ACLU Files Suit To Block GOP Challengers

[Don_G]

Attorneys for the ACLU filed lawsuits in state and federal courts yesterday alleging that the Jefferson County Republican Party's plan to post Election Day challenges at 59 precients is aimed at intimidating African-American voters and violates their civil and constitutional rights.

Also yesterday, the US Department of Justice announced yesterday that Jefferson County is among the 15 communities in the country whose elections Tuesday will be monitored by employees from it's Civil Rights Divison.

More: http://www.courier-journal.com/localnews/2003/11/01ky/wir-front-challenge1101-6654.html

[La_Serpiente]

1. If the ACLU wins this one

it could raise the perception that Republicans are racist.

[jiacinto]

5. They won't

nt

[MissMarple]

13. No, just political hacks, doing their thing. How more cynical can we get?

It does seem they are getting more blatant, now. So, how far does it go before the proverbial pendulum swings back? Or, do you think someone has taken over the balance mechanism?

[jiacinto]

19. Who knows

nt

[Occulus]

15. or it could

keep Dem challengers from being at the polls when the Pugs vote for the second time in the same election.

Please remember, the Pugs will steal and cheat to win. Diebold is a good example.

[wtmusic]

2. Challengers? WTF is that?

I never heard of that one before. Can anyone say Jim Crow?

[Don_G]

4. Pretty Much

The 59 precients in question are in a predominately poor area of the County where the GOP wants to track/intimidate the voters IMHO.

[Ernesto]

18. "Challengers": A little background, wtmusic

This quaint little GOP practise was one of William Rehnquist's favorite passtimes when he was a college student in Arizona. Yes I'm referring to our own Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court... Isn't it great what republicans are doing to our country?

[sujan]

3. time to donate to ACLU, again

[Ernesto]

20. I'm with you on this one

Where is my check book?......... PS. Wes Clark looks likes a real smart guy with great "vision".

[La_Serpiente]

6. If they are really concrned about the integrity of the elections

they should invest in some new, receipt-provided computer machines. Also something that doesn't have its source code plastered all over the internet.

[Don_G]

7. And Something More Than 15 Communities In A Nation?

I suppose Asskrap still remembers losing an election to a corpse; kind of clues you in on his character too.

[w4rma]

16. Paper ballot, not paper receipt. (n/t)

[Nlighten1]

8. Maybe we need to get some challenger challengers.

I'm not too far from there so I can drive about 5 hours and be there.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

9. Someone send them the texts to Greg Pallast's reporting on

Katherine Harris, et. al. and their efforts to keep people of color out of the voting booths in 2000.

I don't have a link handy, but I'm sure htere are more than a couple of good DUers that do have a good link.

[Don_G]

10. Better Idea?

This was a local news article that I accidently came across and reported.

I've tried "googling" for information on the other 14 monitored communities and haven't discovered anything so far.

Is there any way of setting up strictly a database for locally distributed information for national consumption like Poynter does with it's Media News?

[MasonJar]

11. Challengers in Louisville

The Republicans are pulling out all the stops to get the Repug elected; he is after all Bush rubber stamp. I have gotten calls from Mitch McConnell and Jim Bunning and I am a registered Democrat, plus fliers on my door. Bush has been here twice. If Chandler wins, it will be because of the challengers. Fletcher's ads have been dirty; the money has come from the Repug governor's fund. My worry is that the Pugs did not announce this agenda until after the date that citizens could register. If this is a preview of the 2004, we had all better stop DUing and get out on the streets now.

[Don_G]

12. That's Why I Posted This News Article

Scarier still is why I happened to come across this local article and post it for all of DU to read.

Something even more frightening; why was I registered a Rethug in the mid 70's, switched over and got a "Conformation Card" just last week from the RNC "acknowledging" I could Vote?

I think I'm going to choose to vote strait Dem and will walk up to the "Comission" to hand them the paperwork I was sent and to ask "why?"

[alfredo]

14. Jefferson county also uses diebold voting machines.

So there 's a double whammy.


In kentucky challengers are legal. The election officials can and will throw them out on their asses if they cross the line. they will be reported to the Att General and be barred from working in that position for a period of time.

[Don_G]

17. I've Heard The Arguements And Read The Threads

What would happen if I took the card "They" sent me and used that to vote in a general election with my Drivers license?

I guarentee you, my vote is "questionable" and may not be sorted out since I have a "nasty" habit of paying cash for everytnig thriugh Visa.

Oh well...I don't borrow on my expectations either....

[demdave]

21. There is nother wrong with this

I appears some here do not know the full story. This story broke about a week and a half ago. Of the 59 precincts. 20 have no Rep. poll workers. It is required by law, in these precincts, that there be at least 1 Dem and 1 Rep. worker. @0 of the 59 will fullfill this requirement.

The other 39 we be challengers, I have also heard them called poll watchers. They are then allowed to stand behind the poll judges and observe. If they witness what they consider a questionable voter, they submit a challenge to the poll officials. At that point the poll officials, which are Dems and Reps, decide whether to act upon the challenge or to dismiss it. They can do this in any fashion they wish. If they simply say "We know this person" or "We don't think so" the challenge is over. They then note the challenge in the poll book. If they accept the challenge, they ask for ID, which is required in these precincts, and let the voter vote.

A challenger from both parties is allowed. Challengers have no legal authority over the voters or the poll officials. If the challengers try to impede the voting, they can be removed by the election officials, remember that is a Dem and a Rep.


I don't see the reason for all the interest here.

[Don_G]

23. I Do

If the Jefferson County KY election is one of fifteen being monitored in the nation for accuracy, where are the other fourteen and why can't I get a hit from Google?

Why are the challengers allowed in areas that will visibly threaten the voters? The people that vote there are poor, wear t-shirts and jeans and often feel threatened by "Suits"---the Republican KKK uniform.

Anybody can volunteer to watch the polls at random but it should NOT be directed to a specific area ON the day they vote and IN the place they vote in.

How would you feel if the CEO of your company "volunteered" his services and discovered you voted Dem against "his" financial interests?

[demdave]

24. Let me explain for you

You cannot get a hit on google because there is no public record of challengers, the same as there is no public record of election judges. Both of these positions are dealt with through the Dem and Rep parties.

You don't watch the polls at random. I have worked as an election official over 13 years now. I have never seen a challenger at my precint or the one that shares the polling place with us. Usually it is so dificult to get people to work the polls to begin with that very seldom do the parties try to get extra people to be challengers. It is usually reserved for times when the party thinks that there are inconsistencies in the past.

The challengers HAVE to be there at the polling place during elections. They serve no purpose otherwise. They are allowed to stand behind the election officials and observe. If they have a challenge, all they can do is tell the presiding judge. At that point it is decision of the judges as to what course of action to take. Most poll workers know many of the people voting. They have worked the same poll for years. So one action could be to dismiss the challenge out of hand. The challengers have absolutely no recourse to that action. If the judges do decide to question the voter, all they can do is ask for an ID. In the case of these precincts in question, you need an ID to vote. After showing ID, the voter is allowed to vote and the challenge is noted in the poll book.

No wholesale challenges are permitted. The challengers have to have a reason for a challenge. Remember, there are both Dem and Rep officials at every polling site. You need a majority of the election officials to call a challenge. If the Reps try to question every voter, the Dems could shut them down with one phone call to the election board. This challenge action is not taken lightly.

Another safegaurd is that we election officials don't really have much patience with fools that try to impede the voting process. While we are Dems and Reps, we are voting officials first. That is why we do this, 14 hour days starting at 5:30 - 6 AM and damn little pay. I don't know any that don't see this as a civic duty to help ALL people vote.

As for the voters being afraid of suits. They just have to get over that superstition. If you or they are afraid of their boss finding out wether they are Dem or Rep, then don't vote. I would hope that isn't what they would do, but everyone can work the election. It is part of your constitutional freedom to the process. You can't limit rights to only those that agree with you.


I hope this helps. Feel free to ask questions. Thanks.

[Don_G]

26. If Jefferson County Is One Of The Targeted 15 Sites In The Nation

The DOJ or the other local papers should have mentioned it and it would have appeared on Google somewhere.

The fact that it dosen't and that the local Rethug Party was aware of this fact leads me to believe information is being supressed and/or redacted much like Hitler did in the '30's.

As for the area and attitude of the people in question, I spent almost 20 years of my life as a Telephone Installer/Repairman working among and for these people. Why don't you show up at 59 precients at the same time and tell each and every voter to "get over their superstitions?"

Factual data is all well and good, but a vote from a Freeper or a fearful and/or ignorant individual counts just as much as my own choice.

The only solution is to talk and edcuate people everywhere and at all levels to try to convince them otherwise like "Rethugs=Welfare, Dems=Future."

[demdave]

29. The fact that your google doesn't give you the info you seek

doesn't prove anything other than the fact that no reporter cared to list all of the sites. 20 of the challengers are actually going to be election officials because the Reps don't have enough officials in those areas. By law there must be an official from both parties present. The election official is the ultimate challenger.


I can no better belay the fears of suits than I can convince an agrophobic to come out of their house and vote. Irrational fears are the personal demons of the people who hold them.


As for educating the people, I couldn't agree more. However, I believe the Rethug and Hitler references hurt our cause by making us look like extremists and haters. But that is another rant. :)

[Vis Numar]

22. Retaliation

What the Democrats need to do is turn this against the Republicans. The NAACP should announce that it is sending black operatives to white suburbs, who were randomly chosen, and start questioning the legitamacy of the white voters coming to the polls-- that ought to get their attention.

[sendero]

25. Yes.

I don't see a thing wrong with that.

[Judi Lynn]

27. That sounds about right.

Anything else would be deceptive.

[demdave]

28. The NAACP can't do this but the local Dem party can.

This idea of challengers is not new or secretive. It is all part of the election process. There must be a reason for a challenge and the challenge is handled by the election officials, not the challengers. Anyone making wholesale challenges will not last long at the polling place. Tha Dem election judge can have them removed for impeding the voting process. Just that simple.