What should I do about a polling problem?
November 6, 2018 12:44 PM Subscribe
I noticed a problem with my polling place today. Essentially google and Apple map the wrong location, and across the street from the incorrect location is a different polling place that says “vote here”. It’s confusing and I’m concerned that people will lose their chance to vote, especially towards the time the polls close.
My polling place is a building in a park. There are a few building, and they seem to have the same address. If you map this address in google or Apple maps, it gives you a maintenance building that is not the polling location and has no signage about voting. Almost directly across the street from the incorrect location, there is a school where people from other wards vote. So when you go to the location in your map program, and can’t find it, across the street you will see signs that say “vote here”.
The correct voting location actually requires you to take a different main road a couple blocks away. You technically could walk a paved pathway through the park to the correct polling place, but there is no signage indicating this, and it’s up a hill, so it is not readily apparent.
After I voted, I went by the incorrectly mapped location and confirmed nothing to tell you you’re in the wrong place. I then stopped into the incorrect polling place, talked to a poll worker, and asked if he’s had people confusing the two locations. He said they have. He said it hasn’t been a big deal because people just get directions to the correct place.
However, I’m more concerned about the end of polling. I asked what if someone showed up there at 7:59p, waits in line, and then discoverers they’re in the wrong location. Will they be allowed to vote in the correct location? Will they even be told they can? He didn’t know.
Is there anything I can do? Anyone I can talk to? Considering we’ve got a bunch of really tight races, I don’t want to see anyone disenfranchised but I have zero idea what to do.
This is in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
My polling place is a building in a park. There are a few building, and they seem to have the same address. If you map this address in google or Apple maps, it gives you a maintenance building that is not the polling location and has no signage about voting. Almost directly across the street from the incorrect location, there is a school where people from other wards vote. So when you go to the location in your map program, and can’t find it, across the street you will see signs that say “vote here”.
The correct voting location actually requires you to take a different main road a couple blocks away. You technically could walk a paved pathway through the park to the correct polling place, but there is no signage indicating this, and it’s up a hill, so it is not readily apparent.
After I voted, I went by the incorrectly mapped location and confirmed nothing to tell you you’re in the wrong place. I then stopped into the incorrect polling place, talked to a poll worker, and asked if he’s had people confusing the two locations. He said they have. He said it hasn’t been a big deal because people just get directions to the correct place.
However, I’m more concerned about the end of polling. I asked what if someone showed up there at 7:59p, waits in line, and then discoverers they’re in the wrong location. Will they be allowed to vote in the correct location? Will they even be told they can? He didn’t know.
Is there anything I can do? Anyone I can talk to? Considering we’ve got a bunch of really tight races, I don’t want to see anyone disenfranchised but I have zero idea what to do.
This is in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Sam Bee has a place you can report things.
posted by jenfullmoon at 2:30 PM on November 6, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by jenfullmoon at 2:30 PM on November 6, 2018 [1 favorite]
Google/Apple often depend on 3rd parties for mapping information, and sometimes those 3rd parties give bad info. If both Google/Apple use the same 3rd party for that specific location, you get your problem.
Here's a couple links on how to report incorrect addresses. Google fixes it pretty quick (although not quick enough for tonight obviously). Apple is a different story since there is currently an in-progress revamp on how mapping data gets updated, but that's not my department and for all I know Maps is just as quick as Google these days:
1, 2 (go down to the "you need to report an issue in Maps" section).
posted by sideshow at 3:41 PM on November 6, 2018
Here's a couple links on how to report incorrect addresses. Google fixes it pretty quick (although not quick enough for tonight obviously). Apple is a different story since there is currently an in-progress revamp on how mapping data gets updated, but that's not my department and for all I know Maps is just as quick as Google these days:
1, 2 (go down to the "you need to report an issue in Maps" section).
posted by sideshow at 3:41 PM on November 6, 2018
Response by poster: Got on the phone with the num at the voter protection line, they looked into it and are escalating. Talked to poll workers again, including a nasty lady that basically said she didn’t give a fuck and anyone who had the wrong address and relied on google didn’t deserve to vote. (Paraphrasing) And that it’s been a problem for a few years at least. Camped out outside at polling place for about a half hour to make sure no one was turned away for going to the wrong place at the end of the night. Not a perfect solution, but at least if they were, I felt like I could have documented it. It doesn’t answer if anyone got discouraged or missed out at other times, but I could only be in one place.
Didn’t put up signs or wait at incorrect location. I was worried it could cause more confusion or look like it was an attempt to steer people wrong.
Tomorrow I call the municipal clerk and find out what can be done ahead of the next election. The information is wrong on the main voting website myvote.wi.gov, which everyone said should be the resource to go to. I believe it’s the Wi election commission website, but I’ve been running on fumes so need to verify that. The address there is sorta right in the way that multiple buildings could have one address could be right, but the location indicator and directions are wrong.
posted by [insert clever name here] at 7:58 PM on November 6, 2018 [8 favorites]
Didn’t put up signs or wait at incorrect location. I was worried it could cause more confusion or look like it was an attempt to steer people wrong.
Tomorrow I call the municipal clerk and find out what can be done ahead of the next election. The information is wrong on the main voting website myvote.wi.gov, which everyone said should be the resource to go to. I believe it’s the Wi election commission website, but I’ve been running on fumes so need to verify that. The address there is sorta right in the way that multiple buildings could have one address could be right, but the location indicator and directions are wrong.
posted by [insert clever name here] at 7:58 PM on November 6, 2018 [8 favorites]
It does seem to help when multiple people with a track record report the same edit. Memail me or post a couple screenshots and I'll submit it. It usually takes 24 hours for someone to look at the edit anyway, so this issue wasn't getting fixed today, unfortunately.
posted by wnissen at 8:59 AM on November 7, 2018
posted by wnissen at 8:59 AM on November 7, 2018
« Older Stimulants, blood sugar and endocrinology | What is the cheapest way to remotely monitor my... Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by brainmouse at 12:50 PM on November 6, 2018 [12 favorites]