The LuLac Edition #1601, May 17th, 2011
PHOTO INDEX: SAMPLE BALLOTS.
GETTING AN EDGE
You can have all the advertising in the world, attend all the parties you want but success on Election Day depends on the ground troops. You know them as the people working the polls handing our the palm cards and the slate cards. Be gracious, either politely decline the information or take it with you. You might get a thing called a sample ballot. Earlier today there was a mini controversy at a Wilkes Barre polling place where officials from the Democratic 6th District were handing out sample ballots. Apparently a complaint was filed and they were told by the Bureau of Elections to stop and desist. As you can see the ballots have the names of the backed candidates but the other places are clear. The thought is that by handing out this ballot it appears there are no other candidates for that office. Personally I think that's a stretch but these cards can be confusing to some new voters. When I left the polling place, these cards were not being handed out. Just a little dust up here on Election Day. Voters should always remember that politics is about getting an edge, even the slightest one. So look at the ballot that counts.....the one before you. And take your time and make your choice.
Editor's Note: The ballot on the left included Judicial candidates endorsed by the 6th District other than DeLuca. The other names endorsed by the 6th district are Vough, Blazick, Slorasky Junior, Bufalino and Piierantoni. My scanner is acting up and the people I outsourced this to did not give me ability to edit.
posted by David Yonki @ 9:38 AM
10 comments
10 Comments:
I am the Judge of Elections at Ward 6. The constable and I raised the issue when we saw the literature that was being handed out. We told the worker that they cannot be handed out unless they contained information on it about who was paying for the political advertisement. We had a brief argument over the issue with another poll worker from the group handing out the forms. The group called Piazza and they told them that they did have to have the information on it. They have now handwritten who paid for the ads at our Ward so they can be passed out.
The 6th District Democrats paid for the advertisements.
These ads are probably being handed out all over Wilkes-Barre. I cannot verify if the poll workers at the other Wards have written out that the 6th District Democrats paid for them.
The bottom line is that the literature being handed out today must contain information on what individual or group paid to have that advertisement printed. The campaign literature that we questioned today was very deceptive since it did not list the other candidates and looked like they were issued by the County and City of Wilkes-Barre
-Tony Thomas
Judge of Elections Ward 6
I would also like to add that I am in no way saying that the candidates or 6th District Democrats were being intentionally deceptive. The lack of the "paid for..." may have been oversight.
Our issue with the literature was, again, the lack of information on who was paying for the literature.
Since we fixed the problem at our place, the same forms, with "Paid for by the 6th District Democrats" written on them, are being handed out no problem.
Tony Thomas
Judge of Elections Ward 6
Tony: I agree that this was not deceptive. The standard has changed though over the years. I'm sure you'll agree that 10 years ago this would not have raised an eyebrow. When I was a Junior in high school, I passed out ballots almost like these for Ray Musto when he was running for his dad's State Rep seat as a Republican because the Third District did not endorse him. My point was that as a voter the only stuff you need to scrutinize is the ballot itself.
I thank you for not allowing your blog to turn into a forum for rampant rumors in the past week.
I have met most of the candidates, and they are all nice people. It's quite understandable that as election fervor takes over, that people will do whatever it takes to win.
I know how hard it must be to act as a filter for this type of information that you receive, and I thank you for it. This is hard thing to balance with so much at stake.
Again, I just wanted to thank you, and great job breaking down all elections today on the radio.
So what is the handout that eveyone is up in arms over? What does it say, who does it support?
IN RESPONSE
So what is the handout that eveyone is up in arms over? What does it say, who does it support?
THE HANDOUT WAS A REPLICA BALLOT FILLED IN WITH THE BALLOT POSITION OF THE NAMES PEOPLE WERE ENDORSING. LOOK AT THE PHOTO INDEX TO GET A GLIPMSE OF IT. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON IN POLITICS SINCE THEY INVENTED THE PRINTING PRESS. IT DOESN'T DISS ANYONE, JUST POINTS TO VOTERS WHERE THEIR FAVORITE CANDIDATES ARE. THE CONCERN WAS THAT THE REST OF IT WAS BLANK. AND THAT IF YOU WERE A TRULY CONFUSED PERSON, YOU MIGHT THINK THOSE EOPLE RUNNING WERE THE ONLY ONES.
The 6th District Democratic Party Committee was worthless when it came to the County Council race. When I talked to the chair of that committee, he told me they would do nothing for the two candidates from the district. Worthless, yet they can put out a sample ballot with other races? That's total BS and they should resign from their posts.
Bruce J. Simpson
Bruce, perhaps you expect too much from very small people.
Actually, I expect people to do their damn jobs, just as I would have with the County if I had gotten through the primary. While I'm at it, the party chairmans are useless too. Both Buffilino and Kane were supposed to get candidates the voter lists with number. Neither one did. The delivered empty promises and empty rooms.
When one relies upon others, one is disappointed. Still blaming others for your loss is classless and childish.
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