A Philadelphia, Pennslyvania, Local Judge, on Friday Oct. 9th, Rejected an Effort by the Trump Campaign to Send Poll Watchers to Voting IUites in Philadelphia, Ruling that the Campaign's Attempted Poll-Watching isn't Allowed under State Law.
The Ruling from Judge, Gary Glazer, was a Victory for Philadelphia Officials and a Loss for the Trump Campaign.
The Dispute revolved around "Satellite Election Offices," where Election Officials: Register Voters; Process Applications for Mail-in-Ballots, and Allow Voters to Fill-Out and Submit their Mail Ballots.
The Trump Campaign sent Unauthorized Poll Watchers into some of these Locations last month, but they were Kicked Out by Local Officials.
Trump used this Incident to Spread False Claims about Anti-Trump Bias at the Polls, saying at last week's Debate that "bad things happen in Philadelphia."
The Trump Campaign argued in Court that these Sites are Tantamount to Election Day Polling Places, and therefore its Poll Watchers should be Allowed.
The Bipartisan Philadelphia City Commission said that while some Ballots are being Cast in the "satellite" Locations, they don't Qualify as Polling Places under State Laws that Allow for Partisan Poll Watchers.
The Judge on Friday sided with the City Officials.
"The very detailed Election Code contains no provision that expressly grants the (Trump) Campaign and its representatives a right to serve as watchers at 'satellite offices' of the Board of Elections," Glazer wrote in a 15-page Ruling.
He later added, "given their scope, timing, and purpose, the satellite offices do not constitute polling places where watchers have a right to be present under the Election Code."
Political Campaigns are Allowed under Pennsylvania Law to send: Trained, Certified, and Credentaled by the Party, Poll Watchers, to Observe Vote Counting and other Election Procedures on Election Day, including the Tabulation of Mail-in-Ballots.
I have been a Poll Watcher and Vote Counter, in New York City, for 12 years. I have Watched and Reported Vote Totals, at Sites in Manhatten and Staten Island, for the Independence Party of New York. Covering a Pooling Site with Many Election Districts is an Adventure. Your Vote Count Job dosen't Start until the Polls Close. Party Judges are there to Handle Problems
New York Poll Watcher (Three per Site) may: Arrive at 5:00 AM before the unlocking and examination of any voting machine to verify no votes have been cast and that the Ballot Boxes and Ballot Bin Liner Case are empty; Examine poll books as long as they don’t interfere with inspectors or election proceedings; Observe the closing of the polls and the canvass; Challenge individual voters on the basis of, Signature authenticity, Residence, and Multiple Voting; Qualification to vote; Electioneering, such a challenge is to be made with the Election Inspectors, who will make a ruling on the challenge in accordance with approved procedures.
Pennsylvania Attorney General, Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, Praised the Ruling in a Statement, saying the Decision "makes clear, yet again, that the President's wild claims don't hold up in the court of law."
The Trump Campaign and the Republican National Committee are Undertaking an Aggressive Poll-Watching Effort in Key States across the Country.
Democrats and some Nonpartisan Election Experts have Raised Concerns about Voter Intimidation, especially after the Trump spoke about sending Law Enforcement to Monitor Voting.
Most States have Election Laws that Define how this works and what State Laws cover Actions at a Pool Site and the Penalties if Broken.
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker
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