GOP to put challengers in black voting precincts

[tom_paine]

http://www.courier-journal.com/localnews/2003/10/23ky/wir-front-votes1023-9144.html

Jefferson County Republicans intend to place Election Day challengers at 59 voting precincts in predominantly black neighborhoods, a move that NAACP leaders yesterday called blatant intimidation.

The GOP election workers, most of whom live outside the targeted precincts in western and central Louisville, Portland and Newburg, will be on hand to challenge voters who they suspect aren't eligible.
<snip>

Republicans filed a list of the challengers and precincts with the Jefferson County Board of Elections. Democrats have filed no list and say they have no plans to use challengers.
<snip>

RICHARDSON said Republicans used them in Jefferson County as recently as the 2000 presidential election, although he didn't remember how many challengers were used or where they were stationed.

<more...>

http://www.courier-journal.com/localnews/2003/10/23ky/wir-front-votes1023-9144.html
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:puke: :puke:

Swollen with the hubris of Imperial Power, aren't they?

And when do we start fighting back?!?

:grr: :argh: :grr:

[joeybee12]

1. The Dems need to have a Dem challenger wherever there is a Repuke

challenger. Intimidate those Nazi challengers and see if they pull this shit again!

[BJ]

4. I wish the Party leaders would get as mad as we are.

It's like, even in the U.S. Congress Daschle and company will back off if Dubya's goons put just a little pressure on'em. In this state,IA, for the first time our Repug U.S. senator looks vulnerable and there's a strong candidate in the secretary of state. But he's going to run for gov because the state party doesn't want a "nut," like a long time and very liberal state rep from DM running, for the state's top office. (I know this doesn't have anything to do w/this thread but I just wanted to rant.)

[tom_paine]

9. Rant on, BJ

You are spot on right.

[SCantiGOP]

8. We'll be there

If you've never volunteered to be a poll watcher, do it. My district typically goes at least 70% republican, but by being there I might keep it from being even worse.

[CMT]

2. What is this crap?

can they get away with this. Ok, lets put challengers outside predominately white voting places and hassle people we think are "not eligible."

[kodi]

3. bill rehnquist did this 40 years ago in arizona

he's now chief justice of the scotus.

[benfranklin1776]

5. It is a blatant attempt at vote suppression to be sure.

Surprised they are not using random police roadblocks as was done in Florida in 2000.
This is an ongoing problem. They have made it clear that they will do anything to win including vote suppression. So I hope there is a massive counterdeployment of people at the polls and attorneys at the courthouse to defend voters who are being unfairly challenged.

Here's a revealing quote from the article:

"The GOP election workers, most of whom live outside the targeted precincts in western and central
Louisville, Portland and Newburg, will be on hand to challenge voters who they suspect aren't
eligible.

Jefferson County GOP Chairman Jack Richardson IV said the precincts were chosen at random or
because the Republican Party has had trouble finding registered voters in those areas to serve as
election workers."

Have to import these carpet baggers since there aren't any registered Rethugs in the precinct.

[wryter2000]

6. WTF

How are they going to determine who might not be eligible? Maybe the dark skinned people? This is disgusting.

[tom_paine]

7. Just like Mississippi 1958

White man or woman: legitimate, no ID check needed

Black man or woman: morally and ethically suspect, can't give 'em a polltax but we can scare the shit out of them, maybe threaten them and get them to go away...

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

And I have no doubt this is going on all around the country.

Another Bushevik method of "manual vote suppression".

I'll bet they can't wait for Stalinist Touchscreen Voting so that they can suppress votes without getting off their asses.

[phoebe]

11. you don't have to go as far back as 1958..

try this century. I believe similar events occurred in one/both of the Carolina states, in the past 3 years. There was some reportage but not much.

[demdave]

10. I work the polls and I think there are some important points being missed

State law requires each precinct to be staffed by at least three election officers, including at least one Democrat and one Republican. The officers do not have to live in the precinct.

The NAACP said yesterday that Republicans have not been able to find GOP officers for at least 33 precincts.

Richardson predicted at least one-third of the challengers would end up serving as election officials.

But most importantly.... Jefferson County's election board policy calls for residents to show picture identification when they sign in to vote.

In the 13 years I have worked the polls I have never had a challenger present. As election judges, we are allowed to challenge anyone we feel is questionable, it has also never happened.

If the law requires a picture ID, which our area does not but I have always thought was a good idea, then the challengers will have very little to do. I think the Rep, effort would be better served by educating their officials about strictly following the picture ID law. This is appropriate. I think the challengers would just hack me off, especially if they couldn't show a reason for the challenge. After very few times of the officials checking the ID and the challengers asking to check it again, I believe I could have the challengers removed for interferring with my sworn duty as a judge. I am sure the election judges position trumps any authority of the challengers.

If they want to do the job of the judges, get selected and take a seat, at leats then you get paid for it.

[sandlapper]

14. Can anyone answer this?

These Rep Challengers -- aren't they the same as what we call Poll Watchers? Texas law specifically allows them but specifically requires that they protest any voter only to the Precinct Judge. The Precinct Judge is in overall charge of the polls in the Precinct they are assigned to by the County Elections Clerk. Anyone attempting to harass or intimidate anyone in the polling place and I think within 100 feet of it is subject to arrest. I well remember the transition in the late 70s and early 80s when my precinct and Congressional District (Bob Casey) which had been D forever started to become R. We put Poll Watchers in every precinct and challenged unfamiliar prospective voters as being out of their precinct. It didn't really accomplish much, although we regularly got 10 or 12 out-of-precinct sent to their appropriate precinct, the District is now strongly R.

[demdave]

23. I believe you are correct. I think the names are interchangable.

They have to submit their challenge to the precinct judges and then the judges amke a determination by voting. Teh judges also note the challenge in the poll book.

You are also correct about attempting to harass or intimidate anyone in the polling place and within 100 feet of it is subject to arrest. The presiding judge can even lengthen that distance if necessary by simply telling the offender to move or they will have them removed. The judge does not have to prove anything to have the police remove a non-voter from near a polling place.

As for the 10 or 12 out-of-precinct sent to their appropriate precinct, this is a common problem that actually has nothing to do with fraud but rather with having moved since last election. The law states that "where you live today" is used to determine where you vote. Many people have been voting in one place for years and simply go back there to vote, if they have only moved a short distance. Some election judges have known these voters for years also and simply let them vote and tell them to change their address later rather than send them out to hunt up their correct polling place. Not all poll workers are willing to do the additional paperwork required to have a person vote even if they are at the right polling place but are not "in the book". Sometimes it is a lack of knowledge on the part of the poll worker and sometimes it is just getting what you paid for.

[sandlapper]

24. Thanks for the confirmation

demdave. I'm a little concerned with the seeming excess of vituperation this thread typifies. We Dems are getting to the point of being perceived as dogs-in-th-manger snapping and growling without discrimination. It's hurting us!

[demdave]

25. Don't I know it, it has been my mantra for almost a year

but I try to keep it down to one rant a day:). Even then you get the kind of post below about keying cars of someone who is, in my mind, doing a civic duty. Even if you don't agree with why they are doing this, they are working within a well defined and well known system.

[cap]

18. check the law on photo ids...

in many precincts you are not denied the right to vote but the vote is marked and you may be required to show proof of id after the election.

[bluestateguy]

12. Dammit that pisses me off

If some election day "challenger" interfered with my right to vote he'd be watching election night returns from a hospital ward.

[T Wolf]

13. this happens EVERY election

In Philly, the repukes send armed off-duty cops into black areas to keep people from voting. This is reported on every election but nothing is ever done about it.

Until we fight back, they will continue to subvert elections.

[tom_paine]

15. Gonna have to see some links for that

I lived in Philly for many years, and still keep up with the goings-on there.

I'm not saying just because I haven't heard of it, it never happened, I would just like to see at least one valid story on this.

[ShavedBeard]

17. Philly

Well, if the GOP is doing that in Philly they are doing a piss poor job, as Philly had precints with greater than 100% turnout in 2000.

[WoodrowFan]

19. Link please?

Now THAT claim I'd like to see proved with a good link.

[snippy]

32. Your post contains a false statement.

The false statement is this this:

Philly had precints with greater than 100% turnout in 2000.

You either misspoke, have been misinformed, or were being mendacious.

[rocktivity]

16. Well what is a voter's obligation regarding a challenger?

What is a challenger legally able to ask a voter? And does the voter have to cooperate?

I don't think Dem challengers are the answer. But I do think that Dem challengers to the challengers are!


rocknation

[demdave]

29. You obligation is to follow the directions of the election official,

that is the judge, not the challenger. If they ask for ID, show it. Chances are, if you vote often, they already know you by sight and they will simply dismiss the challenge out of hand. Where I work we match people by asking their current address. If they know that, we ask them to sign the poll book which also has a copy of their signiture from their registration.

Even if there is a difference of opinion as to your elegibility to vote among the judges, you can vote if a majority of them think you are who you say you are. Even if they don't you can still go to the main board of elections office and present ID and file what they call a provisional ballot. These are checked against the poll books to make sure you didn't vote anywhere else and are able to vote, and then counted.

Dem challengers would not help because all a challenger can do is submit a challenge to the judges.

There is no such thing as a Dem challenger to the challenger. That would be a loiterer and would be removed.

Hope that helped.

[zbdent]

20. Watch the challengers whine when they leave and find

their BMW's keyed all to hell.

[demdave]

21. What an intelligent response, please don't let it be known you are a Dem.

We have enough trouble without you smearing our image.

[davsand]

22. Our local GOP does that every election.

I just assumed it was that way everywhere... The two best things we have found to combat it is to EDUCATE the voters and to keep flying squads of advocates on call electin day to go into problems precincts with copies of the election code in hand. If outside intimidation is an issue, make sure they all have cameras to get vids of anything going on--ie ploice harassment or any other attempts to prevent voting.

There are specific things that voters can do to answer those challenges in the polling place and sadly, many are not aware of it, or are too timid to stand up and make a scene. If they find out that they DO have recourse and they are not in it alone it makes it easier to stand up and be counted.

Something we also did was palm cards of VOTER RIGHTS for people to take to the polls. As long as there is no party stuff on them it is fine--whatta they gonna do--tell voters they can't take the laws with them? Newspaper ads also can help, but they tend to leave those at home, rather than take them to the polls. I've suggested a SERIES of ads for a few days ahead of the election that deal with issues that might be encountered-but that does cost a pretty penny.

If I could make a suggestion to those of you in areas that deal with this, get together with the local ministers. THOSE guys have a great network, and they can get voter education materials out quickly and effectively!

Laura

[Blue_Tires]

26. as a black man:

I only WISH I come across some "challenger" the next time i visit the polls...They will soon realize the $5/hour won't nearly begin to cover the pain I'd rain upon them...

[demdave]

27. Challengers are not paid, but the judges that will ask for your I.D. are

and they are doing what is legally required of them after having a challenge presented to them. Now I don't think that $5/hr will pay for your lawyer or your doctor if you ever try raining pain on me. If you don't understand the process, inform yourself instead of making inflammatory statements. It may be helpful to read my posts above.


This is not that big of a deal, anymore than accidentally going to the wrong polling place and them not letting you vote there.

[Blue_Tires]

28. sorry

for the overreactioon...I've seen too many dirty tricks in my time designed to prevent, decieve, or otherwise divert blacks from the polls

[demdave]

30. No problem, I have had to deal with too many "situations" and am touchy

about this. I guess sometimes too touchy.

I also would hate to see you not get to vote because of a misunderstanding.

[SoCalDem]

31. The answer, my friends.....CELL PHONE

People need to be informed, that if they FEEL any intimidation, they need to pick up their cell phone and call the media....the police.... the party headquarters..

MOST people have cell phones these days, and perhaps "our" poll watchers could be the ones to make the calls..

Roaches do not operate in the light...they wait til it's dark.... Cell phones can shine a light on all this nonsense..