Voters report problems in several states

More than 20,000 calls involving problems with people trying to vote have been received by Election Protection, the nation’s largest nonpartisan voter protection coalition, the group reported Tuesday night.

The calls, received on the group’s hotline, cited problems in several states and some involved complaints of voter intimidation.

“As Election Protection has found in our programs over the past decade, despite the best efforts and intentions of election officials and poll workers, too many voters are prevented or frustrated from voting because of a registration and election system that is outdated and in need of modernization,” the group said in a prepared statement.

In Ohio, voters reported a number of problems at poll locations throughout the Cleveland area. Overcrowded polling places, misinformation from poll workers, improper enforcement of voting rules and confusion about poll location assignments are some of the many problems there, the group said.

In Arizona, there were many reports of voter intimidation, including a Republican poll watcher who was videotaping voters, the group said.

Problems were also reported in California, Illinois, Maryland and Michigan.

michael.muskal@latimes.com

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