Flake campaign gives registered Democrats wrong polling place
Nov 5, 2012, 8:28 AM | Updated: 11:23 am
Sabotage or sloppy campaigning? Some registered Democrats are outraged over a robocall that gave them the wrong polling location.
Lifelong Democrat Mary Crecco received one of the calls, which clearly states it comes from the office of Republican senatorial candidate Jeff Flake.
Crecco told 12 News the message said her polling location is at Immanuel Bible Church in Scottsdale, three miles away from her actual polling place at Copper Canyon Elementary School.
“It was totally wrong and I feel like it was done purposely,” Crecco said.
Flake released a statement Monday morning, explaining his campaign made over 120,000 calls to Republicans, encouraging them to vote and informing them of their polling location.
“We received fewer than a dozen calls from voters with questions about the information provided, nearly all of which we were able to reconcile. Some adult children were registered under their parents’ address. In other cases, voters had moved but not updated their registration.
“Had KPNX provided us with detailed information on their report prior to airing it, we could have informed them that the Democrat they interviewed received the call because, according the voting records, she had the same phone number as a Republican who lives in the precinct we provided information for.
“Again, this autodial was targeted to Republicans. Any Democrats who received the call [which in all likelihood was a small number] did so because of errant information in the database owing to circumstances like those detailed above.”
His opponent, Richard Carmona, told the TV station:
“Voting is easy and both sides should be doing all they can to encourage Arizonans to come out and participate in our Democracy, no matter what party they belong to. It’s troubling that some groups, including Congressman Flake’s campaign, are trying to make voting more complicated than it is in hopes that it benefits their side.
“But ultimately, Congressman Flake or any other group can’t stop anyone from voting who is registered and shows up. I encourage all Arizonans to come out and vote tomorrow.”
Google’s voter information map can help find polling places.
