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FULTON COUNTY, GA - FORCED TO VOTE PROVISIONAL
I am a first-time voter who registered in Fulton County, GA; mailed my registration and had it postmarked by the deadline. This morning I contacted the Fulton County Election Office to verify my registration status. I was told that yes, I was registered, and given the polling location (which I already knew from looking it up beforehand, but I wanted to verify with them.) When I arrived at the polling location, I was not found in their system. The manager of the polling location looked on her various other lists and I was on none of them. She tried to call some phone number to have it verified but after 5 minutes stated that it was too busy for her to get through the line. I was forced to vote provisional and was extremely unhappy about it. I went home, but then went back with my father and complained. They were apologetic this time and gave us some phone numbers to call. After I got home again, I was more angry and left a message with CNN's voter complaint hotline (1-877-462-6608), and contacted the election office again, who once again confirmed to me that I was registered. Unfortunately since I had already cast my ballot, there was nothing I could do to change it.
The current voting system is messed up. How can I be in the actual county's database but not in the polling location's? It is an inferior, backwards system that needs rehauling. The polling location I was at was not even busy at all, but I saw that other provisionals had been cast before I had gotten there, so others probably went through the same crap.
Also, though it may be irrelevant, the poll location manager was rather unhelpful and condescending to me, and also seemed to hint that I registered too late, though I know I registered before the deadline.
I'm extremely unhappy with my first voting experience.
Posted:
Nov 4 2008, 4:06 PM EST by Anonymous
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