I went to my St Louis Election training course yesterday. It was OK. There were about 30 people there – could always use more. Nothing new much was added until the question and answer period.
When we covered who could come into the polling areas we were told, besides folks associated with the election that challengers and the media. I asked about bloggers. Can a blogger come in and interview/tape like a local TV station? The instructor didn't know so they went and asked an election judge. I wish I could recall the judges name. They said no. No bloggers. Only real media with real media credentials. Interesting. We can have Fox, CNN, and more but not anyone that might cover it from the Left.
[poll id=”
31
“]
…we generally contact the responsible party ahead of time and ask for a credential. No one has ever said “No” to me. Okay, once.
we held in 2001 – after the hanging chad debacle in Florida – I went in to vote in the city where we still used punch card machines. There was a photographer from the Post there and he asked me if he could take my picture examining the back of my ballot to see if there were any hanging chads. This was before I voted.
I said well, if after I vote I choose to look at the back of my ballot to see if there are any chads I guess you can jump in to take the shot and hope it turns out. Then I said (all innocent) – becaue you aren’t asking for me to pose are you? A news photographer would never POSE the ‘candid’ news shot, right?
He looked really annoyed and said he’d take someone else’s picture.