Tag Archives: election

Officials report an abundance of students using provisional ballots

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At least several hundred first-time voters in Philadelphia and the surrounding area were forced to vote provisionally Tuesday after their names weren’t on register lists in various polling places, a PennPIRG press release indicated.

There have been reports from multiple Temple students who have said they were directed to vote provisionally in polling places off-campus despite registering to vote on time and properly.

At polling places on 10th and Oxford streets and 16th and Berks streets, Temple students were separated into “college lines” and voted provisionally, multiple students said.

One Temple student said he was forced to vote provisionally at the Amos Recreation Center at 16th and Berks streets without giving his name or offering his voter registration card.

Some reports indicate late registration by students has been the cause of the mixup, but the press release warned the city didn’t update its rolls after Philadelphia was redistricted following the 2010 U.S. Census.

Multiple news outlets have projected Barack Obama will carry Pennsylvania in the 2012 Presidential Election.

Judge puts injunction on voter ID law

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A judge today temporarily halted Pennsylvania’s voter identification law for the upcoming election, according to media reports.

The judge ruled that voters for the election on Nov. 6, could be asked to provide photo ID, but could still vote even if they didn’t produce the appropriate identification. The law was passed through the legislature and signed by Gov. Tom Corbett in March.

Political groups on Main Campus were split on the issue at the time of the bill’s signing and some students pushed Temple to redesign the Owl Cards to make the IDs a suitable form of voter identification. Temple unveiled a new design for the cards in April, and put the IDs into service this semester.

Pick up The Temple News on Tuesday, Oct. 9, for reaction from the judge’s decision.

Dean and Nutter bring “hope” for students

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He may not be Barack Obama, but as chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Gov. Howard Dean might make a good alternate guest.

The former governor of Vermont and one time presidential hopeful (not now, the one in 2004) stopped in at Temple today to sing Obama’s praises and encourage college students to be politically engaged.  Opening for Dean was Mayor Michael Nutter, while State Sen. Shirley Kitchen and State Rep. W. Curtis Thomas also came out to show support at the Obama rally.

The theme of the event was that students should do whatever they can to help out with the election, with Dean saying that you only “get a D for voting.” He asked that students volunteer, donate (with what time they have between studying,) and make sure others are registered to vote as well. This last part received particular emphasis with only 17 days left for voter registration in Pennsylvania, a state that can still swing either red or blue.

The rally, put together by Temple College Democrats, was well attended, although one might think that more than 200 people would turn up to see such a huge political player. That said, some students had difficulty coming out in the middle of the day because of conflicts with class. Those that did make it had a chance to hear about a failing economy and an out-of-touch Republican Party, along with how Obama is seeking to change that.  Although if you were expecting a detailed outline on economic policy reform, you didn’t miss much.

Dean invoked the Obama-J.F.K. comparison, but focused more on the culture surrounding the 1960 election with the one currently running, calling them both a time of “generational change.” He also accepted what he felt was the failure of his generation in “taking time off of politics,” which he believes led to the problems of American’s today.

In his 2004 campaign for the Democratic nomination, Dean was criticized for his overzealous yelp enthusiastic cheer during a concession speech following a third place finish in the Iowa Democratic caucuses.

Keep an eye on TTN this week for a video, photo slideshow, and a full article covering today’s event.