Denied The Right To Vote, Braintree, Massachusetts

Well I can't believe this has happened, but nothing surprises me living in Massachusetts.

Today my wife and I tried to vote. We have always been registered as Independents so as to choose which primary we can vote in. In Massachusetts though they did away with Independents so they refer to them as "unenrolled."

So we go to vote and find out that we have been placed with a party affiliation and can not vote in the party that we want to. First, this seems like it would violate a basic right to vote. Second, it seems that there is a pattern here because the town clerk said hundreds of people today complained of the same thing. Third, someone illegally moved us to a party when we have always been unenrolled.

According to the Town Clerk of Braintree there is nothing we can do. On top of that, the assistant violated my wife's confidential information by reading from a computer screen (for all to hear) what my wife's party affiliation was and what she voted in last election. This was when my wife was not present.

Ontop of all of this, Braintree Town Government does not even require identification for voting. My wife claims she did not vote what they said in the last election.

Well, emails off to the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts!

Did the board of electors send a notice to the voters that these changes were being made?

So far here in Georgia they said we have had no major complaints. The number one complaint is the long lines.

Let us know what happens. Something is rotten in Massachusett.

It’s not just Massachusetts that has something rotten. Here in New Jersey if you were not registered either as Democrat, or a Republican you couldn’t vote. Independent’s were out of luck! It’s far beyond rotten its ridicules!

This is the first election that we have had voter ID. I think it is about time. I saw on our local news that in some areas of Georgia the wait to vote was 90 min and we are having a pretty good turnout. It kind of reminds me of the elections of 1980 I waited 2 hr in line with a baby and it was raining. Hopefully we will continue to see a large number of voters. I don't think anyone should have to declare an allegiance to any political party in order to vote. Beside I don't think that belonging to a political party is a requirement to vote. Correct me if I am wrong.

The voting rules in a Primary Election are different from other elections, and they may well differ in other states as well. Why I don’t have a clue. Sound like another thing that has to change.

For lack of a better word that stinks. In Georgia I decide at the polls if I want a democratic or republican ticket.

I’m not looking for an argument here, are you?

No argument. I figured you and I would probably be in agreement on our right to vote. I can't wait to read your view on the primary results. I am surprised at some of the results.

Oh good, I’m on it!
Later!

In North Carolina (in primary elections), one must belong to the party whose primary one's voting in. Independents are left out. I'm going to have to switch party affiliation to vote my choice.

Thanks for clarifying this Bill. I was beginning to question my own observation. JC

According to the Constitution, which is the law of the land, no legal citizen of the US is to be denied the right to vote. If you are native born or a naturalized citizen it is your right to vote. We too are independants. But the primary is basically to find who will be chosen to go to the convention and be chosen by the delegates to run in the main election. In this case there are only two parties, democrat and republican. If you wish to vote in the primary you must chose one or the other. Often times we have local elections also at primary and they do not run again. Though we are independant, in the primary we vote republican because we have no others to vote for in our local area. In the primary you chose the party in which you can vote for your local offices, because, like here, in many places this is the only election you can chose your local officials. Problem is this county was never set up to have a two party only system but that is what we have, at least for the primary election. It's wrong but how do we change it?
Rebecca

Ok! Now that we know for a fact, that “Registered Independents” couldn’t vote in the Primary Election, (at least in New Jersey, North Carolina, and God know how many other states). That in it self gives me reason to contest the entire election.
I mean one would think that being registered as an Independent means just that? But no… that would be too independent, wouldn’t it!
Anyway, that’s exactly why I was for Dennis Kucinich from the get go, and also the reason he was “Black Balled” out of the very process that he thought needed to change!

06/02/08

John C.

A fellow poster inferred that I was not interested in American Politics. I stated that I did not much care who became your president not that I wasn't interested. In fact I find your Politics quiet fascinating and complexing. This business of being a registered Dem., Rep., or Ind., boggles me. It is no ones business what an individuals political affiliation is. During our registering to vote or at anytime during the election process no inummerator or polling station attendant would dare to ask that question.

Camac.

I really don't understand why the parties themselves don't pick a leader. This Primary Elections business seems like an extreme waste of time and money. And by the sounds of it, incredibly corrupt as well.