Voter Suppression in 4S Ranch

I've lived in 4S Ranch (a community in San Diego County) since July of 2003 and have voted in every election since then. For some reason I didn't receive my sample ballot but my wife did. I just sluffed it off and when Super Tuesday rolled around I went to the polls. To my surprise my name was no longer on the voter rolls. I was given a registration form and a provisional ballot which I doubt will ever count.

When I got to work I called the San Diego Registrar of Voters to get to the bottom of this. They were excellent and dug into the problem. They called me back within a half-hour and told me that someone in San Bernadino with the same name had registered. Voter registration information is sent to the state. Some moron in the Secretary of State's Office (or some idiotic software engineer) grabbed my name and drivers license number and sent it to San Diego to remove me from the voters rolls. The San Diego folks re-instated me but since I'd already voted provisionally I couldn't vote again and know that it counted.

I tell you, the feeling of having your civil rights violated is horrible. It makes you angry and sick.

If this ever happens to you do not take the provisional ballot. Call your registrar of voters and get it fixed. Your vote is too important as many people paid for it with their blood.

Posted by Tim at February 6, 2008 12:11 AM | TrackBack