Challenged!

Yesterday, August 5th, was Michigan's Primary Election Day.  My friend Sharon (chair of the Presque Isle County Democrats) and I (vice-chair) served as Election Challengers.  Challengers are a variety of poll watcher.  Under Michigan election law, Poll Watchers can only watch what is going on, whereas Election Challengers can challenge 1) a voter's right to vote, or 2) the actions of those who are running the election.  Unlike Election Inspectors (aka poll workers) we cannot touch any of the paperwork or talk with voters.  We simply observe and, if necessary, challenge.

This was a very long day!  We arrived at the Township Hall at 6:30 a.m. (polls opened at 7:00) and didn't leave until about 11:15 p.m. (polls closed at 8:00).  Most of the time Sharon and I sat off to one side of the room and watched the Election Inspectors (let's call them EIs) as they processed voters.  The election went very smoothly, compared to other recent elections.  Turnout for primary elections is typically slim, which means fewer ballots to deal with.  And happily we had very few "special cases," i.e., only a couple ballots rejected as illegal (because absentee voters did not fill out their paperwork properly), and no provisional ballots.

One of our concerns has been the Democrats chosen to work as EIs.  State law requires that the poll worker staff be equally divided between Republicans and Democrats.  However, when Sharon asked in advance for a list of those who would work the election, we could identify just one known Democrat among the six Dems the Clerk listed.  We expressed our concern and sought counsel from an attorney working for the Michigan Democratic Party.  The attorney said there was little we could do for the primary, but the general election in November will be a different story.

The "batting lineup" of EIs is not a small issue.  Since one does not have to declare a party preference when registering to vote, the Township Clerk must rely on the statements of those who apply for the position of EI, and she must also use her own knowledge of the people involved.  Obviously, a person could declare himself a Democrat when he is actually a Republican, and vice versa.  Having all EIs drawn from only one party is both unfair and illegal.

Bob Kennedy (great name for a Democrat) is a retired teacher.
Turns out he went to school with one of my neighbors.

So it was that, late yesterday afternoon, Sharon challenged one of the EIs.  This is a woman (we'll call her Agnes) who this past Sunday afternoon marched in the Nautical Festival Parade in Rogers City.  Sharon and several other PI Dems were on hand to march with Bob Kennedy, our favored candidate for the 106th District in the Michigan House, and to distribute his literature to people along the parade route.  Agnes was also there, and chatted happily with members of our group.  She was (rather proudly) wearing a Peter Pettalia T-shirt — he's the Republican incumbent — and spent the parade handing out Pettalia literature.  Then, lo and behold, two days later she turns up at the Township Hall to work as an EI representing the Democratic Party.

My guess is that the Clerk has been in the habit of assigning EI positions to her friends, with only passing regard for the legal requirement of equal representation.  (The position pays over $10/hour for a shift that runs 4-8 hours.)  Remember that classic TV program, Queen for a Day?  Well, I think this has been for many years a game show called Democrat for a Day! — without the chest freezer.

Our Township Clerk apparently thought she could get away with it.  That was not to be.  Sharon asked what was going on, since Agnes was not on our list.  The Clerk blandly suggested that she must have "accidentally" left Agnes off the list she prepared for Sharon before the election.  Sharon then formally challenged Agnes' status as a Democrat.  In high dudgeon but with no real alternative, the Clerk sent Agnes home, with Agnes declaring herself deeply insulted.

We will follow up with the attorney in preparation for November.  I suspect that our Township Clerk will shortly receive a love letter from this attorney regarding her legal responsibilities.  And said Clerk will not be amused.

Meanwhile, Bob Kennedy won his primary with 49% of the vote.  His one serious competitor got 36%.  Now Bob must begin campaigning against Peter Pettalia.  This will not be pretty. •••