Del. Marshall alleges voting misinformation given to election officials at training session

In an Oct. 14 letter to Department of Elections Commissioner, Edgardo Cortes, Prince William County Delegate Robert G. “Bob” Marshall objected to what he said was “misinformation that was given to volunteers who attended a recent training for election officials for the 2016 elections with regard to verification of voter ID.”

Marshall said volunteers were told:
• Election officers cannot ask the voter applicant to repeat his or her name out loud or provide the same in writing;

• Election officers cannot repeat the name of the voter out loud;

•  If an obvious discrepancy exists between the picture ID and the prospective voter, the election officer cannot prohibit that person from voting;

• Only a poll watcher or voter could object to a person voting if that person submitted a deficient picture ID and only the poll watcher or voter can alert the chief election judge to determine if a provisional ballot should be issued. 

Marshall said he urged Cortes “to ensure that this misinformation was corrected immediately to ensure that no one who is ineligible to vote in the 2016 election is allowed to vote in error.”