[Democratic Underground, 06.08.2008]
http://hellotxt.com/l/lFCI

The election judge stood straight up from his chair, raising his voice loudly, and said, “If you don’t want to vote, there is the door, and you can leave now!”

My reply was, “Sir, we do want to vote. My son and I have both brought the proper ID. Now, if you are refusing to let us vote, please tell us why.”

And the reply was, “I need to see your signature! You can either give me what I told you to, or you can just get out that door and find someplace else to vote!”

I looked him in the eye and said, “Nope! We will not leave until you give us our rights. We have a right to vote!”

He leaned over the table and shouted, “Not unless you follow our rules here!”

To which I replied, “Your rules do not trump the laws of this state! Please read them! This ID card is all I need.” I slapped the card down on the table.

In the next moment another election judge gave me a “Chest Bump,” and said “You either do what you’re told to vote, or you get out of here NOW!”

Police Officers entered the precinct doors. My son and I were grabbed by the arms and escorted outside. “If you don’t get out of here, we will arrest you!”

“I feel that if I did so, I would be betraying my own conscience, and setting a bad precedent for all those citizens who share my right to vote,” I replied.

An officer behind me grabbed my wrists, handcuffed me, pulled me by the arm and pushed me into the back seat of a caged police car.