Greensboro woman apparently voted twice

This week's issue of YES! Weekly, available on the street tomorrow, has a story about a Greensboro woman who apparently voted twice in the May 6 primary election. We've posted it on our website here.

I say apparently because Ethel Johnson maintains that she only voted once. Two Authorization To Vote forms in the possession of the Guilford County Board of Elections that were forwarded to District Attorney Doug Henderson tell another story, however. The forms indicate that someone with Johnson's name voted two different times at the Rankin Elementary polling place. The forms show the same residence address and date of birth, and the signatures, to my eye, are identical.

Republican NC Rep. John Blust brought the matter to my attention. Expect Republicans to raise concerns about fraud in next week's historic election, and Democrats to be on the watch for voter suppression.

As the third most populous county in North Carolina — mostly urbanized with a significant African-American and student population, and Democratic leaning — the margin of an Obama win here will help determine whether the Democratic ticket carries North Carolina and wins the election.