Republican Party officials in Ohio took formal steps yesterday to place thousands of recruits inside polling places on Election Day to challenge the qualifications of voters who they suspect may not be eligible to cast ballots.
Party officials say their effort is necessary to guard against potential fraud arising from aggressive moves by the Democrats to register tens of thousands of new voters in Ohio, seen as one of the most pivotal battlegrounds in the Nov. 2 elections.
Election officials in other swings states, from Arizona to Wisconsin and Florida, say they are bracing for similar efforts by Republicans to challenge new voters at polling places, reflecting months of disputes over voting procedures and the anticipation of an election as close as the one in 2000.
Ohio election officials said they had never seen so large a drive to prepare for Election Day challenges. They said they were scrambling yesterday to be ready for disruptions in the voting process as well as alarm and complaints among voters. Some officials said they worried that the challenges could discourage or even frighten others waiting to vote.
Ohio Democrats were struggling to match the Republicans' move, which had been rumored for weeks. Both parties had until 4 p.m. to register people they had recruited to monitor the election. Republicans said they had enlisted 3,600 by the deadline, many in heavily Democratic urban neighborhoods of Cleveland, Dayton and other cities. Each recruit was to be paid $100.
NY Times
Last edited by Nbadan; 10-23-2004 at 03:35 PM.
Suppressing illegal votes? Well, that undemoncratic!
Damn. Mary Poppins is going to be pissed that she can't vote.
A word of advice: when she picks up that umbrella....RUN.
The Republican voter suppression continues...
dispatchIn yet another sign of how fiercely Ohio will be contested in the Nov. 2 presidential election, Republicans challenged 35,427 newly registered voters yesterday. And both parties named thousands of people to be challengers at the polls.
<snip>
But overburdened elections officials were left wondering how to comply with a state law requiring a hearing on each challenge no later than two days before the election.
Those who have been challenged must receive a letter by first-class mail no later than three days before a hearing to answer the challenge — with a lawyer and witnesses, if they choose.
<snip>
The Repubs harvested the addresses from all newly-registered voters then sent out mailing to all of them. Any mailing which came back undelivered was automatically challenged.
The good news: over 700,000 new voters signed up statewide.
If the voter doesn't first show up for their "hearing"...they can't vote
L ike the poll tax or literacy tests in Alabama in the 60s, the GOP has devised a major hurtle for these 35,000 new voters.
It wasn't the GOP that created those you ignorant .L ike the poll tax or literacy tests in Alabama in the 60s, the GOP has devised a major hurtle for these 35,000 new voters.
His quote doesn't imply that the GOP created the poll tax or literacy tests. He is simply comparting this hurtle to those previous ones ... I think.
Proving you are who you say you are and that you live where you say you live is a "major hurdle?"
Having to show up for a 'hearing' to be eligible to vote is bull .
I see that you're planning all your excuses as to why Kerry "lost" Dan.
No kidding. Bring valid ID or utility bill or whatever with your registration card...what's the big deal? I've always had to have ID where I vote.
Suppression?? Whatever.
Did you even bother to read the article??? We are talking much more than just signing up for a blockbuster card here. They are forcing people to take time off and go to court to be eligible to vote.Suppression?? Whatever.
Wow...then how about they give a valid mailing address when they register? Then there should be no problem, huh?
How do you know they are not valid? Because they didn't reply to Republican propaganda?Wow...then how about they give a valid mailing address when they register?
It's only a hearing for those that have been challenged. Did you bother to read the article?
There is no reason why their mail should be returned otherwise. If they are newly registered the address they registered with would be CURRENT, and if they moved in the week since they registered, unless they moved across the street, they'd have to re-register in the new precinct.How do you know they are not valid?
There is no reason why their mail should be returned otherwise...the info they registered with should be current within a week or so.
It's only a hearing for those that have been challenged
No, they challenged all new voter registrations that came back undelivered...
The Repubs harvested the addresses from all newly-registered voters then sent out mailing to all of them. Any mailing which came back undelivered was automatically challenged.
There are plenty of other reasons, maybe the letter was delivered wrong, maybe the recipient thought it was a court summons, maybe the Postman is a W supporter, maybe the Republicans just addressed the letters wrong. There are so many possibilities.There is no reason why their mail should be returned otherwise.
that came back undelivered...
They only come back undelivered if the address they registered with didn't exist, or they no longer live there and the forwarding address expired. And since they would only have registered within a week or so, forwarding requests are good FOR A YEAR.
Quit trying to explain it to him SW. He's on a black helicopter training mission.
go take your 'medicine' old manQuit trying to explain it to him SW. He's on a black helicopter training mission.
OMG!!! 100% Percent of the voters were challenged! Well 100% of the NEW registered voters were challenged. And I guess that out of those there were only those newly registered voters whose mail was retuned undeleverable. And then those who didn't show up for the challenge or who couldn't meet the standards in order to vote were kept from voting. So lets see, that leaves 0% of the people who were correctly registered to vote were kept from voting.
Atta boy Dan! Your ass is showing!
How is any of this not a barrier to a person's right to vote? If a person is registered and has a valid ID they should be allowed to vote.They only come back undelivered if the address they registered with didn't exist, or they no longer live there and the forwarding address expired. And since they would only have registered within a week or so, forwarding requests are good FOR A YEAR.
Who is to decide what is correct and what is incorrect?that leaves 0% of the people who were correctly registered to vote were kept from voting
The Republicans know that a high voter turnout will only benifit the Democrats, especially among the young and poor who frequently don't leave forwarding addresses.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
