# Judge orders partisans to stop asking voters for ID outside Homestead polls **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 6, 2012, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-orders-partisans-to-stop-asking-voters-for-id-outside-homestead-polls/640105 "2012-11-06T17:14:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-orders-partisans-to-stop-asking-voters-for-id-outside-homestead-polls/640105/41 "2012-11-06T18:38:40Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > In West Virginia, it’s 200 feet. Correction: 300 Feet [QUOTE=W.Va. Code 3-1-37] a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, no person, other than the election officers and voters going to the election room to vote and returning therefrom, may be or remain within three hundred feet of the outside entrance to the building housing the polling place while the polls are open. This subsection does not apply to persons who reside or conduct business within such distance of the entrance to the building housing the polling place, while in the discharge of their legitimate business, or to persons whose business requires them to pass and repass within three hundred feet of such entrance. [/QUOTE] Hell, you can’t even BE within 300 feet even if not electioneering. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-orders-partisans-to-stop-asking-voters-for-id-outside-homestead-polls/640105/42 "2012-11-06T18:44:21Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > And Philly strikes back [http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/11/06/judge-issuing-order-to-reinstate-booted-philadelphia-election-officials/](http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/11/06/judge-issuing-order-to-reinstate-booted-philadelphia-election-officials/) Leave it to Fox: > [@](#): > > Elsewhere in the city, a representative from the New Black Panther Party was also spotted outside a polling site. It doesn’t say he was intimidating people, or even _talking_ to them-just that they spotted him near a polling sight. If it wasn’t for Fox’s “Scary Black Man Watch” whatever _would_ we do? ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-orders-partisans-to-stop-asking-voters-for-id-outside-homestead-polls/640105/43 "2012-11-06T18:45:08Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > And Philly strikes back [http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/11/06/judge-issuing-order-to-reinstate-booted-philadelphia-election-officials/](http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/11/06/judge-issuing-order-to-reinstate-booted-philadelphia-election-officials/) All I can find is recursive links echoing the same thing in this article. Can you cite me what judge, and what “elections officials” these are? I’d like to know the whole story. As for the mural of Obama, I’m sure that the room was chosen and no one thought about it. It should be covered up, but it’s hardly a dastardly plan. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-orders-partisans-to-stop-asking-voters-for-id-outside-homestead-polls/640105/44 "2012-11-06T18:45:14Z")
The black man in question was actually holding the door open for poll entrants, at least according to the video I saw. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-orders-partisans-to-stop-asking-voters-for-id-outside-homestead-polls/640105/45 "2012-11-06T19:27:23Z")
> [@Jas09](#): > > The black man in question was actually holding the door open for poll entrants, at least according to the video I saw. I guess the Panthers are trying to repair their image. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-orders-partisans-to-stop-asking-voters-for-id-outside-homestead-polls/640105/46 "2012-11-06T19:37:08Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > As for the mural of Obama, I’m sure that the room was chosen and no one thought about it. It should be covered up, but it’s hardly a dastardly plan. Are you joking? Saddam Hussein had less flattering murals of him in polling places. Here, every polling place has a representative from each party. Unless the Republican representative was blind, how did he miss that? Oh wait, they refused to let the Republican officials in. My point for posting the link was to simply show that these shenanigans go on in every election by each party. The OPs link of GOP operatives asking for ID is along the same lines. However, unlike what the GOP did, this is a clear violation of PA election law. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-orders-partisans-to-stop-asking-voters-for-id-outside-homestead-polls/640105/47 "2012-11-06T19:45:05Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > Are you joking? Saddam Hussein had less flattering murals of him in polling places. Here, every polling place has a representative from each party. Unless the Republican representative was blind, how did he miss that? Oh wait, they refused to let the Republican officials in. > > My point for posting the link was to simply show that these shenanigans go on in every election by each party. The OPs link of GOP operatives asking for ID is along the same lines. However, unlike what the GOP did, this is a clear violation of PA election law. We totally understand that this was another weak ass “They do it toooo!” diversion tactic. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-orders-partisans-to-stop-asking-voters-for-id-outside-homestead-polls/640105/48 "2012-11-06T19:46:47Z")
Yeah, if that were all Republican elected officials were suspected/accused of doing, _then_ I think it would be whining. But as it is… ---
**Author:** ![ladyfoxfyre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ad7895/32.png) [@ladyfoxfyre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladyfoxfyre)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-orders-partisans-to-stop-asking-voters-for-id-outside-homestead-polls/640105/49 "2012-11-06T20:34:51Z")
Hey! [They do it too!](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/06/deanna-swenson-oregon-election-worker_n_2082882.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000009) “An Oregon election worker under criminal investigation for changing ballots to help Republican candidates was fired.” ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-orders-partisans-to-stop-asking-voters-for-id-outside-homestead-polls/640105/50 "2012-11-06T21:35:07Z")
[Here is a decent list of incidents involving both sides.](http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/election-2012/wp/2012/11/06/roundup-voter-irregularities-2/) ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-orders-partisans-to-stop-asking-voters-for-id-outside-homestead-polls/640105/51 "2012-11-06T23:44:36Z")
Utterly pathetic attempt by Republicans to sway the vote. ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-orders-partisans-to-stop-asking-voters-for-id-outside-homestead-polls/640105/52 "2012-11-07T01:21:30Z")
> [@MegaBee](#): > > I agree. Forget 50 - To me 350 ft AT LEAST would be far more appropriate. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-orders-partisans-to-stop-asking-voters-for-id-outside-homestead-polls/640105/53 "2012-11-07T01:30:00Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > Utterly pathetic attempt by Republicans to sway the vote. Whats pathetic is that it won’t do any good in Pennsylvania. Obama is going to win by a reasonably comfortable margin in PA. This would make more sense in Colorado or Virginia. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-orders-partisans-to-stop-asking-voters-for-id-outside-homestead-polls/640105/54 "2012-11-07T01:56:37Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > How is this possibly intimidation? A political dirty trick perhaps. Or, as I said, perhaps they are surveying the local polling place to determine what percentage of voters have a valid ID for use in the next argument for a voter ID law? Unless there was some trickery or implication that they were not permitted inside unless they produced the ID, I don’t see the legal problem. At my polling place, there were three perfectly nice, totally normal looking and friendly people standing outside with shirts for some local candidate or other, greeting everyone and saying “thanks for coming to vote!” I felt intimidated. Sure, I’m overly-sensitive and too nervous around strangers. Absolutely. But _so are a whole lot of other Americans._ The very act of standing near the entrance making a point to speak to everyone is already a piece of body/placement language which asserts authority over the entrance. It will be enough to discourage at least a few people from going in–friendly smiles or no. (I actually find overly broad friendly smiles to be fairly creepy and discouraging myself. Again, I’m surely in the minority there but that it is a minority is irrelevant. There are surely _zero_ people that find the complete absence of people staking out an entrance to be a factor that discourages them from going through that entrance.) If the friendly person staking out the entrance is _asking for I.D.s_–an act which clearly signals authority over who goes in and who doesn’t–then even more people will be discouraged. And sure–they “shouldn’t” be discouraged and “should” insist on their rights but the fact is there are some who won’t, and it is unfair for these more timid types to be disenfranchised on account of their timidity. I’m not even convinced they intended to intimidate, but ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-orders-partisans-to-stop-asking-voters-for-id-outside-homestead-polls/640105/55 "2012-11-07T06:40:32Z")
The legal problem is that you come across as being an official no matter what when you are near an election place. And of course an obvious joke doesn’t count. Do you think these guys were doing this for a joke? If you really do try to convince Democrats that voting is on a different day, then you sure as heck do break the law. And if you really do ask people for ID before they enter a polling station, you imply you are an official, and that ID is required, which is also against the law. Weirdly enough, Ohio does require ID, although it counts a bill as ID, which seems stupid. An ID without a picture is useless. They also allow the last four digits of your social security number–but only for a provisional ballot. ---
**Author:** ![gamerunknown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6bbea6/32.png) [@gamerunknown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gamerunknown)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-orders-partisans-to-stop-asking-voters-for-id-outside-homestead-polls/640105/56 "2012-11-07T11:07:32Z")
The Democrat party once again throws [Democracy out of the window](http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/11/06/have-to-vote-for-dems-nyc-poll-worker-tells-gop-senate-candidate/?test=latestnews). ---
**Author:** ![emoticorpse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/22d042/32.png) [@emoticorpse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emoticorpse)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-orders-partisans-to-stop-asking-voters-for-id-outside-homestead-polls/640105/57 "2012-11-07T11:58:20Z")
> [@gamerunknown](#): > > The Democrat party once again throws [Democracy out of the window](http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/11/06/have-to-vote-for-dems-nyc-poll-worker-tells-gop-senate-candidate/?test=latestnews). So the poll worker can’t exercise her freedom of speech and tell a voter what to mark off?. What’s next? stopping people from asking to see ID right outside the polling station?.. ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-orders-partisans-to-stop-asking-voters-for-id-outside-homestead-polls/640105/58 "2012-11-07T12:44:36Z")
> [@gamerunknown](#): > > The Democrat party once again throws [Democracy out of the window](http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/11/06/have-to-vote-for-dems-nyc-poll-worker-tells-gop-senate-candidate/?test=latestnews). Hey, if you can’t trust a Republican candidate to [del]sell[/del] tell the truth about Democrats, who \*can \*you trust? ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2012, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-orders-partisans-to-stop-asking-voters-for-id-outside-homestead-polls/640105/59 "2012-11-10T00:58:25Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > At my polling place, there were three perfectly nice, totally normal looking and friendly people standing outside with shirts for some local candidate or other, greeting everyone and saying “thanks for coming to vote!” > > I felt intimidated. > > Sure, I’m overly-sensitive and too nervous around strangers. Absolutely. But _so are a whole lot of other Americans._ The election’s over, but I felt the need to comment on this. If a friendly greeting and a “thank you for voting” is intimidation in your mind, what is left of free speech? Anything? Disenfranchisement is a loaded word. Because someone chooses not to vote because of an irrational or incorrect perception, that is not disenfranchisement. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judge-orders-partisans-to-stop-asking-voters-for-id-outside-homestead-polls/640105.md?page=2)