Michael Diaz went to vote at Our Lady of Victory Church Hall in Tannersville Election day morning. Like so many, he had registered to vote through the Department of Motor Vehicles when he applied for a driver’s license. Diaz was told he wasn’t registered at the sign-in desk, and wouldn’t be able to vote. Instead, he was directed to a second desk where he was able to register, but told he wouldn’t be able to vote until the next election. “They were telling me they’ve been having these problems all morning,” Diaz said of the poll workers he spoke with. His situation does not seem to be isolated. “I’ve received some calls from people who have registered through their driver’s renewals and it didn’t go through,” said Pennsylvania Department of State’s Sandy Dekyi, who was fielding complaints from voters. “They are aware of the situation in Harrisburg.”
She said the election precincts should be handing out provisional ballots for those without photo IDs or if their names aren’t on a list.
The Department of State could not quantify the number of complaints it received over DMV registration mishaps.
David Jacobs, Deputy Press Secretary for the Office of Public Affairs with the U.S. Department of Justice said, “We are aware of the reports, and cannot comment further at this time. In addition to contacting the Justice Department, we also encourage citizens to contact their local election officials if they are encountering a particular election-related difficulty.”
Full Article: Voter registration through DMV fails some voters.