COLUMBUS, Ohio: Black America is excited. The presidential elections have really stirred people up to go out and vote. This is expected to be the year in which the highest numbers of votes are cast. The fight between Barack Obama and John McCain is creating history. In a still racially-divided US, never has a Black man had the honor of running for presidency, let alone dream of becoming president.
Barack Obama’s candidacy has given pride and joy to a majority of the 43 million African-Americans. As the popular opinion polls indicate, Obama is very close to White House. Yet as Nov. 4 draws near the euphoria and excitement is replaced with nervousness and fear.
Debbie Cole, a 57-year-old Obama supporter, said, “I never thought I would see a Black man even run for president in my lifetime. What is even more amazing is that you see so many Whites at his rallies, especially in the South. But majority of our community members fear that the elections will be stolen. Somehow, Obama will be deprived of becoming the president in the last minute.” Obama himself in his speeches warned his supporters that the next few days would get nasty and tough. Why the fear? “We have seen it happen before.”
Cole added, “I was a poll worker in the 2004 election. Our people stood in line in the rain and bad weather for up to four hours where I was working. They started announcing George Bush’s victory, while the people were still voting. There were problems in some areas with the polling machines and later it turned out the makers of the machine, Diebold, was a major contributor to Bush’s election funds. In 2000, the world knows what happened. Bush was never an elected president. He was an appointed president. We are very afraid that somehow Obama will be deprived of his legitimate victory.”
Saniya Thomas is another Obama supporter who is full of hope and lots of fear. “The cheating has already begun. As you can see bogus voters were found to be registered in all important states like Ohio and Florida.
Also, Obama supporters are coming out in large numbers and some of them have had to wait up to ten hours in queue in Florida and Georgia. This is a form of cheating. Make it difficult; make it inconvenient for the Obama supporters so that they stay away... It isn’t that the election officials were unaware of the high turnout. For months news media had been predicting record breaking participation.”
Twenty-eight-year-old Jo Irelan and his girlfriend Kiauna voted early by absentee ballot. They mailed in their votes. “It’s a decision we are worrying about now.” said Irelan, “I wish I had gone in and voted in person. I voted for Barack and I want my vote to be counted. I am now afraid because, I feel, it’s so easy to lose a ballot in the mail. We’ve seen Bush do it in the past. Why wouldn’t he do it now? All I can do now is pray.”
The Black voters’ fears are not unfounded. In the past elections, there have been ballots left uncounted — that is known as spoiled or rejected ballots.
