Election Day 2020 — A day that will live in infamy. Wanting to avoid the big crowds I decided to …
This item is available in full to subscribers.
Please log in to continue |
Register to post eventsIf you'd like to post an event to our calendar, you can create a free account by clicking here. Note that free accounts do not have access to our subscriber-only content. |
Are you a day pass subscriber who needs to log in? Click here to continue.
Election Day 2020 — A day that will live in infamy. Wanting to avoid the big crowds I decided to go vote early in the morning.
I arrived at my polling place at 8:30 a.m., got in and presented my license — no record found. No problem, we’ll search by license number — no record found. No problem, we’ll search by date of birth — no record found
“Have you moved recently? Changed your last name?” No.
“You will have to see the supervisor.”
Supervisor went through the same process with same res — no record found.
Supervisor stated that there have been problems all morning with the computer system — remember, it’s 8:30.
I was given a provisional ballot as well as a receipt with the ballot ID number
I left the polling place not feeling well about what just transpired. “Wait a minute, I’ve lived in Bristol my entire life, the last 23 years at my current address. I’ve had a R.I. driver’s license for over 35 years. I’ve been a state licensed EMT for over 30 years. I pay vehicle use taxes as well as register, insure and inspect five motor vehicles under my name. I pay both town and state taxes ... No record found?
I checked status of my ballot ID number several times until it said “disqualified.”
Town clerk’s office first stop the following morning. I asked to confirm my voting status, which was active. My license? Active.
There are three reasons one gets a provisional ballot — valid ID not given, not on voting rolls, or if you requested a mail-in ballot.
The town clerk made some calls and came back and said not to worry, my ballot was located. I was registered to vote in the town of Exeter. I was also told that sometimes it happens when two people have a similar name and birthday. Do those two people share the same license number as well?
I then asked how I could receive an application for a mail-in ballot (not requested) at my home but yet there’s “No record found” on Election Day.
“They probably used an older or different list.” How many voting lists are there?
I was assured that my ballot had not yet been counted but will be … The election was over at that point.
The State of Rhode Island has a well earned reputation of incompetence when it comes to many things — sending out tax bills is definitely not one of them. I never fail to get a tax bill, vehicle registration or vehicle use tax bill (x5), but when it comes time to exercise my constitutional rights, there’s, “No record found.”
There is no excuse for this, but there is a term for it: voter suppression.
It shouldn’t matter who you voted for.
It’s not a red versus blue thing.
It’s a red, white and blue thing.
Peter C. Serbst
Bristol