‘Intimidation seemed to be order of the day’
I applaud the Dispatch and Zack Plair for the article on the front page of the paper Sunday June 11 concerning absentee votes in the Primary election of May 2. What an eye-opening comparison of the towns in Mississippi, many of them larger than ours, but with many more absentee votes!
I was a poll-watcher for Mark Ward in last Tuesday’s election at Union Academy and was told when I arrived with my credentials that I had to sit at a table in the corner some distance from the table where the poll workers were seated. I showed the Bailiff the Miss Code 23-15-245 which states “a poll watcher shall be provided a suitable location from which he/she may be able to see and hear the conduct of the election.”
It would be impossible to see and hear anything going on with the election process from such a distance.
Also the A/C was loud, which added to the noise.
Finally I was allowed to move a chair behind the table where the poll workers sat. I did not attempt to influence voters or interrupt the election process in any way.
I was even told that I could not look at the sign-in sheet (which is public record).
Intimidation seemed to be the order of the day and I felt I was treated very poorly by some, not all, and was even told by one of the Election Commissioners that if I could not see or hear perhaps I should not be poll watching! Talk about age and disability discrimination! Poll watching is a necessary component of the election process and should not be discouraged. Fair elections should be the goal.
Nan Lott
Columbus
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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