The Andy Down Show-voters' registration

Blah, Blah...Andy Down has inherited his daddy's seat on the Allen County Election Board and the running of a department in honor of his father. I believe he goes around as an expert lecturer on government and IPFW allows him to teach. This forum was used to teach (the handful that showed up) how the federal and state has screwed up the polling locations for local voters.

The Help America Vote Act requirement for polling places to be universally accessible for more representation of the "disabled" voters. And because some of the schools were concerned about the safety of children, no longer allowed their places to be used as polling places for fear that non-custodial parents were a threat.

Some folks who had no transportation and formerly could walk to their polling place couldn't vote this pass election because they had no way to get to the new location that was not in walking distance. Others attempted to vote in poorly lit locations, but the board nixed a downtown location that would be closer for the elderly because of the lack of unpaid parking. Excuse me, you mean to tell me you couldn't have free on the street parking for one day at a location?! Hmmmm, sounds like just making busy work for some folks that couldn't get a job doing anything else.

Some folks didn't bother to vote at all, like Dennis Przybyla, a military veteran. Pzyblyla wrote a letter to the News-Sentinel

Paper: News-Sentinel, The (Fort Wayne, IN)
Title: Voter turnout, drizzle steady for primary - Sheriff, commissioner races
predicted to keep voter interest strong.
Author: Jennifer L. Boen, jboen@news-sentinel.com
Date: May 2, 2006
Section: FIRST SECTION
Page: 1A

Slow but steady. That's how Sam Armstrong described the first hour of voter
turnout today at Brookside Church on the corner of Evard and Maplecrest roads.
The church is one of 57 new locations where registered voters are casting their
ballots this year in the primary election.


Rains also were steady as Armstrong handed out leaflets in support of Mike
Keesler, one of three Democratic candidates on the ballot for Allen County
sheriff."No, thanks," is what Cindy Figel told Armstrong, however. She is the
daughter of Republican sheriff candidate Guy Griffith, who is up against three
other sheriff's candidates on the Republican ballot. Figel said she voted early
in order to do her own stint in support of her dad outside a New Haven polling
site.


Up the road less than a mile, just 18 people had voted during the first hour at
Higher Grounds coffee shop, also a new site.


"Some people who've come in said this is so much better than when they used to
vote at Arlington (Elementary School)," said 185th precinct volunteer Martha
Crawford. Schools are no longer sites due to safety concerns.


Armstrong said he expects turnout to be fairly strong due to the multiple
sheriff's candidates and also the county commissioner challenges, "but I think
there will be a lot of older people who will show up and not be aware of the
changes...the picture ID and the new locations," he said.


The distance to his new polling place has more than doubled and is keeping
Dennis Przybylafrom voting today, he said.


"Since 1969, I've voted in every primary and general election - maybe only
missed two combined," said Przybyla, 64, who lives on Carew Street, just north
of Parkview Hospital. "But I think this time I want to make a statement and stay
home. They shouldn't have changed all these places. Some people used to walk to
their voting place." He used to vote at First Baptist Church on North Anthony
Boulevard, but his new site is at Miller's Merry Manor, just west of Georgetown
Shopping Center.


"I know they did it because they have to make them handicap-accessible, but it's
making it difficult for people, especially older people, to vote. A lot of
senior citizens are good voters. I think they'll find out turnout at some of
these places will be low," he said.


Nothing was keeping 102-year-old Pluma Orcutt from voting today. She no longer
drives and must use a crutch to walk, but said, "I"ve always voted. I think
someone should have a say in the way the country is run." Orcutt cast her first
vote just six years after women were granted the right to vote in 1920.


Laurie Hollars, a volunteer for 3rd Congressional District candidate Tom
Hayhurst, contacted Orcutt on Monday to offer her a ride. "She's such an
inspiration," Hollars said. "She is dynamite."

- Features Editor Kevin Kilbane contributed to this report.

and Przybyla had this to write during the forum:

"My family used to vote at St. Jude School--then recently voted at Memorial Baptist Church, 2900 N. Anthony, at the corner of North anthony and Kenwood. Now it's at Miller's Merry Manor which is located at 5544 E. State Street is more than twice the distance of its' previous location on North Anthony and Kenwood.

The west side portion of the neighborhood of Frances Slocum is now troubled by this past election voting location. Lets pray that it does get moved to the Unity Church."

It appears that the Election Board makes light of the fact, that seniors citizens are having a hard time exercising the most basis right..the right to vote. Oh, and if you miss out this time, than maybe next time, you can figure out where you need to vote....blahblahblah There should have been more voters at the meeting to demand that the board fix the problems.