Democrats: Police checkpoint may have suppressed turnout : News-Record.com : Greensboro & the Triad's most trusted source for local news and analysis

GREENSBORO — A Greensboro police checkpoint on Phillips Avenue this morning could have turned voters away from the polls, according to the executive director of the state Democratic Party.

Police operated a checkpoint from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., stopping all cars during that time between Drexel Road and Lombardy Street on Phillips Avenue.

“I find it really hard to believe that we needed a random — allegedly — police check point in front of a highly African American, highly Democratic precinct on a Tuesday morning that just happens to be Election Day,” said Andrew Whalen, executive director of the state Democratic Party.

The checkpoint is near three voting sites, most notably Peeler Recreation Center.

Whalen said the party fielded similar complaints during the May primary and were told that police wouldn’t run a similar operation again on an Election Day.

Assistant City Manager Michael Speedling, who oversees the police department, said he wasn’t aware any complaints from the primary. He said Tuesday’s traffic stop was a “long planned operation” and followed up on a similar enforcement effort from earlier in the year.

“I know they were following up to a citizen’s complaint about the problems they’ve had regarding some of those issues with traffic,” Speedling said. “It’s certainly not designed to impact the people voting.”

Guilford County Elections Director George Gilbert said he has fielded complaints about the traffic stop.

“The police shouldn’t put checkpoints on the street on Election Day because they get accused of voter suppression,” Gilbert said, adding he did not think that the police were intentionally trying to ward off voters. But he points out that Election Days are set in statute and plotted out for the foreseeable future and conflicts could be easily avoided.

This is not the first complaint of dirty tricks in this election. Republican Party officials went to federal court last week over allegations that electronic voting machines were improperly handling ballots in favor of the Democrats. As a result, poll workers in counties that use the machines are giving especially explicit instructions to voters today.

Contact Mark Binker at (919) 832-5549 or mark.binker@news-record.com

teachertruth

November 2, 2010 - 2:26 pm EDT

I take offense to this.....are you trying to say Democrats are more likely to be so involved in criminal behavior that they would rather just stay home than ride through a checkpoint and vote?

Hmmm...

November 2, 2010 - 2:27 pm EDT

Apparently Andrew Whalen thinks so.

histrion

November 2, 2010 - 2:36 pm EDT

Or maybe Mr. Wallen just thinks that anything that might prevent someone from reaching their polling place should be avoided if possible. Some folks have a very narrow window of time available in their day to vote, and if there's a line of cars backed up at the checkpoint, I may not have time to wait or to find an alternate route. That doesn't mean I'm a criminal -- it means I have a busy life.

Panacea

November 2, 2010 - 3:08 pm EDT

No. He is saying that the presence of a police check point is intimidation in of itself in a highly African American neighborhood near three polling places with a demographic that traditionally votes Democrat, a demographic that is traditionally suspicious of police motives on general principles (whether justified or not is not relevant).

sparkeysig

November 2, 2010 - 5:20 pm EDT

The demographic needs to get over it and move on with their lives.

November 2, 2010 - 6:38 pm EDT

That fine for you . . . you're not part of that demographic.

TmV83

November 2, 2010 - 10:42 pm EDT

I agree... Considering early voting and the additional 6 hours the nearby polls in question were open after the traffic check there is no excuse.
GET OVER IT.

Oh come on...it was a two-hour check point! If the check point hindered people from voting, they have the rest of the day to vote. Sorry - no excuses today.

November 2, 2010 - 3:09 pm EDT

It still doesn't send a good message. If there was a similar check point on Primary Day, and police promised not to do it again, and broke that promise, then they have destroyed an already fragile credibility with people who live in those areas.

It was a stupid, stupid, stupid thing to do today of all days.

November 2, 2010 - 3:14 pm EDT

Yes - you're right, it's not sending a good message. And, they did say it wouldn't happen again.

But, I stand by what I said, there is still time to vote...

November 2, 2010 - 5:21 pm EDT

Absolutely. I hope all registered voters take the time to get to the polls and vote their conscience.

lilcaddman

November 2, 2010 - 4:20 pm EDT

"It was a stupid, stupid, stupid thing to do today of all days." -Panacea

That's funny, I thought it was always a good time for law enforcement to do their job and catch criminals.

November 2, 2010 - 5:23 pm EDT

Sure it is. But they can do a check point anytime, anywhere.

Close to 3 polls on Election Day creates the appearance of impropriety. The GPD really doesn't need any more of that.

How you do the job is just as important as who you catch.

robbinj2

November 2, 2010 - 4:42 pm EDT

AMEN!!! Not only could these prospective voters vote before 10am and after 12noon, but if the checkpoint actually stopped potential people from voting, what are the odds they were actually planning on voting in the first place?? Go figure.. And on another note, I don't recall there being a checkpoint the day Yvonne Johnson wasn't re-elected. Hmm - strange.

fisher

Aren't most people at work from 10-12?

Kesh

November 2, 2010 - 2:34 pm EDT

this check point is one block from a public housing complex..... 10-12 some should be working but probably aren't....

capricorn7nc

November 2, 2010 - 2:32 pm EDT

It could hinder, and that's the first time I ever heard of them doing a checkpoint over that way at all. It is suspect that they picked today to do it, and they have NEVER done a checkpoint there before. There are other places to vote, and the comment about people working from 10-12... have you missed the news for the past two years? There are a lot of people out of work, and disproportionately for African-Americans. That is a predominately African-American district meaning more people will be out of work in that area than other areas in Greensboro.

November 2, 2010 - 4:03 pm EDT

It could be argued that the voting process discriminates against those who work. If the polls are open from 6:30 am - 7:30 pm, then those who work the 8-5 shift only have 4 hours to vote, while those who don't work have all day!

November 2, 2010 - 4:32 pm EDT

I agree why do we even work on voting days at all? Most employers don't bend on election day when they should to give everyone an equal chance. I voted early to avoid the shenanagans that seem to always happen on election day.

pragmatist

November 2, 2010 - 2:47 pm EDT

I wonder what would have happened if the roadblocks were in Irving Park, instead? Did someone call the Rush Limbaugh Show and complain about this abuse of government? This intimidation of voters?

Rush: "The government is out to get us! The Socialists and the Nazis who are running the police departments are setting up roadblocks on election day! Why? To intimidate us! To get us! To get big government on our backs and involved in everything we do! We must stop these b*st*rds! NOW! Don't believe me? Welllll- just look what happened in Greensboro, North Carolina today! The Gestapo came out and-"

Caller: " -uh, Rush? Those roadblocks were in predominantly Democratic precincts near Greensboro's Phillips Avenue."

Rush: "Oh? Oh! Ok. Well, it's fine, then. Police doing their job. Good for them."

November 2, 2010 - 2:51 pm EDT

Well you all did sue over the machines. Fingers too big to press the right space on the touchscreen I guess.

A roadblock in Irving Park during working hours probably wouldn't get too much traffic.

November 2, 2010 - 3:00 pm EDT

People in Irving Park don't drive to their polling stations?

November 2, 2010 - 3:02 pm EDT

From 10-12, most are working so they can pay for their own houses.

November 2, 2010 - 3:11 pm EDT

Depends on the hours you work, I guess. I voted about 10:30 this morning. I don't have to be to work until 12 because I'm teaching in the evenings this semester.

gogso

November 2, 2010 - 3:15 pm EDT

If you don't have anything to hide, then why would you be worried about going through a checkpoint anywhere, anytime? I don't understand the hype here! I would suspect a checkpoint in Irving Park would be well recieved!

humorous2me

November 2, 2010 - 4:25 pm EDT

Before working at such understanding places, I would have turned around at the checkpoint. With one hour to get to the pole, vote, and return to work, the checkpoint would have deterred this law abiding citizen. During this time that I am referring to, I was working 3 jobs and only had that one hour to do my civic duty. As for checkpoints in Irving Park, I would be less suspicious if there had been checkpoints elsewhere in Guilford County during this same time...this same day. Happy Election Day everyone!

November 2, 2010 - 5:24 pm EDT

It has nothing to do with whether or not anyone has anything to hide.

It does have everything to do with the appearance of voter intimidation . . . of the "man" sending the subliminal message, "don't vote."

We're really not as far from Jim Crow as we like to tell ourselves.

goodtimes

November 2, 2010 - 4:19 pm EDT

And also working overtime to pay for the people that won't work and pay for their own houses!

ou812

November 2, 2010 - 3:46 pm EDT

If they do not drive to the polls, then how do they vote?

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