Voting nightmare: Democrats seek extension (system crashes after voter overload)

Voting nightmare: Democrats seek extension

By George Merritt
Denver Post Staff Writer
DenverPost.com
Article Last Updated:11/07/2006 12:19:12 PM MST

Democratic party leaders are planning to seek a two-hour extension for voting in Denver, due to massive computer problems which have created long lines, and kept many from casting their vote.

The problems began right at 7 a.m. as computer problems at the voter-check in stations bogged down, creating a bottleneck in the first hour of voting as a rush to the polls overloaded the system.

Power failures slowed voting at some locations, Denver Election Commission spokesman Alton Dillard said.

At Denver Botanic Gardens, more than 200 voters backed up in a line that stretched out of the gates and down the block more than half way to 11th Avenue.

"We will not get to vote today," said a frustrated Lauren Brockman as he left the Botanic Gardens.

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CHAOS: Voting extension denied amid massive computer problems

By George Merritt and Jeffrey Leib Denver Post Staff Writer
Article Last Updated:11/07/2006 03:37:07 PM MST

By George Merritt and Jeffrey Leib Denver Post Staff Writer
Article Last Updated:11/07/2006 04:01:18 PM MST

Denver District Court Judge Sheila Rappaport denied a emergency request from the Democratic Party to keep Denver's voting centers open for an additional two hours this evening due to faulty computers.

Attorney Mark Grueskin, representing the Democrats, had asked the court to extend the voting hours to 9 p.m., because voters were becoming disenfranchised from the numerous incidents of computers crashing and because of the abnormally long lines at the polls.

But attorney Richard Westfall, representing the Republicans, countered that there had been no evidence that voters couldn't go elsewhere to vote or return to the same poll at a later time.

Rappaport told lawyers for both parties she didn't have the authority to keep the polls
Voting Lines

To see estimated wait times at Denver voting centers click here. open, citing case law from the states of Missouri and Arkansas.

Party spokesman Brian Mason said the motion was in response to "the huge problems in Denver this morning."

Westerly Creek, 8800 E. 28th Ave., ran out of provision ballots before noon, and as of 2 p.m., still had none. Voters who were seeking shorter lines arrived, and quickly the line grew to more than a hundred people long.

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