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kpete

(71,996 posts)
Tue Nov 6, 2012, 12:58 PM Nov 2012

100s of Pinellas voters get robocall from supervisor of elections saying Election Day is Wednesday

Source: TAMPA BAY TIMES

Hundreds of Pinellas voters get robocall from supervisor of elections saying Election Day is Wednesday

By Michael Van Sickler, Times Staff Writer
Posted: Nov 06, 2012 11:17 AM


ST. PETERSBURG — An hour after polls opened Tuesday morning, the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections Office mistakenly placed hundreds — possibly thousands — of automatic calls to voters instructing them that they had until 7 p.m. Wednesday to vote.

But that is wrong. Polls close at 7 p.m. Tuesday. Any ballots turned in after that time won't be accepted.

The calls went out between 8 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. because of a glitch with the SOE's phone system. Calls were made Monday alerting voters who had requested mail ballots but had not returned them that they had until 7 p.m. "tomorrow" to get them turned in.

About 12,000 calls, however, didn't get through, said SOE spokeswoman Nancy Whitlock. They were stored in a queue and recycled Tuesday morning. The "tomorrow" in the message meant for Monday was incorrect when it was delivered.

Read more: http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/local/article1260163.ece

35 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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100s of Pinellas voters get robocall from supervisor of elections saying Election Day is Wednesday (Original Post) kpete Nov 2012 OP
"Mistakenly"? KamaAina Nov 2012 #1
That's a county Obama won last time by over 30K votes Renew Deal Nov 2012 #2
It is Democratically leaning, from what I remember. Baitball Blogger Nov 2012 #15
No this is a heavily red county -- I live here coeur_de_lion Nov 2012 #26
After what happened in 2000 Anthony McCarthy Nov 2012 #3
"...Supervisor of Elections Office mistakenly placed hundreds..." SoapBox Nov 2012 #4
The whole damned election works Plucketeer Nov 2012 #9
AMEN! No more "states rights" or local control over LuckyLib Nov 2012 #11
Perzacthly! Plucketeer Nov 2012 #28
Ohferfucksake. progressoid Nov 2012 #5
This sounds like a plausible goof Plucketeer Nov 2012 #6
In this case I'm inclined to agree it's probably not intentional. denverbill Nov 2012 #12
Yes, this could be very plausible, robocalls only do what you tell them to. Thav Nov 2012 #24
I agree BUT - I think there should be a heavy fine socialindependocrat Nov 2012 #27
You make a great point about specifying a date! Plucketeer Nov 2012 #30
If you don't know it's today and always on a Tuesday, then you shouldn't be voting Ter Nov 2012 #7
Deborah Clark was originally appointed by Jeb Bush csziggy Nov 2012 #8
Republicans have the glitchiest problems--always in their favor, of course. nt valerief Nov 2012 #10
Maybe its time for a citizen's arrest?? Ford_Prefect Nov 2012 #13
Where I voted sulphurdunn Nov 2012 #14
This is the same Supervisor of Elections who uses jail inmates to rzemanfl Nov 2012 #16
1-800-311-8683, Voter Protection Line silvershadow Nov 2012 #17
Too dumb to know that one never uses "tomorrow" but, rather, day and date? question everything Nov 2012 #17
That HAS to be a violation of the 1st Amend ent. Gregorian Nov 2012 #19
Why are Rethugs always " in charge" at goclark Nov 2012 #20
They have a machine in place to get their people into office, hook or crook. nt inamatteroftime Nov 2012 #31
The only people Spirochete Nov 2012 #21
"any ballots turned in Wed. won't be accepted" Enrique Nov 2012 #22
Hasn't scared off too many voters from what I can tell. n/t lilithsrevenge12 Nov 2012 #23
Hum -- interesting goclark Nov 2012 #32
Woah, just going off what I'm hearing from people in my county. lilithsrevenge12 Nov 2012 #33
Oh, the GOP, the party of "me" "mine" and "me don't care" Iliyah Nov 2012 #25
Jail time. nt ladjf Nov 2012 #29
Odd how effective that trick is. Even I found I had questions & I do know better than that!! nt patrice Nov 2012 #34
This type of misdirection is quite common burnsei sensei Nov 2012 #35

coeur_de_lion

(3,680 posts)
26. No this is a heavily red county -- I live here
Tue Nov 6, 2012, 01:30 PM
Nov 2012

I didn't get the call nor did anyone I know. But this does not surprise me.

 

Anthony McCarthy

(507 posts)
3. After what happened in 2000
Tue Nov 6, 2012, 01:05 PM
Nov 2012

you'd think Florida would be a little more careful than that.

Federal elections should be administered at the federal level. Federalism is stupid.

SoapBox

(18,791 posts)
4. "...Supervisor of Elections Office mistakenly placed hundreds..."
Tue Nov 6, 2012, 01:05 PM
Nov 2012

Ya...right.

This shit needs to be a federal crime. NO more of this, it was just a mistake, bullshit.

 

Plucketeer

(12,882 posts)
9. The whole damned election works
Tue Nov 6, 2012, 01:10 PM
Nov 2012

needs to be 100% federally operated and tabulated - with an irrefutable paper trail all the way. The current patchwork approach just BEGS to be manipulated by miscreant thieves!

LuckyLib

(6,819 posts)
11. AMEN! No more "states rights" or local control over
Tue Nov 6, 2012, 01:12 PM
Nov 2012

a national election process. These crazies can't be trusted.

 

Plucketeer

(12,882 posts)
28. Perzacthly!
Tue Nov 6, 2012, 01:46 PM
Nov 2012

Let the states have elections for dogcatcher or state ultrasound operator, but I want then overseeing NOTHING that elects my/our president!

 

Plucketeer

(12,882 posts)
6. This sounds like a plausible goof
Tue Nov 6, 2012, 01:07 PM
Nov 2012

but with so many underhanded intentional glitches by those who would twart the will of the people.....

denverbill

(11,489 posts)
12. In this case I'm inclined to agree it's probably not intentional.
Tue Nov 6, 2012, 01:13 PM
Nov 2012

Frankly, I'd say anyone who received the call should be allowed to turn it in tomorrow.

Thav

(946 posts)
24. Yes, this could be very plausible, robocalls only do what you tell them to.
Tue Nov 6, 2012, 01:24 PM
Nov 2012

A glitch in the robocall system, someone setting it up incorrectly, or just not knowing how to set it up could have caused this.

However why are they saying, "Tomorrow" when the could just as well say "Tuesday, November 6th."

Recordings like this should use exact dates, not inaccurate statements like "tomorrow."

socialindependocrat

(1,372 posts)
27. I agree BUT - I think there should be a heavy fine
Tue Nov 6, 2012, 01:44 PM
Nov 2012

I agree that this is very plausable but there will be an effect on the voter
turnout because some people believe what they hear.

We have seen that "mistakes" cost votes and no one takes responsinility to reverse the "mistake"

Sometimes malicious acts that can not be proven are considered "mistakes"
and nothing is done about them.

When proven these people need to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
When not proven "mistakes" need to be fined in order to provide money to
correct the mistake or to provide agencies with manpower to oversee future
problems.

Look at the trouble we have proving cyber crime. We need to let the people who are responsible that they will pay a price for a lack of responsibility so these things don't continue to happen.

I believe that our technology has surpassed our ability to control said technology.
Look at all the time we spend correcting mistakes in billing and identity theft!
We should be paid for the time we take to help businesses correct their "mistakes"
for over billing. We deserve to be paid for out time of businesses and banks are going to nickle and dime us for every "service" they provide (even when the service saves the business time and manpower - like automatic teller machines).

We've allowed everything to get so sloppy and we pay the price!

 

Plucketeer

(12,882 posts)
30. You make a great point about specifying a date!
Tue Nov 6, 2012, 01:50 PM
Nov 2012

Of course, maybe they bought a "one size fits all" robo-call program cause there was no one in the offices smart enough to record a message accurately!

csziggy

(34,136 posts)
8. Deborah Clark was originally appointed by Jeb Bush
Tue Nov 6, 2012, 01:09 PM
Nov 2012
About Deborah Clark
Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections
Deborah Clark joined the Elections office in 1978, and served as Deputy Administrator 1982 through June 2000.
Governor Jeb Bush appointed Clark Supervisor of Elections in June 2000, to complete the term of Dorothy Ruggles.
Clark was then elected to a four-year term on November 7, 2000, and re-elected in 2004 and 2008.
http://www.votepinellas.com/index.php?id=3
 

sulphurdunn

(6,891 posts)
14. Where I voted
Tue Nov 6, 2012, 01:14 PM
Nov 2012

today there were two lines, one for last names A-L and the other for M-Z. Of course the A-L line was backed out the door into the cold. People in the other line pretty much just waltzed in and voted. When I mentioned to the poll worker than there aren't a lot of people whose last names begin with the letters Q, V, X, or Z she smiled and said, "We've always done it this way." Go figure.

question everything

(47,487 posts)
17. Too dumb to know that one never uses "tomorrow" but, rather, day and date?
Tue Nov 6, 2012, 01:15 PM
Nov 2012

Still want the Federal Government to go after the one who clearly put obstacle to voters.

Enrique

(27,461 posts)
22. "any ballots turned in Wed. won't be accepted"
Tue Nov 6, 2012, 01:23 PM
Nov 2012

there might need to be an exception this time, right?

goclark

(30,404 posts)
32. Hum -- interesting
Tue Nov 6, 2012, 03:49 PM
Nov 2012

From what I can tell even one case of voter suppression is way too much.

Interesting that it always seems to be the Rethugs that are doing these dirty deeds.


Interesting that most of DU does not share your view.

lilithsrevenge12

(136 posts)
33. Woah, just going off what I'm hearing from people in my county.
Tue Nov 6, 2012, 03:54 PM
Nov 2012

No need to get hostile.

I never said voter suppression was a good thing, just trying to be optimistic.

Iliyah

(25,111 posts)
25. Oh, the GOP, the party of "me" "mine" and "me don't care"
Tue Nov 6, 2012, 01:29 PM
Nov 2012

at it again, in your face suppression because they think they are GAWDS, sanctioned by their GAWD.

burnsei sensei

(1,820 posts)
35. This type of misdirection is quite common
Tue Nov 6, 2012, 04:17 PM
Nov 2012

in American history.
The requirement in some places that people input their own information is also a de facto literacy test.

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