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Redistricting opponents ask for summary judgment

Submitted by scharrison on Fri, 10/05/2012 - 1:44pm

It looks like it was worse than we thought:

In a motion filed Friday in Wake County Superior Court, they say the new analysis of six counties is sufficient to prove that the maps unconstitutionally disenfranchised voters and should be thrown out. The groups say they found 2,056 voters in those six counties – including Wake and Durham -- were assigned to the wrong state House, Senate or congressional district, and 222 people received the wrong ballots on Election Day.

The GOP map-makers have proven themselves to be either a) incompetent or b) tyrannical, or possibly c) both of the above. I'd like to say they'll pay for it in November, but since the average head-in-the-sand NC voter only pays attention to what happens to them personally, probably not.

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Comments

Ohio Supreme Court case and disenfranchisement

Submitted by Mojo Mom on Sat, 10/06/2012 - 5:33pm.

This Slate.com article about poll worker error disenfranchising voters is feeling very relevant here in North Carolina. I read the story with interest but didn't know until this week that redistricting had split up precincts as you mention...opening the door to all kinds of confusion, error and ultimately disenfrachisement.

Wrong Number
The crucial Ohio voting battle you haven't heard about.

By Richard L. Hasen|Posted Monday, Oct. 1, 2012, at 8:15 AM ET

At issue are potentially thousands of Ohio ballots that the state will not count solely because of poll worker error. Here’s the problem: A number of the state’s polling places, especially in cities, cover more than one voting precinct, and in order to cast a valid vote, a voter has to be given the correct precinct ballot. Poll workers, however, often hand voters the wrong precinct ballot mistakenly. In earlier litigation involving a disputed 2010 juvenile judge race in Hamilton County, Ohio, a poll worker testified to sending a voter whose address started with the numbers “798” to vote in the precinct for voters with odd-numbered addresses because the poll worker believed “798” was an odd number. This “right church, wrong pew” problem with precinct ballots was a big problem in 2008, when over 14,000 such ballots were cast.

You know what the scary thing is?

Submitted by scharrison on Sat, 10/06/2012 - 8:11pm.

Will the people whose votes get tossed out even know it happened? I'm sure some will be told their ballot may be in question. But even of that group, how many will be told for sure their vote wasn't counted?

I know some would say, "What they don't know won't hurt them", but that's bullshit.