Romney polling complaints voided

As polls opened Tuesday, Republican Mitt Romney filed a complaint with the Massachusetts Elections Division, alleging that voter irregularities and improprieties had occurred at one Jamaica Plain polling place. Romney had dropped the complaint by Wednesday afternoon.

Political activity, including lobbying, buttons, and signs, is not allowed within 150 feet of polling places. Election officials are, however, allowed to accompany voters into the booths if they require assistance with the machines, are illiterate or disabled or need a translation of the questions.

Eric Fehrnstrom, a representative of the Romney campaign, told the Associated Press that at the polling place in question there were more than 40 violations, including campaign workers accompanying voters into the booths.

‘His campaign was alleging that some campaign worker was closer to the polls than allowed by law,’ said Massachusetts Election Division spokesman Brian McNiff. The video that the elections Election Division viewed showed only one woman approaching a voter. The woman, which the Romney campaign claimed was affiliated with the Service Employees International Union, was asked to return behind the 150 foot barrier.

‘We had no complaint from any voter,’ McNiff said. He added that if any violations had taken place, they would be treated as criminal matters and handled by police.

Emily Johnson, a College of Communication sophomore who voted in Myles Standish Hall, said that no campaign worker or election official inappropriately approached any of the voters while she was there. However, she said, a voting official accompanied her into the booth to explain the voting machine. She described the atmosphere at Myles as disorganized, though abuses seemed unlikely to occur.

‘Overall, it seemed appropriate and legitimate,’ she said.

Romney’s campaign was unavailable for comment Wednesday.