News

Democrats suspect errors at registration kiosks

April 25, 2011

Democratic leaders in Montgomery County, Philadelphia worry that registration errors at PennDOT centers may be denying them--and the Republicans--party members.

According to Newsworks.org, leaders believe the problem at the kiosks may involve off-the-shelf software that includes inappropriate registration categories from other states.

Under the "motor voter law," residents can register to vote at electronic kiosks when they get a driver's license.

Montco Democrats say an unusually large number of voters who signed up at PennDOT centers ended up as independents, without a party affiliation. That not only thins party ranks, but it also means anyone registered as an independent can't vote in Democratic or Republican primaries.

Democrat Steve McCarter told Newsworks.org that when he renewed his driver's license in December, he decided to register again at a PennDOT kiosk to test the system.

He said the computer gave him some strange registration options.

"The screen came up with 60 different categories, different parties, and I registered as an independent Democrat, just to see what would happen," McCarter said in the interview.

There's no such thing as an "independent Democrat" under Pennsylvania election law. The machine plopped McCarter into the independent category, which means he is ineligible to vote in a Pennsylvania primary.

He suspects the independent Democrat option is in the software for states that don't have closed primaries the way Pennsylvania does.

State election officials say they're looking into it.