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Journalists harassed at voting centers
Election officials eject student, 2 more cite law to retain access
By Geof Wollerman and David Pollan
gwollerm@mscd.edu • dpollan@mscd.edu

A Metropolitan photographer was escorted out of a Douglas County voting center by a police officer after she was told she couldn’t take pictures of the voting process, a directive that is contrary to Colorado election laws regarding the media.

Two other Metropolitan journalists, a reporter and a photographer, also encountered similar situations, but were able to resolve them onsite without involving the police.

Photographer Ann Karcher arrived at the South East Christian Church polling center in Parker shortly after the polls opened at 7 a.m. to take pictures for The Metropolitan’s Election Day coverage.

She was subsequently told that she could not take any photographs of the polling center and was asked to leave.

Election officials at the center also attempted to confiscate Karcher’s camera, memory card and identification card, and she was eventually escorted out of the center by a Parker police officer who was on hand for the election.

“We were there for the election. The rules are set out by the election judges, not us,” said Ken Levell, spokesman for the Parker police. “If she was told that she needed to leave the polling area, that would be something that came from the election judges.”

According to Karcher, Officer Eckman, who escorted her off the premises, also told her she couldn’t vote at the center.

“It was scary,” Karcher said. “I just wonder if anyone else has run into this.”

At Denver’s Broadway voting station, photographer Molly Kreck was also asked to leave. However, she had election officials check the Secretary of State’s guidelines concerning media observers of elections and was eventually allowed to continue photographing.

“Media Observers with valid and current media credentials may be present to witness early voting, election day voting and the processing and counting of provisional, mail and absentee ballots,” according to the election rules of the Colorado Secretary of State.

At the discretion of the county clerk the use of pool reporters and photographers may be required. But neither Kreck nor Karcher was notified of any such stipulation.

Reporter Michael Godfrey was asked to leave the Tivoli voting center by a member of a Republican voters group that was on hand to ensure proper registration of voters. Godfrey said he was told he was “compromising the integrity of the vote center.” The man, who eventually relented after Godfrey showed him the media guidelines, refused to identify himself.

“I was not really offended by his refusal to let me in the voting area, I was more not going to let him tell me what I couldn’t do as a reporter,” Godfrey said.

Karcher, who contacted the American Civil Liberties Union after her experience, is still unsure if she will file an official complaint. She also has the option of registering her grievance with the Colorado Secretary of State’s office.

“If I was in the wrong, I’d be willing to apologize,” she said. “But if they were in the wrong, then I’d like an apology.”

Mary Niblack, deputy clerk for Douglas County, said she was shocked to hear that Karcher was told she couldn’t vote at the center.

She also thought it was strange that they tried to take her camera, but said that most of the other members of the media present in the county had received prior permission.