Millions Blocked from Voting in U.S. Election

[RedEarth]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Millions of U.S. citizens, including a disproportionate number of black voters, will be blocked from voting in the Nov. 2 presidential election because of legal barriers, faulty procedures or dirty tricks, according to civil rights and legal experts.

The largest category of those legally disenfranchised consists of almost 5 million former felons who have served prison sentences and been deprived of the right to vote under laws that have roots in the post-Civil War 19th century and were aimed at preventing black Americans from voting.

But millions of other votes in the 2000 presidential election were lost due to clerical and administrative errors while civil rights organizations have cataloged numerous tactics aimed at suppressing black voter turnout. Polls consistently find that black Americans overwhelmingly vote for Democrats.

"There are individuals and officials who are actively trying to stop people from voting who they think will vote against their party and that nearly always means stopping black people from voting Democratic," said Mary Frances Berry, head of the U.S. Commission on Human Rights.

....

"In elections in Baltimore in 2002 and in Georgia last year, black voters were sent fliers saying anyone who hadn't paid utility bills or had outstanding parking tickets or were behind on their rent would be arrested at polling stations. It happens in every election cycle," she said.

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=domesticNews&storyID=6306466

[AspenRose]

1. Hope Kerry/Edwards' legal team is ready

Because they are going to have their work cut out for them.

And republicans tell us to "Get over it?" I don't think so.

Never, NEVER forget.

On edit: Pay attention if you're in a swing state.

"In other swing states, 4.6 percent of voters in Iowa, but 25 percent of blacks, were disenfranchised in 2000 as ex-felons. In Nevada, it was 4.8 percent of all voters but 17 percent of blacks; in New Mexico, 6.2 percent of all voters but 25 percent of blacks."

[Demoiselle]

16. Kerry campaign is asking for contributions for a recount legal fund ...

I got an email yesterday saying they're looking for funds for recount
legal work. You can find it here: https://contribute.johnkerry.com
(I hope I've got the address right.)
They pointed out in my email that the Bush forces raised over 20 million for the Florida recount battle while Gore only managed 3 mil. My understanding of the thing is that they still have to get an ok from the FEC, but they're confident they'll get it.
Anyway, it's something to consider.

[AspenRose]

21. Excellent

Looks like they're expecting a fight, too.

[napi21]

34. RECOUNT? BS! They have to do something NOW!

I saw something about a web site where you can check to see if you are listed as a registered voter. At the very least, you can contact your voter registration dept and verify that you are registered!

Yesterday, I read an article that stated registrars have been getting a hugh number of people calling just to check.

I don't mean to dismiss the $$ for a recount, but it really should never get to that! Handle ethis problem NOW, not try to correct it later!!!

[Sparkly]

2. I sure wish this were all over TV news

What am I saying?! Dan Rather is threatening democracy! There's no time to report anything else.

[Cha]

3. Kerry/Edwards legal team and Michael Moore's

camera down in Florida.

Glad these people have the report out now so they know more what to look for.

[hang a left]

5. Unfortunately....

Looks like it is not just Florida.

:sad:

[Zorra]

4. Someone tries to stop me from voting I'll pepper spray them and tell

the police I thought I was being assaulted.

[trogdor]

14. I'd kick 'im in the 'nads.

<butthead>huh huh huh</butthead>

[RevolutionStartsNow]

6. Okay, so what can we DO?

Is there anything that can be done to counter this BEFORE election day or are we just supposed to let it happen and fight it out in court later? I don't like that thought because we tend to lose those fights.

Seems like we should be overly prepared for this.

[AspenRose]

8. If you can, volunteer to work the polls

The ACLU, the NAACP, and People for the American Way are keeping a very close eye on things.

PFAW has "Election Protection" training going on nationwide.

http://www.electionprotection2004.org/

[RevolutionStartsNow]

20. Wish I could...

Unfortunately I will be on an airplane all day on election day. I will vote absentee of course (in CA) but will land in Southern OH at around 5 pm on Election Day and go watch returns in a bar. Ugh.

[Pachamama]

39. Thanks for the info....just signed up to be a "poll watcher/worker" Nov 2

I have to do whatever I can to ensure this election is not stolen....we all need to....none of us should be "glued" to the set on election day...(or on the DU - unless its to check in)...We all need to be out working the streets to get out the vote, and working the polls for these organizations....

:kick:

[ilovenicepeople]

30. I have an idea

how about staying outside the polling station after your vote,so that every poll has a voice of concern for a proper election.//believe me this is one election worth BEING THERE!!!:hi:

[jwirr]

38. I would think that the

Civil Liberties Union would help concerned citizens to start a class action suit against the RNC, Jeb Bush, the resident and anyone else involved with voter suppression. The vote in Florida or some other state effects all of us.

[reprobate]

43. The courts will not be where the fight is held this time.

[jukes]

7. i'm sickened

by the chicanery of the republican party. i really fear for the future of this nation.

if we don't get over-run in a crusade/jihad war, we'll self immolate over partisan fraud & fundie activism/terrorism.


guess i'm a tinfoil hat mofo...

[markus]

9. The Black voter purge campaign is 25 years old

and has never been stopped. I first encountered it in the 1986 election in Louisiana, when they were moving the operation out of the jurisdiction of an Atlanta federal court who tried to make them cut it out.

This isn't some new aberation. This is a fundamental tenet of the GOP: Black People Must Not Be Allowed to Vote.

I don't know how to stop it, unless we can convince a major network or newspaper to make it a top story priority, going to back to the early 80s, and document it.

This will never stop until it has it's Selma/Stonewall moment.

(Thinking: is Stonewall the name of the gay riot? I can't remember, but that's what I'm trying to refer to).

[AspenRose]

11. I think that's right (Stonewall)

I know you're an attorney. Just curious, do you know if your law school has flyers up promoting Election Protection, trying to get law students to volunteer?

[markus]

15. Actually, I'm not an attorney

but I worked on the Hill long enough to think I'm as smart as they are.

Actually, I ran into this as a campaign press secretary, as Louisiana was a major target of this in '86.

Yes, there are legal societies looking for volunteers to deal with this. Your local party is probably looking for that sort of help as well

[fdr_hst_fan]

32. Isn't it ironic? It was the party of

Lincoln that freed Blacks, and now it's the party of Lincoln that wants them to shut up and be "good little nigras". It's sad and sick; makes you wonder why the Civil War was ever fought, if it was going to turn out this way, anyway.

:mad: :puke:

[reprobate]

42. You mean Civil War I, don't you?

Civil War II will start soon after the election is stolen in November. I beleive that enough people are so fed uup with the repug chickanery that LTEs will not provide enough outlet for the rage. We are facing a true blow out.

[ChrisK]

10. What the hell does one have to do with the other?

Utility bills?..Parking tickets?..RENT!?...What do these have to do with one's voting rights? It's not a crime to be behind on one's rent or utilities, I would like to see someone bring one of those flyer's to a lawyer or the ACLU and ask them is this legal.


I would hope after the 2000 Elections there would be a bit more transparency in the next elections but I guess that was too much to ask from these people.

Laws are being broke here and if it were the Republicans that were on the other end of the spectrum they would be raising holy hell as they should but this is just an insult to the Democracy this country used to stand for, an absolute disgrace.

How much freedom must all Americans lose till we stand as one and say ENOUGH

[AspenRose]

12. Here's another resource

If you are canvassing in areas that you suspect may be targeted for voter fraud and intimidation, print out some of these cards from the ACLU and give folks contact information. They're available for: FL, GA, NJ, NM, NC, PA, TN and Washington (not sure if DC or state).

http://www.aclu.org/VotingRights/VotingRights.cfm?ID=16408&c=32

"Voter Empowerment Cards are designed to inform voters of their rights and responsibilities on election day to avoid problems when casting a ballot. Along with downloadable cards, there is information about voter registration forms, absentee ballot applications, polling place locators and contact information for the ACLU in your state and for your state's election authority."

[Bandit]

13. We really need "Vote By Mail"

That would almost eliminate voter intimdation and alsoincrease turn-out which I believe helps democrats. If it didn't the GOP wouldn't try so hard to suppress turn-out. Not to mention the fact that it is just so damn convenient. You don't need to find a parking spot or stand in line or show ID or worry about violence occuring. If we were smart "Vote By Mail" would be a major issue with us. Oregon has had it for several years and they love it. They also have the highest Turn-out of any other state. If all the problems that are brought up here were an issue in Oregon we would hear about them, you can bet on it.

[chenGOD]

17. Jeez, you guys sound like you could use some UN monitors...

They sure are making it as difficult as possible to vote these days, if you're not a rich white person, that is.

[Wednesdays]

29. Oh, but you can't have THAT.

The U.N.? Thanks to the propaganda machine here, the majority of Americans see the U.N. is Satan incarnate...worse than communism. If there's even a whisper of letting in U.N. monitors, there'll be howling that they're trying to steal the election for the Democrats! :eyes:

[Pathwalker]

18. Mich.'s Sec. of State was caught sending out FALSE fliers

stating that the deadline to register to vote has already passed - when it's 3 weeks away!!!!!!
Care to guess her party?

This lead the local noon news, she's now sayinf it was a "simple mistake." Yeah, right.

[americanwomanone]

35. It Was Two Offices

One in Battle Creek and one in Ann Arbor. They were not to be sent until after October 4. Terry Lynn Land the Sec. of State said it was a mistake but I have a bit of a problem believing that. I think after the 2000 fiasco we are always suspicious, and should be.

[gardenista]

40. Why would the State spend $ on telling people it's too late to register?

This is beyone ridiculous.

She should be booted out!

[AspenRose]

19. US Commission on Civil Rights press release from Friday

USCCR BRIEFING ON VOTING AND ELECTION REFORM - IS AMERICA READY TO VOTE? VOTING BARRIERS, PROVISIONAL & ABSENTEE BALLOTS, AND VOTER ENFRANCHISEMENT
September 17, 2004 Briefing

In a continuing probe of potential barriers and challenges confronting voters in the November 2004 elections, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (Commission) is convening the third in a series of briefings on the status of election reform implementation and voting integrity: USCCR Briefing on Voting and Election Reform - Is America Ready To Vote? Voting Barriers, Provisional & Absentee Ballots, and Voter Enfranchisement.

<snip>

Recent allegations include events in Florida, where many elderly black voters have been reportedly intimidated by police officers investigating alleged absentee voting fraud; in Texas, where students at the predominately black Prairie View A&M University were threatened with arrest by the local district attorney, who erroneously suggested they were not eligible to vote in the county in which the school was located; South Dakota, where some Native American poll workers and voters asserted that voting fraud investigations were racially motivated and only served to intimidate and discourage Indian voters; and in Chicago, where problems with voter identification and provisional balloting implementation reportedly had racial implications.

The briefing panelists range from a high-ranking government official to community representatives and advocates. Joining the Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, on the briefing panel are:

Maria Valdez, Regional Counsel, Chicago, Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund;
Jacqueline Johnson, Executive Director, National Congress of American Indians; and
Courtenay Strickland, Voting Rights Director, American Civil Liberties Union - Miami, Florida.

http://www.usccr.gov/

[psychopomp]

22. Kick

Important thread.

[Minstrel Boy]

23. Florida, supersized.

Four years ago was bad enough. But now the whole world is counting on Americans to not let it happen again.

[AspenRose]

24. Kick it

:kick:

[Chelsea Patriot]

25. Kick!!!

[Carolab]

26. Hans von Spakovsky

head of Ashcroft's "Voting Section"--member of "Federalist Society" in Atlanta--same group to which MacDougald belongs. Deliberate and obvious effort to undermine civil rights, through "Voter Integrity" project begun in Fulton County, allegedly to "reduce voter fraud". Number of cases concerning violations being prosecuted down at the Federal level down to almost nothing and those that proceed are unsuccessful. Seeing this "voter fraud" issue being raised again and again by Repukes, including here in Minnesota through the Secretary of State Mary Kiffmeyer.

[mahina]

27. Kicking this for democracy.

Thanks for the info.

[proud patriot]

28. Why do they hate our freedom so ?

:-(

[fdr_hst_fan]

33. Because Nazism can't exist in

a strong, free society; the Weimar Republic is the classic example! read William L Shirer's "The Rise and Rall of the Third Reich"-the parallels are striking!

[Iceburg]

31. Add to that-- the Pentagon has blocked overseas voters in 25 countries

http://www.expatica.com/source/site_article.asp?subchannel_id=58&story_id=12081&name=Pentagon+blocks+US+expats+inFrance+from+election+register

Pentagon blocks US expats in France from election register

21 September 2004

AMSTERDAM — American expats trying to register to vote in the November US presidential election have been frustrated following a move by the Pentagon to restrict access to some of its websites.

Customers of internet service providers (ISPs) in at least 25 countries — including Wanadoo in France and Telefonica in Spain — have been denied access to the site of the Federal Voting Assistance Program (www.fvap.gov), the International Herald Tribune reported.

The Pentagon said it blocked access to its sites from a number of ISPs worldwide to protect itself from hackers.

The Federal Voting Assistance Program is designed to help military and civilian voters abroad. It is run by the US Defense Department.

Expats in many countries have been frustrated as the deadline for registering to vote in the 2 November election nears.

[RedEarth]

36. evening kick

[deadparrot]

37. I loathe the people responsible for this BS. It's really sickening.

And they get away with it.

[AirAmFan]

41. Even voter registration tables can be used to disfranchise Democrats!

A story at Buzzflash implies a very clever strategy to disfranchise likely Democratic voters. Posing as a nonpartisan civic group, Republican consultants set up voter registration tables inside libraries, home improvement stores, or other places where recent arrivals or other unregistered people might cluster. The consultants are well-stocked with voter registration forms and appear to show no bias or preference in helping people fill out the forms.

But they don't let people walk away with the forms! They say, "We'll take them to the Election Registrar tonight."

This situation offers possibilities for the consultants to submit some forms and discard others. They could have a separate pile for minority applications very likely to result in Democratic votes if submitted. Also, once they have someone's address, the consultants can find out whether that person lives in a precinct likely to vote Democratic, and thus whether to discard the application.

They'll submit forms for likely Republican voters, and record their telephone numbers for get-out-the-vote calls as Election Day nears. Likely Democratic voters the Republicans have hoodwinked will think they've registered, but find out they have no right to vote at the polls or after the registration deadline has passed.

The story ends with this caution: From http://www.mailtribune.com/archive/2004/0921/local/stories/02local.htm :

"Voter registration rules

Anyone can hand out and collect the state form asking people to register, with no training or registration required. Anyone who collects another person�s filled-out registration form has five days to return the form to the Secretary of State�s office or the county clerk�s office.

Discarding or not turning in the form is a civil violation, subject to fines beginning at $75, according to Secretary of State Elections Officials. Donna Connor, elections deputy at Jackson County Elections, advises those who have registered at a registration drive should wait one or two weeks to receive their card, and if they do not receive it, CALL ... TO SEE IF THE REGISTRATION FORM WAS TURNED IN."