Poll worker 'allegedly' HARASSES 1-2-4 volunteer mom-with-BABY (VIDEO)


The following allegations are the subject of a complaint to be filed with the Hudson County Board of Elections by Emily.   

Emily was 'allegedly' harassed by a woman who claimed to the "head of the polling station" at Ward 3-District 4 as she handed out 5 o'clock cards for Forward Together slate 1-2-4.

In her own words:
"At approximately 6pm on Tuesday, November 8, 2016, I approached a group of people who included several supporters of the Parents United slate who were standing outside the poll station located at 455 9th Street (Columbus Gardens) in Hoboken – Ward 3, District 4.

I asked the group where I could stand along with my two children (ages 4 and 19 months, in stroller) to hand out voter information that would be in compliance with the 100 feet distance requirement, since the entrance to the polling station was not visible from the street entrance.   I was wearing a 1-2-4 tee shirt and button, and had a stack of cards approximately 4x6 inches in size.

The Parents United supporters along with a Hoboken Police Officer informed me that I should stand at the first set of benches located to the left of the polling station entrance, where I proceeded to stand with my stroller and 4 year old in order to hand out cards with information on the 1-2-4 Board of Education slate.

 Approximately 10 minutes later, a woman came out from the polling station in a rage, yelling: “Who is giving out these cards?” with 4-5 of the cards for BOE candidates 1-2-4 I had handed out in her hand.  Immediately the Parents United workers who were also standing by the benches handing out Parents United materials came over to address the woman, as they seemed to know her personally and by name.  They asked her to calm down and pointed out that I was standing there with my children (“She has babies with her” and “Her children are upset”).

The woman identified herself as head of the polling station and stated that it was illegal for me to hand out the voter information cards, which was why she confiscated them from voters in the polling station.  

I explained to the "head of the polling station" a police officer had also been present for my exchange, with Parents United supporters affirmed and agreed with – they added that in fact they had been in that same location all day because it was in compliance with the 100 foot rule.

When a man who had been passing by began to engage her in an attempt to specifically identify her concern, I was able to turn on the camera of my cell phone to capture the incident on video without causing additional disruption.

The video documents the inappropriate behavior of  the "head of the polling station" and the manner in which she spoke to me in front of my children.

My children were scared and upset by her manner – my 4 year old can be heard asking why she was angry at her for handing out the cards.



The "head of the polling station" told me that it was illegal for me to vote while wearing a tee shirt supporting 1-2-4 . [GA note: Emily had voted earlier at 3-5]

The "head of the polling station" told me I had to stand across the street from the polling station – just me and not the Parents United workers handing out their cards at the same location.

When I pointed out that she only had the 1-2-4 cards in her hand despite the Parents United supporters having handed out similar cards,  the  "head of the polling station" claimed that that was not the case.  In response, a Parents United worker showed the ""head of the polling station" she was, in fact, handing out Parents United cards, too.

This incident was both ugly and concerning as a resident of Hoboken and Hudson County.  this behavior was inappropriate and egregious given the presence of my very young children and their obvious fear of her conduct.


Further, I have concerns about the integrity of the polling station for her to have such clear misinformation about my rights as a citizen to distribute information to voters in a peaceful manner in compliance with election laws.

The Hudson County Board of Elections must hold the "head of the polling station" responsible for this incident and her inappropriate behavior.  It is not acceptable to treat citizens in this manner, particularly in the presence of young children. 
Further, "the head of the polling station" is clearly not fit to be the head of a polling station in Hudson County – if, indeed, she represented herself in this incident accurately – given the misinformation she perpetuated in this incident." 
I am sorry that this 'allegedly' happened to you, Emily.

Emily has since notified the Office of the Mayor of Hoboken and the Office of State Assemblywoman Annette Chaparro about this incident.

My thoughts?

It is past time to address the issue of unqualified and/or incompetent and/or unethical and/or partisan poll workers. 

Reform supporters- including voters and Challengers- have been dealing with  passive-aggressive (or just aggressive)  harassment at the polls for years.    

Oh, and one more thing.

Below is a photo taken on November 4, 2014- Election day in Hoboken.   You can see the "head of the polling station," a 2014 BoE candidate, clutching a handful of her campaign literature on the steps of the City Hall polling station.  Yes, "the head of the polling station" was standing within 100 feet of a polling station with campaign literature, a violation of NJ election law called "electioneering."

"Do as I say, not as I do"

Comments

  1. Gee why does that voice sound so familiar in the video.

    What an absolute disgrace that idiot is

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh snap it's Patty doing her Carmelo routine "for the people, for the people."
    She tries to get a volunteer adhering to the law to "go across the street."

    What a disaster these people are and every year the same BS from the lot of them.
    In the fourth ward, those of us who know better ignore the usual suspects.

    ReplyDelete
  3. That poll worker needs to be fired for intimidating a campaign volunteer. glad she got it on video.

    ReplyDelete
  4. This disgraceful, loud, obnoxious, screaching person has been allowed to get away with this sort of intimidating behavior for far too long .

    ReplyDelete
  5. This stuff doesn't really affect any votes (except to the extent it motivates people to vote the other way which makes it even more offensive because its not strategic it's just nasty.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Did Stick use up his apologies in Professor Dumbass, or is he also going to acknowledge that this anti-Semitic lout is s disgrace to the city and HER dirty work on behalf of HIS ticket will not be tolerated.

    Or maybe he'll finally just realize that running with scumbags is the reason no one trusts him?

    ReplyDelete
  7. I can never understand anything she says, it's all raspy, anger-driven verbal diarrhea. Like others, she's been exploited for years by the old guard to do and say things they pretend to be above doing and saying.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think she is just off her rocker.

      Delete
  8. Grafix I hope you plan to keep this site up to date. I am officially done with Breitbart junior's alt-right rumor mill. I'm probably not alone.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. sadly, i'm in the same boat. i used to go there and comment a few times a day for years but cut that down to once or twice a week starting back in september due to his tinfoil hat overload. haven't been there since the election, can't bear to think what he might be posting at this point.

      what a shame, the guy and his site did so much for this city. it's a free country, everyone is entitled to their opinion but they are also have to prepared for the resulting blowback to those opinions.

      i don't dislike the guy personally, lord known he's been through a lot fighting against the masons and the OG, so eternal respect for that. just really disappointed that he let the fringe conspiracy theory stuff take over and drove people like me who are concerned about hoboken politics away from his site.


      Delete
    2. Now that the national election is over, don't you think it might go back to local stuff? I'm far from a Trump fan, but I can't imagine being this bent out of shape about a guy using his POLITICAL blog to share his thoughts on national politics once every 4 years.

      Seems to me that those of you complaining just want to sit in an echo chamber.

      Delete
    3. snoopy, as i said, he's 100% free to write whatever he wants, more power to him. but i find going to the site to be a waste of my time when it's filled with convoluted alt-right fairytales. since i don't enjoy wasting my time, i've lost interest in going there.

      btw, i read both the new yorker and the weekly standard, the ny times and the wsj, so your echo chamber analogy is off base. i respect sound, rational points of view from both sides. MSV of the past six months ain't that.

      Delete
    4. As I've said before, this blog keeps it local. No bait and switch, people. That said, we are all only human.

      #NotMyPresident #PresidentPussyGrabber #MakeAmericaGropeAgain #DontGetMadOrganize #BeHeard #PeacefulResistance

      Delete
    5. @snoopy theres a difference between wanting an echo chamber as you call it and just wanting intelligent commentary free from the crackpot rumors that make up the crux of the conservative contribution to most political debates. msv is playing to the gutter. the gutter he shall have.

      Delete
  9. I vote in 3-4. Patty was there when I voted (on line from 8:15 to 9:15) generally making a muck of things and ordering people around. It is the first time I have seen her "working" at that polling station in the 4 or so years my location was switched from church towers to there.

    ReplyDelete
  10. off rocker.....not sure why anyone would want her near them.

    ReplyDelete
  11. This is a shame, glad you got it on tape.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I know she was on Garcia's payroll, but apart from that, who the hell is she? Moreover, who the hell does she think she is?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. she is a constant complainer desperate for a seat on the gravy train

      Delete
  13. Is "Head of the Polling Station" a new title? Never heard anyone refer to themselves in that way before. Should the "Head of the Polling Station" be giving out cards for a particular set of candidates? Things that make you go hmmmm

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment