Nutter Wants To Hear About Election Day Voting Troubles
By Mike Dunn
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Philadelphia residents who had problems voting in last November's presidential election are being asked to come to City Hall this evening and tell their tale.
The task force set up by Mayor Nutter to look at voting problems in the November 6th election is holding its first open meeting. Managing Director Rich Negrin, who is chairing the task force, says they've already spoken to those who ran the election but now it's John Q. Public's chance:
"We also want to hear from the public, and let the folks who experienced it themselves kind of give us their perspective in an unfiltered way. Poll workers are able to come forward, city employees, non-city employees, the public: all welcome to come and share their opinion."
Negrin says the issues that the task force hopes to learn about are many:
"Things like long lines, provisional ballots, things like people who registered to vote and were not in the poll books. Those are the kinds of things we are interested in. We'd like the public to come out and tell us the story first hand."
The report of the task force will be reviewed by Nutter, who hopes to have it before this May's primary election. Nutter said animosity among the three city commissioners who run the election should not impede his probe. The commissioners' internal report found that more than 27,350 provisional or paper ballots were cast. That's more than twice the number submitted in the 2008 presidential election.
Tonight's meeting starts at 4:30 in the mayor's reception room on the second floor of City Hall, and no prior registration is necessary. A second open session comes on February 28th at the Bright Hope Baptist Church. Voters who cannot attend either session can report their story by calling 267-209-FACT, or by going to www.phila.gov/election2012.
