ACLU & Bar Assn. present preliminary findings on election irregularities

By The Star Staff

The American Civil Liberties Union, Puerto Rico Chapter (ACLU-PR), and the Puerto Rico Bar Association released on Thursday the preliminary findings of their electoral observation during Tuesday’s general elections.

The organizations, which participated as independent observers, pointed out a series of irregularities and limitations that they said negatively affected the transparency and reliability of the Puerto Rican electoral system.

In their preliminary report, the entities denounced impediments to the function of electoral observers. In at least two cases, coordinators and officials did not allow the entry of duly identified and accredited observers to the polling stations. In another incident, an observer was prevented from taking photographs, contrary to what is established in the protocol of the State Elections Commission (SEC).

The organizations also highlighted numerous limitations at the easy access polling places, which they said hampered the participation of people with functional diversity. Among the deficiencies identified were the absence of adequate parking, inadequate or non-existent ramps, unadapted portable toilets and a lack of Braille ballots or magnifying glasses for people with limited vision. In addition, they noted that in some voting centers, voting by telephone was not available.

According to the entities, the report reveals problems with counting machines and faulty computers in several polling stations. Cases were documented in which the machines did not work correctly, lacked sufficient batteries or did not accept ballots. In some places, the machines did not properly read the marks made with an “X”, which impacted the correct allocation of votes.

The entities also reported delays in the delivery of electoral materials and an insufficient number of officials. In many schools, the materials arrived after 7 a.m., delaying the opening of the polling stations, which were supposed to be at 9 a.m. There were also reports of a lack of accredited officials from all parties and difficulties for officials to register and vote.

Another finding was the violation of the right to a secret vote. It was observed that the voting booths arrived without curtains and that the lines of voters were very close to the booths, which allowed them to see the ballot while it was being used. In some cases, elderly people or people with reduced mobility had to vote at tables without protection, thus exposing their vote.