Big Brother is watching: Election observer bill goes too far

[TexasTowelie]

When conspiracy theorists are allowed all up in your bidness:

Election observers shall have the explicit right to: (1) Begin observation duties from the time the judge enters the polling location until all ballot containers are officially sealed and the voting enclosure is secured for the day.

(2) Hear the name and address of each voter when the voter first announces the voter's name at the initial check-in table and ask any election official to repeat the name or address of the voter if the observer was unable to hear the voter's name or address when it was initially announced.

This is wrong on so many levels I don't know where to start:

First of all, it's a blatant intrusion into a process that's supposed to be between two people, the voter and the poll worker. It's hard enough to get people to voluntarily do either thing (vote or work at the polling site), and having some jackass hovering over them will just make it worse. Also, people have a right to a certain level of privacy in situations like this. You wouldn't broadcast their name and address over a PA system, so speaking loud enough for an (unnecessary) 3rd party to hear is just wrong. Third, unless said "observer" is taking copious notes, repeating the name and address might just be to benefit an audio recording device hidden on that observer's body somewhere. If you don't think that last thing is very likely, I've got two words for ya: James 0'Keefe.

And lastly, whose names are hard to pronounce properly? That's right, people of color, people of recent immigrant generations. Forcing a poll worker to stumble through that pronunciation is an exercise in subjectivity, for both people. Not just no, but hell no.

http://bluenc.com/content/big-brother-watching-election-observer-bill-goes-too-far
(no more at link)

[samnsara]

1. we have all mail in ballots..maybe NC should too.