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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsGood news from People For the American Way re: Tea Party voter suppression in OH & PA
Last edited Tue Nov 6, 2012, 02:47 PM - Edit history (1)
Just got this in an email from them:
We're getting reports in from our people on the ground in Ohio and Pennsylvania that "poll observers" from True the Vote -- the Tea Party group set up to intimidate voters and challenge (mostly minority) voters' right to vote at the polls -- are being barred from polling places across the states, thanks to the good work of fair elections advocates and lawyers!
(And I'm just adding this note kind of late, but if you're not familiar with PFAW, their name sounds like a right-wing organization (or at least it does to me), but their motto is something like 'Fighting the Far Right". I've contributed to them for several years).
gottavote
(106 posts)codjh9
(2,781 posts)amuse bouche
(3,663 posts)telling DU'ers to go vote. It is beyond annoying.
We, of all people already know the importance of voting.
codjh9
(2,781 posts)unusual or bad to report.
AlbertCat
(17,505 posts)telling DUer what to post and what not to post.
Now GO VOTE if you haven't...
BTW, I voted!
xtraxritical
(3,576 posts)I voted by absentee ballot three weeks ago, and it's a very safe bet that everyone at DU is voting.
defacto7
(13,485 posts)But there are a lot of other sites that could probably use that enthusiasm. It's not so necessary here. But if you're just raving for the team, do that instead, and have at it!
AAO
(3,300 posts)xtraxritical
(3,576 posts)I'm sure it's an attempt by DU to have their pages load faster and not always "time out".
malaise
(277,303 posts)Rec
RedCloud
(9,230 posts)codjh9
(2,781 posts)titaniumsalute
(4,742 posts)ProudToBeBlueInRhody
(16,399 posts)Fuck them, they do not belong.
Left Coast2020
(2,397 posts)I was just going to post it here but saw I was beat to the punch. I should also add that my tea-bagger landlord is with 2 of her friends to watch polls in a black precinct in Sacramento. She told me before she left, "I'm going to watch for fraud". That is the intelligence level I have to live with on a daily basis. I'm not kidding. I am desperate to find a decent job so I can move out of here and have my life back. This place is insane!
toby jo
(1,269 posts)I'm from up north and just wonder what and how they taught these people back in school.
The DNA level just seems to be shot.
rivegauche
(601 posts)gottavote
(106 posts)flamingdem
(39,840 posts)They have it together on this
SaveAmerica
(5,342 posts)longship
(40,416 posts)R&
RagAss
(13,832 posts)BouzoukiKing
(163 posts)Rain Mcloud
(812 posts)Kick it in You face! and recommend.
BlueStreak
(8,377 posts)How is it that they might have assumed they would be allowed to loiter around the poll site intimidating voters? Since when are people allowed to do that, regardless of their motives?
SheilaT
(23,156 posts)William Rehnquist, later Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court did exactly that when he was a young attorney in Phoenix, AZ.
BlueStreak
(8,377 posts)In Indiana, if you aren't a poll worker, you aren't allowed inside the building. You can solicit outside, but you can't be anywhere near the actual voting activity.
SheilaT
(23,156 posts)It's shocking to realize how many otherwise nice white people in this country weren't entirely convinced black people really ought to vote. The reason the Voting Rights Act was needed was because there were Poll taxes in states (mainly in the South) as well as literacy tests, which were designed specifically to keep African Americans from voting. If they even had the audacity to register.
BlueStreak
(8,377 posts)Covering auditability, intimidation, registration standards, early voting procedures, etc.
SunSeeker
(53,445 posts)bearssoapbox
(1,408 posts)My wife and I voted absentee a couple of weeks ago. Then I called last thursday to make sure that our votes in even though my wife hand delivered them to the election office.
A friend (D for Obama) that voted this morning said the sheriff was called to a poll in Darke county. The cops didn't have a clue on what to do. My friend had the phone numbers needed and gave them to everyone he could and called in also but he had to get to work so I don't know what happened. He did say the sheriff was on the phone when he left so I hope the right thing was done.
It is a teabagger rich county full of nickel millionaires that think Dog-On-Roof is better than having a muslim socialist commie Kenyan taking away their guns.
I have relatives in this county that have told me that using those exact words in one phrase or another. I'm sure that having faux news on 24/7 or listening to Oxyrush doesn't influence their thinking at all.
We have GOT to win this election!
calimary
(83,901 posts)Truly good to hear! I'm glad these nogoodnik bastards are being stopped! Great to have you with us and THANK YOU for your vigilance! DO NOT EVER STOP YOUR VIGILANCE!!! Because the bad guys never do. So we can NEVER drop our guard!!!!
You ROCK!!!
DocMac
(1,628 posts)LTR
(13,227 posts)NOW I find the perfect nickname, just before he fades into obscurity!
bongbong
(5,436 posts)They must fail miserably, since the closest historical analogy of the "True The Vote" flock of sheep is the SA in Germany, circa 1932.
kmlisle
(276 posts)They may be prosecuted for this after the election.
progressivebydesign
(19,458 posts)People should be going to jail for this. They got initial signatures from some elected officials, before the officials realized that it was a partisan group/tea baggers. So the initial forms when through fine. Then they had to file additional forms closer to the election, but by then only ONE official still wanted to be associated with them. the others said "take my name off, I'm not signing off on this." But they copied their signatures to the new forms and turned them in.
Ilsa
(62,173 posts)do their job and load up the charges. There has to be consequences for this or others will fight back the same way, and then ourelections process will be the most bogus on the planet.
WillyT
(72,631 posts)liberalhistorian
(20,844 posts)"screwthevote" idiots are being put where they belong-in the cold.
mindwalker_i
(4,407 posts)Since the fuckers aren't being sent to jail, it's long past time to add some constructive feedback to the situation...
City Lights
(25,171 posts)samsingh
(17,865 posts)drm604
(16,230 posts)and I didn't see anyone who looked like they were from True the Vote. I didn't see anyone trying to make trouble or harass people at all. I guess this explains why.
LTR
(13,227 posts)My guess.
drm604
(16,230 posts)There intent was to suppress the minority vote.
Alcibiades
(5,061 posts)I would live to try to see them attempt this shit here in Durham.
I suspect they are only challenging folks in places where the local GOP is in power and has their backs.
democrattotheend
(12,008 posts)drm604
(16,230 posts)After I got in line, the line behind me kept growing and was still growing when I left.
I don't honestly know how many people there are in my precinct but it's not a very big precinct, it actually shares the polling place with another precinct (those people were in an other line in a different part of the building).
So I'd say the turnout was pretty good.
sarcasmo
(23,968 posts)Douglas Carpenter
(20,226 posts)ProudProgressiveNow
(6,165 posts)Aristus
(68,052 posts)I'm a member and a huge fan. Ed Asner is a former chairman of PFAW.
tpsbmam
(3,927 posts)and very much a progressive group that does awesome work. I, too, have been contributing for years. PFAW is now also responsible for Right Wing Watch, an invaluable source of information and activism!
Now those fine Americans can go home and get back on their meds.
Cha
(304,374 posts)with actually doing Good things and giving credibility to "the American Way".
RiskWrangler
(31 posts)this morning whom was directing people at the door kept yelling out only two bits of information 1) Get into the correct line, if your last name is A-K get in this line and 2) you need to have your drivers license out..if you don't verify yourself with your drivers license or it's expired you need to go to the Motor Vehicle office...their open today. Got me a bit upset because we had some people in line behind me saying they only brought their voter id card with them. I motioned to this older man to come over and stated "Sir, you need to go back to these people in line before they leave and explain to this lady that the voter id card she has will be fine...since you obviously left out the other items they can legally vote with, it's causing confusion among those of us that aren't as knowledgeable about what is acceptable, and...you may want to include these other methods of identification so that others don't walk away unknowingly". He did not seem to appreciate this bit of guidance from a young buck. Too bad. In Oklahoma at least under the Voter ID law, you must present either a valid drivers license, state identification card, passport, military id or a voter identification card. I felt like staying there all day and skipping work today just because of the concern of this dude possibly having someone turn away and give up. Not acceptable. Yes, I did report to the Election Board in our county. Errrr!
ChaoticTrilby
(211 posts)"True the Vote" couldn't be a more oxymoronical (or grammatically iffy!) name for such a group. I only wish they could have been caught an charged with voter-suppression, as they should have been...Ah, well. This is a good start.
FORWARD!
drm604
(16,230 posts)ChaoticTrilby
(211 posts)When I said "caught," I meant "arrested." I know they were caught forging signatures. I just wish they'd been formally charged. Trying to suppress voting is treason, far as I'm concerned.
drm604
(16,230 posts)I was just pointing out that, while they haven't been charged with suppression, they may be charged with other things.
ChaoticTrilby
(211 posts)I just wasn't sure if my own words were clear. I'm glad that at least some justice is being served.
Response to codjh9 (Original post)
Duval This message was self-deleted by its author.
defacto7
(13,485 posts)Grown2Hate
(2,140 posts)Jack Rabbit
(45,984 posts)It was a reaction to the crap being propagated at the time by Jerry Falwell and other right wing morons.
bluestate10
(10,942 posts)They didn't interfere with poll workers or voters. We had a certified state poll worker helping voters and keeping an eye on those assholes.
whathehell
(29,629 posts)6000eliot
(5,643 posts)codjh9
(2,781 posts)Up2Late
(17,797 posts)... that we had to stand outside of, but so did everyone else.
All polling places, here in Georgia, also have signs posted that say "No Campaigning within 150 feet of this polling location."
Glad to hear that is being enforced.
And yes, PFAW is a great organization started by Democrats.
Tippy
(4,610 posts)Fire Walk With Me
(38,893 posts)Ruby the Liberal
(26,265 posts)because they were stopping people OUTSIDE the polling station, asking for ID to allow people to pass. This was on the teevee news at lunch.
Idiots.