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"DEMOCRATS PREPARE VOTING CHALLENGERS
Canton Repository
Saturday, October 30, 2004
CANTON ... Local Democrats don't expect any problems at polling places Tuesday, but some are ready just in case.
Stark County Democrats and Kerry-Edwards campaign volunteers spent about 90 minutes Friday afternoon training members designated to serve as challengers during Tuesday's general election.
"I can assure you that with your help, Ohio will not be the Florida of 2000," local lawyer Allen Schulman told party members at the meeting.
Ohio law allows political parties to place "challengers" in each precinct to monitor the election process. Both parties have rushed to register official challengers with county election boards around the state.
Stark County Republicans have challengers for all 364 precincts, although some are assigned to more than one precinct. The Democrats have rounded up 91 challengers during the last 2-1/2 weeks.
Challenger training sessions for local Republicans are set for Sunday through the Ohio Republican Party. Local Republicans referred questions about challenger training to the party offices in Columbus.
Stark Democrats opened Friday's training session to the media. Among the visitors were three reporters from an Italian radio network.
But Republicans ó as of Friday ó didn't plan to allow the media to sit in on their training sessions. A Republican Party press release issued Sunday said that challengers will help make certain that every eligible voter can cast a ballot, and "that all laws, regulations and rules are applied consistently."
Ohio Republicans "want this election to be decided by Ohio voters, not by partisan legal maneuvers and trial lawyers," the release said.
Democrats have the same goals, Schulman said. "We're walking into the polling place as advocates for voters," he told trainees.
Schulman, who is the Stark County counsel for the Kerry-Edwards campaign, led the training session, but referred a number of questions to Jeanette Mullane, assistant director and lead Democrat for the Stark County Board of Elections.
Challengers are in for a long day, Schulman said. They are asked to arrive at polling sites by 6:15 a.m. and to remain until the polls close at 7:30 p.m. Once polls close, the challengers were told they should watch poll workers load ballots and follow poll workers when they go to the election board offices or designated drop-off sites.
Schulman suggested challengers get to know the poll workers and presiding judge. Bringing coffee and doughnuts might be one way of getting the day off to a good start, he said. He also recommended challengers wear comfortable shoes and bring a folding chair.
It's hoped that all a challenger will have to do is sit at the polling station and watch, Schulman said. But that means keeping a sharp eye on the Republican challengers, he said.
Anyone who challenges a voter must show good cause for making the challenge, Schulman said. Age, citizenship and residency are the only valid reason for making a challenge.
Democratic challengers were told to watch for repeated challenges from their Republican counterparts. "If their sole goal is to delay, obstruct or stall the vote, then get to the presiding judge," Schulman said.
Republicans deny accusations they will intimidate voters or try to stall the process. Republicans charge in the press release that several political action committees "have engaged in an unprecedented level of fraudulent activity being called the worst of its kind in state history."
Republican officials say their challengers will intervene if they believe there is a need to keep fraud away from the ballot box.
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