Voter Intimidation

[giza]

(Skip the rant and go straight to the "take action" section)

Let's talk about voter intimidation, boys and girls. Voter intimidation is something that's been employed against minorities for a number of years now. It's a sickening and perverse way for the (white) people in power to stay in power by preventing minorities from voting. Back in the Jim Crow days, it was the Democrats who tried to keep minorities from voting. These days it's the Republicans who are doing it.

Here's a few examples of the intimidation that has taken place in recent elections, cited from this article on pfaw.org:

• This summer, Michigan state Rep. John Pappageorge (R-Troy) was quoted in the Detroit Free Press as saying, “If we do not suppress the Detroit vote, we're going to have a tough time in this election.” African Americans comprise 83% of Detroit’s population.
• In South Dakota’s June 2004 primary, Native American voters were prevented from voting after they were challenged to provide photo IDs, which they were not required to present under state or federal law.
• Earlier this year in Texas, a local district attorney claimed that students at a majority black college were not eligible to vote in the county where the school is located. It happened in Waller County – the same county where 26 years earlier, a federal court order was required to prevent discrimination against the students.
• In 2003 in Philadelphia, voters in African American areas were systematically challenged by men carrying clipboards, driving a fleet of some 300 sedans with magnetic signs designed to look like law enforcement insignia.
• In 1998 in South Carolina, a state representative mailed 3,000 brochures to African American neighborhoods, claiming that law enforcement agents would be “working” the election, and warning voters that “this election is not worth going to jail.”

This article in the New York Times is also talking about some attempts at voter intimidation that the Republican Party is engaging in for this year's election. (If you don't want to create an account on nytimes.com, you can automatically create one at this page)

Here's a summary of that article, however:

• 3,600 "volunteers" have been enlisted by the Republicans for the state of Ohio alone, with each person being paid $100.
• There is concern that the Republicans will be "challenging" peoples' eligibility to vote in large numbers. It takes a long time to do that, which can have the effect of slowing things down and can cause some of the challenged people to leave without voting.
• Republicans will be training their people how to challenge mentally disabled voters!

Horrible. Just plain horrible.

Okay. So, if you're going to vote, and you get challenged, what can you do to make sure you can exercise your constitutional right to vote? Here's a list:

• BEFORE YOU GO TO VOTE, visit http://www.lawyerscomm.org/ep04/ep0920/vbr.html#. If your state is in the list at the bottom of the page, you should view the voting laws for your state, and maybe even print out a copy of that page to take along with you.
• Dress nicely. Yeah, it seems silly, and maybe even stupid, but in our society people judge you on your appearance. The better you're dressed, the better an impression that you'll make on people. You'll be taken far more seriously if you have a complaint about being unfairly targeted if you're wearing a dress shirt and pants than you will be with a t-shirt and jeans. You may even pass for a Republican and be left alone. :-)
• Bring ID, and a voter registration card, if you have one. A state driver's license is good, as it lists your address. (People can only vote in the district in which they live)
• If someone challenges you, ask to see theirID. Tell them you want to know who you're dealing with. It's a legitimate request, and can be used to put pressure back on them.
• Bring a digital camera if you have one. If you're being challenged or see someone else being challenged, don't hesitate to take any pictures of the challenger. It might make the person think twice about their challenge if the see that their actions are being monitored.
• If all else fails, call the Election Protection Hotline at (866) OUR-VOTE. They can offer professional legal advice on how to deal with the matter.

All citizens in the United States have the right to vote. That's how democracy works. Don't ever let anyone try to take that right away from you.

Thanks for bringing this to my attention, skiprudder.

Comments

[boixboi.livejournal.com]

I continue to hear about disturbing stories of black people being listed incorrectly as felons throughout Florida, to keep them from voting-- which also happened last year.

On a not-unrelated issue, although most students are unaware of it, students are allowed to vote where they go to college, no matter what. Colleges and college towns constantly discourage and prevent students from voting, claiming that the students are not legally allowed to vote there even though it is their residence for 10 months out of the year. This practice continues at major colleges all over despite numerous court rulings validating students' right to vote where they attend school, and yet still you always hear the question "Why don't young people vote?" It is because we are actively discouraged from taking part in the political process.

I really do hate this country sometimes.

Voting & Cheating

[tailen.livejournal.com]

I think the figures say it all: http://www.idea.int/voter_turnout/northamerica/usa.html

The 'greatest democracy in the world' has a stunning 51% of its population voting for its leadership.
With that kind of zealous interest in national affairs, the winner of the presidential election is most likely going to be the guy who can motivate the most people to actually show up and cast a vote.

As for just plain cheating, before the 2000 election they ran some stories in the news here in Europe about how several people who had snail-mailed the Republican party in the US for information about their campaign (mostly university students and researchers), had received a package with brochures and amongst these was an envelope with a voting form already filled in with a vote for Bush 2.0b and a notice asking to mail the envelope back to the US. Postage and everything already paid for.

And here's one thing to consider. Up until now Bush 2.0b has had to actually be nice and give off a good impression so that he could be reelected. If he wins 2004, he won't have to play nice anymore..

Voter intimidation, eh?

[ionotter.livejournal.com]

Guy carrying a clipboard walks up to me in line. "Excuse me, sir. May I see your ID?"

"No.", I say, as I refuse to look at him.

He blinks repeatedly, not expecting this. "....what?"

I still refuse to even look at him. "No."

He looks frustrated. "Sir, I'm going to have to see your ID."

"You work here?"

He nods. "Yes sir, I do."

"You paid?"

He nods again. "Yes sir, I am."

"Who's paying you?"

He fidgets slightly. "I don't see how that's any of your business, sir...."

Still without looking at him, I raise an eyebrow. "Well then, my ID is none of YOUR business either."

Grows flustered and turns a bit red. "Sir, I'll have to see your ID before I let you inside the building..."

I turn to look at him, staring right into his eyes with unmitigated hate. "Young man, have you ever seen 'Silence of the Lambs' or 'Hannibal'?"

He blinks a few times. "Uhhh, yes, but..."

My eyes narrow slightly. "Do you know what the difference between Dr. Lechter and myself is?"

The man blinks as if he can't believe what he's hearing. "You're kidding, right? No, I don't. What?"

I turn to face him, my hands dropping to my sides and opening slightly. "I don't bother with wine or cooking." *STOMP!* as I take one step towards him, eyes narrowed in vicious hate and hunger.

*sighs*

That would probably turn out badly, but it would be enourmously satisfying.

[ex-wolffit823.livejournal.com]

Let me begin this comment with a note that I am NOT voting for President Bush. I may or may not vote for Senator Kerry, that has yet to be determined. I am NOT voting for Bush.

All US Citizens have the right to vote, with a few caveats:
1) Must be 18 years of age
2) Must be registered to vote (registration is $Free, and in some states such as VA, is automatic if you have a drivers' license)
3) In some states, must not have been convicted of a felony

You hear all about the alleged voter discrimination / harassment stories. What you don't hear are things like:
(http://www.davidstuff.com/incorrect/wsj12.htm)
"In June 2001, following a six-month investigation that included subpoenas of Florida state officials from Governor Jeb Bush on down, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights issued a report that found no evidence of voter intimidation, no evidence of voter harassment, and no evidence of intentional or systematic disenfranchisement of black voters."

http://www.glennbeck.com/news/08092004.shtml
"National studies on the issue demonstrated ballot-spoilage rates across the country range between 2-3 percent of total ballots cast. Florida's rate in 2000 was 3 percent. In 1996 it was 2.5 percent. This same study revealed that the number of ruined ballots in Chicago was 125,000, compared to 174,000 for the entire state of Florida."
"The Commission's report failed to note that elections in Florida are the responsibility of 67 county supervisors of election. And, in all but one of the 25 counties with the highest ballot spoilage rates, the election was supervised by a Democrat-the one exception being an official with no party affiliation."
"Florida's Attorney General testified that of the 2,600 complaints he received on the election, 2,300 were related to the confusing butterfly ballot, and only three complaints concerned alleged discrimination on the basis of race"
"Research revealed that 239 for the 4,678 African Americans on the Miami-Dade felons' were eventually cleared to vote which represented 5.1 percent of the total number of blacks on the felons list. Of the 1,264 whites on the list, 125 proved to be there by mistake-which is 9.9 percent of the total. The error rate for whites was almost double that for blacks."


This whole voter-intimidation/discrimination thing is nothing but a scare tactic intended to draw out more voters.

And you can quote me on that.

[tgeller.livejournal.com]

Thanks for posting this -- it summarizes a lot of useful information nicely.

And since when did you get political? ;)

I'll be posting my own voter guide tonight. It won't be terribly interesting to anyone outside of California, though. It's hardly surprising that I'll be voting for Kerry. :) (What may surprise is that I do so happily and regardless of his competition.)

[giza.livejournal.com]

And since when did you get political? ;)

Ah, I dunno. I never cared for Bush 2.0b very much, but I've begun to outright hate him in the last year or so. I guess it's between the Iraq thing, and him wanting to have an anti-same-sex marriage Amendment in the constitution. (wtf?)

But me learning about the amount of voter intimidation really got me fired up. I've got serious issues when peoples' rights get taken away like that.

[strangeden.livejournal.com]

What's been going on with the GOP's recent attempt to last
minute relocate the polls in minority neighborhoods is quite
simply, criminal.

[atpaw.livejournal.com]

Bring a digital camera if you have one. If you're being challenged or see someone else being challenged, don't hesitate to take any pictures of the challenger. It might make the person think twice about their challenge if the see that their actions are being monitored.

o.O

Do you guys, like, live in Indonesia or something, where they performed their first democratic vote under the watchful eye of all the militia men and warlords, who thought it would be nice to turn up and just politely remind the voters that if they vote the wrong way, they might be abducted and gunned down?

No, really... o.O

[khakiwolf.livejournal.com]

Well I suppose the obvious question is: if they know this is happening, why aren't they doing anything to stop it? Isn't rigging an election as illegal as tampering with evidence in a coutr trial?

But wait, he's George W. Bush. Since when did the legalities of certain things stop him. Ok, nevermind. Sorry. =)

[kryphos.livejournal.com]

It's no secret that rich white men have and will continue to make things as easy for them to maintain their status as possible. American corporations will lobby for their capacity to make more money.

I Asked a friend of mine who is fairly wealthy one time, "Now that you have made your fortune, what will you do now?" To which he replied, "I'm going to start a new company." I looked at him curiously and said, "You've already done that. You've been down that road and you know where it goes. So I say again, what will you do now?" He didn't have an answer and looked at me quizically, and a little upset. I said, "It's just a question. You don't have to answer it now. Maybe you'll find the answer later."

Anyway, I have to jet.

*hugs*

-Kryphos