U.S. Constitution Mandates Penalties for States Where Votes Are Obstructed

[wildflower]

Anyone seen this? (I tried to search to see if it had been posted already but got an error.)

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U.S. Constitution Mandates Penalties for States Where Votes Are Obstructed, Say Greens

According to the 14th Amendment (Section 2), Voting Irregularities May Require a Reduction in the Number of Allotted Electoral College Votes for Ohio or Other States

WASHINGTON -- December 16 -- Green Party leaders warned that Ohio and other states where a significant amount of voter obstruction has taken place face penalties mandated by the U.S. Constitution.

Under the leadership of presidential candidate David Cobb, Greens have launched vote recount efforts in Ohio and New Mexico in response to the numerous complaints of voting irregularities in the 2004 election

According to the 14th Amendment (Section 2) of the U.S. Constitution, "...hen the right to vote... is denied... or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion, or other crime, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number of male citizens... in such State."

"If legitimate voters have been disenfranchised in any state, the Constitution requires that the state's representation be reduced," said Asa Gordon, Executive Director of the Douglass Institute of Government, chair of the D.C. Statehood Green Party's Electoral College Task Force, and member of the party's national Black Caucus. "If it can be shown that a class of legitimate voters were obstructed from voting or having their votes counted in Ohio, Florida, New Mexico, or any other state, then that state may lose one or more of its allotted Electoral College votes."

more at

http://www.commondreams.org/news2004/1216-17.htm

[femme.democratique]

1. Send this to Senator Byrd!

[OKthatsIT]

11. Have you been in contact with Senator Byrd?

I was thinking I would send him a letter..via snail mail

[trudyco]

2. This was mentioned at the Conyers hearing

In the participant Q&A at the end somebody suggested this, I think?

trudyco

[seabeyond]

3. start sending their ass to jail, and lets see how fast

they start talking

[bemis12]

4. Does anyone believe

that any state is going to have it's electoral votes reduced. Try your best to be honest aobut this.

I'm giving 10-1 odds, as much as you'd like to wager.

[femme.democratique]

6. when your constitution no longer affects actual policy

your constitution is no longer relevant.
if what you say is true, then our country is already dead!

[femme.democratique]

5. I mean, conservatives are so into holding true to the constitution, right?

So obviously the Repukes will understand, right?

ROFLMAO

Only problem I have with this is the "male citizens" part - ummm isn't sexual discrimination now illegal? Quite the conundrum...

[k8conant]

8. The fellow at the hearing in DC emphasized...

that the "male citizens" part was the only part that had been superseded by later amendments on suffrage.

[Razorback_Democrat]

15. Conservatives might, but neocons are running the show

and they want to usurp the constitution to fit their needs.

they get the support of the right wing Christians because they assert that the declaration of independence is evidence of the founding fathers intentions to have Church and State together.

but the neocons real intent is to only keep the parts of the constitution that fit their needs.

[Shalom]

7. THANKS FOR HIGHLIGHTING THIS !!

[texpatriot2004]

9. Thanks so much for posting this. I have seen this issue here

before a few weeks ago. That would be wild if Florida, Ohio, and others, even my Texas...lost electors. Just think, what that would be like in the next election, if we were to have a fair, free, and transparent election again. That would have a huge impact and be quite humbling for some folks. I really, really hope it happens.

[showpan]

10. Those words mean nothing

to a repuke controled government, and they aren't conservatives at all. I like reading section 3, about how the President and vice president are supposed to be removed for giving aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. Like when they helped the Bin Ladens out of the country immediately following an attack. I wonder what would have happened after Pearl Harbor if they had secretly ushered out all the Japenese here? It's disturbing how it only tool a little over 200 years to completely trash our constitution.

[proudtobeadem]

12. Kick

[mattclearing]

13. This opens up a nasty Pandora's Box.

If we win, they will fight to cut the representation of the states they stole in. If you believe the rumors, those include California, Texas, Ohio, Florida, Virginia...there some red in there, but there's also a lot of blue (and Florida is a blue state, mind you).

I don't like this at all.

[jsascj]

14. Virginia?

While I thought they stole votes here in Virginia, I have not seen anything more about it. Where did you get your info?

[mattclearing]

16. Zogby had Virginia competitive at the end, and there were a lot of evotes.

I haven't heard much about it either, but I still suspect it. I am here in the DC Metro area, and know northern VA turnout was unprecedented.

Mitofsky's unofficial results had it tied, if I remember right.

[bemis12]

17. Don't panic

It's not happening. Period.

[Vidar]

18. Sending Blackwell to prison would be a moral victory at least.