Congratulations to Meagan Norris of Arlington, the state's youngest voter.
The statewide voter database shows that Meagan was born on May 15, 2006, registered to vote on September 12, 2006 and exercised her franchise on November 7, 2006, at age 5 months and 23 days. As a Snohomish County resident, she would have voted by mail.
I'm guessing the birthdate was incorrectly copied from the registration form. Even if this was simple human error, shouldn't the mail ballot system be able to detect underage voters in the records and mail a letter asking the voter to verify the birthdate before issuing a ballot?
I also find that Melissa Haymond of Snohomish County, b. November 13, 1988, voted by mail on November 7. And Maija Margonelli of Seattle, b. November 7, 1988, voted by mail in this year's September primary.
Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at December 03, 2006 11:36 AM | Email ThisObviously, a five-month-old is probably not going to have the ID necessary to register to vote. Somehow, I think this was just an election result who mindlessly entered the current year.
The other people at the house are 42 and 43 (42 on Election Day). It's perfectly possible that they have an 18-year-old daughter. It's also theoretically possible that they have a 5-month-old, but somehow I think this was an election worker screw up.
As for Melissa Haymond and Maija Margonelli...looks like Snohomish County screwed up. Great find, Stefan.
Posted by: Alcon Nighthawk on December 3, 2006 01:36 PMNo excuse for this! KCE, clean up your act!
Posted by: Misty on December 3, 2006 01:52 PMThe voter registration system needs to accomodate the registration of voters whose birth date (or parole date?) will occur within one month (or is it two weeks?) of election day. Registration is not instantaneous [Yet!], so the system must have a degree of tolerance for underage people. I believe it is legal to mail an absentee ballot to a voter who will tunn 18 on or before election day. But someone who claims their age to be 5 months and an odd number of days? That seems a little laid back.
Posted by: huckleberry on December 3, 2006 02:01 PMThe year of birth isn't included in the poll books -- just the month and day. So poll workers couldn't challenge underage voters without that information. And even if it were included, it is better for the computer to deal with these erroneous registrations -- assuming it were programmed correctly.
If a 17 year old gets erroneously registered, and walks into the polling station, no one is going to challenge him or her just based on appearance. I am sure a lot of 18 year olds look a couple of years younger and vice versa.
Too bad Stefan didn't look through his August 2006 update and find Maija Margonelli or through his September 2006 update and find Melissa Haymond. Certainly not his responsibility to do so, but he could have challenged them and gotten some mileage out of this.
Are these three people the only underage voters registered in Washington?
Isn't it the responsibility of REPUBLICAN SECRETARY OF STATE Sam Reed to maintain a statewide computer database, so that error such as underage registration can be detected and remedied?
Posted by: Richard Pope on December 3, 2006 03:14 PMPolling place voting is different. An underage person attempting to vote is more likely to be challenged by a poll judge. Apparently there are no controls to ensure that underage people aren't issued ballots.
Posted by: Stefan Sharkansky on December 3, 2006 03:30 PMOne thought that comes to mind...if a 5 month old showed up to vote, someone would surely notice, wouldn't they?
Posted by: South County on December 3, 2006 07:01 PMNow voting, that is a different matter entirely. It's OK when the State or County messes up and lets minors vote. Nobody is fined or penalized. No jobs are lost. The minors are receiving a first hand civic lesson. No problem.
Felons, dead people, even little people that live in mailboxes all voted during the 2004 election. Not to mention the double voters and people with two names and non-residents, how about those ballots cast by the nursing home folk, vote the way you are told or lose your medicine. Illegal immigrants get their ballots printed in their native language. ID, we don't need any ID. Every vote counts is the mantra of the reigning party and her highness the Queen. Now will someone tell me why the Democrats won. Hell, how can they lose?
Folks, you have been had!
Posted by: snuffy on December 3, 2006 07:10 PMPower corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. There in lays the costs and salvation. The only problem is the high cultural cost for this nonsense. This is only a means to an end. And there will be an end to this madness. Unfortunately, it may take generations to reach it. For the intrim one may only grin and bear it.
Posted by: Snuffy on December 3, 2006 10:12 PMmisty 4--"still working on it"--the usual excuse given for no results in industry.
Posted by: jimmie-howya-doin on December 4, 2006 02:54 PM