Voting Rights Watch: Katrina displacement and long lines among emerging trends

By Desiree Evans / November 3, 2008

According to Our Vote Live, there are several emerging early voting rights issues being reported to the 1-866-OUR-VOTE HOTLINE today.

From the Our Vote Live Blog, the major trends are:
  • Katrina displacement: People who moved out of their damaged homes after hurricane Katrina are reporting confusion about their registration status and voting precinct to Election Protection's 866-OUR-VOTE hotline. Voting rights experts are working to resolve these questions to ensure that all eligible voters from the New Orleans area can exercise their right to vote in this historic election.
  • Absentee voting problems are being widely reported, with particularly high rates in Virginia, Ohio, and Florida. In one example, a caller from Florida had requested absentee ballots for herself and her husband, a stroke survivor who is unable to go to the polls. Neither ballot has arrived and if they don't, she will be unable to vote as she is unable to leave her husband's side to go to the polls.
  • Polling place problems - such as extremely long lines - are of great concern to voters in Florida and Georgia, particularly in Miami-Dade and Broward counties in Florida, and Fulton County in Georgia.

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