Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-Houston) violated election laws when, on Monday, October 18, she entered into Acres Home Multiservice Community Center, walked to where the voting booths were looking for the poll watchers, greeted voters there, and then found and confronted the poll watchers before being directed to, and then asked by, the presiding judge Bernard Gurski to leave the area.
A source speaking on the condition of anonymity said that she heard people say that Sheila Jackson Lee was in the voting area. The lobby of the building was chaotic because some people were in line to vote and some people were in line for the food bank.
So the source, a poll watcher, went into the room housing the voting booths and there stood Congresswoman Lee shaking hands with voters and greeting others–clearly electioneering. The poll watcher then went to one of the clerks and asked the presiding judge to take care of it.
While this occurred, the poll watcher heard Lee loudly say to the crowd in the voting area,"I've heard a lot of complaints about voter intimidation by poll watchers. I am not going to allow voter intimidation."
The poll watcher started writing the incident down.
Lee then went to the poll watcher and asked,"What's your name? Who do you represent?"
A poll watcher is not allowed to speak in the polling area, so directed Congresswoman Lee to the presiding judge. The poll watcher said that Congresswoman Lee indicated that she wanted names to report to the Department of Justice for voter intimidation.
The presiding judge asked Congresswoman Lee to leave.
It should be noted that Congresswoman Jackson-Lee's office is also located in the building where voting takes place. In fact, she has to walk past those in line to vote every day on the way to her office.
Both the poll watcher and the presiding judge characterized the relationship between them to be pleasant and mutually respectful. Presiding Judge Gurski seemed more confident in the integrity of the election process than did the poll watcher, however.
The poll watcher observed and documented several violations of election code and characterized the problems as "systemic".
This account is backed up by another worker there, an election clerk, who also wished to remain anonymous for fear of retribution. He relayed concern for his safety.
The election clerk described the poll watchers as timid. He said that they stayed out of the way, were quiet and and did not talk to any voters.
He confirms that Congresswoman Lee was, in fact, back near the voting booths and talking to the presiding judge but he did not overhear her conversation but saw her from a distance. He estimated that Sheila Jackson Lee was within 10 feet of the voting machines but was not herself voting. He also witnessed Congresswoman Lee talking to the poll watcher but again, could not hear the contents of the conversation.
The clerk corroborated the poll watcher's report that there were consistent election law violations in the polling places. He cited many examples including:
- One man asked to vote for Obama and the man was directed to vote down the line Democrat.
- Excessive assistance given at the polling booth to those who were physically able and able to read.
- Election clerks asked leading questions on multiple occasions such as, "You want to vote Democrat, right?" while assisting someone at the voting booth rather then instructing a person how to use the machine to decide himself.
The poll watcher relayed an example where a man clearly wanted to vote for one candidate for Governor and that's the only race he wanted to vote. The clerk assisting him kept insisting, "you want to vote Democrat, right?" To which the man would respond with the one candidate he wanted to vote for. His ballot eventually was cast with a straight Democrat ticket filled.
All people involved reported a civil and peaceful voting atmosphere though the poll watcher says various people coming in on the first day asking where and who the poll watchers were. One man came to the polling site and yelled, "Are those the tea baggers we saw on the news?'
As the week has worn on, though, all those interviewed report a calm atmosphere even as some election violations routinely occur.
Earlier in the week, it was reported that El Franco Lee also went to a polling place and harassed poll watchers. A claim he now denies which contradicts other eye-witness reports.
El Franco Lee said to the Houston Chronicle's Chris Moran, "Elections are won and lost on participation. Our best elections are when you have the highest participation."
His statement begs the question over whether the outrage over poll watchers is intended increase voter turnout. Poll watching is a healthy part of the democratic process according to liberal stalwart and former President Jimmy Carter.
"In an ideal circumstance," said the Acres Home clerk, "everyone would want poll watchers there because they legitimize the process."
Calls to Congresswoman Jackson-Lee's office were not returned.
