Election officials gird for a hectic day

With record numbers of new registrants, voter groups and election officials warn of the potential for record numbers of problems at the polls today.

Though they anticipate the traditional complaints - errors in voter rolls, overzealous poll watchers, and the like - the overwhelming issue will be the sheer volume.

In the 2008 Pennsylvania primary, the tremendous number of first-time registrants - more than 215,000 - is the "wild card," said Zack Stalberg, chief executive officer of the Committee of Seventy, the city's election oversight group. "That should change the game."

It almost certainly will slow down the game. Voters who show up near opening and closing times might consider bringing a book or a snack, because they could have a long wait.

"The poll workers can move people only so quickly," said Jim Forsythe, the Chester County director of voter services.

Those voting for the first time take longer to process because they won't be familiar with the machines and they will have to produce valid identification. Repeat voters need only sign the registration book.

"I want to urge everyone to exercise patience and forbearance," Philadelphia District Attorney Lynne M. Abraham said. She advised new voters to bring valid identification, "because if nobody knows you or recognizes you or you're not in the book, they may not allow you to vote."

In instances in which people are not allowed to use the voting machines, Abraham advised voters to fill out a paper provisional ballot and come back with proper identification.

Having so many first-timers would increase the potential for voter-roll errors, and odds are that more provisional ballots will have to be used. In the last general election, 2,752 such ballots were cast, said Teresa Candori, spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania Department of State.

Like others statewide, registrars in Montgomery County's voter-services office have been working overtime for weeks to handle the flood of new voters, and director Joseph Passarella conceded that not all the information would make its way to computers before the polls open.

At a meeting, he told his staff that provisional ballots would be available in every voting district, with more just a phone call away. "If they swear they sent in that card, that's fine," Passarella said.

Should snags or procrastinators keep lines spilling out the doors when the polls close at 8 p.m., the judge of elections can file an emergency petition with Commonwealth Court to stay open later, Candori said.

At 8 p.m. in Bucks County, a poll worker in each precinct is posted at the end of the line to mark the last eligible voter, said Deena Dean, the Board of Elections director.

In Philadelphia, the Committee of Seventy will have a record number of troubleshooters - 803 trained volunteers - available to respond to complaints.

In addition, four lawyers with the Washington civil rights group the Advancement Project will be in Philadelphia to assist voters, senior attorney M. Aurora Vasquez said.

She said that in 2006, some overzealous poll watchers demanded photo identifications from everyone, which may have kept some people from voting. Even for first-timers, the identification presented doesn't have to include a photo. It can be a utility bill or a firearm permit.

Vasquez also said the lawyers would be on the lookout for instances of unauthorized help from election judges, who are not permitted to assist voters in the booth. "We encourage people, if they think they need help, to take someone with them," she said.

The U.S. Justice Department also will monitor the Philadelphia vote to ensure that proper accommodations are made for Spanish-speaking voters. Abraham said that Spanish-language interpreters would be available at polling places, especially in areas with large Latino populations.

At the end of a busy workday yesterday, Montgomery County's Passarella warned his staff that today would be a hectic one, but one that they could and would manage.

"All the doom and gloom everyone's peddling, I don't agree with," he said.

Voting information

, including where and how to vote, is provided by the Pennsylvania Department of State at

» READ MORE: www.votespa.com

. Information is also available by calling 1-877-868-3772.

Identification

will be required at the polling place from anyone who moved since the last election or who is newly registered to vote. Acceptable forms of ID include a driver's license, state ID card, current utility bill, current paycheck, or current government check.

Lines tend

to be shortest around midmorning and midafternoon, election officials say. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

SOURCE: Pa. Dept. of State, AP