What do you think - Billboards in Battlegrounds States (OH, CO) telling voters last day to register

[1776Forever]

AND tell them to check with their registration boards to make sure their records are up to date!

I saw this post this morning that really brought this home to me. I have listed the following from the article to show what could happen in Ohio if the voters don't check on their records beforehand and make sure they are in order:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=6996914&mesg_id=6996914

This references the Free Press article

Ten ways the McCain/Palin GOP is now stealing the Ohio vote
by Bob Fitrakis & Harvey Wasserman
September 9, 2008

http://www.freepress.org/departments/display/19/2008/3201

1) ILLEGAL DESTRUCTION OF EVIDENCE SURROUNDING THE VOTE COUNT

(snip)

2) MASSIVE RESIDUAL ELIMINATION OF REGISTERED VOTERS:

(snip)

In the run-up to the 2004 elections, GOP-controlled Boards of Elections in Ohio eliminated some 308,000 registered voters from the rolls used at the polls to determine whether or not citizens are eligible to vote. The purges were conducted in heavily Democratic districts in Cuyahoga (Cleveland), Lucas (Toledo) and Hamilton (Cincinnati) Counties. The numbers of voters eliminated represented more than 5% of the 5.4 million Ohioans who voted in 2004. The GOP also challenged the right of some 35,000 registered voters to cast ballots, based largely on letters the Republicans sent to voters which then came back undelivered, thus allowing them to claim the lack of a valid address. Challenges were also issued to prevent thousands of ex-felons from voting, even though there is no state law disenfranchising them.

3) RENEWED ATTEMPTS TO ELIMINATE ADDITIONAL REGISTERED VOTERS:

(snip)

Throughout Ohio's 88 counties, GOP-controlled Boards of Elections have continued "caging" registered voters by sending them notices requiring that the post office return those that cannot be delivered. A loophole in Ohio law allows partisan challengers to then demand that the names of those whose forms come back be eliminated from the voter rolls. This practice has been used by the GOP throughout the nation to purge voter rolls in inner city precincts. In many cases those removed are soldiers currently serving in Iraq.

4-5) RESISTING UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO ABSENTEE BALLOTS WHILE RE-INTRODUCING CHAOS:

(snip)

Brunner has refused to do this, pointing out that the potential shortfall would be in the millions, and that such an order---in essence, an unfunded mandate---might be illegal. As a result, using a calculation based on per capita postage rates, she has informed every BOE how much state money they can expect. She is encouraging those that have the additional money in their budgets to do the mailings on their own.

6) RESISTING SAME-DAY REGISTRATION AND VOTING

(snip)

The Ohio Republican Party has called on Brunner "to revoke a directive to allow residents to register to vote and cast an absentee ballot the same day." The GOP says her directive is illegal. The party is expected to deploy a full attack on this provision that would otherwise allow thousands of Ohioans to participate in the process for the first time with relative ease and security.

7) THE PERSISTENT SPREAD OF ELECTRONIC VOTING MACHINES

(snip)

"We want Ohio's voters and the rest of the nation to see that we have prepared a transparent process of transporting voting equipment, ballots and supplies," Brunner says. "That begins with security practices at boards of elections and polling places, documented chain of custody, and now procedures to make secure voting machine delivery."

But electronic touchscreen voting remains a black hole through which a close election could once again be stolen, in Ohio and throughout the nation.

8) RESIDUAL CHAOS FROM PRECINCT ELIMINATION AND MANIPULATION

(snip)

In the lead-up to Ohio 2004, Blackwell eliminated numerous precincts where voters had cast their ballots for decades. Consolidation was uneven. Some 321 precincts have been shifted in Franklin County alone. Blackwell admitted to a Congressional hearing that false, misleading and out-of-date information was posted on the state's official web site, misdirecting thousands of voters to the wrong polling stations. In many cases, they were then denied the right to vote altogether, or forced to cast provisional ballots which were never counted.

The chaos resulting from these precinct eliminations has not been entirely overcome. For financial and other reasons, Brunner has not restored all the precincts to pre-Blackwell levels. It is expected that her website will provide accurate information about precinct status and location. But it's likely some problems will persist.

9) DATA MINING

(snip)

Early indications are that the Republicans are heavily involved in data mining. Registered voters are already reporting strange letters from undisclosed senders or unidentified nonprofit organizations "welcoming" voters to the system. As in 2004, voters should expect a deluge of phone calls as well, telling them if they vote they'll be arrested if they have outstanding parking and traffic tickets, back child support payments due, or are on parole, probation or reside in a halfway house. None of these are legal grounds for disenfranchisement. But we expect thousands of such calls will be made to keep first-time and uninformed voters away from the polls.

10) EXPANDED VOTER IDENTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

(snip)

A US Supreme Court decision has upheld an Indiana law, drafted and passed by the GOP, requiring photographic identification for voter registration. Because millions of young, poor, homeless, minority and elderly voters may not have voter ID, various state laws are expected to eliminate large numbers of mostly Democratic voters from casting ballots throughout the country. In key swing states like Ohio, which now require ID other than signature to vote (except by absentee ballot), the outcome of the election could be significantly affected. Attempts by voter registration organizations to help such voters obtain suitable ID are proceeding. But the law may still deprive crucial numbers of citizens their right to vote, and play a decisive role in the November 4 outcome.

Overall, there is no doubt that four years of intense public scrutiny, legal action and grassroots organizing have made the theft of the 2008 election in many ways a more difficult proposition. Widespread training of poll workers, poll judges and independent observers (including video teams) will add to the safeguards available during the registration process, voting and vote count. Should thousands of trained election protection activists committed to the democratic process come to the polls this year, it may prove impossible for the 2008 election to be stolen, as happened in 2000 and 2004.

But the Supreme Court approval of photo identification requirements and the proliferation of electronic voting machines will prove serious challenges to a fair registration, voting and vote count process. Given the number of ploys used by the GOP in Ohio and elsewhere in 2004, it's certain additional methods of election theft will surface this year that no one has seen before.

Unless they are effectively countered, there is little doubt that John McCain and Sarah Palin will follow George W. Bush and Dick Cheney into the White House.

...............

Last day to register in Ohio is Monday, Oct. 6th!

Here is a link to Rock the Vote that gives all the States last day to register to vote:

http://www.rockthevote.com/voting-is-easy/important-dates/

Get it on!

[CitizenPatriot]

1. great post

also anyone who wants to assist in this can volunteer for Obama's campaign. they need people on election day as well as before it.

there is also video the vote -- sign up to be on call to video any precinct problems in your area.

The pukes have been more organized and of course, they cheat....

let's give them hell this year.

[1776Forever]

3. Thanks! I wish I had money to do it on my own! I hope someone in the Obama Camp sees this.

Time goes so fast and it is only a few more weeks to get registered!

:kick: Get it on!

[Nikki Stone1]

2. Excellent post. K & R

Has Greg Palast written any more on the voter caging? I fully expect GOP shenanigans again this year and am worried about the battleground states.

[1776Forever]

4. Palast is so on this - Here is a TruthOut link about it also ......

Nearly 600,000 Subject to Possible Caging in Ohio

Friday 05 September 2008

by: David Rosenfeld, Miller-McCune


http://www.truthout.org/article/nearly-600000-voters-subject-possible-caging-ohio

Vote caging suspected in Ohio. (Photo: Matt Mahurin / Rolling Stone)
Friday 05 September 2008

How many voter-registration mass mailers are "returned to sender" in the run-up to Election Day may determine how many Ohio residents are eligible to vote.

Ohio election officials are sending out a mass mailer stamped "do not forward" to all registered voters today (Sept. 5) with an absentee ballot application and other important notices for Nov. 4.

What's important here is not so much what's going out as what's being returned to sender.

[Nikki Stone1]

5. 600.000? (We're looking at Republican officials in OH?)

Thank you for the link.

[FedUpWithIt All]

6. Ohio is encouraging people to vote absentee. n/t