Wait over as voters hit polls
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, November 3, 2004
CLEVELAND (AP) - Just hours before the election Tuesday, the yards and roadsides in this city's neighborhoods were jam packed with signs urging people to vote and telling residents to call advocacy groups if they have problems casting a ballot.
The signs crowded out political posters proclaiming support for certain candidates, a symbol that as one of the nation's most intense presidential campaigns closes, the attention turned to who would cast votes and how they would be counted.
With the stakes so high in must-win Ohio, Republicans and Democrats prepared for their worst-case scenarios at polling places. Both sides have dozens of lawyers and observers in the state to monitor voting and file lawsuits if necessary.
Both parties got more involved with the voting early Tuesday when a federal appeals court cleared the way for challengers to be present at polling places in Ohio.
A three-judge panel of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 to stay two federal judges' orders Monday that barred political parties' voter challengers in Ohio.
Democrats claimed the challengers would disenfranchise some voters. Plaintiffs in one of the consolidated cases appealed the stay to the U.S. Supreme Court, but the court refused to hear the case.
People who believe they are legally registered but are challenged or don't show up on rolls can use a provisional ballot. Such votes are set aside and counted after the election once eligibility is verified and if the voter was in the correct precinct.
Democrats planned to sue if they believe voters, particularly the poor and minorities, are unfairly denied a chance to choose.
Outside groups - from the NAACP to a crew for filmmaker Michael Moore to observers from other countries - have said they plan to be near Ohio polling places to watch the process and help voters if needed.
''We're looking to have people cast ballots that will be counted,'' said Mel Schwarzwald, the Cuyahoga County leader of the nonpartisan Voter Protection Coalition. The group will station more than 500 lawyers and twice as many monitors at polls across Ohio. The volunteers will wear yellow vests and help voters with various problems.
The U.S. Department of Justice dispatched three times as many poll watchers to closely contested states, including Ohio. Also, senior prosecutors will be on duty in the state's U.S. attorneys offices to handle any complaints about voting problems and to pursue any allegations of voting fraud or other elections abuses. The FBI will have agents on duty at its field offices to handle such complaints as well.