Voter Fraud Found

[scott]

http://elections.americablog.com/2012/09/gop-voter-fraud-scandal-in-florida-spreads-statewide-possibly-nationwide.html

[DUNCANownsKOBE]

:lmao

[clambake]

har har

[George Gervin's Afro]

Yet the voter I'd law would have failed...

[djohn2oo8]

Darrin steps back in the pocket, fires to Yoni who jets down the field with WC as the lead blocker. He thinks he has a sure touchdown until WC leaves the game to stalk some chick in the hot dog line, leaving Yoni with no protection and ultimately fumbles in the end zone and its returned for a 100 yard touchdown.

[DMX7]

I guess they were right. :lol

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57521985/gop-fires-vendor-after-questionable-registrations/?tag=contentMain;contentBody

[Nbadan]

GOP Fires Voter Suppression Operative, but Is He Still Playing Dirty Tricks in CA
Source: the nation
Lee Fang on September 28, 2012 - 8:29 PM ET


But here’s confirmation of another wrinkle in the story—the Los Angeles Times reports that Republicans were so concerned with the many scandals surrounding Sproul and his previous work, they indeed asked him to set up a shell corporation to hide the payments. Here’s what Matea Gold and her colleagues reported today: “But his reputation is such that when Sproul was tapped by the RNC to do field work this year, officials requested that he set up a new firm to avoid being publicly linked to the past allegations.” The shell is called “Strategic Allied Consulting,” but Sproul’s real firm carries the name “Sproul and Associates” and “Lincoln Strategy Group.”

As I noted in an update to my post on Wednesday, the California Republican Party has made $430,840 in payments to “Grassroots Outreach, LLC” this cycle for voter registration.

Is this another Sproul shell group? And are they up to the same tactics as before? Lance Williams at California Watch reports that a recent complaint in Riverside County details a number of allegations that someone affiliated with the GOP is deceiving voters to re-register them as Republicans and offering free cigarettes for signatures. They’re reportedly targeting minorities:

One voter complained that his registration was changed to Republican after he signed what he thought was a petition to legalize marijuana. Another said he was told he was signing a petition to lower the price of gasoline , according to the affidavits.

.

Read more: http://www.thenation.com/blog/170246/gop-fires-controversial-voter-suppression-operative-he-still-playing-dirty-tricks-califo#

of course, all this GOP voter fraud is just to 'level the playing field' of all the Democrat voter fraud going on around the country...

[Nbadan]

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — What first appeared to be an isolated problem in one Florida county has now spread statewide, with election officials in nine counties informing prosecutors or state election officials about questionable voter registration forms filled out on behalf of the Republican Party of Florida.

State Republican officials already have fired the vendor it had hired to register voters, and took the additional step of filing an election fraud complaint against the company, Strategic Allied Consulting, with state officials. That complaint was handed over Friday to state law-enforcement authorities.

SNIP

The Florida Democratic Party called on the state to "revoke" the ability of state Republicans to continue to register voters while the investigation continues. Oct. 9 is the deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 6 presidential election.

"It is clear that the Republican Party of Florida does not have the institutional controls in place to be trusted as a third-party, voter registration organization," said Scott Arceneaux, executive director of the Florida Democratic Party.

The Republican Party of Florida has paid Strategic Allied Consulting more than $1.3 million, and the Republican National Committee used the group for work in Nevada, North Carolina, Colorado and Virginia.

More:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gmcs_-eNlRNCmmSZVZgvtzJ-J9VA?docId=936864115e8f45adb7234d98413b7a99

[Nbadan]

WASHINGTON — Florida elections officials said Friday that at least 10 counties have identified suspicious and possibly fraudulent voter registration forms turned in by a firm working for the Republican Party of Florida, which has filed an election fraud complaint with the state Division of Elections against its one-time consultant.

The firm of course is none other than Strategic Allied, which is basically a regurgitation of Nathan Sproul's infamous firm which destroyed Democratic registration forms in swing states during the 2004 election.

(There are 3 updates at this link)

Link to LA Times article about it

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-voter-registration-florida-republicans-20120928,0,7654954.story

[Clipper Nation]

Darrin steps back in the pocket, fires to Yoni who jets down the field with WC as the lead blocker. He thinks he has a sure touchdown until WC leaves the game to stalk some chick in the hot dog line, leaving Yoni with no protection and ultimately fumbles in the end zone and its returned for a 100 yard touchdown.
:lmao

[Wild Cobra]

At least the republicans cut their ties with the company. Democrats continue to defend the likes of ACORN.

[boutons_deux]

ACORN? :lol

More fraud by Repugs' dirty tricks.

Show proof that ACORN committed voter REGISTRATION fraud.

[George Gervin's Afro]

9:09 am....and fox news still does not have this story posted on their website:lmao

[boutons_deux]

Vote counting company tied to Romney

Looking beyond the well-documented Google choking laundry list of apparent fraud, failure and seeming corruption that is associated with Hart Intercivic, an ongoing Free Press investigation turned its attention to the key question of who owns the voting machine companies. The majority of the directors of Hart come from the private equity firm H.I.G. Capital. H.I.G. has been heavily invested in Hart Intercivic since July 2011, just in time for the current presidential election cycle. But who is H.I.G Capital?

Out of 49 partners and directors, 48 are men, and 47 are white. Eleven of these men, including H.I.G. Founder Tony Tamer, were formerly employed at Bain and Company, and two of those men, John P. Bolduc, Douglas Berman, are Romney bundlers along with former Bain and H.I.G. manager Brian Shortsleeve.

Additionally, four of these men were formerly employed at Booz Allen Hamilton. Booz Allen, now owned by the Bush family friendly Carlyle group, also made voting machines for the United States military. Booz Allen was also the key subcontractor for the controversial PioneerGroundbreaker program, an NSA data mining operation that gathered information on American citizens until it was shut down and replaced with even more invasive successor programs like MATRIX and Total Information Awareness.

H.I.G. Capital employees have given $338,000 to Mitt Romney's campaign. That amounts to over $1500 per employee. Bain Capital, Mitt's former company, by comparison, only gave him $268,000. H.I.G. is the 11th largest donor to the Romney Campaign. Clearly they are working really hard for their man. It appears that they will work even harder on election night. Although not boisterously promising to deliver states where their machines are to Romney as Wally O'Dell of Diebold did for Bush in 2004, they can launder hundreds of thousands of votes and swing the vote in the crucial swing state Ohio.

Will Mitt's cronies steal our democracy the way they stole our jobs? Time will tell, but they have certainly positioned themselves to do so if they choose.

http://www.freepress.org/departments/display/19/2012/4725

[DMC]

Wow so politicians are dishonest? Get the fuck out.

[RandomGuy]

Wow so politicians are dishonest? Get the fuck out.

This guy was in a bit of hot water, as several of his past employees were found dumping registration forms they gathered for Democratic voters in the trash.


The third reason this is embarrassing for Republicans is that Strategic Allied Consulting was formed by an Arizona consultant named Nathan Sproul, whose past registration efforts have been the subject of numerous allegations of irregularities. In several instances, those working for Sproul — whose company has operated under several different names — were accused of discarding registration forms filled out by Democrats. The allegations were investigated, but no charges were filed.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2012/09/28/161967405/citing-zero-tolerance-for-voter-fraud-rnc-fires-firm-over-florida-questions

[RandomGuy]

Ironic, is that Republicans trumped up outrage about ACORN caused them to make laws that will make it harder for such entities to operate for them as well.

Given US demographic trends, that won't end well for them. :rollin Talk about shooting yourself in the foot. Just when they need such organizations the most to counter that, they make it hard, if not impossible for themselves to do it. Man, is that delicious.

[George Gervin's Afro]

October 1, 2012


..9:08 am cst


Story is still missing on Fox News...

I could have sworn these guys were frightened at the thought that voter fraud was being committed...

[boutons_deux]

I read an article that it's true Repug/conservative FEAR, not PARANOIA, that if they get their lying, slanderous, cheating butts kicked this election, the demographics are stacked against them from here on out, as E-As become more outnumbered by N-As (Hispanic but genetically their Indians, not Spanish), As-A, Af-A.

[George Gervin's Afro]

I read an article that it's true Repug/conservative FEAR, not PARANOIA, that if they get their lying, slanderous, cheating butts kicked this election, the demographics are stacked against them from here on out, as E-As become more outnumbered by N-As (Hispanic but genetically their Indians, not Spanish), As-A, Af-A.

I am not sure either side is going to kick the other's butt..

[boutons_deux]

I am not sure either side is going to kick the other's butt..

I hear the Repugs are telling Gecko that they've done all they can to help him (aka $$$$ and lies), and now it's up to Gecko save his bacon in the debate(s).

Gecko/Ryan are kicked-butt dead meat. We'll see how big Barry's coattails are for Congressional races.

[George Gervin's Afro]

I hear the Repugs are telling Gecko that they've done all they can to help him (aka $$$$ and lies), and now it's up to Gecko save his bacon in the debate(s).

Gecko/Ryan are kicked-butt dead meat. We'll see how big Barry's coattails are for Congressional races.

you may be right.. it would be a great day on spurstalk if the dems won the WH and the Congress.. that would be a hoot

[TeyshaBlue]

you may be right.. it would be a great day on spurstalk if the dems won the WH and the Congress.. that would be a hoot

Really? This would constitute a great day? Aim higher my friend.

[boutons_deux]

Even Rick Scott Can’t Find Virtually Any Non-Citizen Voters (http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/10/01/931571/even-rick-scott-cant-find-virtually-any-non-citizen-voters/)

Earlier this year, Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) began a massive voter purge that initially targeted as many as 180,000 individuals (http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/05/23/489511/exclusive-florida-congressman-demands-gov-rick-scott-immediately-suspend-voter-purge/) to be removed from the state’s voter rolls. It quickly emerged, however, that Scott’s lists were deeply flawed — in one case, a 91 year-old decorated World War II veteran (http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/05/29/491430/meet-bill-the-91-year-old-decorated-wwii-veteran-targeted-by-florida-governor-rick-scotts-voter-purge/) received a purge letter falsely informing him that “you are not a U.S. Citizen” — and the purge was eventually halted after Florida’s county elections officials, including 30 Republicans, rebelled against the purge (http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/06/08/496677/30-elected-florida-republicans-stop-rick-scotts-voter-purge/).
Throughout this ordeal, which also included a U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit challenging the purge (http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/08/01/620701/department-of-justice-florida-voter-purge-violates/) and a pledge by a top Scott Administration official to restart the purge (http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/08/15/691171/rick-scott-administration-new-voter-purge-florida/), Scott insisted this purge was necessary to prevent non-citizen voters (http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/07/16/520021/florida-gains-access-to-new-database-vows-to-restart-voter-purge/) from changing the result of the 2012 election.

Now, Scott has begun a second voter purge, albeit under greater scrutiny after the debacle that was his first attempt to prevent Floridians from voting. Despite Scott’s previous claims that non-citizen voting is a major problem worthy of a massive voter purge, his own data now undermines this claim. After comparing a state database of drivers licenses with a federal database of immigration records, Rick Scott’s Florida barely uncovered any potential non-citizen voters (http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/national/new-noncitizen-voter-purge-has-its-own-problems-county-elections-officials/1253711):

http://thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Florida-non-citizen-map-e1349026752858.png


In total, Scott’s quest for non-citizen voters flagged only 198 names (http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/national/new-noncitizen-voter-purge-has-its-own-problems-county-elections-officials/1253711) of registered voters who may not be U.S. citizens — and this is in a state where over 8 million people voted (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election_in_Florida,_20 08) in the last presidential election. Of these 198 possible non-citizens, only 39 have actually ever voted (http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-09-27/news/os-voter-purge-20120927_1_voter-rolls-systematic-alien-verification-chris-cate). If any of the 198 names identified by Scott’s new purge turn out to be non-citizens — itself an uncertain proposition — the most likely explanation for why many of them became registered to vote is that they accidentally registered while filling out paperwork to receive a driver’s license (http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/national/hispanics-democrats-biggest-groups-on-floridas-list-of-potential/1229860), not that the alleged non-citizens intentionally tried to register illegally.

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/10/01/931571/even-rick-scott-cant-find-virtually-any-non-citizen-voters/

:lol

Where is Katherine Harris when the Repugs REALLY need here (again!)? :lol

[ElNono]

Really? This would constitute a great day? Aim higher my friend.

Well, he did say "on spurstalk". And the comedy factor shouldn't be disregarded, imo.

[boutons_deux]

higher? like what? Repugs/VRWC in control WH and Congress as well as SCOTUS? :lol

[George Gervin's Afro]

Well, he did say "on spurstalk". And the comedy factor shouldn't be disregarded, imo.

talk of secession, taking back the govt by force etc.... block everything Obama does for 4 yrs... comedy gold..

if Romney wins it will take some time but his moderation will come back and will piss of the dedicated red teamers which will be a hoot as well..i

t's a win-win if you ask me

[boutons_deux]

"his moderation will come back"

bullshit. His Repug Congress would write and pass the radical 99%-screwing/1%-enriching bills, and he'd sign everyone one of them, just as his people said he would have signed Ryan's budget that House voted up twice.

[RandomGuy]

Even Rick Scott Can’t Find Virtually Any Non-Citizen Voters (http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/10/01/931571/even-rick-scott-cant-find-virtually-any-non-citizen-voters/)

Earlier this year, Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) began a massive voter purge that initially targeted as many as 180,000 individuals (http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/05/23/489511/exclusive-florida-congressman-demands-gov-rick-scott-immediately-suspend-voter-purge/) to be removed from the state’s voter rolls. It quickly emerged, however, that Scott’s lists were deeply flawed — in one case, a 91 year-old decorated World War II veteran (http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/05/29/491430/meet-bill-the-91-year-old-decorated-wwii-veteran-targeted-by-florida-governor-rick-scotts-voter-purge/) received a purge letter falsely informing him that “you are not a U.S. Citizen” — and the purge was eventually halted after Florida’s county elections officials, including 30 Republicans, rebelled against the purge (http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/06/08/496677/30-elected-florida-republicans-stop-rick-scotts-voter-purge/).
Throughout this ordeal, which also included a U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit challenging the purge (http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/08/01/620701/department-of-justice-florida-voter-purge-violates/) and a pledge by a top Scott Administration official to restart the purge (http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/08/15/691171/rick-scott-administration-new-voter-purge-florida/), Scott insisted this purge was necessary to prevent non-citizen voters (http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/07/16/520021/florida-gains-access-to-new-database-vows-to-restart-voter-purge/) from changing the result of the 2012 election.

Now, Scott has begun a second voter purge, albeit under greater scrutiny after the debacle that was his first attempt to prevent Floridians from voting. Despite Scott’s previous claims that non-citizen voting is a major problem worthy of a massive voter purge, his own data now undermines this claim. After comparing a state database of drivers licenses with a federal database of immigration records, Rick Scott’s Florida barely uncovered any potential non-citizen voters (http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/national/new-noncitizen-voter-purge-has-its-own-problems-county-elections-officials/1253711):

http://thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Florida-non-citizen-map-e1349026752858.png


In total, Scott’s quest for non-citizen voters flagged only 198 names (http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/national/new-noncitizen-voter-purge-has-its-own-problems-county-elections-officials/1253711) of registered voters who may not be U.S. citizens — and this is in a state where over 8 million people voted (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election_in_Florida,_20 08) in the last presidential election. Of these 198 possible non-citizens, only 39 have actually ever voted (http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-09-27/news/os-voter-purge-20120927_1_voter-rolls-systematic-alien-verification-chris-cate). If any of the 198 names identified by Scott’s new purge turn out to be non-citizens — itself an uncertain proposition — the most likely explanation for why many of them became registered to vote is that they accidentally registered while filling out paperwork to receive a driver’s license (http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/national/hispanics-democrats-biggest-groups-on-floridas-list-of-potential/1229860), not that the alleged non-citizens intentionally tried to register illegally.

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/10/01/931571/even-rick-scott-cant-find-virtually-any-non-citizen-voters/

:lol

Where is Katherine Harris when the Repugs REALLY need here (again!)? :lol


TALLAHASSEE — Florida's county election supervisors are frustrated and dismayed by the state's latest effort to strip some suspected noncitizens from the voter rolls less than six weeks before a presidential election.

The second voter purge, a joint effort by the state and counties that unofficially began Wednesday, is not off to a much better start than the first one.

Some county elections officials say they are receiving names of people whom they have already removed from the rolls because they have admitted they are not U.S. citizens.

There's also a matter of timing. With 39 days until Election Day, local officials say they can't comply with notice requirements before removing voters, meaning some noncitizens could cast ballots in Florida, the situation Gov. Rick Scott wanted most to avoid.

The state flagged 198 voters of questionable U.S. citizenship by comparing a state database of drivers with a federal citizenship database at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The state released a list showing 38 of them have voted in elections, at least two of them in the Aug. 14 primary. (Earlier, the state said 39 people on the list had voted.)

The new list of names went public Wednesday, and backup documents are being sent through the U.S. mail to counties, who will get it in the coming days and begin tracking down people of questionable citizenship as they continue to prepare for the Nov. 6 general election.

Most people on the new list are in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Bay counties. All are a subset of an earlier list of about 2,600 suspected noncitizen voters that the state released in May.

In Orlando, Orange County elections chief Bill Cowles sees a redundancy: Five of 12 suspicious Orange voters on his new list have already been removed from the rolls after signing a document admitting they lacked U.S. citizenship.

"These people already signed the paperwork from the first go-round," Cowles said.

That first list was fraught with legal and political problems. The state suspended its purge effort of suspected noncitizens after elections officials discovered many were U.S. citizens, and opted to wait until it obtained access to the Homeland Security data.

Now, some officials wonder about the new list.

"We're on hold," said Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher. "When we get the backup documentation, we'll make a determination as to whether it's credible. It wasn't credible last time."

In Broward County, where 23 voters are listed as potential noncitizens, elections official Mary Cooney said there's not enough time to complete the removal process before the Nov. 6 election.

"While some individuals may submit documentation to remove themselves, the election would occur before . . . the process would be completed," Cooney said.

State elections spokesman Chris Cate said Florida has a high level of confidence that all 198 people on the list are not U.S. citizens. He said the purge effort would resume after the election, with other groups of voters being reviewed.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/national/new-noncitizen-voter-purge-has-its-own-problems-county-elections-officials/1253711

Jesus jumped-up christ...

How much taxpayer money went to catch 0.002475% of the total votes cast? Srsly?

Two thousandths of a percent.

For which they will spend millions of dollars to correct the problem. (tens of millions?)

GMAFB.

[Spurminator]

War on Fraud!

[TeyshaBlue]

higher? like what? Repugs/VRWC in control WH and Congress as well as SCOTUS? :lol

Higher than red team v blue team and RSS-a-palooza.

[TeyshaBlue]

talk of secession, taking back the govt by force etc.... block everything Obama does for 4 yrs... comedy gold..

if Romney wins it will take some time but his moderation will come back and will piss of the dedicated red teamers which will be a hoot as well..i

t's a win-win if you ask me
Troof. We all come from somewhere. Sooner or later it shows.

[boutons_deux]

Higher than red team v blue team and RSS-a-palooza.

Congrats, I've never heard anyone trash talk RSS, which is to news what email is to mail. Amazing. GFY

[TeyshaBlue]

Congrats, I've never heard anyone trash talk RSS, which is to news what email is to mail. Amazing. GFY

You make an absolute mockery out of the usefulness of RSS feeds. You've turned them into a confirmation bias generator. gfy.

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Congrats, I've never heard anyone trash talk RSS, which is to news what email is to mail. Amazing. GFY

If you mean email is like my mail as in it allows you to sign up for stupid mailing lists which you then subsequently spam every junkmail advertisement you get from then I agree.

People bash junkmail all the time. It's your own private drudge report.

[Fabbs]

October 1, 2012
..9:08 am cst
Story is still missing on Fox News...
I could have sworn these guys were frightened at the thought that voter fraud was being committed...
Has Faux said word one on this yet?

Blowhard Hush Rimjauhb?

[ChumpDumper]

New link for CosmoredCowboy. The one in the OP scurred him.

http://news.yahoo.com/voter-registration-problems-widening-florida-154156242--election.html

[CosmicCowboy]

I see an article on voter registration irregularities. I have no comment about these allegations and the article is very short on detailed substantive information. It's not like the FBI raided them like they did with ACORN.

You need to get a donut pillow for that butthurt, Chump.

[Winehole23]

I have no comment about these allegations

[Winehole23]

where's your curiosity, indeed, your outrage? mere allegations never prevented you from airing swift, full-throated denunciations of Blue team . . .

[Winehole23]

has "myside bias" made you circumspect?

[ChumpDumper]

I see an article on voter registration irregularities. I have no comment about these allegations and the article is very short on detailed substantive information. It's not like the FBI raided them like they did with ACORN.

You need to get a donut pillow for that butthurt, Chump.I'll walk you through it, princess. Take my hand.

What was ACORN accused of?

[CosmicCowboy]

Uhhh....guys...the Republicans are the ones that filed the complaint.


State Republican officials already have fired the vendor it had hired to register voters, and took the additional step of filing an election fraud complaint against the company, Strategic Allied Consulting, with state officials. That complaint was handed over Friday to state law-enforcement authorities.

[ChumpDumper]

Uhhh....guys...the Republicans are the ones that filed the complaint.Princess, how did officials find out about ACORN's fraudulent forms?

[Winehole23]

too rich. the world turned upside down.

[CosmicCowboy]

For the record, I think hiring people to register voters for either side is fucking stupid.

[Winehole23]

and with that, now you can conveniently ignore it. mission accomplished!

[CosmicCowboy]

and with that, now you can conveniently ignore it. mission accomplished!

Damn dude. You need to get a life if you feel like you just accomplished something.

[Drachen]

I think he means that your mission of paradoxically ignoring the thing that you used to be outraged against is accomplished.

[ChumpDumper]

Damn dude. You need to get a life if you feel like you just accomplished something.I believe he was referring to your mission, princess.

[boutons_deux]

Judge just overturned PA anti-voter fraud (disenfranchisement) law. Pittsburgh and Philly will keep the PA for the President.

[clambake]

princess, fucking classic!

[FuzzyLumpkins]

I like it too. PrincessCowboy.

[Wild Cobra]

Key word WH: Allegations!

[Winehole23]

never stopped you, unless there was a Republican to defend.

[boutons_deux]

National Republican Voter Registration Strategy Includes Lying to Potential Voters About "Taking a Poll" in Order to Screen Out Obama Supporters

From Palm Beach to Richmond, from Las Vegas to Portland, it's not a coincidence, it's a coordinated GOP scheme intended to keep Obama supporters from signing up to vote.


While a major element of the Republican National Committee's strategy to game the 2012 elections by affecting who gets to vote and who does not has been cut off at the knees in the wake of a criminal election fraud complaint and other late developments (http://www.bradblog.com/?p=9598) in the still-widening GOP Voter Registration Fraud Scandal, a disturbing and abhorrent nationwide GOP voter registration strategy may have also been revealed by it.

The coordinated strategy, as evidenced by recent video documentation emerging from a number of key states, includes registration workers screening out Democratic-leaning voters from registration drives in order to keep them from registering. The way it's done: lying to potential registrants about a "voter survey," rather than disclosing that workers are actually there to register voters --- but only Republican-leaning ones. The deceptive tactic has so far been seen this year in several of the five battleground states where the RNC's controversial, and potentially criminal (http://www.bradblog.com/?p=9598), $3 million registration program was scuttled late last week after fraudulent registration forms were discovered to have been turned in by a shady firm hired by the RNC to sign up Republican voters in Florida and four other states.

In Virginia

In Nevada,

In Florida

In California

Illegal? Or just incredibly unethical?

When we initially reported on the video that went viral out of Colorado Springs (http://www.bradblog.com/?p=9583) just over one week ago, we were told by Richard Coolidge, the Communications Director for CO Secretary of State Scott Gessler (R) that "there is nothing in state law would prevent" a registration worker from specifically screening for Republican-only voters to sign up. He stressed, however, that "once the person starts filling out the application, the registrar is required to submit the form to the county clerk."

Examination of the CO election code seems to, mostly, bear him out, (see section 1-2-506. Prohibitions [PDF] (http://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/LawsRules/files/Title1Final.pdf)), though part of the code says registration workers may not "display any political preference or party allegiance", which the young lady in the viral video clearly did when she was pressed by the woman taping her to know if she was there supporting Romney. She admitted she was.



http://truth-out.org/news/item/11904-national-republican-voter-registration-strategy-includes-lying-to-potential-voters-about-taking-a-poll-in-order-to-screen-out-obama-supporters

[RandomGuy]

For the record, I think hiring people to register voters for either side is fucking stupid.

What about throwing away completed registration forms for the party you don't like, after they have been filled out and given to you to turn in?

Is that stupid?

Or something else?

[CosmicCowboy]

What about throwing away completed registration forms for the party you don't like, after they have been filled out and given to you to turn in?

Is that stupid?

Or something else?

Sounds illegal to me.

[TeyshaBlue]

This is a very common occurrence in DFW. Has been an issue for decades. Up here, it's almost an exclusively Democratic Party problem. Go figure.

[howbouthemspurs]

:lmao

[boutons_deux]

G.O.P. Operative Long Trailed by Allegations of Voter Fraud

http://mobile.nytimes.com/h/Ucndih5oE6gOFUJ7vdXy02Y8agrylPtMTKAtA6tgZPIj6z8drL T0U2XihV4isB4TLgdDD-kofujvoX77lhnHLdv7n_qmLDnp8Obi6m2Uj-F2Va4RQLWCAGcT.cr

For a year, the Republican National Committee has portrayed Democrats as the villains when it comes to voter fraud.

In a provocative article on CNN's Web site, the committee's chairman, Reince Priebus, said, "Democrats know they benefit from election fraud."

The tables have turned, however, and Republicans are now playing defense over the role of a well-paid operative, Nathan Sproul, in a voter registration scandal that emerged in Florida and has spread to other states.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement said it was reviewing "numerous" claims involving a company that Mr. Sproul runs to determine if a criminal investigation is warranted. Complaints have surfaced in 10 Florida counties, among them allegations that registrations had similar signatures or false addresses, or were filed under the names of dead people. In other cases, party affiliations appeared to have been changed.

In recent days, similar claims against Mr. Sproul have arisen in Nevada and Colorado.

Mr. Sproul, 40, a former executive director of the Arizona Christian Coalition and the Republican Party in Arizona, is well known in political circles there. Since 2004, Mr. Sproul's companies - he has operated under several corporate names - have collected more than $17.6 million from Republican committees, candidates and the "super PAC" American Crossroads, mostly for voter registration operations, according to campaign finance records.

The Republican Party, which paid Mr. Sproul about $3 million this year for work in five states, has severed its ties with him, saying it has no tolerance for voter registration fraud.

But questions about Mr. Sproul's methods first emerged in 2004, when one of his companies, Sproul & Associates, was paid nearly $8 million during the election cycle. The payouts made the company the seventh-biggest recipient of campaign expenditures by the committee, according to an analysis by the Center for Responsive Politics.

Mr. Sproul declined to be interviewed.

In a statement issued by his lawyer, Mr. Sproul said the huge size of his voter operation - he claims to have registered more than 500,000 people in more than 40 states through election cycles - would invariably lead to a few problems. "Inevitably, there have been accusations of 'bad registrations,' isolated instances that have been thoroughly investigated not only internally but by the appropriate legal authorities," the statement said.

Mike Hellon, a former chairman of the Arizona Republican Party, said that Mr. Sproul had been considered "very controversial" in Arizona Republican circles before the recent allegations, partly because of past voter registration investigations. "There are questions among a lot of people in the party about how he gets these contracts and why he gets contracts," Mr. Hellon said.

As a political operative in Arizona, Mr. Sproul is known for a no-holds-barred approach. He was criticized for dredging up 28-year-old domestic abuse claims against an incumbent State Senate candidate in 2008.
That same year, he promoted a ballot initiative that would have made it more difficult to impose additional taxes or increase spending in the state. The measure failed, despite considerable financial backing from the liquor industry and from Jim Click, a Tucson car dealer and a large Republican donor who has worked closely with Mr. Sproul on local elections.

On a campaign trip to Arizona last year, Mitt Romney visited one of Mr. Click's auto dealerships. Mr. Click is a co-chairman of Mr. Romney's campaign in Arizona. Mr. Sproul has also worked for the campaign, receiving about $60,000 since last year, according to campaign finance records. A spokesman for the campaign said that Mr. Sproul collected petition signatures during the Republican primary elections and provided office space.

Mr. Click said that while he had worked with Mr. Sproul on campaigns and thought highly of him, he had nothing to do with securing his recent contracts with the Republican National Committee. "He's always performed for me," Mr. Click said. "He's always been aboveboard."

Mr. Sproul is one of the biggest players in a for-profit industry that relies on low-paid seasonal workers who must be quickly trained in the legalities of voter registration. In addition to $12 an hour, workers might be eligible for college internship credit, the ad said.

Mr. Sproul has said that his company employs 4,000 workers. "We have in place a background check system and stringent quality controls meant to prevent individuals from skirting the system," said the statement released by his lawyer, David Leibowitz.

Mr. Sproul runs at least five affiliated companies that have conducted registration drives, polling and political consulting. According to a lawsuit filed against him by a former employee over pay, Mr. Sproul changed his company's name in 2008 to Lincoln Strategy Group, from Sproul & Associates, after the negative publicity.

More recently, Mr. Sproul has operated under the name Strategic Allied Consulting.

Susan Bucher, the superintendent of elections in Palm Beach County, Fla., said that about 100 questionable voter registrations had been flagged there. Of those, more than half involved changing a voter's party affiliation to Republican or independent. Ms. Bucher said that the revised registrations gave her "the feeling that the person completing the application had not come in contact with the voter," because they failed to include proper identifying information, like the last four digits of the voter's Social Security number.

The voter registration fraud allegations against Mr. Sproul's companies seem to fit a pattern.

In Nevada, a complaint filed last month with the secretary of state's office alleged that a woman, Cathy Sue Yancey, was told to tear up a form in which she registered as a Democrat and fill out another one without marking her party affiliation.

The complaint was filed by another woman who said she witnessed the event outside an unemployment office in Henderson, Nev., on Sept. 13. That woman, Gina Greisen, said she and a group of friends had been approached by a man who told them that they needed to update their voter registration. "He talked about voter fraud and mentioned Acorn and illegals voting," Ms. Greisen said.

The worker then approached Ms. Yancey. "He was sure a Republican, because he was totally against Obama," said Ms. Yancey, who was reached by phone and verified Ms. Greisen's account. "I'm a Democrat. I'm certainly voting for Obama."

The election forms were traced to a Sproul operation. Similar allegations prompted an investigation by the Oregon Department of Justice in 2004.

In that case, a couple told the police in Roseburg that they had been approached by a woman outside a Walmart who asked them to register to vote. The husband, John Gomez, filled out a card registering as a Republican. His wife, Katheline, registered as a Democrat.

About a month later, Mr. Gomez received a ballot in the mail, but his wife did not, the Oregon authorities said. Her registration form seemed to have evaporated. Investigators determined that the woman who solicited the couple had been paid by Sproul & Associates.

The woman told investigators that she was paid only when she registered Republicans or those who said they would vote for President George W. Bush. The Oregon inquiry focused on more than 100 fraud complaints, many pointing to operations run by Mr. Sproul, but did not result in any charges. A lawyer for Mr. Sproul said at the time that the company had a system in place to prevent and detect fraud and forgery.

Additional investigations of Mr. Sproul's organization, including one by the Portland office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, also failed to produce any charges.

Around the same time, officials at a library in Pittsburgh complained that Mr. Sproul's company had used false pretenses - claiming to represent the nonpartisan America Votes - to get permission to set up a voter
registration desk outside their building. It was only after visitors began to complain that the library learned that the canvassers represented the Republican Party.


http://mobile.nytimes.com/2012/10/05/us/politics/nathan-sproul-a-republican-operative-long-trailed-by-voter-fraud-claims.xml?f=19

Repugs have been the party of Dirty Tricks going back, at least, their moral leader and hero, Tricky Dick Nixon.

[RandomGuy]

This is a very common occurrence in DFW. Has been an issue for decades. Up here, it's almost an exclusively Democratic Party problem. Go figure.

Link?

If it is "very common" it should be easy to show.

[RandomGuy]

Sounds illegal to me.

Yes, yes it is.

Are you going to call for this company to be investigated? Donde esta la outrage, senior?

Are you going to create a thread calling for the criminals to be brought to justice?

[boutons_deux]

Repug OH voter suppression suppressed, AGAIN :lol

Early voting reinstated in Ohio

A federal appeals court on Friday sided with President Obama’s reelection campaign and said that if Ohio allows military voters to cast ballots in the three days leading to Election Day, it must extend the same opportunity to all voters.

A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit said the state had not shown why voting during the Saturday-Sunday-Monday period should be offered to only one group of voters.

“While there is a compelling reason to provide more opportunities for military voters to cast their ballots, there is no corresponding satisfactory reason to prevent non-military voters from casting their ballots as well,”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/decision2012/early-voting-reinstated-in-ohio/2012/10/05/efa1ba2a-0f23-11e2-bb5e-492c0d30bff6_story.html

Repugs' best chance in OH, as it was when they stole OH in 2004, is the Repug operatives doing the vote counting, aka, vote rigging.

[Wild Cobra]

Repugs' best chance in OH, as it was when they stole OH in 2004, is the Repug operatives doing the vote counting, aka, vote rigging.
LOL...

Stole the election.

Bullshit!

[boutons_deux]

Wave of Anti-Voter State Laws Detailed by GAO


http://readersupportednews.org/images/stories/alphabet/rsn-N.jpgew state laws that make it harder for millions of voters to cast ballots are detailed in a Government Accountability Office report (http://www.sanders.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/GAO-13-90R.pdf) released today.

The comprehensive study was requested by Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) and Bill Nelson (D-Fla.). The senators asked the non-partisan research arm of Congress to investigate what they called an "alarming number" of new state laws that will make it "significantly harder" for millions of voters to cast ballots on Nov. 6.

Sanders called the voter restrictions, enacted mostly by Republican legislatures and governors, a "savage attack on American democracy." Leahy said "we must work to protect one of the most fundamental rights Americans enjoy." Durbin said the report confirms that the spate of state voting laws is making it harder for millions of disabled, young, minority, rural, elderly and low-income Americans to vote. "Despite widespread public outcry," Nelson said, "state lawmakers have tried to make it harder" to vote.

The GAO report was issued two days after a Pennsylvania judge issued the latest in a string of court rulings that have struck down or limited several state laws restricting access to the ballot box.

Overall, the study documented a major shift during the past decade. Twenty-one states passed new voter ID laws and seven states tightened existing ID requirements. Altogether, 31 states have requirements for all eligible voters to show identification prior to casting a ballot at the polls on Election Day, the report said. In addition, six states passed new proof-of-citizenship requirements and 18 states imposed new restrictions on voter registration drives during the past 10 years.

Since voter fraud was the ostensible reason for the new laws, the senators asked for details on "any prosecutions or convictions for voter impersonation fraud within each state during the previous 10 years." Citing a lack of data, the GAO was unable to document voter fraud. (An earlier report (http://brennan.3cdn.net/c176576c0065a7eb84_gxm6ib0hl.pdf) by the Brennan Center for Justice found that substantiated cases of voter fraud were extremely rare, comprising, for instance, just 0.0004 percent of votes cast statewide in the 2004 New Jersey general election - and that photo ID would not have prevented any of the problem votes.)

The GAO plans a follow-up report next year analyzing the impact of the new state laws on voters' ability to exercise their rights. That report will include a state-by-state analysis of the cost and accessibility of documents required to register to vote and obtain photo IDs, as well as data on the race, gender and socioeconomic status of the voters affected by the new requirements. The second phase of the report also will explore how many provisional ballots are cast and how many are ultimately counted in each state.

"We must make it easier, not harder, for poor and working people to vote and to participate in the political process," Sanders said. "There is no credible evidence of voter fraud having had any impact whatsoever on the outcome of an election in recent history. Using unfounded scare tactics and isolated cases to weaken the public's faith in elections and to disenfranchise millions of eligible voters is reprehensible."

"Today's GAO report shines a light on the wave of newly enacted state laws that burden and restrict the right to vote for millions of Americans," said Leahy, the Senate Judiciary Committee chairman. "I hope GAO follows up quickly with the review we have requested of alleged in-person voter fraud, the justification used by states in erecting these new barriers affecting millions of voters despite an almost total absence of evidence that it has impacted any election. As we saw in our recent Judiciary Committee hearing looking at the impact of laws to restrict voting, we must work to protect one of the most fundamental rights Americans enjoy - the right to vote."

"Today's GAO report confirms what many have been saying for over a year: the spate of recently passed state voting laws is making it harder for millions of disabled, young, minority, rural, elderly and low-income Americans to vote," said Durbin, who has chaired three congressional hearings on new state voting laws. "Protecting the right of every citizen to vote and ensuring that our elections are fair and transparent are not Democratic or Republican values, they are American values."

"Voting is the most basic tenet of any democracy, and despite widespread public outcry state lawmakers have tried to make it harder to do," Nelson said. "The steps taken by legislatures across the country have gone too far, as evidenced once again by the study released today."

http://www.sanders.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/GAO-13-90R.pdf

http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/320-80/13835-wave-of-anti-voter-state-laws-detailed-by-gao

[boutons_deux]

LOL...

Stole the election.

Bullshit!

New court filing reveals how the 2004 Ohio presidential election was hacked


A new filing in the King Lincoln Bronzeville v. Blackwell case includes a copy of the Ohio Secretary of State election production system configuration that was in use in Ohio's 2004 presidential election when there was a sudden and unexpected shift in votes for George W. Bush.


The filing also includes the revealing deposition of the late Michael Connell. Connell served as the IT guru for the Bush family and Karl Rove. Connell ran the private IT firm GovTech that created the controversial system that transferred Ohio's vote count late on election night 2004 to a partisan Republican server site in Chattanooga, Tennessee owned by SmarTech. That is when the vote shift happened, not predicted by the exit polls, that led to Bush's unexpected victory. Connell died a month and a half after giving this deposition in a suspicious small plane crash.


Additionally, the filing contains the contract signed between then-Ohio Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell and Connell's company, GovTech Solutions. Also included that contract a graphic architectural map of the Secretary of State's election night server layout system.

http://www.freepress.org/departments/display/19/2011/4239

How incredibly naive, uh, rather election-fraud ennabling, it is that USA allows political hacks, operatives, hit men to count votes.

[Wild Cobra]

My god. This is fucked up:

Altogether, 31 states have requirements for all eligible voters to show identification prior to casting a ballot at the polls on Election Day
Only 31 states require identification...

[clambake]

My god. This is fucked up:

Only 31 states require identification...

this is a plus for republicans.

[Wild Cobra]

All states should require identification to vote.

[clambake]

All states should require identification to vote.

but.....that would make it harder for the republicans to cheat.

[boutons_deux]

but.....that would make it harder for the republicans to cheat.

not at all. Repugs are demographically outnumbered, increasingly so, so they have better chances cheating on voting counting, with their Repug operatives counting votes in red states, and flaky voting machines supplied by companies that are run by and contribute to Repugs.

[Wild Cobra]

but.....that would make it harder for the republicans to cheat.
Good!

[Wild Cobra]

not at all. Repugs are demographically outnumbered, increasingly so, so they have better chances cheating on voting counting, with their Repug operatives counting votes in red states, and flaky voting machines supplied by companies that are run by and contribute to Repugs.
You mean like the flaky voting machines that almost got Kerry elected in 2004?

[RandomGuy]

This is a very common occurrence in DFW. Has been an issue for decades. Up here, it's almost an exclusively Democratic Party problem. Go figure.

So I'm not getting a link?

[boutons_deux]

You mean like the flaky voting machines that almost got Kerry elected in 2004?

OH Repugs were manning those Repug-supplied machines, not the Dems.

[RandomGuy]

Overall, the study documented a major shift during the past decade. Twenty-one states passed new voter ID laws and seven states tightened existing ID requirements. Altogether, 31 states have requirements for all eligible voters to show identification prior to casting a ballot at the polls on Election Day, the report said. In addition, six states passed new proof-of-citizenship requirements and 18 states imposed new restrictions on voter registration drives during the past 10 years.

Since voter fraud was the ostensible reason for the new laws, the senators asked for details on "any prosecutions or convictions for voter impersonation fraud within each state during the previous 10 years." Citing a lack of data, the GAO was unable to document voter fraud. (An earlier report (http://brennan.3cdn.net/c176576c0065a7eb84_gxm6ib0hl.pdf) by the Brennan Center for Justice found that substantiated cases of voter fraud were extremely rare, comprising, for instance, just 0.0004 percent of votes cast statewide in the 2004 New Jersey general election - and that photo ID would not have prevented any of the problem votes.)

The GAO plans a follow-up report next year analyzing the impact of the new state laws on voters' ability to exercise their rights. That report will include a state-by-state analysis of the cost and accessibility of documents required to register to vote and obtain photo IDs, as well as data on the race, gender and socioeconomic status of the voters affected by the new requirements. The second phase of the report also will explore how many provisional ballots are cast and how many are ultimately counted in each state.

http://www.sanders.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/GAO-13-90R.pdf

http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/320-80/13835-wave-of-anti-voter-state-laws-detailed-by-gao

I find it very disappointing how few red teamers are willing to take on their political leaders for pushing Voter ID laws in such a cynically manipulative way.

You really do live in an alternate reality.

Very sad.

[TeyshaBlue]

So I'm not getting a link?

This is probably the funniest one.:lol

http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2008/03/wherein_we_step_gingerly_into.php

[RandomGuy]

This is probably the funniest one.:lol

http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2008/03/wherein_we_step_gingerly_into.php

So you have a funny story about a contentious caucus.

Anything about actual vote fraud?

[TeyshaBlue]

So you have a funny story about a contentious caucus.

Anything about actual vote fraud?

WTF do you call an attempt to invalidate a caucus?

But, I'll throw you one more. It's an oldie but a goodie.
http://www.dallasobserver.com/2002-05-02/news/the-case-of-the-virgin-couriers/

[RandomGuy]

WTF do you call an attempt to invalidate a caucus?

But, I'll throw you one more. It's an oldie but a goodie.
http://www.dallasobserver.com/2002-05-02/news/the-case-of-the-virgin-couriers/

You do understand the difference between a party caucus and a general election, correct?

Assuming, even briefly, that there is no difference, would this event have been mitigated by any voter ID law?

[TeyshaBlue]

btw...I use Dallas Observer alot. It's the only newspaper with anything approaching objectivity in this burg. Schultz is the uber-liberal, but he does call 'em as he sees 'em.

[TeyshaBlue]

You do understand the difference between a party caucus and a general election, correct?

Assuming, even briefly, that there is no difference, would this event have been mitigated by any voter ID law?

I was commenting more in the context of a desperate party making desperate moves...not necessarily bound by the voter ID law nonsense.

[boutons_deux]

Despite Court Order, At Least Five Pennsylvania Counties Still Telling Voters They Need ID To Vote (http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/10/09/974291/at-least-five-pennsylvania-counties-still-falsely-tell-voters-that-they-need-id-to-vote/)

Last week, a Pennsylvania court mostly suspended (http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/10/02/941191/breaking-pennsylvania-court-hands-down-partial-victory-over-voter-id/) that state’s voter ID law for the upcoming election. Under the court’s order, voters will still be asked for ID at the polls, but they will still be able to cast a regular ballot — not a provisional ballot — if they are unable to show it.

Yet, despite this court order, at least five Pennsylvania county websites still falsely inform voters that they need to show ID in order to cast a regular ballot:


Butler County (http://www.co.butler.pa.us/butler/cwp/view.asp?a=1406&q=617921&butlerNav=%7C33537%7C33562%7C): Butler County’s website still tells voters that “[s]tarting with the November 2012 general election, Pennsylvania requires voters to show an acceptable photo identification to vote at the polls.”
Bucks County (http://www.buckscounty.org/government/departments/communityservices/boardofelections/VoterIDLaw-HelpfulInformation.pdf): Bucks County’s website falsely claims that “[i]f you do not have a photo ID or are indigent and unable to obtain one without payment of a fee, you may cast a provisional ballot, and will have six days to provide your photo ID and/or an affirmation to your county elections office to have your ballot count.”
Perry County (http://www.perryco.org/Dept/Elections/Documents/Voter%20ID.pdf): Perry County echoes Bucks County’s false statement that voters without IDs will only be able to cast provisional ballots.
Luzerne County (http://www.luzernecounty.org/county/departments_agencies/bureau_of_elections/pennsylvanias-new-voter-id-law): Luzerne County’s website is similarly incorrect, also falsely claiming that “ALL voters will be required to show a photo ID before voting at a polling place.”
Delaware County (http://www.co.delaware.pa.us/elections/2012VOTERIDBROCHURE.pdf): Delaware County’s website falsely claims that “Pennsylvania law now requires voters to show approved photo ID to vote at the polls.”


http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/10/09/974291/at-least-five-pennsylvania-counties-still-falsely-tell-voters-that-they-need-id-to-vote/

[RandomGuy]

But, I'll throw you one more. It's an oldie but a goodie.
http://www.dallasobserver.com/2002-05-02/news/the-case-of-the-virgin-couriers/

47 absentee ballots? Out of how many? I will readily grant some shady shit goes on all the time.

How exactly would a voter ID law have prevented this?

I have always maintained these voter ID laws were, and are, rather cynical attempts by Republican party officials to suppress Democratic voting blocs. These attempts leverage a valid concern about the integrity of elections with the lever of conspiracy theory, and the lack of many on the right's inability to think critically about an issue.

(snip)

[RandomGuy]

Despite Court Order, At Least Five Pennsylvania Counties Still Telling Voters They Need ID To Vote (http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/10/09/974291/at-least-five-pennsylvania-counties-still-falsely-tell-voters-that-they-need-id-to-vote/)

Last week, a Pennsylvania court mostly suspended (http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/10/02/941191/breaking-pennsylvania-court-hands-down-partial-victory-over-voter-id/) that state’s voter ID law for the upcoming election. Under the court’s order, voters will still be asked for ID at the polls, but they will still be able to cast a regular ballot — not a provisional ballot — if they are unable to show it.

Yet, despite this court order, at least five Pennsylvania county websites still falsely inform voters that they need to show ID in order to cast a regular ballot:


Butler County (http://www.co.butler.pa.us/butler/cwp/view.asp?a=1406&q=617921&butlerNav=%7C33537%7C33562%7C): Butler County’s website still tells voters that “[s]tarting with the November 2012 general election, Pennsylvania requires voters to show an acceptable photo identification to vote at the polls.”
Bucks County (http://www.buckscounty.org/government/departments/communityservices/boardofelections/VoterIDLaw-HelpfulInformation.pdf): Bucks County’s website falsely claims that “[i]f you do not have a photo ID or are indigent and unable to obtain one without payment of a fee, you may cast a provisional ballot, and will have six days to provide your photo ID and/or an affirmation to your county elections office to have your ballot count.”
Perry County (http://www.perryco.org/Dept/Elections/Documents/Voter%20ID.pdf): Perry County echoes Bucks County’s false statement that voters without IDs will only be able to cast provisional ballots.
Luzerne County (http://www.luzernecounty.org/county/departments_agencies/bureau_of_elections/pennsylvanias-new-voter-id-law): Luzerne County’s website is similarly incorrect, also falsely claiming that “ALL voters will be required to show a photo ID before voting at a polling place.”
Delaware County (http://www.co.delaware.pa.us/elections/2012VOTERIDBROCHURE.pdf): Delaware County’s website falsely claims that “Pennsylvania law now requires voters to show approved photo ID to vote at the polls.”


http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/10/09/974291/at-least-five-pennsylvania-counties-still-falsely-tell-voters-that-they-need-id-to-vote/

Yeah, I saw that. It looks less like something deliberate, and more like simple human error.

Human error accounts for a lot of things in this world that Occam's razor can be applied to.

[boutons_deux]

Yeah, I saw that. It looks less like something deliberate, and more like simple human error.

Human error accounts for a lot of things in this world that Occam's razor can be applied to.

with all the noise around the court order, and no doubt Dems checking this stuff, Occam siding with the Repug disenfranchisers isn't credible.

[RandomGuy]

with all the noise around the court order, and no doubt Dems checking this stuff, Occam siding with the Repug disenfranchisers isn't credible.

I would differ, knowing how lacksidasical (sp?) county governments can be. One would expect a few laggards to be a bit slow to update their websites.

If they kept the mis-information after being actively informed and questioned about it, that would be something else entirely. Did that happen in any case so far?

[TeyshaBlue]

47 absentee ballots? Out of how many? I will readily grant some shady shit goes on all the time.

See Teaspoon of Sewage in a Barrel of Fine Wine metaphor.



How exactly would a voter ID law have prevented this?

I have always maintained these voter ID laws were, and are, rather cynical attempts by Republican party officials to suppress Democratic voting blocs. These attempts leverage a valid concern about the integrity of elections with the lever of conspiracy theory, and the lack of many on the right's inability to think critically about an issue.

(snip)


I was commenting more in the context of a desperate party making desperate moves...not necessarily bound by the voter ID law nonsense.

[TeyshaBlue]

I would differ, knowing how lacksidasical (sp?) county governments can be. One would expect a few laggards to be a bit slow to update their websites.

If they kept the mis-information after being actively informed and questioned about it, that would be something else entirely. Did that happen in any case so far?

These are questions thinkprogress.borg are incapable of asking, tbh.

[TeyshaBlue]

I would differ, knowing how lacksidasical (sp?) county governments can be. One would expect a few laggards to be a bit slow to update their websites.

If they kept the mis-information after being actively informed and questioned about it, that would be something else entirely. Did that happen in any case so far?

I couldn't remember either. Is that an old fart word?:lol

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/lackadaisical

[Wild Cobra]

OH Repugs were manning those Repug-supplied machines, not the Dems.
I'm talking about the Ohio 2004 elections where Bush won with two of the three types of voting machines. Kerry won with the new electronic ones.

Are you saying republicans tried to throw the election to Kerry?

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x262/Wild_Cobra/Politics/2004ohioelection.jpg

[ElNono]

I'm talking about the Ohio 2004 elections where Bush won with two of the three types of voting machines. Kerry won with the new electronic ones.

Are you saying republicans tried to throw the election to Kerry?

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x262/Wild_Cobra/Politics/2004ohioelection.jpg

What's the problem with that graph?

[Wild Cobra]

What's the problem with that graph?
I was making a point to bouton's with it.

[boutons_deux]

http://mjcdn.motherjones.com/preset_16/voter_fraud_billboard.png

Voter Fraud Billboards in Ohio Target Minorities
"When you have the words 'felony,' 'voter,' and 'fine' all the the same message, and by placing it where it is, the only message that you are intending to send is that this is a threat to you if you vote," Cleveland Councilwoman Phyllis Cleveland told the Plain Dealer (see video below). "It's just a blatant attempt to keep people in this community, particularly black people and poor people, from voting."

http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2012/10/voter-fraud-billboards-minorities-ohio

OH Repugs are dirty motherfuckers, financed by 1% motherfuckers.

[ElNono]

I was making a point to bouton's with it.

That more Op-Scan machines were used on Democratic counties?

[RandomGuy]

That more Op-Scan machines were used on Democratic counties?

Glad I wasn't the only one who thought of that.

If memory serves, WC's saw on that was only really mildly convincing, as it didn't control for a host of variables. i.e. much ado about nothing, par for the course when people start claiming widespread voter fraud.

[boutons_deux]

"didn't control for a host of variables"

such as: all the machines were under the control of the OH Repug operatives.

[Winehole23]

The Colorado Republican Party has terminated its contract with a firm hired to run voter registration and get-out-the-vote operations here after allegations of fraud, FOX31 Denver has confirmed. The move came at the recommendation of the Republican National Committee, leading to the termination of contracts with Strategic Allied Consulting in seven swing states, following an investigation of voter fraud by the company in Florida.

“The Colorado Republican Party takes any threat to the voting process very seriously,” said state GOP spokesman Justin Miller. “Following an alleged incident by an employee of Strategic Allied Consultants outside of Colorado we terminated our relationship.”
In Colorado, the state GOP has spent $466,643 — roughly half its total budget — with Strategic Allied Consulting, the firm in question.


Already this year, the RNC has funneled more than $3.1 million to the company, just formed in June by Nathan Sproul, an Arizona voting consultant who has run other firms that have been accused of dumping registration forms filled out by Democrats and other improprieties aimed at helping Republican candidates.


And FOX31 Denver has confirmed that the young woman seen registering voters outside a Colorado Springs grocery store in a YouTube video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Rdk55dLsFhc), in which she admits to trying to only register voters who support Mitt Romney, was indeed a contract employee of Sproul’s company.

http://kdvr.com/2012/09/28/colorado-gop-dumps-firm-with-ties-to-voter-fraud/

[Wild Cobra]

That more Op-Scan machines were used on Democratic counties?
No.

Every one was having a tizzy over the now Diebold electronic machines, saying they would be rigged for the republicans. Of the three types of machines shown, only the Diebold system (E-Vote) had a majority of Kerry votes. The Op-Scan and Punch systems in place for years had Bush votes at the majority.

[boutons_deux]

No.

Every one was having a tizzy over the now Diebold electronic machines, saying they would be rigged for the republicans. Of the three types of machines shown, only the Diebold system (E-Vote) had a majority of Kerry votes. The Op-Scan and Punch systems in place for years had Bush votes at the majority.

Repug Blackwell and his Repug operatives counted the votes.


None dare call it stolen: Ohio, the election, and America's servile press

http://www.harpers.org/archive/2005/08/0080696


Voting Problems in Ohio Spur Call for Overhaul

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/24/national/24vote.html

Your machine technology proves nothing. w/o OH stolen, dubya was a one-term loser, and he "won" by the slimmest margin of any incumbent Pres.

[RandomGuy]

No.

Every one was having a tizzy over the now Diebold electronic machines, saying they would be rigged for the republicans. Of the three types of machines shown, only the Diebold system (E-Vote) had a majority of Kerry votes. The Op-Scan and Punch systems in place for years had Bush votes at the majority.

That would be more convincing, as already noted, if you had maps showing how and where those machines were VERY SPECIFICALLY placed.

Controlling for confounding variables is the first link in taking your conspiracy theory from Cosmored-land to legitimacy. If you can't do that, you can go stand in the corner with the moon landing hoax people.

Can you eliminate this confounding variable for your theory?

[boutons_deux]

Is True the Vote Shaking Down States With Nuisance Lawsuits? (http://www.thenation.com/blog/170627/true-vote-shaking-down-states-nuisance-lawsuits)Less than a month before Election Day, the "election integrity" group True The Vote is battered, bewildered and disappointed. The upcoming election landscape will hardly resemble the "ground war (http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/10/the-ballot-cops/309085/2/)" they were hoping for. Voter fraud as a thing has been exposed by civil rights watchdogs and a wide range of journalists as pure conspiracy theory. And civil rights legal advocates have at least temporarily blocked all of the most strict voter ID laws (http://www.thenation.com/blog/170287/courts-block-gop-voter-suppression-laws) for which they fought so hard.

But while True the Vote is down, they're certainly not out. The group still hopes to make an impact in November, though they've downgraded their self-descriptors from "armies" prepared for "ground wars" to "grannies with clipboards." Besides their cheering for voter fraud billboards targeted in poor, black neighborhoods in Ohio (http://www.thenation.com/blog/170521/judicial-watch-explains-integrity-while-swing-states-take-spotlight), their last operative hope is to shake down states, including Ohio, that don't comply with their purging demands with frivolous lawsuits.

A true army, encompassing journalists, lawyers, election protection volunteers, civil rights activists and the ranking Democrat on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform (http://colorlines.com/archives/2012/10/are_true_the_votes_activities_illegal.html) will be watching the watchers throughout early voting periods and on Election Day. The real question now is, if things go awry with any of the clipboard grannies, will True the Vote have its volunteers' backs? If recent news reports are any indication, it sounds like the volunteers True the Vote has recruited will be on their own.

True the Vote attorney Brock Akers told The American Prospect's Abby Rapaport that True the Vote has (http://prospect.org/article/whats-truth-about-true-vote) "no relationship with any other groups and [is] not aware of others describing themselves as 'empowered.'"

Akers was flat out lying. Colorlines created a map that points to (http://colorlines.com/archives/2012/08/infographic_true_the_vote_network_in_2012.html) no less than two dozen groups True the Vote is aware of. One of those groups, the Virginia Voters Alliance, has a YouTube video posted where one of its leaders clearly spells out the training relationship, and also spells out why True the Vote told them not to use their name—"because of all of the lawsuits they had been getting in Houston," VVA's Reagan George explains.


http://www.thenation.com/blog/170627/true-vote-shaking-down-states-nuisance-lawsuits#

[Wild Cobra]

That would be more convincing, as already noted, if you had maps showing how and where those machines were VERY SPECIFICALLY placed.

Controlling for confounding variables is the first link in taking your conspiracy theory from Cosmored-land to legitimacy. If you can't do that, you can go stand in the corner with the moon landing hoax people.

Can you eliminate this confounding variable for your theory?
The file that the graph came out of is a huge excel file that breaks everything down by voting precinct. If you want to look at it, here is the main link for Ohio:

Ohio 2004 Presidential Elections: Results, Summary, Charts and Spreadsheets
(http://www.jqjacobs.net/politics/ohio_spreadsheets.html)

Knock yourself. out. The guy tries to prove a Bush side cheat, and you may agree. I see other anomalies.

[dbestpro]

Truthout.org is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit,[2] progressive/liberal news organization in the United States that operates a web site[3] and distributes a daily newsletter.

Yep, this this is another really, really good unbias source..............

[boutons_deux]

Truthout.org is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit,[2] progressive/liberal news organization in the United States that operates a web site[3] and distributes a daily newsletter.

Yep, this this is another really, really good unbias source..............

Tell us which news sources are perfectly objective.

[TeyshaBlue]

lol deflection.

[boutons_deux]

Pennsylvania Utility Company Admits Newsletter Contains Wrong Voter ID Information, Keeps Sending It Anyway (http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/10/17/1036061/pennsylvania-utility-company-admits-newsletter-contains-wrong-voter-id-information-keeps-sending-it-anyway/)

Pennsylvania’s biggest utility company, PECO, has admitted to sending incorrect voter ID information to 1.3 million customers in 7 Pennsylvania counties. Despite the recent suspension of the state’s strict voter ID law, PECO’s newsletter warned voters that they must present a valid photo ID in order to vote on Election Day. When customers complained about the inaccurate mailing, a PECO spokesperson explained the mailing was approved a week before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court sent the law back to the Commonwealth Court to reconsider the risk of disenfranchisement for low-income, minority, and elderly voters. “We were trying to do a service for our customers in Pennsylvania, to get the word out. Because of the press time of this particular publication, unfortunately the information in there is not entirely correct,” PECO rep Ben Armstrong told the Philadelphia Inquirer (http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20121017_PECO_admits_to_sending_incorrect_voter_ID _info_to_1_3_million_customers.html).


Though the mailing may have been a simple technical mistake, PECO plans to keep distributing its newsletter unchanged through October 28:


Armstrong said Peco intended to continue distribution of the faulty newsletter through its October billing cycle, running through Oct. 28. It’s not possible for its printer to schedule a corrected run, he said, and the newsletter contains information on other programs “that needs to get” to customers.

The other items this month include information on the utility’s home energy audits, how to make donations to its Matching Energy Assistance Fund, Fire Safety Month, and a cutout for customers to get discounts at the Please Touch Museum.

Peco’s next billing cycle begins Oct. 29, a week before the election, but the company has no plans to deal with voter ID in its next newsletter, Armstrong said.



http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/10/17/1036061/pennsylvania-utility-company-admits-newsletter-contains-wrong-voter-id-information-keeps-sending-it-anyway/

[boutons_deux]

lol deflection.

TB :lol

eloquent, convincing, devastating retorts :lol

[boutons_deux]

Tricksters Trying To Suppress Vote With Deceptive Phone Calls

?Some African American, Spanish-speaking and elderly voters in Florida and Virginia are apparently being targeted by anonymous voter-suppression groups trying to trick them or intimidate them into not voting in the November presidential election, according to election officials and voter protection organizations.

The Virginia State Board of Elections (http://www.pwcgov.org/Documents/RumorBuster.pdf) is warning residents that "some Virginia voters, particularly older Virginians, are receiving phone calls from unidentified individuals informing voters that they can vote over the phone. This information is false."

In Florida, the 866-OUR-VOTE election protection hotline run by the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law has received a report of a similar calls in Florida (http://www.866ourvote.org/newsroom/news/deceptive-calls-received-in-florida).
The lawyers' committee is also investigating reports from callers into African-American and Spanish-language radio stations in Florida that they had received warnings over the phone that election officials would be checking car insurance and registration status at the polls.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/16/voter-suppression-tricksters_n_1970272.html?utm_hp_ref=politics

Now why would Dem operatives want to intimidate, misinform, confuse voters who heavily vote Dem? :lol

[boutons_deux]

Looking great for Gecko/Ryan! :lol

Millions lose access to polls, have votes go uncounted


The comprehensive report (http://vote.caltech.edu/content/voting-what-has-changed-what-hasnt-what-needs-improvement) by the Caltech-MIT Voting Technology Project said millions of voters continued to lose access to the polls or have their votes uncounted because of technological and procedural shortfalls. The group recommends more study, attention and government investment to solve the problems.


“Unfortunately, the nation has not always had the patience to sustain and fully implement reforms, and election reform is no exception,” the report said. “Today, new challenges in elections have arisen that, if not addressed, could result in an eventual constitutional crisis just as critical as that following the 2000 presidential election.”

http://touch.latimes.com/#section/407/article/p2p-72935583/

[dbestpro]

Using the continued postings of liberal machines that live to manufacture pseudo events does not bode well for a convincing argument. It's kind of like using the National Enquirer as your source to argue that aliens from outer space are real.

[boutons_deux]

dbestpro? (http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/member.php?u=1147) :lol

Do you think your Fox Repug Propaganda network. WND, Daily Caller, is doing investigative reporting on right-wing vote fraud?

[TeyshaBlue]

Using the continued postings of liberal machines that live to manufacture pseudo events does not bode well for a convincing argument. It's kind of like using the National Enquirer as your source to argue that aliens from outer space are real.

LA Times is usually fairly solid.

[TeyshaBlue]

dbestpro? (http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/member.php?u=1147) :lol

Do you think your Fox Repug Propaganda network. WND, Daily Caller, is doing investigative reporting on right-wing vote fraud?

Apparently nobody is.

[dbestpro]

I have not quoted fox in any discussion that I have posted. I understand that if I want to have a convincing argument that I need to post facts and statistics that are neither manipulated or contrived.

If you really do want to get near the truth a good way is to look at MSNBC and Fox and when they are both saying the same thing then it most likely is true.

[RandomGuy]

The file that the graph came out of is a huge excel file that breaks everything down by voting precinct. If you want to look at it, here is the main link for Ohio:

Ohio 2004 Presidential Elections: Results, Summary, Charts and Spreadsheets
(http://www.jqjacobs.net/politics/ohio_spreadsheets.html)

Knock yourself. out. The guy tries to prove a Bush side cheat, and you may agree. I see other anomalies.

You look at the data and see a different interpretation that shows Democrats bad, and Republicans good?

Ho-lee fucking shit, stop the presses.

[Wild Cobra]

You look at the data and see a different interpretation that shows Democrats bad, and Republicans good?

Ho-lee fucking shit, stop the presses.
Did that give you the information you asked for, or not?

Data can me interpreted in many ways. No individual conclusion, including mine is necessarily correct. Still, I find it so ironic that the method the liberals and democrats screamed about were the electronic voting machines, that they would be rigged for a Bush victory, and it was that system that gave the Kerry win. the other two systems in place gave the bush win. Nothing conclusive, but isn't it more likely if a system was tampered with, it was one and not two...

Here is the specific excel file in the mess of data overload I linked:

Ohio 2004 Presidential Election Canvass - Voting by Counties (www.jqjacobs.net/politics/xls/ohio_vote_county.xls)

[RandomGuy]

Did that give you the information you asked for, or not?

Data can me interpreted in many ways. No individual conclusion, including mine is necessarily correct. Still, I find it so ironic that the method the liberals and democrats screamed about were the electronic voting machines, that they would be rigged for a Bush victory, and it was that system that gave the Kerry win. the other two systems in place gave the bush win. Nothing conclusive, but isn't it more likely if a system was tampered with, it was one and not two...

Here is the specific excel file in the mess of data overload I linked:

Ohio 2004 Presidential Election Canvass - Voting by Counties (www.jqjacobs.net/politics/xls/ohio_vote_county.xls)

It did not.

From what I could tell, in my brief review, the conclusions you are attempting to draw could not be evidenced by the data you have been attempting to draw them from.

I'm not going to give you enough of my time to flesh it out.

[dbestpro]

It would be quite probable that the voting machines that were electronic were placed in urban areas, which are highly populated and vote more democratic first, because quite simply it is more cost effective.

The paper ballots would remain in the rural area where the population is more spread out because it would be more expensive to do.These areas tend to vote republican. Truly, there is nothing to see here.

Looks to me like someone saw a rubber mouse and called the health department to complain of a rat infestation.

[Wild Cobra]

It did not.

From what I could tell, in my brief review, the conclusions you are attempting to draw could not be evidenced by the data you have been attempting to draw them from.

I'm not going to give you enough of my time to flesh it out.

I agree. It's a lot of data to get anything substantial from.

[boutons_deux]

Tell Clear Channel to take down voter suppression billboards

http://act.credoaction.com/images/campaigns/clevelandVoteFraud_180.jpg

It's one of the nastiest voter suppression schemes we've seen: this week, in African American and Latino neighborhoods in Ohio and Wisconsin, an anonymous group started running outrageous billboards that try to scare people away from voting.1

The billboards are hosted by Clear Channel, a media conglomerate owned by Bain Capital - the same company that Mitt Romney co-founded.2

http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/clearchannel_billboard/?p=clearchannel_billboard&r=6979527&id=49033-2667369-xYYcOtx

[TeyshaBlue]

How does this scare people away from voting?

[boutons_deux]

TB :lol

[TeyshaBlue]

Oh, you have no answer. Not surprising.

[boutons_deux]

The answer is self-evident. Do I need to spell it out for you?

[TeyshaBlue]

Self-evident? Not really.

[TeyshaBlue]

The sign clearly states Voter Fraud is punishable.

This is not news.

[TeyshaBlue]

The sign does not state Voting is punishable.

[TeyshaBlue]

If you cannot see the difference between these two sentences, then it's likely that thinkprogress is parsing this for you.

[RandomGuy]

How does this scare people away from voting?

Easy answer.

If you have any doubts as to whether all your paperwork is in order, you will self-select out of voting.

Given the overall history of white police with black citizens, you have a rather sizeable portion of the population who will be wondering if this won't be another case of DWB.

If you can't figure out how it might be intimidating, then you need to start reading about people's reactions and thoughts to such signs.

If you don't think those signs are part of an active dirty tricks campaign to supress Democratic voting blocks, then you haven't been paying attention.

[RandomGuy]

If you cannot see the difference between these two sentences, then it's likely that thinkprogress is parsing this for you.

I never figured you for the naive type. I can't figure out if it is naive, or simply a case of confirmation bias, because it is pretty obvious.

[TeyshaBlue]

Easy answer.

If you have any doubts as to whether all your paperwork is in order, you will self-select out of voting.

Given the overall history of white police with black citizens, you have a rather sizeable portion of the population who will be wondering if this won't be another case of DWB.

If you can't figure out how it might be intimidating, then you need to start reading about people's reactions and thoughts to such signs.

If you don't think those signs are part of an active dirty tricks campaign to supress Democratic voting blocks, then you haven't been paying attention.

I dont understand how you could conceivably be in doubt as to whether your paperwork is in order or not. You either registered to vote, or you didn't. Doesn't seem to be much grey area in between.

[TeyshaBlue]

I never figured you for the naive type. I can't figure out if it is naive, or simply a case of confirmation bias, because it is pretty obvious.

Not naive, nor particularly biased. I feel there are dishonest arguments on both sides of this issue. Thus far, we seem to only examine one side.

[George Gervin's Afro]

Easy answer.

If you have any doubts as to whether all your paperwork is in order, you will self-select out of voting.

Given the overall history of white police with black citizens, you have a rather sizeable portion of the population who will be wondering if this won't be another case of DWB.

If you can't figure out how it might be intimidating, then you need to start reading about people's reactions and thoughts to such signs.

If you don't think those signs are part of an active dirty tricks campaign to supress Democratic voting blocks, then you haven't been paying attention.

voter fraud is a massive problem!

sincerely,

red teamer

[TeyshaBlue]

voter fraud is a massive problem!

sincerely,

red teamer
Thanks. The strawman was a big help.

[RandomGuy]

I dont understand how you could conceivably be in doubt as to whether your paperwork is in order or not. You either registered to vote, or you didn't. Doesn't seem to be much grey area in between.

If you have a history of being victimized, even if your paperwork was in order, you might understand. That is kinda the point the people objecting to the signs are trying to make. I am really trying to scale back being snarky, but it seems to me you are trying to rationalize or explain away something morally reprehensible, simply because you realize at some level it is Republicans doing this. This is really some rather nasty stuff, and indefensible.

[TeyshaBlue]

Pretty sure I'm on record as stating that voter fraud aint all that.

[RandomGuy]

Thanks. The strawman was a big help.

It isn't a strawman. That is the direct implication of the sign, or at least the ostensible excuse. Do you really think someone would take the expense of the billboard who didn't think it was a problem, or say it was?

[TeyshaBlue]

If you have a history of being victimized, even if your paperwork was in order, you might understand. That is kinda the point the people objecting to the signs are trying to make. I am really trying to scale back being snarky, but it seems to me you are trying to rationalize or explain away something morally reprehensible, simply because you realize at some level it is Republicans doing this. This is really some rather nasty stuff, and indefensible.

Again, you place the binds of defense on me. I'm not defending anything.

It's entirely possible I don't have the real life context to relate.

I can easily add that to the list of things I've not experienced. Doesn't preclude asking questions concerning it now, does it?

[TeyshaBlue]

It isn't a strawman. That is the direct implication of the sign, or at least the ostensible excuse. Do you really think someone would take the expense of the billboard who didn't think it was a problem, or say it was?

As I stated earlier, I think there are dishonest arguments on both sides of this issue.

[TeyshaBlue]

There's a meta argument at work here I think....something related to the feed a man once vs teach a man to fish.

[TeyshaBlue]

Yet questioning the conventional wisdom = defending a reprehensible act?

Really?

[George Gervin's Afro]

GOP registration worker charged with voter fraud

By Michael Isikoff, NBC News
A campaign worker linked to a controversial Republican consulting firm has been arrested in Virginia and charged with throwing voter registration forms into a dumpster.

The suspect, Colin Small, 31, was described by a local law enforcement official as a "supervisor" in a Republican Party financed operation to register voters in Rockingham County in rural Virginia, a key swing state in the Nov. 6 election. He was arrested after a local business owner in the same Harrisonburg, Va., shopping center where the local GOP campaign headquarters is located spotted Small tossing a bag into the trash, according to a statement Thursday by the Rockingham County Sheriff’s office. The bag was later found to contain eight voter registration forms, it said. The arrest was reported Thursday night by WWBT-TV in Richmond.


The case comes on the heels of a controversy last month over the activities of Strategic Allied Consulting, an Arizona based consulting firm that was paid $3 million by the Republican National Committee this year to register voters in five battleground states, including Virginia. The firm, run by veteran GOP operative Nathan Sproul, was recently fired by the RNC following reports that its workers had submitted hundreds of suspicious voter registration forms in Florida.

Sean Spicer, communications director for the RNC, told NBC News Thursday night that Small has now been fired as well, and that he had been directly employed by a payroll company called Pinpoint, which was previously used by Strategic Allied Consulting to pay workers for the GOP registration drive being run by the consulting company.

Small lists himself on his LinkedIn resume as a “Grassroots field director at Republican National Committee” from August 2012 to the present. But Spicer denied that Small was ever directly employed by the RNC and said he will be “told to take that down.” Small was reportedly in jail Thursday night and could not be reached for comment.

Strategic Allied Consulting also tried to distance itself from the arrested campaign worker. “The relationship between Strategic Allied and Colin Small ended on September 27th, when our firm stopped running voter registration programs in Virginia and other states. We had no contact with Small or any other voter registration worker at any point thereafter,” a spokesman for the firm said in a statement emailed to NBC News. “The reprehensible conduct it appears Small engaged in happened nearly three weeks later. Strategic Allied had nothing to do with such regrettable, illegal activity. We hope he is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Spicer, the spokesman for the RNC, said that after the RNC and the Republican Party of Virginia severed their relationships with Strategic Allied Consulting, the state party continued to use some of the firm's same workers, including Small, by paying them through Pinpoint.

The Daily Rundown's Chuck Todd talks to NBC's Michael Isikoff about Florida voting fraud and what's being done about it now.
“The actions taken by this individual are a direct contradiction of both his training and explicit instructions given to him,” said Pat Mullins, the chairman of the Virginia Republican Party, in a statement Thursday night. “The Republican Party of Virginia will not tolerate any action by any person that could threaten the integrity of our electoral process."

The Rockingham County Sheriff’s office said that, after an investigation and "lengthy" consultations with local prosecutors, Small was arrested and charged with eight felony counts and four misdemeanors under Virginia voter fraud laws and one misdemeanor count of obstruction of justice. “There is no indication that this activity was widespread in our jurisdiction; it appears to be very limited in nature but there is the possibility that additional charges may be filed in the future if it is deemed appropriate,” said the statement from Rockingham County Sheriff Bryan Hutcheson.

It is not clear what motive Small might have had for throwing away the registration forms. Voters in Virginia do not register by party so there is no way to know whether the recovered registration forms were from Democratic or Republican voters. One GOP source said that a campaign worker could be tempted to throw away forms that have incomplete information since there are penalties under Virginia law for not submitting completed registration forms within 15 days after they are signed. It could not be determined Thursday night if the forms allegedly tossed by Small were incomplete.

Sproul’s companies have been accused by Democrats in the past of engaging in tactics aimed at suppressing voter turnout, including throwing away Democratic registration forms. Sproul has denied any wrongdoing and no charges against his companies have been filed. But authorities in Florida said they are conducting a statewide investigation of Strategic Allied’s operations there following reports of suspicious registration forms submitted by its workers, including forms with phony addresses and similar looking signatures. Sproul blamed the suspicious forms on a few “bad apples” who were working for him.

[George Gervin's Afro]

Candidate voted twice in same elections, records show

By Joe Holley | Wednesday, October 10, 2012 | Updated: Thursday, October 11, 2012 11:44am

Fleming Candidate for County Commissioner Precinct 1 / HC A Republican precinct chairman running for a seat on the Fort Bend County Commissioner's Court has cast ballots in both Texas and Pennsylvania in the last three federal elections, official records in both states show.

Bruce J. Fleming, a Sugar Land resident running for Precinct 1 commissioner, voted in person in Sugar Land in 2006, 2008 and 2010 and by mail in each of those years in Yardley, Pa., according to election records in both states.

Fleming, who owns a home in Yardley, voted for Hillary Rodham Clinton in the 2008 presidential primary in Texas. His wife, Nancy Fleming, who is listed as a resident of Yardley, voted by mail in both places in the 2010 general election, records show.

"The less said is better," Bruce Fleming said when contacted by phone late Tuesday afternoon. "Until we can determine the situation, I can't really comment."

According to the Texas Election Code, knowingly voting or attempting to vote more than once in an election was a third-degree felony until the Texas Legislature upgraded the offense to a second-degree felony in 2011. "These are serious allegations, and until they're investigated, we're going to reserve comment," said Fort Bend County GOP Chairman Mike Gibson.

Gibson said Fleming had been "extremely involved with the party" in recent years and noted he was precinct chairman of the year in 2010.

Although Fort Bend Democrats insisted that Fleming be removed from the ballot, Gibson said that cannot be done at this late date. "If he's elected, the only way to get him out would be if he was convicted of a felony, which this would be."

The Secretary of State's Office does not have authority to investigate allegations of voter fraud, but refers complaints to the Attorney General's office for investigation. Complaints or allegations of voter fraud can be filed directly with the Attorney General's office or local authorities for investigation.

"I'm, frankly, shocked at the double, secret life that my opponent has been living for the past six years," said Fleming's Democratic opponent, incumbent Commissioner Richard Morrison. "I know a lot of precinct chairs that are Republicans here in Fort Bend County, and I know them to be hard-working, they play by the rules and they would never stoop to anything like this."

Morrison and fellow Fort Bend Democrats took aim at Catherine Engelbrecht, founder and president of True the Vote, a Houston-based tea party group dedicated to combating voter fraud nationwide and pushing for voter photo identification. Engelbrecht lives in Fort Bend's Precinct 1.

"While local and national Republican leaders were tilting at the windmills of imaginary voter fraud, real voter fraud was taking place under their noses," said Fort Bend County Democratic Chairman Steve Brown. "It demonstrates that the Republicans' crusade against voter fraud is either disingenuous or ill- conceived - maybe both - to be totally unaware of a serial fraudulent voter like Fleming while aggressively harassing little old ladies attempting to vote in Briargate (a Houston neighborhood in Fort Bend County)."

Logan Churchwell, a spokesman for True the Vote, said a check of the organization's records indicated that Fleming had requested a True the Vote weekly email newsletter in 2010, but had never had an official role with the organization."In principle, True The Vote is more than concerned with fraudulent absentee voting," Churchwell said in an email. "In the past two weeks, TTV turned over 99 cases of potential interstate voter fraud by way of absentee ballots."

According to his campaign website, Fleming, 60, has been a Texas resident for more than 20 years. He worked in sales management for Novartis Pharmaceuticals and Boston Scientific Corporation before becoming a McDonald's franchisee.

Don Bankston, a member of the State Democratic Executive Committee, said the party would file complaints with Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, the U.S. Justice Department and Bucks County, Pa., officials.

[TeyshaBlue]

Thanks for your comprehensive research GGA. It's an exclusively Red Team crime.

Oh wait. It's not. http://homerecording.com/bbs/images/smilies/facepalm.gif

You're smarter than this. Stop boutonsing the thread.

[George Gervin's Afro]

Thanks for your comprehensive research GGA. It's an exclusively Red Team crime.

Oh wait. It's not. http://homerecording.com/bbs/images/smilies/facepalm.gif

You're smarter than this. Stop boutonsing the thread.

just tweaking the brain dead red teamers..

[dbestpro]

I lived in a border town for many years, which is predominantly democrat. The use of politicaras who sell the votes of older people they befriend was common act and very difficult to overcome. Having said that I am not so naive to believe that such actions are limited to one part or another. It is despicable when such actions occur regardless of your affiliation.

[xrayzebra]

Easy answer.

If you have any doubts as to whether all your paperwork is in order, you will self-select out of voting.

Given the overall history of white police with black citizens, you have a rather sizeable portion of the population who will be wondering if this won't be another case of DWB.

If you can't figure out how it might be intimidating, then you need to start reading about people's reactions and thoughts to such signs.

If you don't think those signs are part of an active dirty tricks campaign to supress Democratic voting blocks, then you haven't been paying attention.

Hey RG, give me a break and others. What damn paperwork, voter registration card. Voter suppression, you mean like the black panther duds standing at the polling place with clubs in the hand.

Last time I checked, the sign is correct.

[ChumpDumper]

Hey RG, give me a break and others. What damn paperwork, voter registration card. Voter suppression, you mean like the black panther duds standing at the polling place with clubs in the hand.

Last time I checked, the sign is correct.Hey x, how many voters did those jokers intimidate. Surely you have testimony from dozens of people who were blocked from actually entering the polling place.

No, you don't. Sorry you're so afraid of black people.

[TeyshaBlue]

Hey x, how many voters did those jokers intimidate. Surely you have testimony from dozens of people who were blocked from actually entering the polling place.

No, you don't. Sorry you're so afraid of black people.

This query works in multiple ways. Substitute "billboards" for "jokers".

[ChumpDumper]

This query works in multiple ways. Substitute "billboards" for "jokers".True enough. Now if they have people at the polls threatening people with jail time, that would probably be a different story.

They can, to my knowledge, stand outside a polling place with a stick looking stupid, however.

[Wild Cobra]

voter fraud is a massive problem!

sincerely,

red teamer
Diabold voting machine rigging is a massive problem!

Sincerely,

Blue Teamer.

[Nbadan]

A third instance of fraudulent voter registration has been uncovered in the important swing state of Virginia, where a Republican consultant has been arrested and thousands of discarded voter registration forms were recovered from a dumpster earlier this week. According to the Not Larry Sabato blog, a law student at James Madison University registered to vote on campus, but found when she tried to verify the change online, found that her form had never been submitted.

On Thursday, Raw Story reported that 31-year-old Colin Small, a Republican operative employed by Pinpoint, a firm contracted by Republican Party of Virginia, was arrested and charged with “four counts of destruction of voter registration applications, eight counts of disclosure of voter registration application, and one count of obstruction of justice” for throwing active voter registration forms into a dumpster.

Not Larry Sabato blogger Ben Trippett wrote that 2 to 3 weeks ago, a woman, identified only by her first name, Lucy, attempted to update her voter registration at a table on the campus of James Madison University.


“She stopped to fill out a voter registration form to change her voting address from her parents house in Fairfax to her dorm address in Harrisonburg so she could vote in person on election day,” wrote Trippett. ”On Wednesday night Lucy went online to check her voter registration status and found out she had not been registered in Harrisonburg- meaning whoever was collecting her form on campus had not turned it in.”

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/10/19/third-instance-of-voter-registration-dumping-found-in-virginia/

[boutons_deux]

Pennsylvania Newspaper Owned By Top Right-Wing Funder Falsely Claims ID Is Required To Vote (http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/10/22/1056351/pennsylvania-newspaper-owned-by-top-right-wing-funder-falsely-claims-id-is-required-to-vote/)The Mount Pleasant Journal is one of several newspapers run by Trib Total Media (http://tribtotalmedia.com/), a media conglomerate owned by billionaire Richard Mellon Scaife (http://stateofthemedia.org/media-ownership/company-profile/?mediaid=115&id=155). Scaife’s foundation donated hundreds of millions of dollars to conservative organizations (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Mellon_Scaife) ranging from the American Enterprise Institution to the Federalist Society, and he currently serves as vice-chairman of the right-wing Heritage Foundation’s board of trustees (http://www.heritage.org/about/board-of-trustees).

http://thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/scaffe-paper1-e1350849769283-560x1024.jpg

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/10/22/1056351/pennsylvania-newspaper-owned-by-top-right-wing-funder-falsely-claims-id-is-required-to-vote/

Wasn't Mellon-Scaife the 1% asshole who financed Paula Jones and the witchhunt of the Clinton's?

[Wild Cobra]

I have no problem with requiring adequate Id for voting.

[boutons_deux]

I have no problem with requiring adequate Id for voting.

and you have no problem with Repugs and their thugs disenfranchising legit Dem voters with intimidation and misinformation.

[Wild Cobra]

and you have no problem with Repugs and their thugs disenfranchising legit Dem voters with intimidation and misinformation.
If people are to scared to vote when they legally can, that's their problem. Not yours or mine.

[RandomGuy]

Hey RG, give me a break and others. What damn paperwork, voter registration card. Voter suppression, you mean like the black panther duds standing at the polling place with clubs in the hand.

Last time I checked, the sign is correct.

Voter ID is more about having a voter registration card, it is about having some form of verified ID, and the expense and hassle of getting that ID and/or the documentation required to get it.

Given that such restrictions benefit one party, and it is that party that is calling for such laws, it pays to be HIGHLY skeptical.

If I advocated for a law that would somehow discourage legitimate Republican voters, based on some problem I couldn't prove exists, what would YOU say?

[RandomGuy]

If people are to scared to vote when they legally can, that's their problem. Not yours or mine.

That is everybody's problem.

Do you think it is morally right to, by whatever inaction, deny people their vote?

[boutons_deux]

the Repug cheaters and fraudsters will be frantically working to steal this one like 2004

Oct. 22: Ohio Has 50-50 Chance of Deciding Election

But this year, all the clichés about Ohio are true. In our most recent simulations, Ohio has provided the decisive vote in the Electoral College about 50 percent of the time.

http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/23/oct-22-ohio-has-50-50-chance-of-deciding-election/

[Wild Cobra]

That is everybody's problem.

Do you think it is morally right to, by whatever inaction, deny people their vote?
What the fuck is wrong with you? Voting is suppose to be sacred, and nobody should turn a blind eye and allow illegal voting to be easy, by not checking for it.

[clambake]

What the fuck is wrong with you? Voting is suppose to be sacred, and nobody should turn a blind eye and allow illegal voting to be easy, by not checking for it.

i agree. its terrible what the republicans did.

[boutons_deux]

"Voting is suppose to be sacred"

just another "belief", a "myth" that Americans live by, similar to "America is democracy", "God loves and prefers America"

[RandomGuy]

Do you think it is morally right to, by whatever inaction, deny people their vote?


What the fuck is wrong with you? Voting is suppose to be sacred, and nobody should turn a blind eye and allow illegal voting to be easy, by not checking for it.

That didn't really answer my question, although I can probably construe "voting is suppose [sic] to be sacred" to be a "yes", so let's go on.

Fraudulent voting is already illegal. You don't think that the penalties are enough to prevent most cases of fraud?

This of course, touches on the extent of the voter fraud. Voter ID simply prevents "in person" fraud. How many people do you think would have to be involved in any given scheme to actually affect outcomes of most elections?

If such a scheme was in place, don't you think that given pollworkers would remember, say the same person voting 5-10+ times? Or would these magic people have the time to drive from place to place and vote in a different place each time.

Fill in the spaces as to what would be required for your conspiracy theory. Otherwise, you get to stand in the corner with Cosmored.

That is perfectly reasonable to ask for if you want a costly new law put in place to prevent what you think is a problem. First, you have to prove, as has been asked of you repeatedly, that there is a problem in the first place.


1) Unicorns parking illegally is a problem. Since illegal unicorn parking is a problem, we need to pass laws, and set up police task forces to monitor and enforce the laws that penalize this problem.
2) In-person voting fraud is a problem. Since in person voting fraud is a problem, we need to pass laws, and set up police task forces to monitor and enforce laws that penalize this problem.

Both statements require the first grounding assumption to be true for the second half to be a rational solution.

[boutons_deux]

Texas Official Threatens Election Observers With Arrest And Prosecution (http://thinkprogress.org/security/2012/10/24/1085491/abbot-texas-election-observers/)

More right-wing politicians are warning incoming international observers not to interfere in the U.S. elections (http://dailycaller.com/2012/10/24/texas-attorney-general-warns-un-poll-watchers-to-keep-their-distance/#ixzz2AFFb6XCu), or else. Among them is Texas Attorney General Greg Abbot, who sent the head of an Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) observers team a terse letter (https://www.oag.state.tx.us/newspubs/releases/2012/102312abbot_letter.pdf) informing them that any attempt to meddle in voting will result in arrest and prosecution. The OSCE did not take kindly (http://www.osce.org/odihr/elections/96639) to the insinuation in a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton:

Abbot’s reaction is part of a larger narrative being spun by the right, in which the observers’ presence serves as a threat to their attempts to crack down on supposed voter fraud (http://thinkprogress.org/tag/voter-id/). This comes despite the fact that these observers have been present at every U.S. national election (http://thinkprogress.org/security/2012/10/23/1063651/conservatives-panic-election-monitors/) for the last decade.


In an example of the sudden Republican distrust of these observers, Rep. Connie Mack (R-FL) said in a statement (http://www.conniemack.com/mack-united-nations-should-be-prohibited-from-u-s-elections-monitoring/) that the idea that the United Nations “would be allowed, if not encouraged, to install foreigners sympathetic to the likes of Castro, Chavez, Ahmadinejad and Putin to oversee our elections is nothing short of disgusting.” :lol

http://thinkprogress.org/security/2012/10/24/1085491/abbot-texas-election-observers/

The USA Empire: "Don't Do as USA does (install/support/mandate election observers in foreign countries), GTFO of USA as Repugs steal elections" :lol

[scott]

1) Unicorns parking illegally is a problem. Since illegal unicorn parking is a problem, we need to pass laws, and set up police task forces to monitor and enforce the laws that penalize this problem.


The rational solution is obviously to force all those who park to provide proof that they are not unicorns.

[boutons_deux]

Tell Clear Channel to take down voter suppression billboards

http://act.credoaction.com/images/campaigns/clevelandVoteFraud_180.jpg

It's one of the nastiest voter suppression schemes we've seen: this week, in African American and Latino neighborhoods in Ohio and Wisconsin, an anonymous group started running outrageous billboards that try to scare people away from voting.1

The billboards are hosted by Clear Channel, a media conglomerate owned by Bain Capital - the same company that Mitt Romney co-founded.2

http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/clearchannel_billboard/?p=clearchannel_billboard&r=6979527&id=49033-2667369-xYYcOtx

"Citizens" United: Bain Capital, Clear Channel and Those Voter Fraud Billboards
The anonymous donor behind a voter fraud billboard campaign would rather pull the ads than be identified, raising questions about ties to Romney-founded Bain Capital and its ownership of the company that owns and operates the billboard firm.

What is the connection between Bain Capital (http://www.baincapital.com/) and a bevy of voter fraud billboards funded by an anonymous donor that have popped up in low-income neighborhoods in swing states only weeks before the election?

The management firm started by Mitt Romney is one of the owners of Clear Channel Communications, the advertising and billboard company at the center of a scandal surrounding more than 140 billboards warning against voter fraud.

Clear Channel, which syndicates Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck on its radio channels, has said it will remove the billboards following a public pressure campaign. But the company has still not revealed the anonymous donor behind the billboards, contrary to its rules on political ads.

The billboards appear to be part of the Republican-led push to pass bills against voter fraud that advocates argue is meant to discourage minority communities (http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2012/10/23/new-election-economy-voter-fraud-billboards-manhattan-skyscrapers-2-0/) from exercising their right to vote. But it also shows the difficulty of finding who is behind the money, or the billboard, in the age of Citizens United.

http://truth-out.org/news/item/12320-citizens-united-bain-capital-an-anonymous-donor-and-those-voter-fraud-billboards

[Trill Clinton]

whats up with republicans and cheating to win elections?

[TeyshaBlue]

The Blue Teams hypocrisy flambe' is hilarious. There is simultaneously no voter fraud and massive voter fraud.
Pick a fucking lane already.

[Agloco]

The Blue Teams hypocrisy flambe' is hilarious. There is simultaneously no voter fraud and massive voter fraud.
Pick a fucking lane already.

There is no massive voter fraud.

[boutons_deux]

The Blue Teams hypocrisy flambe' is hilarious. There is simultaneously no voter fraud and massive voter fraud.
Pick a fucking lane already.

what a discriminating, refined laser of an intellect.

The Repugs whine and bitch about non-existent voter fraud by blacks, etc.

The Dems claim EXISTENT, with good evidence, VOTE COUNTING fraud, caging, intimidation, misinformation (OH sending out mail with Nov 8 as date, FL calling people saying they can vote by phone), intimidation, FL and other Repug state making (black) ex-felons wait 7 years out of prison before they can vote, etc.

Repug know they've lost the demographics, so their only recourse is disenfranchise.

[TeyshaBlue]

what a discriminating, refined laser of an intellect.

The Repugs whine and bitch about non-existent voter fraud by blacks, etc.

The Dems claim EXISTENT, with good evidence, VOTE COUNTING fraud, caging, intimidation, misinformation (OH sending out mail with Nov 8 as date, FL calling people saying they can vote by phone), intimidation, FL and other Repug state making (black) ex-felons wait 7 years out of prison before they can vote, etc.

Repug know they've lost the demographics, so their only recourse is disenfranchise.

I only appear to have a refined laser of intellect in contrast to your addled confirmation bias.
lol evidence.
lol Red Team exclusive

lol flaming hypocrisy.

[RandomGuy]

The Blue Teams hypocrisy flambe' is hilarious. There is simultaneously no voter fraud and massive voter fraud.
Pick a fucking lane already.

Given:
1) little or no evidence of the kinds of fraud that would be prevented by voter ID laws.
2) some fair evidence that voter ID laws would tend to depress some traditionally Democratic voting blocs
3) Leading GOP officials calling for voter ID laws

Either leading GOP officials are not smart enough to realize there is no evidence, or they know about #1 and realize #2, and are pushing for such laws for reasons that have nothing to do with "protecting the sanctity of the vote".

I don't really see any other possibilities.

Maybe you can tel me then are the GOP leaders pushing for this, stupid or evil?

[TeyshaBlue]

Given:
1) little or no evidence of the kinds of fraud that would be prevented by voter ID laws.
2) some fair evidence that voter ID laws would tend to depress some traditionally Democratic voting blocs
3) Leading GOP officials calling for voter ID laws

Either leading GOP officials are not smart enough to realize there is no evidence, or they know about #1 and realize #2, and are pushing for such laws for reasons that have nothing to do with "protecting the sanctity of the vote".

I don't really see any other possibilities.

Maybe you can tel me then are the GOP leaders pushing for this, stupid or evil?

Likely a combo, non-exclusive, of both in a begging the question sort of way.

[RandomGuy]

Likely a combo, non-exclusive, of both in a begging the question sort of way.

Good point. It could well be a mixture of the evil GOP leaders aware of #1 and #2 convincing the stupid to go along with them. I would say that is much more likely.

At least we can agree on something.

[boutons_deux]

How to Rig an Election

The G.O.P. aims to paint the country red

But as the twentieth century came to a close, a brave new world of election rigging emerged, on a scale that might have prompted Huey Long's stunned admiration. Tracing the sea changes in our electoral process, we see that two major events have paved the way for this lethal form of election manipulation:

the mass adoption of computerized voting technology,

and the outsourcing of our elections to a handful of corporations that operate in the shadows, with little oversight or accountability.


Three days before the election, however, a poll conducted by the Omaha World-Herald showed a dead heat, with 47 percent of respondents favoring each candidate. David Moore, who was then managing editor of the Gallup Poll, told the paper, "We can't predict the outcome."

Hagel's victory in the general election, invariably referred to as an "upset," handed the seat to the G.O.P. for the first time in eighteen years. Hagel trounced Nelson by fifteen points. Even for those who had factored in the governor's deteriorating numbers and a last-minute barrage of negative ads, this divergence from pre-election polling was enough to raise eyebrows across the nation.
Few Americans knew that until shortly before the election, Hagel had been chairman of the company whose computerized voting machines would soon count his own votes: Election Systems & Software (then called American Information Systems). Hagel stepped down from his post just two weeks before announcing his candidacy. Yet he retained millions of dollars in stock in the McCarthy Group, which owned ES&S. And Michael McCarthy, the parent company's founder, was Hagel's campaign treasurer.

Whether Hagel's relationship to ES&S ensured his victory is open to speculation. But the surprising scale of his win awakened a new fear among voting-rights activists and raised a disturbing question: Who controls the new technology of Election Night?

"Why would someone who owns a voting-machine company want to run for office?" asked Charlie Matulka, a Democrat who contested Hagel's Senate seat in 2002. Speaking at a press conference shortly before the election, he added: "Is this the fox guarding the henhouse?" A construction worker with limited funding and name recognition, Matulka was obviously a less formidable competitor than Nelson. Still, Hagel won an astonishing 83 percent of the vote - among the largest margins of victory in any statewide race in Nebraska's history. And with nearly 400,000 registered Democrats on the rolls, Matulka managed to scrape up only 70,290 votes.

A privatized, secret ballot count must be viewed as a violation of our civil rights. Once that principle is clear, as it is now in Germany and Ireland, the rest will naturally follow. If we the people do not feel the outrage, or lack the courage to fight for this most basic right of American self-governance, who will?

http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/14198-focus-how-to-rig-an-election

[boutons_deux]

Suppression Surges as Election Nears

‘It Feels Like Sabotage’ for Nevada’s Early Voters
Kate Sedinger works with the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada (http://www.planevada.org/)—one of the groups that paired up with Cuéntame to create some of the PSAs we just told you about. Kate writes in that there are already problems with early voting for some people in Nevada:
Saturday was the first day of early voting in Nevada. PLAN (http://www.planevada.org/) had an early voting rally in Sun Valley, which is a community just north of Reno that has a high percentage of low income and Latino residents. Those residents are the reason why we chose that location for our rally. I’ve never waiting in line for more than a couple of minutes to early vote at the university or some of the shopping centers in higher income neighborhoods.
As KOLO 8 reports (http://www.kolotv.com/home/headlines/Early-Voting-Problems-175118001.html), however, people waited hours in line—and that some were even asked for identification, which isn’t law in Nevada.

Colorado’s Arapahoe County’s Sticky Situation
Our Colorado-based community journalist, Rosemary Harris Lytle has had a busy week. She heads the Colorado/Montana/Wyoming State Conference of the NAACP, and because Colorado is a battleground state, every vote will definitely count there. You may remember Secretary of State Scott Gessler, who demanded the Department of Homeland Security hand over an immigrant database (http://colorlines.com/archives/2012/07/yes_voter_id_has_everything_to_do_with_race.html) in order to purge voters, and then gave up on using it (http://colorlines.com/archives/2012/09/this_weeks_victories_in_voting_rights.html). Rosemary writes in that Gessler now faces allegations of state ethics rules violations (http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20121023/NEWS01/310230025/New-ethics-complaint-filed-over-Gessler-s-acceptance-funds?nclick_check=1).

But that’s not all. This election could well be decided by Arapahoe County voters, who are essentially split three ways between Democrat, Republican, and independent voters. Rosemary tells us that The Denver Post is reporting (http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_21840100/i-voted-sticker-arapahoe-county-mail-may-rub) a troubling update in the swing county:
More than 230,000 ballots last week were mailed to Arapahoe County’s voters in envelopes that possibly contained a participation sticker that rubbed up against the ballot and in some cases left a faint, near-linear mark that appeared exactly where voters draw a line to select their candidates.
The story concludes that the voting machines won’t count the marks, but this may not be the last we hear about Arapahoe County.

Maricopa County Strikes Again and Again
You may remember we told you last week (http://www.thenation.com/blog/170701/lying-liars-and-communities-who-fight-back-their-right-vote) that Maricopa County misled Spanish speaking voters about the day on which to cast their ballots. The county’s election department explained it was an honest mistake, and that it fixed the error. The Phoenix New Times is reporting (http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/valleyfever/2012/10/maricopa_county_elections_offi_1.php), however, that the county also produced Spanish language bookmarks with the wrong date as well.

But wait, it’s Maricopa, so of course, there’s more. Some early voters are getting letters stating that their signatures need verification. The letters allow voters four business days to respond from the date on the letter so that the ballot can be validated. One voter, Jason Spence, took to his social media site (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151199575023836&set=a.10150284637093836.348884.795073835&type=1&theater) to explain that although his letter was dated October 22, he didn’t receive it until after work on October 24. Spense claims that none of the phone numbers listed were answered, and none had the voicemail set up. He kept trying and subsequently got through and was able to verify his ballot. Voting Rights Watch called all four phone numbers Thursday morning, and verified his initial experience: no answer, and no voicemail setup. When we called back Thursday evening, one of the phone numbers was answered, but although the letter is also addressed in Spanish, no one at the Election’s Department was able to talk in Spanish, aside from kindly asking to call back “mañana.”

Intimidating Letters Sent to Florida Voters
The Advancement Project (http://www.advancementproject.org/) tipped us that voters in at least 26 Florida counties have been sent fraudulent letters questioning eligible voters’ citizenship. Whoever is behind the intimidation is violation of Florida law, and could be charged with a third degree felony and fined up to $5,000. Voting rights advocates demanded federal investigation into the matter, and the Tampa Bay Times reports (http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/national/fbi-launches-investigation-into-fraudulent-florida-voter-letters/1258211) that the FBI is looking into the letters.

Voter ID: A Threat to Tribal Sovereignty
Hillary Abe, our Community Journalist who’s keeping an eye on Native American voter disenfranchisement, writes in that The National Congress of American Indians (http://www.ncai.org/) has released a new report that outlines how voter ID laws disproportionately affect Native voters and threatens tribal sovereignty. Indian Country Today explains (http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2012/10/23/elections-2012-national-congress-of-american-indians-challenges-id-laws-promotes-native-voters-141543):
The new report, “Voter ID laws & the Native Vote: States of Concern,” says that state voter ID requirements create three problems. First, it strips American Indians of their rights when states refuse to accept tribal IDs. Second, it costs money, travel and time for American Indians to get a state ID. And, these laws risk disenfranchising voters by rejecting provisional ballots. Three states - Alaska, Florida and Minnesota - either have rules or proposed measures that do not allow the use of tribal IDs for voting.
Minnesota’s voter ID ballot measure would require a physical address with which to vote in the future. Natives who live in rural areas use PO Boxes instead of physical addresses, because some homes are in areas that are so remote, there are no street names or addresses.


Don’t think it’s all that hard to get an ID? Then watch Hillary’s video (http://www.thenation.com/blog/170660/just-how-hard-it-navajo-elder-get-voter-id-video#), which might help you reconsider.
Minnesota County Commissioner Candidate Stands Corrected
Community Journalist Lolla Mohammed Nur is based in Minnesota, where voters will decide whether to amend their state’s Constitution to make state-issued identification a requirement for voting. Lolla writes in that a local candidate was more than confused, and made a wildly incorrect claim about registered voters:
The Twin Cities Daily Planet recently published a column (http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/news/2012/10/18/lies-damn-lies-and-voter-id) correcting a claim made by Sue Jeffers, a candidate for Ramsey County Commissioner and a voter ID proponent. Jeffers allegedly claimed there are more ballots than registered voters in the Twin Cities during a local radio interview, a claim which Mary Turck, editor of the Twin Cities Daily Planet, refuted. Turck interviewed a Hennepin County Elections Manager, who said it is impossible for there to be more ballots than registered voters, because Minnesota state law has procedures that account for every person who votes and every ballot cast.
Read Turck’s column in the Twin City Daily Planet (http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/news/2012/10/18/lies-damn-lies-and-voter-id) for more.

Pennsylvania Still Misinforming its Voters
Our Philly-based Community journalist James Cersonky writes in that Pennsylvania has been slow to catch up with the ruling that affirms that voters won’t need an ID to vote on Election Day:
Though Pennsylvanians won’t need photo IDs this election cycle, voters are still receiving twisted or flatly incorrect information about ID requirements. A petition backed by the Advancement Project, Philadelphia’s Public Interest Law Center, and the state ACLU states that thousands of seniors received a mailing from the state’s Department of Aging that included a card saying, “Voters are required to show photo ID on Election Day.” The petition also notes that state Department of Transportation centers, which administer voting-only IDs, still had up outdated posters telling people that they needed ID as recently as October 11. Meanwhile, the state has barely changed (http://colorlines.com/archives/2012/10/campaigns.dailykos.com/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=233) the “Show It” ads that it was running before the voter ID law was put on hold.
On Wednesday, Judge Robert Simpson asked the state to respond to the petition, filed on October 19, by October 30. In response, the petitioners have filed a follow-up motion for the state to move faster so it has enough time before the November 6 election to mail corrective notices and resolve other misleading information—or, if the petitioners’ case is rejected, to give enough time for an appeal.

All Time Low Turnout Expected for Military Voters
Military voters’ absentee ballot requests have dropped to an all time low—especially in the key swing states of Ohio and Virginia. Although Congress moved to increase participation for those stationed overseas, the Department of Defense has resisted the move (http://ivn.us/2012/10/25/military-voters-disenfranchised-record-low-2012-turnout/). No military voter assistance office has been installed, leaving thousands of overseas troops disenfranchised in this election.


https://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/10/26-10

[TeyshaBlue]

"Whether Hagel's relationship to ES&S ensured his victory is open to speculation"

or for the confirmation bias crowd, absolute, rock solid proof!!!111 http://homerecording.com/bbs/images/smilies/facepalm.gif

[TeyshaBlue]

Good point. It could well be a mixture of the evil GOP leaders aware of #1 and #2 convincing the stupid to go along with them. I would say that is much more likely.

At least we can agree on something.

In a begging the question sort of way.

[boutons_deux]

Virginia Prevents 350,000 Released Felons From Being Able To Vote (http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/10/26/1097401/virginia-prevents-350000-released-felons-from-being-able-to-vote/)

Virginia is one of four states that permanently takes away voting rights (http://colorlines.com/archives/2012/10/virginia_felony_voting_rights_restoration.html) from anyone who has a felony conviction, and the voting rights can only be restored by appealing directly to Virginia’s governor.

That means that about 350,000 people (http://colorlines.com/archives/2012/10/virginia_felony_voting_rights_restoration.html) who have been released from prison have been disenfranchised under the felony statute, about 242,000 of whom are African American, according to Colorlines (http://colorlines.com/archives/2012/10/virginia_felony_voting_rights_restoration.html).

While Gov. Bob McDonnell (R-VA) streamlined the restoration of voting rights for felons by processing the applications within 60 days instead of waiting months, voting rights organizations say McDonnell should eliminate the process (http://colorlines.com/archives/2012/10/virginia_felony_voting_rights_restoration.html) so that released felons have their voting rights automatically restored.

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/10/26/1097401/virginia-prevents-350000-released-felons-from-being-able-to-vote/


"Four states – Virginia, Florida, Kentucky, and Iowa – permanently disenfranchise all individuals convicted of a felony, even when they are no longer incarcerated. Overall, this approach has pushed more than 5.8 million citizens into the margins of democracy, including 4.3 million (75%) who have returned to the community."

http://naacp.3cdn.net/10d16ab1c3d4b10b11_x7m6bzkgj.pdf

All 4 are of course RED STATES.

===============

Felony disfranchisement disproportionately impacts people and communities of color.Over 1.4 million of our disfranchised citizens are African-American. The development of felony disfranchisement law is tied to the history of racial discrimination in America. In 1870, during the post-Civil War Reconstruction era, the Fifteenth Amendment was passed banning race-based disfranchisement.

In order to restrict the political participation of newly-enfranchised African-Americans, Southern states began to use criminal disfranchisement laws as a tool to suppress the African-American vote. While disfranchisement laws already existed, a number of Southern states tailored their laws to target African-Americans.

For example, Mississippi revised its constitution to impose disfranchisement as a penalty specifically for crimes of which African-Americans were most frequently convicted. Over 100 years later, these laws remain in effect.


The scope and impact of the disenfranchisement laws in the United States are beyond comparison, especially with regard to the continued deprivation of voting rights after incarceration.

Of the 5.3 million Americans barred from voting due to a criminal conviction, most of which are non-violent in nature, thirty-nine percent have fully completed their sentences, including probation and parole, yet such individuals are still deprived of their right to vote. In several states, people with criminal records encounter a variety of other barriers to voting, including, most often, cumbersome restoration processes or lengthy waiting periods before rights restoration applications may even be submitted.

http://www.aclu.org/voting-rights/voter-disfranchisement (http://www.aclu.org/voting-rights/voter-disfranchisement)

[Wild Cobra]

This doesn't pass the smell test.

Are we to believe that 350,000 of a population of about 8,100,000 are felons?

Seriously... 4.3% of the populations have committed felonies?

[Koolaid_Man]

This doesn't pass the smell test.

Are we to believe that 350,000 of a population of about 8,100,000 are felons?

Seriously... 4.3% of the populations have committed felonies?

dude..did you pull an all nighter on this site...go to bed man and stop being creepy...

[Wild Cobra]

dude..did you pull an all nighter on this site...go to bed man and stop being creepy...
LOL...

Are your panties in a bunch?

Seriously though, are we to believe that 4.3% of Virginia's population are felons?

[boutons_deux]

This doesn't pass the smell test.

Are we to believe that 350,000 of a population of about 8,100,000 are felons?

Seriously... 4.3% of the populations have committed felonies?

"Do Your Own Research"
--WC

[boutons_deux]

This doesn't pass the smell test.

Are we to believe that 350,000 of a population of about 8,100,000 are felons?

Seriously... 4.3% of the populations have committed felonies?

You'll probably be surprised what is considered a STATE (not Federal) felony crime. TX has 1000s of them. Felony has connotation Federal, violent, fatal, extremely serious, but it ain't so.

http://www.egmlaw.com/crimes.html

And many states make expunging state felony from your record extremely long, expensive, or impossible, meaning STATE felons will be denied nearly all jobs, certainly good jobs (unless you're white-collar white felon :lol )

[Wild Cobra]

The number just seems unnaturally high. It's really fucked up if that 4.3% is real.

[boutons_deux]

The number just seems unnaturally high. It's really fucked up if that 4.3% is real.

1% of USA's 300M+ is in prison.

For ex-felons imprisoned for a short/medium time, the ex-felon %age accumulates over the years, decades, and will greatly exceed the currently imprisoned rate of 1%.

[boutons_deux]

Confederate/Red state ruling as expected. Voter ID is nothing but a new poll tax.

Tennessee Appeals Court Upholds Most Of Voter ID Law, Saying Burden Is Not ‘Impossible Or Oppressive’ (http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/10/26/1097031/tennessee-appeals-court-upholds-most-of-voter-id-law-saying-burden-is-not-impossible-or-oppressive/)


"As the burden of having to acquire a photographic identification card is not substantial, neither does it rise to the level of imposing an “impossible or oppressive” condition on voting, and therefore the legislation requiring it is not void."

Studies have shown that as many as 11 percent of Americans do not have a photo ID (http://www.brennancenter.org/content/resource/the_challenge_of_obtaining_voter_identification/), and that those impacted by these laws are disproportionately minorities, the elderly and the poor.

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/10/26/1097031/tennessee-appeals-court-upholds-most-of-voter-id-law-saying-burden-is-not-impossible-or-oppressive/

[TDMVPDPOY]

one thing i find with voters who cbf reading or who the candidates are, whoever is at the top of the list usually gets the preference vote cause ppl are to busy to give a rats ass to look at the other ppl on the ballot paper

[boutons_deux]

12 threats to your vote (http://www.salon.com/2012/10/27/12_threats_to_your_vote/)

Vote by phone: Residents in Florida, Virginia and Indiana have received phone calls erroneously telling them they don’t need to show up at the polls on Election Day because they can vote by phone (http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/24/us-usa-campaign-voters-idUSBRE89N07M20121024). The callers falsely identified themselves as actual election officials. Indiana’s Secretary of State’s office has investigated the calls and found a suspect firm, while Virginia’s State Board of Elections is currently looking into them.


Intimidating billboards: Dozens of intimidating billboards (http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/21/us-ohio-voterfraud-billboards-idUSBRE89K0JA20121021) popped up in predominantly black and Latino neighborhoods in Ohio and Wisconsin warning about steep penalties for voter fraud. Most had a large picture of a judge’s gavel and said, “Voter Fraud Is a Felony!” punishable by up to three and a half years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Others showed prisoners behind bars with a message about voter fraud. ClearChannel, which owns the billboards, said they were paid for by “a private family foundation,” but has agreed to take them down as they have a policy against anonymous political advertising. Meanwhile, the state of Pennsylvania has refused to take down billboards (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-10-12/confusion-sown-in-pennsylvania-by-lingering-voter-id-ads.html) in Spanish telling people they need to present ID to vote even though a judge recently scrapped that requirement. There are also misleading ads on buses (http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2012/10/voter_id_1.html#incart_river). Meanwhile, the state GOP-controlled government also said it won’t send out mailers informing people they no longer need an ID to vote.

Phony letters: Voters in at least 28 counties in Florida have received bogus official-looking letters (http://openchannel.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/10/24/14677602-feds-investigate-phony-letters-warning-florida-voters-theyre-not-eligible-to-vote?lite) saying they may be ineligible to vote. The fake letters were sent under the names of real Florida election supervisors and stated that “information” had been discovered about their citizenship status that made them “doubt your eligibility as a registered voter.” The FBI and U.S. Postal Service are investigating.

Wrong day: Election officials in Maricopa County, Ariz., where Sheriff Joe Arpaio is in a tough reelection battle (http://www.salon.com/2012/10/16/is_sheriff_joe_arpaio_driving_arizona_voters_to_th e_democrats/), have twice given the incorrect date of the election to Spanish-speaking voters (http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/region_phoenix_metro/central_phoenix/maricopa-county-elections-department-admits-to-another-error). First, officials sent letters in Spanish with the wrong date, then they distributed bookmarks that had the correct day in English on one side and the incorrect day in Spanish on the other. Arpaio’s campaign also dispatched a robocall (http://azcapitoltimes.com/news/2012/10/23/arpaio-campaign-uses-erroneous-early-ballot-warning-in-robocall/) suggesting it was illegal for people to have someone else deliver their early voting ballot to election officials (it’s not). Meanwhile, in Ohio, the Republican-run Ottawa County Board of Elections sent a mailer to 2,300 voters informing them that Election Day was Nov. 8 and telling them that their voting location had been moved to a building on the east side of a high school. The actual location is on the west side.

Robocalls: Robocalls have similarly been used in the past to deceive voters about the date of Election Day, to give them false information about how or where to vote, or try to get people to stay home. Last year, the former campaign manager for former Republican Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich was convicted of orchestrating over 100,000 Election Day robocalls (http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/breaking/bs-md-schurick-robocalls-verdict-20111206,0,6200720,full.story) in 2010 telling black voters that they could “relax” at home because Democrats had already won (polls hadn’t even closed yet). Voting rights advocates say they haven’t seen these yet, but expect to as we get closer to Election Day.

Poll challengers: In most states, political parties can send a representative to polling station to challenge the eligibility of voters they think don’t have a right to vote. This can cross the bounds into voter intimidation. In New Mexico (http://www.salon.com/2012/10/04/voter_suppression_in_new_mexico/), Republican officials conducted a training course in which they instructed poll challengers to do things they are not allowed to do, such as demand ID. Poll challengers in Roswell had to be removed (http://www.nmpolitics.net/index/2010/11/police-called-to-remove-gop-poll-challengers-at-two-sites/) by police in 2010 for intimidating voters. Meanwhile, a conservative group called True the Vote (http://colorlines.com/archives/2012/08/true_the_votes_large_and_growing_far-right_network.html) hopes to train up to 1 million monitors and challengers before Election Day. Election rights groups say the large numbers of monitors could be intimidating and discourage some people — particularly minorities — from voting.

Last-minute purge: While several states have conducted controversial voting roll purges this cycle, especially Florida (http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/post/floridas-voter-purge-explained/2012/06/18/gJQAhvcNlV_blog.html), Colorado distinguishes itself with the lateness of its most recent effort. The Republican secretary of state, who in August tried to purge thousands of alleged noncitizens from voting rolls, announced (http://abcnews.go.com/ABC_Univision/voter-purging-resurfaces-colorado/story?id=17552694#.UIr4-7vRKw4) Tuesday — just two weeks before the election — that he had identified 300 more suspected noncitizens on the state’s rolls. They will be asked to prove their citizenship or face removal from the polls. The nonpartisan National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) warned that the purges have a “disproportionate chilling effect on voting by eligible Latino voters.”

Employer pressure: Numerous (http://www.tnr.com/article/politics/108140/coal-miners-donor-mitt-romney-benefactor) cases (http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/14017/koch_industries_sends_45000_employees_pro_romney_m ailing/) of (http://www.inthesetimes.com/ittlist/entry/13996/dont_vote_for_obama_if_you_like_your_job_ceo_tells _employees/) employers (http://tv.msnbc.com/2012/10/14/exclusive-ceo-suggests-employees-jobs-may-be-at-stake-if-romney-doesnt-win/) overtly (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/25/mike-white-ceo-email_n_2017372.html) or subtly (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/25/wynn-employee-voter-guide_n_2018595.html) pressuring (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/25/jack-dewitt-mitt-romney_n_2017539.html) employees (http://www.salon.com/2012/07/11/the_villages_where_republicans_rule/) to vote a certain way — usually Republican — have surfaced. While it’s illegal to threaten employees or offer a quid pro quo for their vote, employers can make their point clear without running into any legal trouble. Mitt Romney also personally told (http://inthesetimes.com/working/entry/14046/romney_instructed_employers_to_tell_employees_how_ to_vote_in_conference_cal/) employers on a conference call in June to tell their employees to vote for him.

Police warnings: While voting rights advocates say they haven’t seen it yet this year, in other cycles, letters and calls have gone out to voters, especially in minority neighborhoods, falsely claiming that you can’t vote if you have unpaid traffic tickets or owe child support. Other times, voters have been warned ominously that police will be stationed at the polls.

Targeting registration groups: Election officials in Florida put such odious restrictions (http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/elections/part-of-florida-voting-law-thrown-out/1248687) on people registering voters that many groups like the League of Women Voters pulled out of the state entirely. In Virginia, the Romney campaign recently claimed a nonpartisan registration group called the Voter Participation Center was registering dead people and dogs. The campaign tried – unsuccessfully (http://wtvr.com/2012/08/06/romney-voter-participation-center-investigation/) — to get the state to shut them down.

Polling placement: One common tactic is for partisan election officials to put polling places in obscure places so as to make it harder for voters in a certain precinct to vote. Voting rights advocates say they haven’t seen that yet either, but are looking out for it. In Ohio, Republicans tried (http://www.tnr.com/article/politics/magazine/108846/the-campaign-to-steal-ohio) to put the early voting location in Toledo way out in the white suburbs instead of downtown.

Early voting timing: In Florida, Republican officials passed a law that seems aimed at (http://www.salon.com/2012/10/25/how_gop_voter_suppression_could_win_florida_and_th e_white_house_for_romney/)cutting off black-church early voter mobilization efforts. In Ohio, Republican officials tried to make early voting polls (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/15/opinion/overt-discrimination-in-ohio.html?_r=0) close earlier in areas that vote Democratic, and stay open later in areas that tend to vote Republican. They were eventually rebuffed.


http://www.salon.com/2012/10/27/12_threats_to_your_vote/?source=newsletter

[boutons_deux]

yeah, yeah, just a blog, but when it's the Dirty Trickster, Lying, anti-democracy, ends-justfies-the-means Repugs, anything's possible, esp after Katherine Harris handed FL to dubya in 2000 and Repugs stole 2004 OH.

Retired NSA Analyst Proves GOP Is Stealing Elections Part I

GOP is Stealing Elections ?

Why is Mitt Romney so confident?

In states where the winner will be decided by less than 10%, of the vote he already knows he will win. This is no tinfoil hat conspiracy. It’s a math problem. And mathematics showed changes in actual raw voting data that had no statistical correlation other than programmable computer fraud. This computer fraud resulted in votes being flipped from Democrat to Republican in every federal, senatorial, congressional and gubernatorial election since 2008 (thus far) and in the 2012 primary contests from other Republicans to Mitt Romney.

This goes well beyond Romney’s investment control in voting machine maker Hart Intercivic and Diebold’s close ties to George W. Bush.

Indeed all five voting machine companies have very strong GOP fundraising ties, yet executives (including the candidate’s son Tagg Romney) there is no conflict between massively supporting one party financially whilst controlling the machines that record and count the votes.

http://www.laprogressive.com/gop-is-stealing-elections/#sthash.qXQYkwrg.lZD4EMOe.dpuf

With $Ts in 1%'s tax cuts on the table, the 1% will do anything to win.

[RandomGuy]

In a begging the question sort of way.

If you could even begin to prove in person voter fraud of the sort that might be prevented by voter ID, it might be that kind of logical fallacy.

Can you?

If you can outline a different possibility as to why someone would push for a solution to a problem that does not exist, I would be more than happy to entertain that. Either they don't know thte problem doesn't exist, or they do know.

I can show, pretty directly that there is at least one GOP leader who knows precisely what effect the laws will have, i.e. diminished Democratic turnout.

You want to make the claim I am begging the question, feel free to tell me how.

[TeyshaBlue]

If you could even begin to prove in person voter fraud of the sort that might be prevented by voter ID, it might be that kind of logical fallacy.

Can you?

If you can outline a different possibility as to why someone would push for a solution to a problem that does not exist, I would be more than happy to entertain that. Either they don't know thte problem doesn't exist, or they do know.

I can show, pretty directly that there is at least one GOP leader who knows precisely what effect the laws will have, i.e. diminished Democratic turnout.

You want to make the claim I am begging the question, feel free to tell me how.
It's a fallacious choice set by construct.

Given:
1) little or no evidence of the kinds of fraud that would be prevented by voter ID laws. (undefined) x
2) some fair evidence that voter ID laws would tend to depress some traditionally Democratic voting blocs (undefined) y
3) Leading GOP officials calling for voter ID laws (defined)w
Conclusion: GOP officials are either a) Dishonest b) Stupid



w+(x+y)=conclusion.

A construct devoid of evidence. Fill in the blanks, and make the case. Speculate and have your post treated as speculative opinion.

[DarrinS]

Democrat congressman's son resigns after he was caught on tape suggesting that forged utility bills could be used to aid in voter fraud.

But, of course, there is no such thing as voter fraud.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57539706/congressmans-son-resigns-after-voter-fraud-video/

[Juggity]

Democrat congressman's son resigns

You realize "democrat" is a noun, right?

[DarrinS]

You realize "democrat" is a noun, right?


Lol, Democratic then, you win. :lol

[RandomGuy]

It's a fallacious choice set by construct.

Given:
1) little or no evidence of the kinds of fraud that would be prevented by voter ID laws. (undefined) x
2) some fair evidence that voter ID laws would tend to depress some traditionally Democratic voting blocs (undefined) y
3) Leading GOP officials calling for voter ID laws (defined)w
Conclusion: GOP officials are either a) Dishonest b) Stupid


w+(x+y)=conclusion.

A construct devoid of evidence. Fill in the blanks, and make the case. Speculate and have your post treated as speculative opinion.

Still don't see how it fits into the "begging the question" fallacy.

1 and 2 have been proven to a fair measure. They are not assumed in the conclusion.

I, and others, have asked anyone for any fair evidence to support the claims of material voter fraud. If any had, then that would be presented ad naseum by Fox "news" et all.

Since the positive statement "there is material voter fraud" cannot be proven, one has to logically assume the opposite is true.

Thus:

"there is no material voter fraud" is the logical default poisition. QED.

The claim it would tend to supress Democratic voting blocks is supported by a raft of studies.
A few of the better links:
http://themonkeycage.org/blog/2011/10/03/do-voter-identification-laws-depress-turnout-redux/
http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/15/measuring-the-effects-of-voter-identification-laws/
The laws, as crafted, seem to swing elections in favor of Republicans.

Since there is no problem that voter ID laws would fix the laws themselves then become problematic for Republicans.

If there is no evidence of a problem that would be solved by voter ID laws, the people pushing for them can either know this, or not know it. No real space in between, although as you noted, the population of people pushing these laws can have a mixture of both kinds of people.

It isn't begging the question, if the evidence supports the underlying assumptions, as much as you seen not to want to admit it, this is a very clear case of evil/stupid Republican bullshit.

[RandomGuy]

Democrat congressman's son resigns after he was caught on tape suggesting that forged utility bills could be used to aid in voter fraud.

But, of course, there is no such thing as voter fraud.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57539706/congressmans-son-resigns-after-voter-fraud-video/

Shocking. O'queef's gotcha editing comes through to save the day.

Of course, no one has ever claimed that such fraud would be overly difficult. You have simply pointed out the obvious.

Have fun fighting your strawmen, Darrin.

[DarrinS]

Shocking. O'queef's gotcha editing comes through to save the day.

Of course, no one has ever claimed that such fraud would be overly difficult. You have simply pointed out the obvious.

Have fun fighting your strawmen, Darrin.


Probably no need for the guy to resign then, huh?

[RandomGuy]

o32tF-S6K60

If this guy thinks that Democratic voter fraud is so rampant in his state, he should be going to the police and law enforcment. The sanctity of our democracy demands it.

He has not done so.

It is possible he knows about this massive fraud and thinks it is ok, I guess.

[RandomGuy]

Probably no need for the guy to resign then, huh?

Yet another strawman. Yer killin' 'em today.

Get off the stage.

[TeyshaBlue]

Conditions 1 and 2 are the very basis of the conclusion. Indeed, they provide for no other conclusion. Condition 3 is the (not) qualifier. Also, there are absolutely to be no other conditions to consider, ergo, let's beg the question with our construct, conditions 1 & 2.

I, and I'm on record here, am unconvinced that there is a need for Voter ID. I don't think the case has been made for anything surpassing our current voter registration policies....ie register to vote, get your registration card, and get busy. I believe the subset of Republicans who are calling for this are grossly incorrect and deserve to have their motives examined.

It's a subset, RG. You never seem to make that determination. You construct a conclusion then apply it to all.

[TeyshaBlue]

"It's a subset, RG. You never seem to make that determination. You construct a conclusion then apply it to all."

It's boutonsy move that puts you in the doucher camp.


There, that's my equally ridiculous construct.:p:

[boutons_deux]

http://thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/rick-scott.png


Republicans Narrow Florida Voter Registration Gap In The Wake Of Unconstitutional Law (http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/10/29/1102301/republicans-narrow-florida-voter-registration-gap-in-the-wake-of-unconstitutional-law/)

In 2011, an unconstitutional Florida law took effect forcing voter registration groups to comply with onerous new restrictions or face fines (http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2011/05/09/164865/florida-voter-law/). As a result, new Democratic voter registrations ground to a halt — slowing to just over 5 percent (http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/08/28/755631/rick-scott-anti-voter-registration-halt/) of the rate of new Democratic registrations in the last two presidential election cycles.

Although a federal court eventually struck down the unconstitutional restrictions on voter registration, the law succeeded in boosting the GOP’s prospects for the upcoming election during the months that it was in effect. During the 2008 election, there were 657,775 more registered Democrats (http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2012/10/fueled-by-blacks-and-hispanics-registered-ds-now-lead-rs-by-536k-in-fl.html) in Florida than Republicans. A study conducted last August found that the Democratic advantage shrunk to 445,794 registered voters (http://jacksonville.com/news/florida/2012-08-27/story/democratic-registration-all-dries-new-florida-laws) in the wake of the unconstitutional restrictions on registration, and it has now only recovered to an advantage of 535,987 registered voters (http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2012/10/fueled-by-blacks-and-hispanics-registered-ds-now-lead-rs-by-536k-in-fl.html).

So, in the wake of an unconstitutional law intended to make it harder to register voters, Republicans closed their voter registration gap by over 120,000 voters — even though the courts eventually struck down this unconstitutional law. As it turns out, even when voter suppression laws are eventually struck down, they can still work significant mischief in the interim.

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/10/29/1102301/republicans-narrow-florida-voter-registration-gap-in-the-wake-of-unconstitutional-law/

[RandomGuy]

Conditions 1 and 2 are the very basis of the conclusion. Indeed, they provide for no other conclusion. Condition 3 is the (not) qualifier. Also, there are absolutely to be no other conditions to consider, ergo, let's beg the question with our construct, conditions 1 & 2.

I, and I'm on record here, am unconvinced that there is a need for Voter ID. I don't think the case has been made for anything surpassing our current voter registration policies....ie register to vote, get your registration card, and get busy. I believe the subset of Republicans who are calling for this are grossly incorrect and deserve to have their motives examined.

It's a subset, RG. You never seem to make that determination. You construct a conclusion then apply it to all.

Almost there.

I do make that determination, i.e. between senior GOP politicians and the rank and file. If you scroll back, you will see I generally apply some qualifiers to denote this. "officials" "leaders"

I will readily admit to using the occasional shorthand. My language has not been as precise as it could be. Mea culpa.

I chose to believe that a large number of Republicans would, if given the information required to make a determination conclude their leaders were full of shit on this issue. The same people who probably know better have the least motivation not to provide decent information. I must admit though, Darrin is not helping the case for the rank and file. He has, one would assume, been given adquate information here.

I do generally assume that most GOP rank and file aren't as dishonest as he is.

[RandomGuy]

http://thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/rick-scott.png


Republicans Narrow Florida Voter Registration Gap In The Wake Of Unconstitutional Law (http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/10/29/1102301/republicans-narrow-florida-voter-registration-gap-in-the-wake-of-unconstitutional-law/)

In 2011, an unconstitutional Florida law took effect forcing voter registration groups to comply with onerous new restrictions or face fines (http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2011/05/09/164865/florida-voter-law/). As a result, new Democratic voter registrations ground to a halt — slowing to just over 5 percent (http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/08/28/755631/rick-scott-anti-voter-registration-halt/) of the rate of new Democratic registrations in the last two presidential election cycles.

Although a federal court eventually struck down the unconstitutional restrictions on voter registration, the law succeeded in boosting the GOP’s prospects for the upcoming election during the months that it was in effect. During the 2008 election, there were 657,775 more registered Democrats (http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2012/10/fueled-by-blacks-and-hispanics-registered-ds-now-lead-rs-by-536k-in-fl.html) in Florida than Republicans. A study conducted last August found that the Democratic advantage shrunk to 445,794 registered voters (http://jacksonville.com/news/florida/2012-08-27/story/democratic-registration-all-dries-new-florida-laws) in the wake of the unconstitutional restrictions on registration, and it has now only recovered to an advantage of 535,987 registered voters (http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2012/10/fueled-by-blacks-and-hispanics-registered-ds-now-lead-rs-by-536k-in-fl.html).

So, in the wake of an unconstitutional law intended to make it harder to register voters, Republicans closed their voter registration gap by over 120,000 voters — even though the courts eventually struck down this unconstitutional law. As it turns out, even when voter suppression laws are eventually struck down, they can still work significant mischief in the interim.

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/10/29/1102301/republicans-narrow-florida-voter-registration-gap-in-the-wake-of-unconstitutional-law/

Correlation is not cause. One has to eliminate and/or consider a host of other variables to establish that the dip would happen.

Given though, that it did happen, and one has previous studies that predicted the effects, it would certainly seem worth looking into, and further study to determine the cause.

[TeyshaBlue]

Almost there.

I do make that determination, i.e. between senior GOP politicians and the rank and file. If you scroll back, you will see I generally apply some qualifiers to denote this. "officials" "leaders"

I will readily admit to using the occasional shorthand. My language has not been as precise as it could be. Mea culpa.

I chose to believe that a large number of Republicans would, if given the information required to make a determination conclude their leaders were full of shit on this issue. The same people who probably know better have the least motivation not to provide decent information. I must admit though, Darrin is not helping the case for the rank and file. He has, one would assume, been given adquate information here.

I do generally assume that most GOP rank and file aren't as dishonest as he is.

Darrin/WC is the conservatives' worst enemy. The lazy thinker/:fwd:fwd:fwd/confirmation blog/idiocracy IRL just makes me smh.

[TeyshaBlue]

..and you should listen to me because I've been noted by Agloco.:lol

[RandomGuy]

..and you should listen to me because I've been noted by Agloco.:lol

I am depending on you to keep me from full on slide into Bouton-style rants. I obviously need a good bitch-slap now and then, as much as it stings, it is better than becoming a liberal Darrin/Yonivore. (shudders)

[TeyshaBlue]

I wouldn't worry bout that, dude. Just a nudge now and again.:p:

[FuzzyLumpkins]

I am depending on you to keep me from full on slide into Bouton-style rants. I obviously need a good bitch-slap now and then, as much as it stings, it is better than becoming a liberal Darrin/Yonivore. (shudders)

That's what i love about Teysha, he is more than happy to give the pimphand when needed.

[TeyshaBlue]

That's what i love about Teysha, he is more than happy to give the pimphand when needed.

I wouldn't know what to do with a pimphand if I even knew what that was.:depressed:p:

[TeyshaBlue]

But I suspect that was a nice thing to say. Thanks.:lol

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Pimp Hand

Your ability to control your pimpin business. A pimp hand can be strong or weak. Keep your pimp hand strong.

[TeyshaBlue]

Word!:lol

http://www.dailyhaha.com/_pics/ronalds_pimp_hand.jpg

[boutons_deux]

PA Repugs still LYING

Pennsylvania Radio Station Runs Misleading Voter ID Ad (http://thinkprogress.org/election/2012/10/29/1108091/kdka-pennyslvania-voter-id/) “The Voter ID law was just recently signed by the governor,” an unidentified woman in the ad says:

NARRATOR: When you need to vote–

WOMAN: The voter ID law was just recently signed by the governor.

NARRATOR: You need to know –

WOMAN: You’re not going to be allowed to vote unless you present an acceptable photo identification. Get to a PennDOT licensing center and get a photo ID at the drivers’ license center.

NARRATOR: It’s your right, it’s your duty, it’s your choice –

WOMAN: And you will need an acceptable ID in order for you to vote.


http://thinkprogress.org/election/2012/10/29/1108091/kdka-pennyslvania-voter-id/

The media will take anybody's money and spew their lies.

[boutons_deux]

BREAKING: Three Bush-Appointed Judges Give Thumbs Up To Voter Disenfranchisement In Ohio (http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/10/31/1121141/breaking-three-bush-appointed-judges-give-thumbs-up-to-voter-disenfranchisement-in-ohio/)


Late last week, a federal district court ordered Ohio to stop disenfranchising voters who are directed to vote at the wrong polling place due to poll worker error.

Earlier today, a severely conservative panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit stayed this order, ruling that Ohio may disenfranchise these voters — even when their error is due to false instructions from a poll worker — because they believed allowing these votes to be counted would “absolve[] voters of all responsibility for voting in the correct precinct (http://www.ca6.uscourts.gov/opinions.pdf/12a0375p-06.pdf).”

The panel included Judges Julia Smith Gibbons and Deborah Cook, both George W. Bush appointees, and Judge Lee Rosenthal, a George H.W. Bush appointee.

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/10/31/1121141/breaking-three-bush-appointed-judges-give-thumbs-up-to-voter-disenfranchisement-in-ohio/?mobile=nc

[boutons_deux]

Pennsylvania Judge Won’t Ban Misleading Photo ID Ads (http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/11/03/1133891/pennsylvania-judge-wont-ban-misleading-photo-id-ads/)
http://thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/VoterIDAdImage.pdf-300x300.jpg

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/11/03/1133891/pennsylvania-judge-wont-ban-misleading-photo-id-ads/

[boutons_deux]

OH Repugs intending to steal OH by any and every means possible

Last-Minute Ohio Directive Could Trash Legal Votes And Swing The Election (http://thinkprogress.org/election/2012/11/03/1134981/last-minute-ohio-directive-could-trash-legal-votes-and-swing-the-election/)

The directive, issued Friday, lays out the requirements for submitting a provisional ballot. The directive includes a form which puts the burden on the voter to correctly record the form of ID provided to election officials. Husted also instructed election officials that if the form is not filled out correctly by a voter, the ballot should not be counted.

this is “contrary to a court decision on provisional ballots a week ago and contrary to statements made by attorneys for Husted at an Oct. 24 court hearing (http://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Ohio-provisional-ballot-voting-order-criticized-4005729.php#ixzz2BBo6XSFC).”
Indeed, it also appears directly contrary to Ohio law. From the lawsuit (http://thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/2012-11-01-346-Emergency-Motion-for-Clarification.pdf):


Ohio Rev. Code § 3505.181(B)(6) provides that, once a voter casting a provisional ballot proffers identification, “the appropriate local election official shall record the type of identification provided, the social security number information, the fact that the affirmation was executed, or the fact that the individual declined to execute such an affirmation and include that information with the transmission of the ballot . . . .” (Emphasis added.)


The law “ensures that any questions regarding a voter’s identification are resolved on the spot (http://thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/2012-11-01-346-Emergency-Motion-for-Clarification.pdf) or, consistent with due process, the voter is informed that he or she needs to provide additional information to the board of elections. This protects the integrity of the voting process, and provides a reasonable opportunity to resolve deficiencies.”

http://thinkprogress.org/election/2012/11/03/1134981/last-minute-ohio-directive-could-trash-legal-votes-and-swing-the-election/

scumbag assholes

[Wild Cobra]

You libtards get pissed by the smallest things, don't you?

[ChumpDumper]

You libtards get pissed by the smallest things, don't you?You're OK with disenfranchisement. :tu

[Wild Cobra]

Tell me, do you know when a provisional ballot used?

[ChumpDumper]

Yes.

And it doesn't change your being OK with disenfranchisement.

[Wild Cobra]

Yes.

And it doesn't change your being OK with disenfranchisement.
If disenfranchisement means making sure the process is correct, then yes.

If that is your definition, then yes.

[ChumpDumper]

If disenfranchisement means making sure the process is correct, then yes.

If that is your definition, then yes.So you don't know what disenfranchisement means.

Good to know the level of the room.

[Wild Cobra]

Maybe we aren't arguing the same thing. Ever think of that?

[ChumpDumper]

Maybe we aren't arguing the same thing. Ever think of that?I always allow for the possibility you have no idea what you're talking about.

[boutons_deux]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/rf/image_404h/2010-2019/WashingtonPost/2012/10/19/Others/Images/2012-10-19/vaarrest0011350663610.JPG

Virginia Voter Fraud Case Expands To Focus On GOP Firm Strategic Allied Consulting

The investigation into the arrest of a man on charges of dumping voter registration forms last month in Harrisonburg, Va., has widened, with state officials probing whether a company tied to top Republican leaders had engaged in voter registration fraud in the key battleground state, according to two persons close to the case.

A former employee of Strategic Allied Consulting, a contractor for the Republican Party of Virginia, had been scheduled to appear last Tuesday before a grand jury after he was charged (http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/republican-campaign-worker-charged-with-voter-registration-fraud/2012/10/19/c07cc378-1a01-11e2-94aa-9240e72ee00b_story.html) with tossing completed registration forms into a recycling bin. But state prosecutors canceled Colin Small’s grand jury testimony to gather more information, with their focus expanding to the firm that had employed Small, which is led by longtime GOP operative Nathan Sproul.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/decision2012/virginia-voter-fraud-case-expands-to-focus-on-gop-firm/2012/11/02/76285252-24eb-11e2-ac85-e669876c6a24_story.html

Where are all the voter fraud/miscount/disenfranchisement stories by Dems? :lol

[boutons_deux]

Democrats Sue to Extend Florida's Early Voting

In a state where legal action often goes hand in hand with presidential elections, the Florida Democratic Party filed a federal lawsuit early Sunday to force the state government to extend early voting hours in South Florida.

The lawsuit followed a stream of complaints from voters who sometimes waited nearly seven hours to vote or who did not vote at all because they could not wait for hours to do so.
Shortly after the lawsuit was filed, local election supervisors in Miami-Dade and Palm Beach Counties, where queues sometimes snaked out the door and around buildings, said they would allow voters to request and cast absentee ballots on Sunday. Voters in three other Florida counties also will be able to pick up and drop off absentee ballots. State election law permits election offices to receive absentee ballots through Tuesday so long as they are cast in person.

But later on Sunday, Miami-Dade's county election supervisor closed down the line for absentee ballots at its Doral office after two hours because too many people showed up.
In a separate Democratic Party lawsuit in Orange County, where Orlando is, a judge there extended early voting on Sunday after a polling station in the Winter Park library was forced to shut down over a suspicious package. The extra hours are being offered at only one polling station.

In its federal lawsuit, filed in court in Miami, Democrats argued that an emergency order was needed to "extend voting opportunities" before Tuesday in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties. It also urged that voters be allowed to cast absentee ballots in person in the counties' main election offices. The three counties are home to about 32 percent of the state's registered voters.
With Election Day a mere two days away, a judge will have little time to act in the case.

The lawsuit states that the three counties have "inadequate polling facilities" and have failed to meet the need of voters. Some voters faced "prohibitively long" lines and didn't finish voting until early Sunday morning.

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2012/11/04/blogs/democrats-sue-to-extend-floridas-early-voting.xml?f=19

One election official did extend voting hours, but it's in a heavily Repug/Cuban area. The official refused to extend voting hours in heavily Dem districts.

stand in line 6 hours to vote? America is so fucked up by the Repugs.

[boutons_deux]

Why The Lines Are So Long In Florida And Ohio (http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2012/11/04/1136701/why-the-lines-are-so-long-in-florida-and-ohio/)
http://thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/columbus.jpg

There have been massive lines this weekend in the key swing states of Florida and Ohio, with some voters waiting six hours or more to cast their ballot.


This is not an accident. In Ohio, after attempting to cancel weekend early voting all together, Secretary of State Jon Husted (R) drastically rolled back early voting hours (http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/10/18/1038521/despite-court-order-ohios-gop-election-chief-is-still-cutting-back-early-voting/).

In Florida, Gov. Rick Scott (R) reduced the number of early voting days from 14 to 8 (http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/09/25/903491/federal-judge-allows-florida-to-cut-early-voting-days/).

Many other pics here:

http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2012/11/04/1136701/why-the-lines-are-so-long-in-florida-and-ohio/

fuck all Repugs. They fuck up everybody and everything for politics.

[Wild Cobra]

This affects republican voters too you know.

[FuzzyLumpkins]

This affects republican voters too you know.

Not to the same degree it doesn't. This has already been discussed several times. I would say you should pay attention but it apparently is beyond your intellect to do so.

[Wild Cobra]

Fuzzy.

I found a new Avatar for you:

http://www.securinginnovation.com/uploads/image/PatentTroll.gif

[boutons_deux]

This affects republican voters too you know.

hourly (poor,Dem) workers vote early in greater numbers, can't get time off to vote Tuesday, so that's why Repugs restrict early voting.

[RandomGuy]

This affects republican voters too you know.

Yes it does.

Just not as much as it affects Democrats from what I am given to understand.

Why do you think would Republican politicians push to limit early voting?

[boutons_deux]

An election official in Miami-Dade extended early voting hours this weekend in heavily Repug/Cuban precincts, but did not in heavily Dem precincts.

So WC, GFY.

[RandomGuy]

An election official in Miami-Dade extended early voting hours this weekend in heavily Repug/Cuban precincts, but did not in heavily Dem precincts.

So WC, GFY.

Link?

I would like to see a map, and some proof of this. If true it would be the kind of smoking gun bit of evidence that would be more than a bit useful, if the guy was truly that stupid and blatant about it.

[boutons_deux]

South Florida County Extends Early Voting — But Only In One GOP Stronghold (http://thinkprogress.org/election/2012/11/04/1136371/south-florida-county-extends-early-voting-but-only-in-one-gop-stronghold/)
http://thinkprogress.org/election/2012/11/04/1136371/south-florida-county-extends-early-voting-but-only-in-one-gop-stronghold/

[boutons_deux]

Link?

I would like to see a map, and some proof of this. If true it would be the kind of smoking gun bit of evidence that would be more than a bit useful, if the guy was truly that stupid and blatant about it.

aka, "we need more study (then we will ignore it)"

[boutons_deux]

Florida Republicans impinging on right to vote, say Democrats


(http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/nov/04/florida-republicans-vote-democrats)Florida (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/florida) Democrats (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/democrats) have accused the swing state's Republican leadership of impinging on the fundamental rights of Americans amid growing voter anger at lengthy queues to vote, the shutting down of early voting and chaos in Miami over absentee ballots.

The state's Democratic party filed a lawsuit on Sunday to keep polling places open until election day as the Republicans (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/republicans) stood accused of attempting to disenfranchise its opponents with new limits on early voting that contributed to waits of more than seven hours to cast ballots in Democratic strongholds such as Miami.

The Miami-Dade elections headquarters shut it doors on Sunday to people attempting to request absentee ballots because so many people showed up. Outside, would-be voters protested, shouting: "Let us vote".

Myrna Peralta, who waited with her four-year-old grandson for nearly two hours before being turned away, told the Miami Herald: "This is America, not a third-world country … They're not letting people vote."

After the outcry spread over social media, the department opened its doors again later in the afternoon. But the incident reflected deepening frustration at what are widely seen as Republican attempts to manipulate the election.

Long queues over the past week for early voting reflected a record turnout to vote early in Florida, with about 4 million people casting their ballots in advance of election day proper on Tuesday, as well as the longest ballot paper in the state's history, including complicated constitutional amendments.

But Democrats said they were also caused by Republican legislation sharply cutting the number of days for early voting from 14 to eight. That included scrapping voting on the final Sunday before election day, when large numbers of African Americans traditionally went to the polls after church.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/nov/04/florida-republicans-vote-democrats

Rick Scott's corporate life was remarkable for the $Bs in fines his company paid for defrauding Medicare/Medicaid. He of course got away Scott free. Fucking Repug asshole scumbags, every one of them.

[boutons_deux]

McCain Strategist Admits Voter Fraud ‘Doesn’t Really Exist’ (http://thinkprogress.org/election/2012/11/05/1139141/mccain-strategist-admits-voter-fraud-doesnt-really-exist/)


SCHIMDT: I think that one of the things you always want to be for whether you’re a Democrat or Republican, you want everyone who is eligible to vote to vote. That’s how you want to win elections. I think that all of this stuff that has transpired over the last two years is in search of a solution to a problem, voting fraud, that doesn’t really exist when you look deeply at the question. It’s part of the mythology now in the Republican Party that there’s widespread voter fraud across the country. In fact, there’s not. Both sides are lawyered up to the nth degree and they’ll all posture back and forth on it but it probably won’t come down to lawyers.

http://thinkprogress.org/election/2012/11/05/1139141/mccain-strategist-admits-voter-fraud-doesnt-really-exist/

[Drachen]

I will see if I can find a link, but it wasn't "early voting", they decided to allow in-person absentee ballots to be filled out on Sunday.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/11/04/3081614/florida-democratic-party-files.html?asset_id=In-person%20absentee%20voting%20shutdown%20after%20ma ssive%20turnout&asset_type=html_module

[RandomGuy]

aka, "we need more study (then we will ignore it)"

IF you can show a map of the area, with Democratic/Republican mixes clearly shown, then put the same map up, showing a Republican official shutting down early voting in Democratic areas, but holding it open in Republican areas, that would be pretty conclusive, and hard to ignore.

[boutons_deux]

PA racist tea baggers intimidating black precincts.


The Pittsburgh Tea Party Movement conducted this training, on behalf of the Republican Party, as part of its program to combat alleged voter fraud in Allegheny County.

We understand the Republican Party has targeted approximately 111, out of a total 1,319 precincts, in that county.

The partial list, which is attached hereto as Exhibit A, includes 59 of the total 111 precincts targeted by the Republican Party. We are unaware of any history of voter fraud at any of these 59 locations.

We are concerned that these locations are being targeted for impermissible, racially-motivated reasons.


A comparison of the 59 Republican Party targeted precincts to the other precincts in Allegheny County reveals that the targeted precincts disproportionately contain African-American voters. Specifically, the targeted precincts are over 79% African-American. By contrast, the nontargeted precincts contain, on average, less than 11% African-American registered voters

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/11/05/1140141/pa-gop-targeting-african-american-precincts/

[ploto]

I will see if I can find a link, but it wasn't "early voting", they decided to allow in-person absentee ballots to be filled out on Sunday.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/11/04/3081614/florida-democratic-party-files.html?asset_id=In-person%20absentee%20voting%20shutdown%20after%20ma ssive%20turnout&asset_type=html_module

The Republican Governor limited early voting so some counties found a workaround and instead allowed in person absentee ballot collection on Sunday.

[Drachen]

The Republican Governor limited early voting so some counties found a workaround and instead allowed in person absentee ballot collection on Sunday.

I was just providing info, but from what the others say (in this thread) it seems that only the republican leaning districts were able to do this.

[Wild Cobra]

Why do you think would Republican politicians push to limit early voting?
Cost.

[boutons_deux]

Cost.

You Lie

[boutons_deux]

How Early Voting Prevented Ohioans From Choosing Between Their Paycheck And Their Vote (http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/11/05/1142411/ohio-early-voting/)


http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/11/05/1142411/ohio-early-voting/

Asshole Repug disenfranchisement, plain and simple. Restricting early voting and restricting voting capacity is a poll tax, with people losing money to vote. I'm sure there are plenty of shithead employers who threaten or fire their low-paid, hourly employees in shitty but badly needed jobs for taking time off work to vote.