I decided to vote early today to avoid the predicted crowds. It didn't help. I got stuck behind a rocket scientist who probably hasn't voted in 10 years, if ever.
There's more than 8.3 million registered voters for today's Pennsylvania primary and with my luck, I end up behind a person who didn't understand that independent voters can't vote in Pennsylvania's closed primary.
The woman wanted to vote in the Democratic primary but didn't bother to change her registration from independent. It took three poll workers to explain to her why she couldn't vote.
She finally gave up and asked if she can come back in Novemember.
And she wasn't the first dumb voter in line today at my local polling site. In the first two hours of voting, poll workers turned away a half-dozen people who didn't know that you had to be registered as either a Democrat or Republican to vote in the primary.
It's going to be a long day.
3 comments:
PA needs to open primaries to independent and non-partisan voters. Our tax dollars help pay to hold these primary elections, and we deserve the right to not have to switch parties just to be able to participate!
I couldn't agree more with the comment left by the reader above. I've been a longtime proponent of ballot access in Pennsylvania. Primary elections are private parties thrown by the Democrats and Republicans at the exclusion of nearly 1 million Pennsylvania voters.
Yes, we need an open primary. A lot of time and taxpayer monies could be saved since people like me who are normally registered as NP (no preferance, or Independent) would not have to change to a party for the primary elections and then change back to NP.
Believe me, a lot of us do just that. Ask any election board.
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