Poll worker charged with assaulting voter

By Jessie Halladay, The Courier-Journal

LOUSIVILLE &ndsh; A poll worker at the United Auto Workers hall on Fern Valley Road was arrested after he was accused of assaulting a voter Tuesday, said Lt. Col. Carl Yates, a spokesman for the Jefferson County Sheriffs’ Office.

Jeffery Steitz, 42, was charged with interfering with an election and fourth-degree assault, said Yates.

The incident happened about 10:30 a.m. when the poll worker wouldn’t process the voter’s ballot because he had not cast votes for the judge elections, Yates said.

The voter, William Miller, apparently cast a ballot that did not go through the voting machine, Yates said.

When Steitz, who was being paid to work the election and assist voters, looked at the rejected ballot, he told Miller it didn’t go through because he’d left all the judge elections blank.

After Miller insisted that he did not have to vote for the judges, Steitz allegedly assaulted him, Yates said. (Voters can cast ballots in any or all of the races, as they see fit.)

Steitz is accused of choking Miller and then pushing him out of the polling place, said Paula McCraney, a spokeswoman for the Jefferson County Clerk.

Another worker at the location called the main election office to report the incident and election officials sent sheriffs’ deputies to relieve Steitz of his duties, McCraney said.

When deputies arrived, Miller came back inside the polling place and asked that charges be filed against Steitz, McCraney said.

Yates said once the charges were filed Miller was allowed to cast a new ballot.