Thursday, August 02, 2007

G-towner Reports that Gilmore Campaigners are Using Bullhorn at Polling Place

Kate O' says that voters this morning were audibly accosted by an Erica Gilmore supporter with a bullhorn who was set up under a tent across the street from the church that is the polling place for our area. I agree with Kate that this violates the spirit of the 100' 200' campaigning law. Really, the guy might as well put the horn down and go right up to the door and campaign for Ms. Gilmore. There is really no difference, except that bullhorn guy does it from the comfortable shade of a tent rather than standing exposed to the bright sun on hot concrete. If he is going to violate election laws, then he should at least pay his dues. This is not a good foot to start on if Ms. Gilmore ends up being our elected representative, since it suggests a disregard for election laws.

The same thing happened to me when I voted last week, only this time it was the unbullhorned, but no less shrill voice of Vice Mayoral candidate Linda Perry (HT: V2), who screamed diatribes against opponent Diane Neighbors and odes to herself as I passed by her no more than 4 feet away. It's one thing to project to people coming in and out of the Howard School Building. That's violation enough. But turning to some guy walking within whisper distance and getting right up in his ear with her shouts does not endear her to that voter. S-townWife asked me if she was crazy as we walked into the polling place. I gibed that she had probably had a few too many before leaving the bar in order to "campaign."

2 comments:

  1. I was there this morning, it wasn't that bad. There were representatives for many of the candidates, some yelled, some stopped me and told me to vote and yes some had a bullhorn. I felt that they were in there rights, they were across the street and not at the front door. No one was rude or abrasive, just excited about there candidate. I truly believe that very little harm, if any, was done. Isn't this a normal occurence for every election?
    SVanHoesen

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  2. I have a hard time believing that a bullhorn is on the same decibel level as yelling. I'm all for free speech, but using a bullhorn for that purpose seems to approach the category of citable public nuisance.

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