South Fla. voter claims amendment question missing from ballot

Complaint 1 of several on first day of early voting

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – On the first day of early voting in Florida, some voters say they're facing issues in Broward County.

Debbie Ballard was voting in Fort Lauderdale when she realized one amendment question wasn't even on her ballot.

Ballard was frustrated by the missing Amendment 2 question that looks to broaden the use and ability to prescribe medicinal marijuana.

"I check it again and I checked it again," Ballard told Local 10 News. "And then I brought it immediately to the staff member."

Ballard said her search was futile and immediately became upset.

"At that point, I was instantly horrified because we've already heard about the missing Amendment 2 from the mail ballots in Broward County," Ballard said.

In regards to the mail-in ballots, proponents of the amendment said the Broward County Supervisor of Elections office claims that 5-7 test ballots missing Amendment 2 were accidently included with the mail-in ballots.

But when Ballard found a bad ballot in person, she said polling employees could not guarantee that it wouldn't happen again.

Ballard took to Facebook to broadcast her displeasure from inside her polling location off East Sunrise Boulevard and then went outside to warn other voters.

According to Tonya Edwards, a spokeswoman with the Broward County Supervisor of Elections office, Ballard may have initially been issued a ballot with missing print. However, Edwards said Ballard was then given a correctly-printed ballot and filled it out at the precinct.

There has not been a single new ballot missing the Amendment 2 question, according to elections officials.

The Supervisor of Elections office said it is investigating any and all claims.


About the Authors:

Andrew Perez is a South Florida native who joined the Local 10 News team in May 2014.