[EL] Poll Worker Bites Voter's Nose

[Michael McDonald]

Reminds me of the poll worker who accused me of being a terrorist. After
the poll closed, I helped a school janitor pick up the outside campaign
waste and dropped the full bag by the front door. This poll worker saw
me leave the bag and started accusing me of planting a bomb. The janitor
and I just looked at the guy with incredulity. I finally told him to
call the police if he was so certain that there was a bomb at which
point he relented. Apparently, some people go on extreme power trips
when they are given a little authority. I guess it could have been
worse. I'm glad to say I still have my nose.

============
Dr. Michael P. McDonald
Associate Professor, George Mason University
Non-Resident Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution

                             Mailing address:
(o) 703-993-4191             George Mason University
(f) 703-993-1399             Dept. of Public and International Affairs
mmcdon at gmu.edu               4400 University Drive - 3F4
http://elections.gmu.edu     Fairfax, VA 22030-4444

-----Original Message-----
From: law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu
[mailto:law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu] On Behalf Of John
Tanner
Sent: Thursday, November 10, 2011 1:00 PM
To: Foley, Edward
Cc: law-election at uci.edu
Subject: Re: [EL] Poll Worker Bites Voter's Nose


The nose-biter surrenders

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2011/11/cleveland_man_surrenders_in_no.h
tml

but I still expect to hold my nose when voting


On Wed, Nov 9, 2011 at 8:41 AM, Foley, Edward <foley.33 at osu.edu> wrote:

I'm not kidding; that's the new low for election administration in Ohio:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/elections-board-in-ohio-says-work
er-bit-voters-nose-after-argument-outside-polling-place/2011/11/08/gIQAz
zVz2M_story.html 

I know you can't make policy based on a bizarre isolated incident like
this, but I can't help wondering how one would address this in a
well-designed poll worker training course.  ("Never, ever try to bite a
voter's nose, even if the voter does something stupid like calling you
an 'ass'."  Or "If you feel like biting a voter's nose, try counting to
ten to see if you can calm down."???)

And now back to the serious news, like the "razor-thin result" in the
Virginia senate seat that will determine which party controls that
legislative chamber . . .

Ned

Edward B. Foley
Isadore & Ida Topper Professor of Constitutional Law
Director, Election Law @ Moritz

The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law
(614) 292-4288; foley.33 at osu.edu
Website: www.electionlaw.osu.edu 



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