US Republican operatives to challenge minority voters rights to vote

[Sir_K]

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2004/oc...poll-o28.shtml

Amazing. Hopefully Ghostface Killa and the Wu-Tang will arrive on the scene to their rescue

[DJ Ponz]

Yet another example of America as the beacon of democratic light....Fuck.

Of couse, look at that webpage too - you'd expect something like that from those folks.

[Senior]

If you want a more reliable source check this article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/28/po...gn/28ohio.html (Registrations free but is required)

G.O.P. Bid to Contest Registrations in Ohio Is Blocked
By JAMES DAO

Published: October 28, 2004


OLUMBUS, Ohio, Oct. 27 - A federal judge on Wednesday blocked six boards of elections in Ohio from proceeding with hearings into Republican-initiated efforts to knock tens of thousands of registered voters off the voting rolls.

The temporary restraining order issued by Judge Susan J. Dlott of Federal District Court in Cincinnati made it likely that few, and perhaps none, of the challenge hearings would proceed before Election Day, state officials said.

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"This is an important victory for all Ohio voters because it means this cynical and desperate effort by the Republican Party to prevent tens of thousands of legal registered voters from casting their votes has backfired," said David Sullivan, a lawyer for the Ohio Democratic Party.

The hearings had been scheduled in 65 of Ohio's 88 counties to review challenges that Republicans brought last week against what they said were 35,000 questionable voter registrations, most of them from urban, heavily Democratic neighborhoods.

The Republicans contended that the registrations were questionable because mail sent to those addresses had been returned as undeliverable - evidence, they said, of fraud. This week, about 10,000 of the challenged registrations were withdrawn or dismissed, in many cases due to filing errors.

On Wednesday, Republicans said that if hearings did not go forward this week, they intended to challenge many of the 35,000 registrants in person if they showed up to vote.

"We wanted to have all of these questions resolved this week," said Mark R. Weaver, a lawyer for the Ohio Republican Party. "Now, they won't be resolved until Tuesday, when all of these people are trying to vote. It can't help but create chaos, longer lines and frustration."

Democrats asserted that creating chaos and long lines has been the Republican goal all along, in the hopes of discouraging Democratic voters from casting ballots in this heavily contested swing state.

Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell, a Republican, has told local election boards that even if challenges are upheld, voters should be allowed to cast provisional ballots, which are held for 10 days after the election while officials review whether an individual is eligible to vote.

Judge Dlott's order blocks challenge hearings in just six counties, including the two with the most challenges, Franklin, which includes Columbus, and Cuyahoga, which encompasses Cleveland. But Democratic lawyers said that if any other counties tried to hold hearings, they would ask Judge Dlott to intervene.

Mr. Blackwell, who was named as a defendant in the Democrats' complaint, said he would not appeal the ruling. But officials with the county boards of elections could not be reached Wednesday night to determine whether they might appeal.

Even if the boards won an appeal, officials with both parties said, they would be running out of time to hold hearings, which must be completed before Monday. Voters who are challenged must also be given three days notice prior to the hearings.

Democrats contended that in most of the 35,000 challenges, people had simply moved or that mail had been delivered to the wrong addresses. They also cited a number of examples where the registrations of local celebrities or military personnel had been challenged.

In one case, the Republicans challenged the registration of the weekend anchorwoman for Columbus's NBC affiliate, Monique Ming Laven, even though Ms. Laven had voted in this year's primary and had not moved since.

[Sir_K]

Thx for the article.

Its stuff like this that makes you wonder, are Americans really that stupid?

When the GOP starts a massive "voter registration challenge" in what is thought to be a heavily Democratic leaning area, you think that the average person would read between the lines pretty quickly and call "Bullshit"

And the idea of hanging around voting locations and challenging voters in person - thats just plain nonsense and those people should be arrested.

I'm amazed that the patriotic side of every American isnt just boiling over this kind of thing.

[decypher]

So basically you only have the right to vote without contest if your rich and white.

[Sir_K]

yeah basically

only if you tell them you are not planning on voting Republican

*great* this is the country that wants to export their version of democracy around the world....

amazing in countries like Canada, France and Germany (socialist countries) the votes go off without a hitch or some old white rich lawyer asshole screaming at the elections guy:

"Hey - Check this guy ! - check if he is properly registered ! yea this guy !- check his ID @- check him! Check this guy! Hey! " <repeat>

Maybe they need a lesson in democracy