A crush of new voters combined with widespread uncertainties about voting machines and registration lists are raising concerns about troubled elections across the country this fall, authorities warned Monday.
Doug Chapin, director of the Pew Center on the States’ project, who hosted a forum at the Democratic National Convention, compared it to what townsfolk faced on their exploratory boat ride in the movie “Jaws,” where they first see the shark and conclude they need a bigger boat.
“You could have situations where a result is in doubt,” Chapin said, referring to recent blips in Florida, Colorado and elsewhere. “You wouldn’t know the winner.”
A political trend toward increased voting by people younger than 30 and by unmarried women will drive record turnouts in November, Democratic pollster Anna Greenberg said. Some states such as Virginia have indicated surges in voter registration.
Voting in 2004 and 2006 exposed the glitch-prone nature of the latest computerized electronic systems.
Federal officials on Monday urged early contingency planning:
• Extra paper ballots stashed as backup in case computers fail.
• Extra poll workers on call in case of long lines.
• Roving troubleshooter crews equipped with generators and other materials.
“The potential is not for a full-blown meltdown, but there could be problems,” said former Denver County clerk and city councilwoman Rosemary Rodriguez, who chairs the U.S. Election Assistance Commission.
“We should expect some isolated problems. The question is: What are you going to do when problems arise?”
Bruce Finley: 303-954-1700 or bfinley@denverpost.com
