A Missouri Judge on Friday, Denied a Republican Committeeman's effort to Force the State's Third-Largest County to allow Watchers or Challengers to observe Early Voting, Designated between Tuesday, Oct. 22nd and Monday, Nov. 4th.
Judge Dewayne Johnson wrote that the Document Filed by St. Charles County Central Committeeman Travis Allen Heins “fails to satisfy the requirements” of a Temporary Restraining Order. Johnson didn't consider the Merits of the Case, but Dismissed the Challenge because it wasn't written meeting State Legal Standards.
“I’m not an attorney and never claimed to be,” Heins said. He called the Ruling disappointing, but said His Request “opens the conversation” about the need to Clarify the Roles of Watchers and Challengers during the Early Voting period in Missouri.
St. Charles County Director of Elections Kurt Bahr welcomed the Ruling. “Election challengers from both political parties will be present at several polling locations on election day as state law allows,” Bahr said in a Statement. "We hope that the legislature can provide clarity on this issue during their next session."
This is the First Presidential Election with No-Excuse Absentee Voting in Missouri, and Turnout has been Heavy at many places, including St. Charles County. Bahr expected 2,500 Voters per day, but Daily Totals have often reached around 5,000. The County, in Suburban St. Louis, has about 420,000 Residents.
Under current Missouri Law, each Political Party on the Ballot, can Designate a Challenger for every Polling Place on Election Day. Heins’ Petition argued that He should be Allowed to Observe now, because Ballots are really Tabulated as soon as Voters feed them into a Scanner.
“When election authorities deny the presence of a Challenger or Watcher, the safety and transparency of the elections are compromised,” Heins wrote in His Petition.
Leaders of the "Missouri Voter Protection Coalition" said several People have been Deterred from Voting since the Injunction Request.
Missouri currently allows Watchers inside Polling Places, but they can’t Touch or Handle Ballots or Obstruct Voters from Entering or Exiting the Polling places.
The Republican National Committee (RNC) has Vowed to Deploy 100,000 Volunteer Poll Watchers and Attorneys to Swing States to Observe the Vote and lodge Legal Challenges, if they believe Ballots have been Mishandled or Voter ID Laws have Not been Properly Enforced.
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker
No comments:
Post a Comment