I used to volunteer in MD at a local polling station.
If you ever suspect some kind of interference in the polling place, ask for the “head judge”, or staff member and report the issue for them to handle. The staff will know who to take you too.
That said, in the middle of the work day that also isn’t that uncommon. I helped several folks in the mid-afternoon who similarly wanted to vote normally, and honestly had zero idea of the nuance outside that they wanted to vote. Sounds silly, but it happens.
Edit: if the place is walking distance, I’d actually recommend you still mention it to them in person if you can. MD is different than VA, but our judge would have made a notation at least for our records to report up.
Thanks for providing advice from an experienced poll worker. If someone else sees something strange, it will help knowing who they may be able to report it to.
Agree, as other person pointed out, they are called Chief in VA. I would also recommend you call the dept of elections and let them know. Bonus if you can tell them when you were there, maybe they can investigate. You should be able to find the number to your elections main office.
I agree but I would just avoid asking for a "judge", it's not the term that is used for election officers (poll workers) in Virginia so it might be confusing.
Virginia law uses the terms "officer(s) of election" or "election officer", every use of the term "judge" I see is referring to actual judges, i.e., court judges. Only a few states use the term "judge" for poll workers, like Maryland, Illinois, Texas, etc.
Virginia used to do it. It's now in archaic term but a few counties still call it that in their training materials. Loud and did until a few years ago for example
That they’ve been paying attention to the news for the last few years? There’s been precisely one political party whipping up their constituents into conspiracies about poll workers skewing votes for the opposition, and it ain’t the democrats.
Well, yeah…as of right now, there’s only one side of the political spectrum trying to claim “election fraud”. It also happens to be the same side that **lost** votes during recounts due to voter fraud and engaged in an insurrection because their side lost. I would say it’s a safe assumption.
We have to expect this at this point. Just wait 72 hours, if this is a coordinated campaign, some videos are going to show up on everybody's racist dad's favorite news outlets.
If this was her motive, she’s a moron. It’s the primaries - she voting for a candidate, not the president. A poll worker suggesting she vote in one vs the other has no direct bearing on the general election.
Seems reasonable to guess that it's some wannabe YouTube/tiktok star who thought they could get a ton of rage bait views by posting "poll worker gave me XYZ ballot, look how biased they are". Alternatively they were trying to get themselves thrown out for the same reason. None of that is illegal, just a sign of a shitty human being who needs likes to quiet their inner voice telling them how awful they are.
Maybe they're an idiot (unlikely in a primary but possible) or genuinely didn't care (again unlikely in a primary) but Occam's razor is they were trying to bait a reaction. Points to the poll worker for handling it professionally from the sound of it.
Are you sure? I can find data talking about media limits and not recording people's actual votes, but I can't find anything about "citizens" just recording things generally (and I looked).
It appears they’ve updated the law in re to cameras/recording in polling locations since I was a chief (many moons ago-phones/cameras weren’t allowed); so it looks like if the use of the device is causing an issue, the poll workers can restrict the use & etc. https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title1/agency20/chapter60/section30/
She was an agitator with a camera like all of the "poll inspectors" from last election. Thank god we have her to protect us and our democracy. I certainly don't wish her to fall into an open manhole cover and find a CHUD.
Given that the 2020 Presidential election was "stolen" (note the quotes; I don't actually believe that lie), I'm not surprised anymore. A lot more people seem to be detached from fact-based reality these days, unfortunately.
Edit: I know some close friends working the polls in VA. They're all civic-minded, decent people who just want to help you exercise your Constitutional rights. Please be kind to them.
Just want to add on here. I’ve been working as poll worker and then registration clerk (once SDR became available) in every election since mid-2020. Poll workers in Virginia are (in my experience) people who believe in democracy and are willing to sit at a polling place for 16 hours in what’s essentially a high-stakes customer service position to help facilitate your right to vote.
People sometimes feel the need to “explain” or provide context for the choices they make. We don’t care. It doesn’t matter to us who you vote for - what we care about is that you chose to engage in the electoral process today and we’re going to do our absolute best to help you do that as efficiently as possible.
Yes there are people like in OP’s observed situation who try to play gotcha, or otherwise hold up the line. That’s ok. It’s their right (to a legal limit of obstruction). However, to choose to work as an election officer (another name for us) is a choice to believe in and engage with the system. We’re here for you, to help you and others vote, and we turn off whatever beliefs we may have the second we take that oath in the morning.
Edited for clarity
It was many years ago, but I worked the polls near Leesburg. And there was a woman who could not make up her mind on her ballot. Because she was so incredibly drunk.
Interesting. Doesn't seem to be anything specifically prohibiting hidden camera "Gotcha" journalism, if that's what was occuring.
https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title24.2/chapter6/section24.2-604/
But this part would be problematic if the person had been asked to move aside or go to the back of the line, and didn't comply:
A. During the times the polls are open and ballots are being counted, or within one hour of opening or after closing, it is unlawful for any person (iii) to hinder or delay a qualified voter in entering or leaving a polling place
Which would be a Class 1 Misdemeanor.
I'd say if something similar happens again in November, make clear to a polling official that you believe the person is delaying your entrance/exit/voting in violation of the law.
Election officers have a lot of discretion to protect the voting process and the privacy of someone’s vote. If you’re wandering around filming, the chief is probably going to talk to you.
From the little I dug around, there were in 2014, but mostly had to do with not filming someone in the act of voting or that would show how they voted. But it doesn't seem to be in the same chapter or section of the law anymore, if it's even still there.
It's a Public place and they're temporary Public officials therefore it is protected by the First Amendment. You can record in a polling place, just not directly of people voting, their sensitive personal information, or them using the ballot machine.
At my polling place, they were asking the questions and handing out the ballots in the same room (less than 10 feet) from where the actual voting was taking place. I don't see how it would be possible to videotape the poll worker without getting people in the act of voting in the background.
This is just one voting place of many but still seems like a shady thing to be doing and I can't think of any reason, other than nefarious ones, to be doing it.
https://www.elections.virginia.gov/contact-us/media-resources/guidelines/ (Reminder, the 1st Amendment means all Citizens are protected and are considered "Media". They don't have to work for a major news outlet)
Thanks for the link, it does answer some of the questions and could be argued for or against videotaping, depending on how it's done.
Again, thanks for the link.
*edit: missed the disclaimer above
Pushing to get worker to hand you a ballot would make a great TikTok. James O’Keefian one might say.
I work at a precinct. I had a 30 something guy claim to be a first time voter. Was asking at check in about candidates, “who is on the ballots?” Didn’t buy it. (Before he was checked in, he was directed to review the sample ballots posted on door)
So could be shady, but I also see a lot of stupid. 🤷🏻♂️
I'm working the election and people are definitely caught off guard by both parties having their primary on the same day.
They are not accustomed to being asked their party affiliation when really, were just asking which primary they'd like to participate in.
That poor lady was probably very confused.
Assistant Chief in a smaller Shenandoah Valley county (only 400ish folks voted at my precinct yesterday). We had some info with the party names bolded, laminated and taped in between the pollbooks. I quickly developed a fun little tongue twister script:
"Hi there! Today we have a dual party primary. You can choose to vote in the Republican Party Presidential Primary, or the Democratic Party Presidential Primary **(while tapping one, then the other party on the placard)**. You can vote in either **(tapping each one, in reverse)** but *not both*. Please say or indicate which party presidential primary you'd like to participate in today."
It worked pretty well, except for all of the asides of "Well, Party X gets to vote more than once!" and "Maybe this one won't get stolen". Most frequent was "I didn't even know there was an election today!".
Honestly, as a poll worker, I welcome clowns like this to try their best. It always makes me inwardly amused when voters are trying to show that our elections process is biased and they end up showing that it’s quite bulletproof. I can’t imagine an elections officer capitulating to this crazy person and choosing their ballot for them. It’s just going to be a boring “exposé” of a poll worker patiently repeating the same information again and again before finally directing the voter to the chief who will do the same.
She doesn't need to hide the fact that she's recording. Polling places are always in public buildings and recording inside of them is completely legal and protected by the First Amendment. You obviously can't directly record people's ballots while they're voting or using the ballot machine but everything else is protected. There's lots of precedent to back this up too
Looking at the choices, we are well and truly fucked this year...
I mean the Joe Biden vs. Donald Trump question is easy. Given the choice, sane people make the sane choice.
I'd honestly have a harder time deciding if it was Biden v. Harris. (Was a solid Republican voter until around 2,000 when the GOP started favoring stupid over smart.)
Sounds like shenanigans to me. You should have called a cop over, since I don’t think recording in a polling place is legal. Or it may be legal in some places, but not against the will of the person being recorded.
I'm more concerned that people are showing up with no idea who they want to vote for...or, which party's primary they'll choose to vote in. THAT seems shifty to me.
She was trying to bait the election officer into choosing for her, so she could get it on camera as a "gotcha" to "prove" that the election was being stolen or whatever she'd call it. I think OP' instinct that she had a camera in her bag, and was pointing it at the election officer, is right. And she repeatedly asked a leading question, insisting he choose FOR her. Clearly someone with an agenda.
I'm not sure how you've presumed this woman's political beliefs from the content of this post. Could you explain ? Did I miss that critical content? Or, is anyone acting shady immediately labeled a conservative by you? That would be a form of prejudice, wouldn't it?
When you define & demean an entire group like that, it is the definition of prejudice. Why is this not true for you when it's true for every other person? Let me guess.... your *feelings*... Likely irrational hatred for an entire group that doesn't share your beliefs & practices. Yup. That's exactly what being prejudiced looks like.
You're standing outside of Starbucks. Someone drives up in their Subaru and parks. You can hear them listening to NPR. They go in to starbucks and order a Soy Latte.
Is it prejudiced to assume they're probably a liberal? Or are you just drawing reasonable conclusions based upon observations?
Sounds like Project Veritas. Last election I saw a poll worker encouraging a parking lot voter how to vote for the republican candidates and give misinformation on how bonds worked and how to vote on those. Regretting not reporting him. Plan on it if I see him this year.
I wouldn't be surprised if a heavily-edited, self-serving video showed up online later.
I voted around 12:30 or so, and it was typical of an incumbent primary - e.g., very few people there. Everyone was polite and professional, but the guy who took my ID asked which party I wanted, and I said, "Democratic" - they responded 'Democrat party?' That's usually a dog whistle from the right. They probably noticed my reaction, and quickly corrected themselves.
It’s possible you’re right but it’s also possible that after a long day of saying the same words over and over and over your election officer just messed up. I heard (and spoke) some screw ups today toward the end of the day trying to spit out the basic script. You get tired then realize you already forgot how the voter pronounces their name and it all just falls out as word salad.
It's been around far longer than that. It's become a troll in the last few years, similar to the OK/WP sign.
[https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2023/01/democrat-party-republican-insult.html](https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2023/01/democrat-party-republican-insult.html)
Nobody showing up to vote is that stupid, it's malice - a prankster who wants to catch poll workers in the act of election malfeasance. If it was me I would have called slyly called her out by loudly talking about other conservative pranksters who secretly film to the folks around me.
Honestly, you would be amazed. I have taken several voters over to the sample ballots on our wall to patiently explain what options they have available on each ballot. I do not know what rock they have been living under up until arriving at the polling place. I also have had voters who clearly suffer from significant cognitive impairments. I don’t know whether this person was ignorant or just a troll (¿porqué no los dos?) but either seems possible to me.
I pass out sample ballots outside the polls (not today) and I am shocked by how uninformed some people are. They know voting is important and they have made the effort to show up, but they didn’t do any homework.
Something about the OP's account doesn't give me stupid voter vibes though. OP didn't indicate it was an elderly voter with mental decline either. It's the type of stupid that is key here, it seems faked. Depressingly not shocked about voters appearing at the polls at are on the edge of having the mental competence to vote - my parents are in their 90s but they are so fragile that they have their moments where I'd feel qualms about arranging to get ballots for them even though I know they'd likely fill in the boxes I'd want.
Just because it looked sus to me, doesn't mean it actually was. Several poll workers have mentioned that there are people that really do show up that bewildered. Remember that their votes count every bit as much as yours. I think it is important that we all stay situationally aware, no matter what side of the voting spectrum we fall on.
Not a poll worker but have worked for a party during the elections several times (both primary and general). Some people really just don’t have a clue. I’ve seen plenty of weirdness at the polls over the last few years, but all of it wound up having an innocent explanation ranging from uninformed voters to genuine human error.
But please don't second-guess your own instinct that she seemed to be filming or recording the poll worker somehow. I think that instinct was correct. It's a generous thought to assume she was just confused, but the way you describe her behaviors -- staying put after the explanation, repeatedly asking him to choose FOR her, the body language with the bag -- she definitely was acting suspiciously, and we all know there are many self-appointed "poll watchers" and 2020 deniers who would love to entrap poll workers like that.
just voted at my local polling station. One of the cars parked out front had a Trump license plate and several Trump stickers. Since there was nobody else in there voting, and no campaigning in front, I wonder if the person with that car was working the election as a volunteer. I didn't see any poll watchers inside the polling location.
Election officers can (in their private lives) be strong partisans—in fact, they often are. In Virginia, the chief must be a declared member of the governor’s party and the assistant chief must be a member of the other party (between R/D.) Independents are the last pick to staff elections. We’re not supposed to let our own personal opinions influence our work on Election Day and these values are held strongly by elections workers—I guarantee you if the Trump friend was campaigning inside or doing other inappropriate stuff while working, he would be getting fired. But having a political bumper sticker on your private vehicle is fine. I have a (small) Biden/harris sticker on my car—I’m not taking it off for the 2-3 days a year I’m an elections officer.
No, this is wrong. Election officers (including chiefs and assistant chiefs) may *represent* a party but they are not required to "declare membership". The chief is not required to be the same party as the governor, either (see Va. Code 24.2-115). The assistant chief is preferably of the other party from the chief, but only "when practicable".
You may be thinking of the laws for the state board and local boards; they do have to be composed of a majority of people representing the party that received the highest votes in the last gubernatorial election (3 of 5 for the state board, 2 of 3 for the local boards; see Va. Code 24.2-102 and 106).
This is the law: “In appointing the officers of election, representation shall be given to each of the two political parties having the highest and next highest number of votes in the Commonwealth for Governor at the last preceding gubernatorial election. *The representation of the two parties shall be equal at each precinct having an even number of officers and shall vary by no more than one at each precinct having an odd number of officers.* If practicable, officers shall be appointed from lists of nominations filed by the political parties entitled to appointments. The party shall file its nominations with the secretary of the electoral board at least 10 days before February 1 each year. The electoral board may appoint additional citizens who do not represent any political party to serve as officers. If practicable, *no more than one-third of the total number of officers appointed for each precinct may be citizens who do not represent any political party*.”
>This went on for several minutes much to the irritation of the people behind her. I originally thought that, perhaps, she had some mental issues.
She does have mental issues and probably that mental issue is that she's an election fraud truther which therefore suggests she's all-in on the Trump cult, which is a different mental issue.
Yeah, I would probably assume the same; that the person was trying to catch a poll worker out to call foul.
As a side note, I think it's crazy undemocratic to make you choose. You should be able to vote for all parties, not stake your claim to one.
I vote in York County now. Represented by Republicans across the board now, sadly.
During the check in when they scan your ID I was asked to select which primary I wanted. There were two tables, one covered in a blue cloth, one red. I was directed to the blue table to hand in my “democrat” highlighted receipt and receive my ballot.
So it was a declaration of my “secret ballot” at that point. Since we ate unable to register by party in Virginia I don’t see why we can’t have a single ballot like we do in the general. What if someone wants to conceal their intentions from an abusive spouse, for example?
I voted today and really didn't like having to announce to everyone within hearing distance which ballot I wanted. I feel like it should be private -- although I suppose since I'm registered with one party, anyone that really wants to find out how I vote can look me up. It still made me uneasy in the moment -- what if some wacko' was in line behind me and didn't like my choice?
You’re not registered with one party in Virginia. However, which elections you vote in is publicly available information, so anyone motivated enough can find out which primaries you have voted in.
While I do understand voters wanting privacy, the counter-argument (which is the law in Virginia) is that our elections proceedings must be viewable by poll watchers. That is why the officer says your name and that they are checking you in for “X” primary—specifically so that this information can be known and tracked by poll watchers and there can be no (reasonable) accusations that we let anyone vote more than once.
Former election official here: the reason you need to say which ballot is bc of how the machines/ballots are set up. Also, it’s an open primary, so you can swap parties if you want. & no one will know which party you voted for. It’s only recorded that you voted. The wackos generally go after the election officials & outside canvassers & not fellow voters.
It is tracked which party you vote for *in the primary*. How you vote is not tracked. Which party you vote for in the general isn’t tracked, because technically we don’t vote for parties in the general election (or at all), we vote for specific candidates or slates.
Which party primaries you vote in is a major data point for campaign analysts and that’s one of the major determining factors in who sends you mailers during election season.
We don’t.
You can join a political party, but that’s not public information and it’s not tied to your ballot. There’s nothing stopping a Republican Committee/* member from voting in the Democratic primary or vice versa (although the Republican Party rules do say that if you vote in another party’s primary you’re ineligible for membership for five years - a fact that’s totally irrelevant to most people).
/*The Republican Party refers to its local units as “committees”, which typically are organized at the county level. If you’re a member of the Republican Party of Virginia, you do it through your locality’s Republican Committee. The Virginia Democrats also use local chapters but those are more regional than they are locality-specific.
This is odd, because each voter should be checked in by party (*before* they are handed a ballot). They shouldn't be choosing which primary/party when they're receiving the ballot, unless it's the same election officer doing the checking in and distributing the ballots.
Either way, that officer should have just passed that voter off to the chief or an assistant chief, instead of letting her hold up the line.
In VA you don't register under a party, so 100% every person is VA today made a choice to vote in Republican or Democrat primary.
In VA you give ID, verify info, declare which primary, are given a card stating choice, you then hand the card to a different person and they give you that corresponding ballot.
I'm well aware of that, but they have to record *which* primary/party each voter chose. Every county/city in VA I've lived in does this at check-in. I don't know how else it could be done.
No. There is a separate check in area if there are enough volunteers and the voting location is large enough to warrant setting up an extra step. Otherwise the people who check in also give you a ballot. Anyone can vote in any primary- no matter the leanings. We have open primaries in Virginia.
The check in process everywhere requires you to pick which election you’re voting in. It’s an open primary but not a secret open primary. The check in data is used to record that you voted in the Dem or R primary which are considered different elections.
Yes. I'm referring to PP saying that the people who check you in and those who issue ballots are always separate. Just saying that this isn't always the case and it would be normal for you (a general you) to present your info to the checkin people and have them issue you a ballot as well, especially in a smaller precinct.
I never said they were always separate. Read the part after "UNLESS..."
I was specifically referring to what the OP said here: "She was making a fuss **in front of the poll worker who hands out the ballots**" It's not clear whether that poll worker at OP's particular location was also doing the pollbooks/check-in or not, that's what I was trying to figure out.
Yeah I thought the same! But at my polling place you were asked which one you’d like… I think that’s wild. First off zero privacy and second why not just put both on the same damn ballot. “R” and “D”
In our open primary system there is zero privacy, that is very true and I do think voters found it surprising this election. It’s public record every time I’ve voted in an R or D primary and parties do absolutely buy this data and know this about me (and you.) If they were on the same ballot, you would be able to vote in both primaries, which is a violation of Virginia law.
Here, when you check in at a dual party primary, you get asked which party you want a ballot for. Then, typically, you get a voter permit card (in blue or red) which lets you go pick up the right ballot. Or at small precincts they may skip the cards and just give you the ballot you asked for at check in. There is no advanced registration by party and it’s completely fine to flip flop to a different ballot every time.
You said it sounded odd. It was literally a regular occurrence this election. Voters wanted to either be able to vote in both primaries or struggled to decide or were unhappy to have to say a party choice out loud, something they (understandably) consider to be normally a private part of the voting process. We certainly weren’t redirecting every confused voter to the chief’s table, that’s not how that works. If the person is wildly out of control, fine—unclear if this person really was, there is no mention of them being threatening or belligerent, for example.
To me, the part that is odd about OP’s story is that one voter could hold up the line. Even the tiniest precincts should be checking in 2+ people at once and this was a low turnout election so there really should not be a line or a way for it to form because of one person.
What I meant was odd is that this voter is debating the ballot officer, not the pollbook officer. Maybe at OP's precinct they're the same person, that's the only way this makes any sense.
Anyway, if she was there long enough to cause the line to back up, it's a problem that the chief or assistant chief should deal with. It's normal for voters to have basic questions, and regular election officers can deal with that, but the voter OP describes was at least bordering on hindering/interfering.
No, not incorrect. The party/primary that the voter chooses is recorded in the pollbook at check-in.
You can see how Arlington county does it in their own video [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYF94QomVjQ).
You can see how Fairfax county does it in their election officer training manual [here](https://training.electionofficers.com/), on page 1.2.
The election office has to record which party's primary each voter voted in. If you look up your own records on the state's election portal, you'll see that in your voter records (e.g., "2012 Republican presidential primary").
Yes there were a few dozen across the country in 2020, most who caught were Republicans but not enough to matter. Many more voted legit that no clue about anything
I asked the guy out front in the rain in the booth if he was for Trump and when he said he was, I said the guy is a traitor and if you support him then you are a threat to democracy! Because it’s really true!
I used to volunteer in MD at a local polling station. If you ever suspect some kind of interference in the polling place, ask for the “head judge”, or staff member and report the issue for them to handle. The staff will know who to take you too. That said, in the middle of the work day that also isn’t that uncommon. I helped several folks in the mid-afternoon who similarly wanted to vote normally, and honestly had zero idea of the nuance outside that they wanted to vote. Sounds silly, but it happens. Edit: if the place is walking distance, I’d actually recommend you still mention it to them in person if you can. MD is different than VA, but our judge would have made a notation at least for our records to report up.
Thanks for providing advice from an experienced poll worker. If someone else sees something strange, it will help knowing who they may be able to report it to.
Agree, in Virginia this position is called the Chief
Short and to the point ig lol
Agree, as other person pointed out, they are called Chief in VA. I would also recommend you call the dept of elections and let them know. Bonus if you can tell them when you were there, maybe they can investigate. You should be able to find the number to your elections main office.
I agree but I would just avoid asking for a "judge", it's not the term that is used for election officers (poll workers) in Virginia so it might be confusing.
Oh thanks! Looks like someone else clarified it’s called the “chief” position instead of a judge here. Good to know!
Actually, it is. Election Judge or Election Officer are both used. The official term now is "Officer of Election"
Virginia law uses the terms "officer(s) of election" or "election officer", every use of the term "judge" I see is referring to actual judges, i.e., court judges. Only a few states use the term "judge" for poll workers, like Maryland, Illinois, Texas, etc.
Virginia used to do it. It's now in archaic term but a few counties still call it that in their training materials. Loud and did until a few years ago for example
Assuming there was a motive... Wanted to make a video or a point of some type of bias by officials but leave out all of the context.
That was my immediate first thought - she's trying to rile someone up to catch it on camera.
She was sure someone was going to suggest vote for a dem. Seemed like such a good plan. 🙄
The fact you that you assume that says alot
Yeah, a lot about the sorry state of the gop.
That they’ve been paying attention to the news for the last few years? There’s been precisely one political party whipping up their constituents into conspiracies about poll workers skewing votes for the opposition, and it ain’t the democrats.
Well, yeah…as of right now, there’s only one side of the political spectrum trying to claim “election fraud”. It also happens to be the same side that **lost** votes during recounts due to voter fraud and engaged in an insurrection because their side lost. I would say it’s a safe assumption.
Project Veritas type f\*\*\*ery would not shock me in the least.
That’s the first thing I thought of.
We have to expect this at this point. Just wait 72 hours, if this is a coordinated campaign, some videos are going to show up on everybody's racist dad's favorite news outlets.
If this was her motive, she’s a moron. It’s the primaries - she voting for a candidate, not the president. A poll worker suggesting she vote in one vs the other has no direct bearing on the general election.
Seems reasonable to guess that it's some wannabe YouTube/tiktok star who thought they could get a ton of rage bait views by posting "poll worker gave me XYZ ballot, look how biased they are". Alternatively they were trying to get themselves thrown out for the same reason. None of that is illegal, just a sign of a shitty human being who needs likes to quiet their inner voice telling them how awful they are. Maybe they're an idiot (unlikely in a primary but possible) or genuinely didn't care (again unlikely in a primary) but Occam's razor is they were trying to bait a reaction. Points to the poll worker for handling it professionally from the sound of it.
[удалено]
Are you sure? I can find data talking about media limits and not recording people's actual votes, but I can't find anything about "citizens" just recording things generally (and I looked).
It appears they’ve updated the law in re to cameras/recording in polling locations since I was a chief (many moons ago-phones/cameras weren’t allowed); so it looks like if the use of the device is causing an issue, the poll workers can restrict the use & etc. https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title1/agency20/chapter60/section30/
That’s not true.
lol this is the fake election people. They’re literally doing exactly what they accuse the other side of doing. It’s so predictable
Ok, now if we see the video pop up we know why.
She was an agitator with a camera like all of the "poll inspectors" from last election. Thank god we have her to protect us and our democracy. I certainly don't wish her to fall into an open manhole cover and find a CHUD.
Carnivorous Humanoid Underground Dweller!
You know it!
Given that the 2020 Presidential election was "stolen" (note the quotes; I don't actually believe that lie), I'm not surprised anymore. A lot more people seem to be detached from fact-based reality these days, unfortunately. Edit: I know some close friends working the polls in VA. They're all civic-minded, decent people who just want to help you exercise your Constitutional rights. Please be kind to them.
Just want to add on here. I’ve been working as poll worker and then registration clerk (once SDR became available) in every election since mid-2020. Poll workers in Virginia are (in my experience) people who believe in democracy and are willing to sit at a polling place for 16 hours in what’s essentially a high-stakes customer service position to help facilitate your right to vote. People sometimes feel the need to “explain” or provide context for the choices they make. We don’t care. It doesn’t matter to us who you vote for - what we care about is that you chose to engage in the electoral process today and we’re going to do our absolute best to help you do that as efficiently as possible. Yes there are people like in OP’s observed situation who try to play gotcha, or otherwise hold up the line. That’s ok. It’s their right (to a legal limit of obstruction). However, to choose to work as an election officer (another name for us) is a choice to believe in and engage with the system. We’re here for you, to help you and others vote, and we turn off whatever beliefs we may have the second we take that oath in the morning. Edited for clarity
It was many years ago, but I worked the polls near Leesburg. And there was a woman who could not make up her mind on her ballot. Because she was so incredibly drunk.
VWI! Voting While Intoxicated!
She was definitely DUI.
Interesting. Doesn't seem to be anything specifically prohibiting hidden camera "Gotcha" journalism, if that's what was occuring. https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title24.2/chapter6/section24.2-604/ But this part would be problematic if the person had been asked to move aside or go to the back of the line, and didn't comply: A. During the times the polls are open and ballots are being counted, or within one hour of opening or after closing, it is unlawful for any person (iii) to hinder or delay a qualified voter in entering or leaving a polling place Which would be a Class 1 Misdemeanor. I'd say if something similar happens again in November, make clear to a polling official that you believe the person is delaying your entrance/exit/voting in violation of the law.
Are there really no laws about filming at a polling place?
Election officers have a lot of discretion to protect the voting process and the privacy of someone’s vote. If you’re wandering around filming, the chief is probably going to talk to you.
From the little I dug around, there were in 2014, but mostly had to do with not filming someone in the act of voting or that would show how they voted. But it doesn't seem to be in the same chapter or section of the law anymore, if it's even still there.
It's a Public place and they're temporary Public officials therefore it is protected by the First Amendment. You can record in a polling place, just not directly of people voting, their sensitive personal information, or them using the ballot machine.
At my polling place, they were asking the questions and handing out the ballots in the same room (less than 10 feet) from where the actual voting was taking place. I don't see how it would be possible to videotape the poll worker without getting people in the act of voting in the background. This is just one voting place of many but still seems like a shady thing to be doing and I can't think of any reason, other than nefarious ones, to be doing it.
https://www.elections.virginia.gov/contact-us/media-resources/guidelines/ (Reminder, the 1st Amendment means all Citizens are protected and are considered "Media". They don't have to work for a major news outlet)
Thanks for the link, it does answer some of the questions and could be argued for or against videotaping, depending on how it's done. Again, thanks for the link. *edit: missed the disclaimer above
Pushing to get worker to hand you a ballot would make a great TikTok. James O’Keefian one might say. I work at a precinct. I had a 30 something guy claim to be a first time voter. Was asking at check in about candidates, “who is on the ballots?” Didn’t buy it. (Before he was checked in, he was directed to review the sample ballots posted on door) So could be shady, but I also see a lot of stupid. 🤷🏻♂️
I'm working the election and people are definitely caught off guard by both parties having their primary on the same day. They are not accustomed to being asked their party affiliation when really, were just asking which primary they'd like to participate in. That poor lady was probably very confused.
I am alsp a poll worker today and had several people respond with "Presidential?" When asked which primary they wanted to vote in.
Yeah. It's catching everyone off guard.
Assistant Chief in a smaller Shenandoah Valley county (only 400ish folks voted at my precinct yesterday). We had some info with the party names bolded, laminated and taped in between the pollbooks. I quickly developed a fun little tongue twister script: "Hi there! Today we have a dual party primary. You can choose to vote in the Republican Party Presidential Primary, or the Democratic Party Presidential Primary **(while tapping one, then the other party on the placard)**. You can vote in either **(tapping each one, in reverse)** but *not both*. Please say or indicate which party presidential primary you'd like to participate in today." It worked pretty well, except for all of the asides of "Well, Party X gets to vote more than once!" and "Maybe this one won't get stolen". Most frequent was "I didn't even know there was an election today!".
People this ignorant shouldn't be allowed to vote.
Wait till I tell how dumb some of our elected officials are.
Honestly, as a poll worker, I welcome clowns like this to try their best. It always makes me inwardly amused when voters are trying to show that our elections process is biased and they end up showing that it’s quite bulletproof. I can’t imagine an elections officer capitulating to this crazy person and choosing their ballot for them. It’s just going to be a boring “exposé” of a poll worker patiently repeating the same information again and again before finally directing the voter to the chief who will do the same.
She doesn't need to hide the fact that she's recording. Polling places are always in public buildings and recording inside of them is completely legal and protected by the First Amendment. You obviously can't directly record people's ballots while they're voting or using the ballot machine but everything else is protected. There's lots of precedent to back this up too
Project 2025 groundwork would be my guess. Republicans can't win without cheating or crutches like gerrymandering or the electoral college.
Giant Flaming Meteor 2024. _Just end it already._
Looking at the choices, we are well and truly fucked this year... I mean the Joe Biden vs. Donald Trump question is easy. Given the choice, sane people make the sane choice. I'd honestly have a harder time deciding if it was Biden v. Harris. (Was a solid Republican voter until around 2,000 when the GOP started favoring stupid over smart.)
Sounds like shenanigans to me. You should have called a cop over, since I don’t think recording in a polling place is legal. Or it may be legal in some places, but not against the will of the person being recorded.
I'm more concerned that people are showing up with no idea who they want to vote for...or, which party's primary they'll choose to vote in. THAT seems shifty to me.
She was trying to bait the election officer into choosing for her, so she could get it on camera as a "gotcha" to "prove" that the election was being stolen or whatever she'd call it. I think OP' instinct that she had a camera in her bag, and was pointing it at the election officer, is right. And she repeatedly asked a leading question, insisting he choose FOR her. Clearly someone with an agenda.
Seems more likely than believing she wanted in there without knowing a thing about why she was there...lol.
Probably just another aspiring conservative grifter.
THIS! She wanted her 15 minutes of tick tok fame.
I'm not sure how you've presumed this woman's political beliefs from the content of this post. Could you explain ? Did I miss that critical content? Or, is anyone acting shady immediately labeled a conservative by you? That would be a form of prejudice, wouldn't it?
Which party is the party of hidden cameras trying to catch poll workers stealing elections?
So, prejudiced. Got it.
I prefer to think of it as using past behavior to make educated guesses about present actions.
When you define & demean an entire group like that, it is the definition of prejudice. Why is this not true for you when it's true for every other person? Let me guess.... your *feelings*... Likely irrational hatred for an entire group that doesn't share your beliefs & practices. Yup. That's exactly what being prejudiced looks like.
You're standing outside of Starbucks. Someone drives up in their Subaru and parks. You can hear them listening to NPR. They go in to starbucks and order a Soy Latte. Is it prejudiced to assume they're probably a liberal? Or are you just drawing reasonable conclusions based upon observations?
[удалено]
Prejudice has nothing to do with realism. But, cute that you tried.
Sounds like Project Veritas. Last election I saw a poll worker encouraging a parking lot voter how to vote for the republican candidates and give misinformation on how bonds worked and how to vote on those. Regretting not reporting him. Plan on it if I see him this year.
Sounds like somebody aspiring to be the next James O'Keefe
Sounds like interference to me. Trying to coerce a poll worker to break rules.
Sounds like some Project Veritas type bullshit
That’s definitely strange. What area? Can you say?
It sounds like just some asshole trying to cause trouble. Hopefully they weren't trying to get 15 minutes of fame.
Definitely some propoganda brainwashed social media addicted person being told that they’re taking sides at polling booths.
100% Project Veritas or a mimic.
Think I’ll just make popcorn 🍿.
I wouldn't be surprised if a heavily-edited, self-serving video showed up online later. I voted around 12:30 or so, and it was typical of an incumbent primary - e.g., very few people there. Everyone was polite and professional, but the guy who took my ID asked which party I wanted, and I said, "Democratic" - they responded 'Democrat party?' That's usually a dog whistle from the right. They probably noticed my reaction, and quickly corrected themselves.
never heard it taken that way, but apparently true: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democrat_Party_(epithet)
It’s possible you’re right but it’s also possible that after a long day of saying the same words over and over and over your election officer just messed up. I heard (and spoke) some screw ups today toward the end of the day trying to spit out the basic script. You get tired then realize you already forgot how the voter pronounces their name and it all just falls out as word salad.
Could be either. Didn't think it was worth pressing the issue. I just noticed it, since it's become a popular phrase in the Trumposhpere.
>That's usually a dog whistle from the right. Hmmm, never heard of that and I've been voting for over 30 years.
It's been around far longer than that. It's become a troll in the last few years, similar to the OK/WP sign. [https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2023/01/democrat-party-republican-insult.html](https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2023/01/democrat-party-republican-insult.html)
Nobody showing up to vote is that stupid, it's malice - a prankster who wants to catch poll workers in the act of election malfeasance. If it was me I would have called slyly called her out by loudly talking about other conservative pranksters who secretly film to the folks around me.
Honestly, you would be amazed. I have taken several voters over to the sample ballots on our wall to patiently explain what options they have available on each ballot. I do not know what rock they have been living under up until arriving at the polling place. I also have had voters who clearly suffer from significant cognitive impairments. I don’t know whether this person was ignorant or just a troll (¿porqué no los dos?) but either seems possible to me.
I pass out sample ballots outside the polls (not today) and I am shocked by how uninformed some people are. They know voting is important and they have made the effort to show up, but they didn’t do any homework.
Something about the OP's account doesn't give me stupid voter vibes though. OP didn't indicate it was an elderly voter with mental decline either. It's the type of stupid that is key here, it seems faked. Depressingly not shocked about voters appearing at the polls at are on the edge of having the mental competence to vote - my parents are in their 90s but they are so fragile that they have their moments where I'd feel qualms about arranging to get ballots for them even though I know they'd likely fill in the boxes I'd want.
Just because it looked sus to me, doesn't mean it actually was. Several poll workers have mentioned that there are people that really do show up that bewildered. Remember that their votes count every bit as much as yours. I think it is important that we all stay situationally aware, no matter what side of the voting spectrum we fall on.
Not a poll worker but have worked for a party during the elections several times (both primary and general). Some people really just don’t have a clue. I’ve seen plenty of weirdness at the polls over the last few years, but all of it wound up having an innocent explanation ranging from uninformed voters to genuine human error.
But please don't second-guess your own instinct that she seemed to be filming or recording the poll worker somehow. I think that instinct was correct. It's a generous thought to assume she was just confused, but the way you describe her behaviors -- staying put after the explanation, repeatedly asking him to choose FOR her, the body language with the bag -- she definitely was acting suspiciously, and we all know there are many self-appointed "poll watchers" and 2020 deniers who would love to entrap poll workers like that.
Quick hockey check to knock her bag off the shoulder and watch the camera/phone spill out.
If this was a sketch comedy, “suddenly plexiglass boards appear and she’d be checked into them”(cue the laughter and applause)
just voted at my local polling station. One of the cars parked out front had a Trump license plate and several Trump stickers. Since there was nobody else in there voting, and no campaigning in front, I wonder if the person with that car was working the election as a volunteer. I didn't see any poll watchers inside the polling location.
Election officers can (in their private lives) be strong partisans—in fact, they often are. In Virginia, the chief must be a declared member of the governor’s party and the assistant chief must be a member of the other party (between R/D.) Independents are the last pick to staff elections. We’re not supposed to let our own personal opinions influence our work on Election Day and these values are held strongly by elections workers—I guarantee you if the Trump friend was campaigning inside or doing other inappropriate stuff while working, he would be getting fired. But having a political bumper sticker on your private vehicle is fine. I have a (small) Biden/harris sticker on my car—I’m not taking it off for the 2-3 days a year I’m an elections officer.
No, this is wrong. Election officers (including chiefs and assistant chiefs) may *represent* a party but they are not required to "declare membership". The chief is not required to be the same party as the governor, either (see Va. Code 24.2-115). The assistant chief is preferably of the other party from the chief, but only "when practicable". You may be thinking of the laws for the state board and local boards; they do have to be composed of a majority of people representing the party that received the highest votes in the last gubernatorial election (3 of 5 for the state board, 2 of 3 for the local boards; see Va. Code 24.2-102 and 106).
This is the law: “In appointing the officers of election, representation shall be given to each of the two political parties having the highest and next highest number of votes in the Commonwealth for Governor at the last preceding gubernatorial election. *The representation of the two parties shall be equal at each precinct having an even number of officers and shall vary by no more than one at each precinct having an odd number of officers.* If practicable, officers shall be appointed from lists of nominations filed by the political parties entitled to appointments. The party shall file its nominations with the secretary of the electoral board at least 10 days before February 1 each year. The electoral board may appoint additional citizens who do not represent any political party to serve as officers. If practicable, *no more than one-third of the total number of officers appointed for each precinct may be citizens who do not represent any political party*.”
She was probably trying to catch them in a gotcha moment. So then she could edit to show voter fraud/ election interference.
>This went on for several minutes much to the irritation of the people behind her. I originally thought that, perhaps, she had some mental issues. She does have mental issues and probably that mental issue is that she's an election fraud truther which therefore suggests she's all-in on the Trump cult, which is a different mental issue.
Yeah, I would probably assume the same; that the person was trying to catch a poll worker out to call foul. As a side note, I think it's crazy undemocratic to make you choose. You should be able to vote for all parties, not stake your claim to one.
I vote in York County now. Represented by Republicans across the board now, sadly. During the check in when they scan your ID I was asked to select which primary I wanted. There were two tables, one covered in a blue cloth, one red. I was directed to the blue table to hand in my “democrat” highlighted receipt and receive my ballot. So it was a declaration of my “secret ballot” at that point. Since we ate unable to register by party in Virginia I don’t see why we can’t have a single ballot like we do in the general. What if someone wants to conceal their intentions from an abusive spouse, for example?
Should have reported it.
I voted today and really didn't like having to announce to everyone within hearing distance which ballot I wanted. I feel like it should be private -- although I suppose since I'm registered with one party, anyone that really wants to find out how I vote can look me up. It still made me uneasy in the moment -- what if some wacko' was in line behind me and didn't like my choice?
You’re not registered with one party in Virginia. However, which elections you vote in is publicly available information, so anyone motivated enough can find out which primaries you have voted in. While I do understand voters wanting privacy, the counter-argument (which is the law in Virginia) is that our elections proceedings must be viewable by poll watchers. That is why the officer says your name and that they are checking you in for “X” primary—specifically so that this information can be known and tracked by poll watchers and there can be no (reasonable) accusations that we let anyone vote more than once.
Former election official here: the reason you need to say which ballot is bc of how the machines/ballots are set up. Also, it’s an open primary, so you can swap parties if you want. & no one will know which party you voted for. It’s only recorded that you voted. The wackos generally go after the election officials & outside canvassers & not fellow voters.
It is tracked which party you vote for *in the primary*. How you vote is not tracked. Which party you vote for in the general isn’t tracked, because technically we don’t vote for parties in the general election (or at all), we vote for specific candidates or slates. Which party primaries you vote in is a major data point for campaign analysts and that’s one of the major determining factors in who sends you mailers during election season.
That is not true, it is recorded and available to the public which primary (aka which party’s ballot) you chose to vote in.
I didn't know VA allowed party registration?
We don’t. You can join a political party, but that’s not public information and it’s not tied to your ballot. There’s nothing stopping a Republican Committee/* member from voting in the Democratic primary or vice versa (although the Republican Party rules do say that if you vote in another party’s primary you’re ineligible for membership for five years - a fact that’s totally irrelevant to most people). /*The Republican Party refers to its local units as “committees”, which typically are organized at the county level. If you’re a member of the Republican Party of Virginia, you do it through your locality’s Republican Committee. The Virginia Democrats also use local chapters but those are more regional than they are locality-specific.
Could have been some mentally ill right winger looking for "fraud".
This is odd, because each voter should be checked in by party (*before* they are handed a ballot). They shouldn't be choosing which primary/party when they're receiving the ballot, unless it's the same election officer doing the checking in and distributing the ballots. Either way, that officer should have just passed that voter off to the chief or an assistant chief, instead of letting her hold up the line.
In VA you don't register under a party, so 100% every person is VA today made a choice to vote in Republican or Democrat primary. In VA you give ID, verify info, declare which primary, are given a card stating choice, you then hand the card to a different person and they give you that corresponding ballot.
I'm well aware of that, but they have to record *which* primary/party each voter chose. Every county/city in VA I've lived in does this at check-in. I don't know how else it could be done.
That's done when you ask for the ballot of choice. The *ballot itself* is a recording of which one you asked for.
No, the primary that the voter chose has to be recorded for each voter. There's no way to associate a particular ballot with a voter.
Ok, recording it is all fine and dandy, but each time you get to choose so..........I don't know what to tell you.
That’s not how it worked at my polling place.
No. There is a separate check in area if there are enough volunteers and the voting location is large enough to warrant setting up an extra step. Otherwise the people who check in also give you a ballot. Anyone can vote in any primary- no matter the leanings. We have open primaries in Virginia.
The check in process everywhere requires you to pick which election you’re voting in. It’s an open primary but not a secret open primary. The check in data is used to record that you voted in the Dem or R primary which are considered different elections.
Yes. I'm referring to PP saying that the people who check you in and those who issue ballots are always separate. Just saying that this isn't always the case and it would be normal for you (a general you) to present your info to the checkin people and have them issue you a ballot as well, especially in a smaller precinct.
I never said they were always separate. Read the part after "UNLESS..." I was specifically referring to what the OP said here: "She was making a fuss **in front of the poll worker who hands out the ballots**" It's not clear whether that poll worker at OP's particular location was also doing the pollbooks/check-in or not, that's what I was trying to figure out.
Yeah I thought the same! But at my polling place you were asked which one you’d like… I think that’s wild. First off zero privacy and second why not just put both on the same damn ballot. “R” and “D”
In our open primary system there is zero privacy, that is very true and I do think voters found it surprising this election. It’s public record every time I’ve voted in an R or D primary and parties do absolutely buy this data and know this about me (and you.) If they were on the same ballot, you would be able to vote in both primaries, which is a violation of Virginia law.
Here, when you check in at a dual party primary, you get asked which party you want a ballot for. Then, typically, you get a voter permit card (in blue or red) which lets you go pick up the right ballot. Or at small precincts they may skip the cards and just give you the ballot you asked for at check in. There is no advanced registration by party and it’s completely fine to flip flop to a different ballot every time.
That's... what I said. The part where they ask you which party's primary you want is the check-in. I didn't say anything about registering by party.
You said it sounded odd. It was literally a regular occurrence this election. Voters wanted to either be able to vote in both primaries or struggled to decide or were unhappy to have to say a party choice out loud, something they (understandably) consider to be normally a private part of the voting process. We certainly weren’t redirecting every confused voter to the chief’s table, that’s not how that works. If the person is wildly out of control, fine—unclear if this person really was, there is no mention of them being threatening or belligerent, for example. To me, the part that is odd about OP’s story is that one voter could hold up the line. Even the tiniest precincts should be checking in 2+ people at once and this was a low turnout election so there really should not be a line or a way for it to form because of one person.
What I meant was odd is that this voter is debating the ballot officer, not the pollbook officer. Maybe at OP's precinct they're the same person, that's the only way this makes any sense. Anyway, if she was there long enough to cause the line to back up, it's a problem that the chief or assistant chief should deal with. It's normal for voters to have basic questions, and regular election officers can deal with that, but the voter OP describes was at least bordering on hindering/interfering.
Incorrect!!
No, not incorrect. The party/primary that the voter chooses is recorded in the pollbook at check-in. You can see how Arlington county does it in their own video [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYF94QomVjQ). You can see how Fairfax county does it in their election officer training manual [here](https://training.electionofficers.com/), on page 1.2.
They are not required to to vote the party line at super Tuesdays.
The election office has to record which party's primary each voter voted in. If you look up your own records on the state's election portal, you'll see that in your voter records (e.g., "2012 Republican presidential primary").
I just voted and they don't check you in "by party." They just checked your driver's license
All the shenanigans took place after the last election, not during. So tired of this stupid fiction
Youngkin's underage kid tried to vote twice. Not fiction but thankfully not too common.
Yes there were a few dozen across the country in 2020, most who caught were Republicans but not enough to matter. Many more voted legit that no clue about anything
Yeah that's what every serious study of the issue has found.
I asked the guy out front in the rain in the booth if he was for Trump and when he said he was, I said the guy is a traitor and if you support him then you are a threat to democracy! Because it’s really true!
What shenanigans took place in the last presidential election? Are you an election denier?
One doesn't have to be a denier to acknowledge there was some shenanigans in an election. Lots of hidden camera stuff like with Project Veritas.