Pre-marked ballot was an error, not fraud

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Pre-marked ballot was an error, not fraud

Posted by: James Eli Shiffer under Polling problems Updated: November 2, 2010 - 11:51 AM

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Given the passions that inflame American elections these days, it's not surprising that voters today are attuned to potential tampering at the polls. Here's what voter Michael Kreun of Blaine told Whistleblower:

I voted this morning shortly after 9:00 a.m. at Blaine City Hall. The ballot I was issued was pre-marked for two of the races (US Congress 6^th District and the Attorney General race). I reported this to the election official that issued the ballot to me. He seemed flustered and he apologized. I was given a new ballot (this one was clean), but I don’t know what they did with the pre-marked ballot. I’m not sure if it was an isolated incident of incompetence or if something more sinister was going on. In any event, it was obviously my worst experience voting. You hear about these things happening, but you never expect it’s going to happen to you.

Jane Cross, the city clerk in Blaine, said this was an innocent mistake. A voter at the Blaine City Hall precinct (2-8) picked up two ballots that were stuck together. By the time the voter realized the mistake, one side of one ballot was completely filled out and two races on the other ballot. The judge took the partially-filled-out ballot and put it on the table, where it was destined for the "spoiled" ballot envelope. Before that could happen, the spoiled ballot was given to Kreun.

Cross said she was there at the time and saw the whole thing.

"There’s nothing funny going on," Cross said. "We’re running a tight ship here."

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