by ABC reported live that some voters who were legitimately registered as independent were denied the right to vote at Burbank’s city hall.
Glitches have to be expected; however, this is a fairly basic error that shouldn’t be made, especially at an official government location.
How does something like this happen?
Well, in Texas temporary workers are hired, given a little training, and sent out into the field with varying levels of knowledge about voting laws. Counties frequently draw workers from the substitute teacher pool on the theory that these individuals have some level of education and are available for ad hoc employment. So it could be worse. Then again, in my kids’ school today a sub, when asked to spell a word, wrote "appologize" on the board in front of 20 2nd-graders and left it there.
In California, independent voters are unlikely to vote, according to the NY Times:
In the 2004 presidential primary, out of 2.5 million independent residents registered to vote — their party affiliation is officially listed as “decline to state” — only 207,000 voted for a Democratic presidential candidate
Terry Faceplate gives a good reason why:
Did you know that in the state of California, a person who declines to state their political party when they register to vote has to ask for a Democratic ballot to vote for a Democratic presidential candidate in next weeks primary? Who knew? I had no idea.
Another is that Republicans do not allow DTS voters to vote in their primary at all.
