 | The county election boards across Oklahoma have had a higher level of human failure, this past primary election. No, I don't believe there was strategic malice to undermine candidates. Just an indifference to minority party circumstances and just general incoherence of process. We pay folks a $95 stipend to run a polling location, but the employee pool isn't always what the upper management would like it to be, and county election boards evidently did not provide the training and clear instructions to these temporary workers. Most of the complaints in Tulsa County happened early in the morning. The candidates heard anecdotal evidence and contacted the County Election Board, who acted quickly to restore voter rights in the mid afternoon. The poll problems stem from 3 unique realities:
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Some mistakes are just too stupid to blame on the county secretary, directly. There were poll officials who claimed that only Independents were allowed to vote in the nonpartisan TulsaMayoral race, for instance. But how did that level of stupidity ever get hired? It does beg the question of what training aids are given to poll officials. I can think of a simple chart which would show the options for each of the 4 divisions of voters, listing all of their options in this election day.
I voted early last Thursday (because I could), but I and my wife stopped by our neighborhood poll Tuesday afternoon so she could vote. the first official poll worker to greet her, asked; "Democrat or Republican?". I chimed in to say; "or Libertarian, or Independent?". The good man took my correction quickly, saying; "You're right. I need to include everyone."
I voted early last Thursday (because I could), but I and my wife stopped by our neighborhood poll Tuesday afternoon so she could vote. the first official poll worker to greet her, asked; "Democrat or Republican?". I chimed in to say; "or Libertarian, or Independent?". The good man took my correction quickly, saying; "You're right. I need to include everyone."
