find. I promise you I did not cherry pick this -- http://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/2016/03/08/michigan-presidential-primary-turnout/81502754/

- The areas listed in the above article are: Kent County, Ingham County, and Redford Township.

- As I mentioned above, Kent County is strongly Bernie country -- 62.5% to 37.3%. Ingham County is too, because Lansing/East Lansing: 54.7% to 43.7%. Redford Township (Wayne County) went for Hillary 55.4% to 43.1%

- Sources for data (because it took a while to find some): http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2016/03/live_results_michigan_primary.html (Kent/Ingham County)
http://www.waynecounty.com/clerk/1609.htm (Redford Township)

- I searched and found no evidence of any problems in Detroit (I concede Redford Township is probably "close enough&quot . I did find that it was true in Flint (Hillary territory). I didn't realize that and am sorry.

- I guess you don't outright say this, so I apologize if I misunderstood you. But it seemed to me (from the areas that you mentioned) that you meant to imply that Bernie supporters didn't care because Hillary supporters were disenfranchised and Bernie won. That's only very slightly true -- as described above, it was a problem across the board. It is true that we didn't make as much noise as I had hoped for (voter disenfranchisement is a SERIOUS issue regardless of candidate -- I was hopping mad when the reports were coming in and would have been even moreso had I known it was other areas too, regardless of which candidate is favored in an area). It's also probably true that this was because Bernie won (but not that he won because of it as I think you imply).

- To answer your question: As much as I hate hate hate this Republican voter suppression, it can at least theoretically be explained as incompetence instead of outright fraud. Again, don't get me wrong, it could've been intentional and even if incompetence it is INEXCUSABLE -- as I said I was very angry then (you should see my FB post about it) and am even angrier now. Having voter registrations misreporting, and all in one direction, is much harder to explain away as incompetence.

- Lastly, thank you for making me go do this -- I learned some things. I didn't realize areas other than Kent County had been affected. I thought this was something that affected Bernie more, now I think it was probably about equal. Just makes me even angrier about it!

mostly Democratic voters, rather than just Hillary or Bernie voters. I blame our Republican S.O.S., who was either malignantly incompetent, or deliberately attempting to suppress the vote. Personally, I think it's the latter. And, like you, I'm still angry - about so many voters being disenfranchised. But, I guess we can't expect anything better from the Snyder administration....

After all, we need Hillary to win, don't we?

I start hearing the X Files theme

but this guy oversees elections in Arizona:

The smoking man...is he holding the smoking gun?

4 hours and they told my son he had not indicated a party affiliation when he registered, which is crap

This is unbelievable! In 2016, with all the shit about voter suppression...this kind of crap can be allowed to happen? Disgraceful!!!

People stood in lines for over three hours....to fucking vote? Dear God, we are one fucked up democracy! Totally fucked up!

when I use to vote less than 2 miles from home.

When the US talks about spreading democracy I wish they were talking about amongst our states!

.

without the bananas.

It was a Presidential Presidential election for registered Dems, Repubs, and Green party. Not to be confused with the primary for local candidates to be held in Aug.
People can check the status of their provisional ballots here:
https://voter.azsos.gov/VoterView/ProvisionalBallotSearch.do

For more info. https://voter.azsos.gov/VoterView/Home.do

I requested and voted by mail as did most people I know. No problem.

The comparison is apropos, me thinks.

The pattern is becoming way too obvious.

... Helen Purcell. This is the culprit, right here.



No, it wasn't a 'disaster', or a 'mistake'... closing all those polling places was done deliberately to disenfranchise the working class & Latino vote. (i.e., Bernie's base) And this woman knows it.

The Right likes to yell voter fraud but the real potential fraud is in our rag tag system.

There are easy ways to make voting trustworthy but apparently nobody want it enough to move toward it.

Avoid provisional ballots if you can, they are often not counted, lost, or thrown away.

Two recent votes seem more than suspect, the Kentucky governors race and the Ohio pot vote. The results were seriously different than the pre ballot polling. Just like Bush-Kerry 2004.

....primary votes (better format at the link):

http://www.azsos.gov/elections/voter-registration-historical-election-data

933,000 voted yesterday.

Primary Election Information
2000-2014

Election Year Registered Voters Ballots Cast Voter Turnout (%)

2014 3,247,146 877,270 27.02
2012 3,100,575 870,875 28.09
2010 3,102,876 933,650 30.09
2008 2,799,390 638,348 22.80
2006 2,533,308 584,526 23.07
2004 2,440,144 602,888 24.71
2002 2,207,450 557,437 25.25
2000 2,042,462 486,836 23.84
1998 1,921,565 377,855 19.66

There should be higher voter turnout this year, but past data is enough for you to conclusively say that this is okay?

You really think, this year of all years is supposed to have average voter turnout?

we break records everywhere else, but when it comes to Arizona... average is expected?

no.

...an OP here claiming that 1.2 million voters were "turned away". That is patently false. If they all voted, there would have been about 2.2M voters in the primary yesterday, just about equal to the highest turnout in any general election in Arizona.

People have to look at things realistically, instead panicking about "voter suprression".

there wasn't wide-spread, rampant voter suppression.

Very well...

.........there couldn't have been wide-spread rampant voter suppression.

Plus, the current registration numbers of Democrats in Arizona belies the Sanders claim that "we're energizing" voters and getting new voters to register.

State-wide voter registration is up less than 20,000 compared to 2014, 3.254M vs. 3.235M.

http://www.azsos.gov/elections/voter-registration-historical-election-data

Those numbers in the database(s) used in these polls appear to be missing some people who thought they had registered (and some have documentation to prove it), so the "official" numbers, as you point out, have little changed.

Certainly there appears to a hue-and-cry about it, people & the party are lawyering up...

...to vote yesterday.

It appears that most of the complaints by "voters" could have been resolved by those voters to educate themselves.

are finding themselves unable to do so for reasons similar to this, or for reasons of incompetence or worse on the part of officials.

Thanks for the discussion and info, George II.

....where I could register and when I needed to do it.

If someone isn't able to vote in situations like this, it's their own fault or, even worse, the fault of the campaign of the candidate for which they want to vote. THAT is what the well ballyhooed concept of "grass roots" is. It's not the obligation of officials to make sure people register.

count is meaningless as to the intended voters who could not vote..

...there are a mere 17,000 more registered voters this year than 2014, and they're probably divided between republican, Democrat, and Independent. Certainly not "a lot of new voters".

That also disproves Sanders' claim that he's "energizing" lots of new voters.

Start thinking ahead and preserving the networks we gave right now. Build our own damn database. I know we gave folks who could do this out there. Build our movement.

Limiting their state to only 60! places to vote excludes more voters.

Arizona also has constant "Border" (immigration, papers please) stops on all their highways, that also keeps people from traveling very far.

And, no, the state was not limited to 60 polling places: one county - albeit the largest one in terms of population - consolidated its polling places. Why, I don't know: maybe some had so few voters previously that it wasn't feasible staffing for an expected similar turnout (my consistently Democratic-voting county did that when mail-in ballots became more popular). I approve of the notion that one can vote anywhere in the county rather than at a specific polling place: it gives people more options. Implementation seems to have had some problems, but I'd like to see an analysis on why after the dust settles.

I wonder if, on the GOP equivalent of DU is full of Cruz or Rubio supporters claiming that the game is fixed for Trump.

has already been started. 34,000 signatures already (of 100,000 needed)

[link:https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/investigate-voter-fraud-and-voter-suppression-arizona-3222016-democratic-party|

...almost half way there. Thanks again for link.

Thanks for the link...

but having it disadvantage only Bernie's supporters while helping Hillary cheat.

One would think that fewer polling places would effect Hill and Bernie voters equally. But somehow the Rs who run AZ's primaries found a way for it to only hurt Bernie.

prior to a primary, presidential preference election or general election, it is going to be an (R) that administers or oversees that process?

They run the primaries but others do the work; I guess that's it, then.

It was a design feature, not an unexpected result.

Really wanted to mess up the Dems, that's help Bernie.

that excluded so many voters - did you defend Bush's 'win' the same way?

The catty insults and smarmy replies say everything.

I can't believe how hypocritical this all is.

Sanders campaign: expect dirty tricks in New Mexico.

In 2015 and 2016, US Uncut began posting articles in support of Bernie Sanders to the exclusion of other and/or at odds with candidates.

On February 24, 2016, US Uncut published an article with the headline that claimed it was "stunning" that Bernie Sanders led nationally by 6 percent in a Reuters National Poll, when the national polls from the same day at the nonpartisan fivethirtyeight.com had Clinton at 49.1% and Sanders at 39.4%.[11][12]

It is the lefts Fox News. WTG.

what benefit would it be for Republicans to suppress the vote in a Democratic Primary?

The answer is that it wouldn't.

The one that people will stand in line to vote for wins. The one people won't stand in line to vote for loses. They oppose the winner not the loser.

Sanders motivates people so they're doing everything to hit election day

It seems not enough of them did or he would have won. I'm not saying that because I'm a Hillary supporter, because I'm not.

It is called voter suppression and has many different methods. By any means they can things are done to remove or dislocate democratic voters from the correct precinct rolls forcing them to become provisional voters. We've already had it in NC and it is NOT pretty.

This will affect all the Democratic votes cast in the general for ANY Democratic candidates in AZ and elsewhere. While you can be certain that anyone voting Republican will be treated like the prodigal son.

will the GOP give a shit? unlikely.

Great post,Mira.

If you are a victim of voter fraud or voter suppression CALL The Federal Election Commission @ 202-694-1000 to report your account. An effort to revote in Arizona is being advanced.