Posts with the tag Voting rights

IMPORTANT: FIVE TIPS FOR VOTING TODAY

Michael in Ohio — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 04:31:59 EST

The Ohio Campaign for Change has come up with Five Tips to make voting today easier for you. Please take them into consideration as you cast your ballot for Barack Obama today!

Know Before You Go - Double check the location of your polling station so you know where you are supposed to vote. (You can check using the tool at the top of the page, or visit www.voteforchange.com)
Timing is Everything - If you can, try to vote during mid-morning or early afternoon, when polls are usually at their least crowded.
Proof Positive - Make sure you bring a form of ID with you, whether it’s a picture ID from Ohio (such as a driver's license, or state or military ID); OR one of the following with a current address: your utility bill, bank statement or pay stub. (Click HERE to get all information on your rights and requirements when you vote)
What to Wear - Campaign clothing is not allowed at polling places. If you do wear clothing or buttons supporting a candidate, don't worry. You can still vote if you cover up or take it off.
MOST IMPORTANTLY: Avoid the Double Bubble - When you vote, fill in the top oval for the Presidential candidate of your choice. Don't also write in the name at the bottom, because there is a risk that your ballot may not be counted on election night.

And with that, GO VOTE!!!

10 Tips To Make Sure Your Vote Will Count

Eddie — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 00:51:20 EDT

Don't let those last minute republican strategic "mishaps" keep you from voting or your vote from counting. Concise guide on early voting and what to do if you have a problem at the polls, including whom to talk to and where to report it.

For the Elders

Leslye J Allen of Atlanta, GA — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 21:12:25 EDT

Back on January 25, 2008, I received a phone call from my mother telling me that her closest and dearest friend and mentor—and my “Nana”—had passed away. Her friend, Mattie P. Harris died the day Barack Obama won the South Carolina primary. She was one month shy of her 106th birthday. She had witnessed more history than most of us can imagine. The minute Mama said that Nana was gone, I immediately uttered that Barack would win South Carolina. Mama asked me what I had just said, and I repeated the statement. “Are you all right?” Mama asked. “Yeah, it was just a thought,” I answered. It felt extremely weird to have that sensation. I am not one to believe in a lot of hocus-pocus; I have no real superstitions. I do believe, however, in ancestral signs.

This past week I took my mother to the dentist. A retired school teacher and early childhood specialist, at 87 years of age and with two mild strokes behind her, I do not expect my mother to be spry. She has always been a busy body with a keen wit and fierce independence, only recently acquiescing to my demand that she have a housekeeper come to clean up her house. Yet she looked extremely frail to me this week. As an only child, I worry much more than I care to admit. My mother admitted to me that she forgot my phone number the other day, but she has always managed to find her Barack Obama buttons when we are headed out for the day. When I took my mother to vote a month ago, I heard an elderly black man say that he was voting early for Barack Obama just in case he “kicked the bucket before November 4th.” Everyone laughed, but the statement worried me.

Back during the Democratic convention, my cousin Billie, an 83-year-old director, actor, and drama coach called me as if to reinforce how historic and unbelievable this moment in time was. She talked about how she never dreamed she would see such a day. This was coming from a woman who has not only performed with the very best actors of any era, but who has trained some of the best that Hollywood and Broadway have to offer. I worry about her health in almost the same way as I worry about my mother’s health. She admitted that she had endured some recent health problems but was seeing a nutritionist that had prescribed a diet that had improved her overall well-being. She sounded good on the phone, so I worried less. Yet I still worry. In addition to being a supremely talented director, actor, and drama coach, she is a skilled diplomat and when necessary, a gifted liar (smile)—all great actors are! I have heard her skirt around the truth to deter me from worrying. Sometimes it works; sometimes it does not.

This week I found out that Barack Obama’s grandmother Madelyn Dunham was in declining health. The fact that Barack’s grandmother is a year younger than my mother Syble, and only a few years older than my cousin Billie made me a bit more anxious. I am not worried about Barack’s ability to win the Whitehouse or his ability to chart a new course for this nation. I do admit, however, to worrying that there might be some people who might not be around to see it.

I want Obama to win, not simply for myself, and all of us who have made phone calls, donated money and time, but for all of those old folks who never thought such a day would happen. My older relatives have seen this nation at its absolute worst. They remember having to keep silent as they endured the insults of racist whites; they remember being beaten and jailed for looking in the wrong direction or for staring at some white man's ugly cousin. And, too many Black women remember a time when any attractive Black female had to be cautious around white men. Rape was often the payback to a black woman who had spurned the attention of any white man. There was not likely to be any trial, and if so, there would be no conviction of the rapists. These Black elders, male and female, have waited their entire lives for a moment like the one we will see in less than a week. As an African-American, I have heard all the varied responses to a potential Obama presidency. I even heard one misguided white woman admit that she feared Blacks would retaliate against white Americans for past grievances. Oh well.

I do not know any black person who wants to settle two-hundred-year-old plus scores. All that I, and they, wish is to see Barack Obama win this election, and then strut himself, and his wonderful, brilliant wife and two daughters into that Big House on Pennsylvania Avenue. I personally wish this for my country and my elders who have paid the fullest measure for this moment in time!!

Peace and Love!

YES, WE SHALL!!

Election Protection in New Mexico

William Henry Mee — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 16:14:30 EDT

Dear Reader:

The attached Press Release is for a statewide effort by the NAACP and Voter Services Coalition in conjunction with Jeremy Friedman (jfriedman@lawyerscommittee.org) of the "Lawyers Committee on Civil Rights Under Law" (http://www.lawyerscommittee.org/2005website/home/home.html) to encourage people to vote early and check the status of their voter registration so no one is 'left out in the cold' on Election Day. Recently MSNBC starting running public service announcements on this topic, because they felt it was timely and needed.

Thanks.

William

PRESS RELEASE - Count My Vote FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Each reader of this Press Release must realize that voting is not done in a vacuum, it is not a one step action and then it is over; you need to be a part of the greater civic community and be proactive and engaged to make sure your vote is counted.

Check with the County Clerk and make sure you are on the Voter Registration rolls today, don’t wait. Vote early and as soon as possible so that if there is a problem with your registration it can be straighten out by the County Clerk. If you are so inclined, work at a polling site. Assuming that you can come out once every four years and vote for President is frankly irresponsible. You have a responsibility to know the issues and participate in all elections.

Your right to vote is given to you by your birthright, but it must be safeguarded by your own proactive action. True, your American Citizenship guarantees your right to vote, but whether that vote is counted is dependent on working with your local election officials to make sure they are ready to have your vote recorded once it is cast.

New Mexico is listed as a battleground state in this Presidential Election and will have the highest number of registered voters ever coming out to the polls. The February 2008 Democratic Party Caucus was our first trial run with these increased numbers and at the Caucus 17,000 or 12% of the vote was done on provisional ballots because of the inadequacy of the voter registration lists certified by the Secretary of State. Provisional ballots were not counted in the 2004 Caucus, and are always subject to challenges by the candidates for the slightest of errors. By Early Voting in person at the County Clerk’s Office you can often avoid voting on a provisional ballot on Election Day.

Unsubstantiated allegations of voter fraud are a nationwide problem designed to undermine the average citizen’s confidence in our election system. The goal is often to discourage people from voting ---lower voter turnouts favor candidates who are not populists. The mantra: “the sky is falling” goes far and wide and the Henny-Penny’s of the world feed into the myth of rampant voter fraud. We need to be vigilant but also must not trample on a voter’s right to vote. Election Protection Coalition is a nationwide effort to count every vote. It is being coordinated through the Lawyer’s Committee on Civil Rights Under Law and includes groups like the: National Bar Association, ACLU Voter Rights Project, NAACP National Voter Fund, Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF), Asian American LDEF, and over 100 other Partners.

If you experience any voting irregularities or voting mis-information, call the number below:

1-866-0UR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683) Election Protection Hotline.

For more information or an interview, please contact: Bob Moses, NAACP Political Action Director at (505) 471-6633 or William H. Mee, N.M. Voters Services Coalition at (505) 473-3160.

-30-

Bradley Effect vs. Rove Effect

Susan — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 16:07:03 EDT

We are hearing a lot of discussion on national news about the Bradley Effect: the percentage of voters who state they support a black candidate, but in fact vote against that candidate at the polls. This number has been estimated to be as much as 6%.

The Rove Effect is the unknown percentage of voters: a) who will not vote due to misleading information about voting location, dates and times, or b) whose vote will be ‘lost’ or reassigned on electronic voting machines, or c) who will not be permitted to vote due to the purging of voter rolls based on incorrect criteria, inaccurate data, or intentional elimination of voter groups.

This total is referred to (by me) as the Rove Effect. It is just as insidious, and possibly more statistically significant than the Bradley Effect. Worse, this deprivation of voting rights has the perfect ready made cover up. If the elections don’t go as polls predict, then Rove’s manipulations can be blamed on the Bradley Effect!

The only cure is a landslide!

Off to vote?

Paul — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 06:10:41 EDT

An interesting, if not very well written, article appeared in the British newspaper The Guardian on Monday (27th Oct’08). Reporter Gary Younge discusses the prospect of many Americans being denied the opportunity to vote due to a compromised voter registration system and a complex ballot process. Mr Younge compares the indignities that might face American voters, especially black and other ethic groups, with the solemnity of the first democratic elections in South Africa back in 1994.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/oct/27/african-american-voters-barack-obama

This analogy got me thinking. Whilst Mr Younge berates the American voting system (and let’s face it, it does have problems), the similarities with 1994 South Africa can also be positive. Thanks to the work of the Obama team and others more Americans than ever before and especially more young Americans and those belonging to ethic or minority groups will have the opportunity to vote next Tuesday. Even if a proportion of these new voters (hopefully only a very small proportion) have their vote challenged this is still a reason to celebrate. After all democracy depends upon the participation of the people and the more people who take part in the democratic process the more democratic a society will become.

So my advice to you is to read Mr Younge’s article. Think about the dignified way in which millions of black South African’s cast their first vote and do the same. Put on your best clothes, join the line early, queue quietly and respectfully, make sure your vote counts. Whatever shenanigans occur at the polling station your solemnity will overcome all obstacles and demonstrate that, even if your right to vote is challenged, you have far more dignity and decency than those who would seek to manipulate the system.

Disability and Voting is Natural

Deb Stover — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 12:29:31 EDT

Message

Kathie Snow is a dear friend of mine. We were both actively involved with advocacy issues for students with disabilities in Colorado in the early to mid-90s, and carpooled together to Denver many times. Her son, Benjamin and my Bonnie are almost the same age. They both have disabilities, but that is only one small part of who they are. Benjamin is articulate and witty. Bonnie is artistic and charming. They are both contributing, loving members of their families and communities.

Kathie owns this wonderful website, and publishes a newsletter, to which I subscribe <http://www.disabilityisnatural.com/email/2008-10.htm>. This month's issue includes an article about her son voting for the first time with her assistance, just as my Bonnie voted for the first time this year with mine. Bonnie and I used mail-in ballots, while they went to their polling place for early voting.

A "friend" recently accused me of using my beloved daughter in order to vote twice. That accusation hurt deeply, as my children are the most precious people in my life since I lost my husband to cancer in 2005. This former friend is so wrong. My Bonnie, like other American citizens over age 18, has the legal right to vote and she exercised it this year. It is in her best interest to do so. We filled out her ballot together, and she signed it herself. She has an Obama bumper sticker on her lunch bag, and was very proud of her "I Voted" sticker.

Please feel free to share this post (in its entirety) with interested parties, and include the links to www.disabilityisnatural.com if you do. Thank you.

~Deb Stover
AKA Bonnie's Mom

EARLY VOTING PROBLEM PINELLAS FLORIDA

Claudette from Saint Petersburg, FL — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 18:17:11 EDT

I voted early Wednesday and realized as my paper vote was scanned that we have a major problem in Pinellas County, Fl. Because their are numerous candidates for president, the form makes it easy to vote for Obama or McCain and then for another candidate for president without knowing it. When this happens, voters are told at the scanner that they can go ahead and just let the ballot go though and "where ever" they voted twice will not count, but the rest of there ballot will.

The problem is that the most likely place to make this mistake is on the president vote and the voter does not realize that they may not be registering any vote for president. I have contacted the election office on two occasions, left messages, but was unable to speak directly to Deborah Clark Supervisor of Elections.

I am still concerned that the voters may not realized that it is their presidential vote or entire ballot being cancelled. Please tell people all over the country if the scanner rejects their ballot for voting twice in one block, do not let the scanner attendant over-ride the rejection and process, ASK FOR ANOTHER BALLOT!

Making It All Count: It Is Our Duty To Report Potential Voter Fraud!

Bridget Petrella — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 10:02:23 EDT

I'd rather not get into a long disortation on the SIGNIFICANCE of getting out to vote on election day as I believe that we ALL know how important it is to cast a vote. What I do want to discuss is POTENTIAL VOTER FRAUD.

The ONLY possible way that the McCain-Palin ticket [backed by an unscrupulous, militant GOP] can get into the White House is to perpetrate Voter Fraud in any way they can. Whether it is to "delay" voters, confuse them, pass on falsified information, change their voter status... [all of these things HAVE been reported], it can and WILL be attempted.

Here are some links to VITAL INFORMATION that we all must share:

US Department of Justice/Civil Rights Division
http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/voting/index.php
You may call the Voting Section toll-free at (800) 253-3931 or (202) 307-2767

REMEMBER THIS PHONE NUMBER
1-866-OUR-VOTE [1-866-687-8683]
http://www.866ourvote.org/

http://projectvote.org/

http://www.advancementproject.org/

http://www.justvote08.org/

VERY INFORMATIVE READING!
http://projectvote.org/fileadmin/ProjectVote/Publications/Politics_of_Voter_Fraud_Final.pdf

NoMoreStolenElections.org is live!

Sarah from Madison, WI — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 22:39:59 EDT

If you are concerned that the Republicans are going to try to steal another election, please join us.

No Stolen More Elections! is a non-partisan campaign committed to voting rights, election reform, and deep democratic change.

This effort is therefore not supportive of any particular political candidates or parties. Instead of seeking the elevation of one candidate over others, we see "No More Stolen Elections!" as an important part of building the kind of movement that can achieve the reforms promised in the Voter Bill of Rights.

No More Stolen Elections! follows in the footsteps of earlier voting rights struggles, drawing inspiration from the suffrage and civil rights movements of the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries, and experience from the Democracy Summer coalition of 2001 and the No Stolen Elections! campaign of 2004.

And like those historic movements, we act in concert with campaigns to democratize not only elections, but also our communities, economy, schools, media, military, and more.

If you agree that two stolen presidential elections are two too many -- if you believe that America's greatest, as yet unfulfilled, promise is democracy -- then necessity demands that you sign the No More Stolen Elections! Pledge of Action, and join us in this campaign.

Urgent: Mortgage Foreclose and The Right to Vote.

Melanie — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 04:52:56 EDT

Republican 2008 election season tactics have sought to cash in on the notion that Senator Barack Obama might somehow not be American, Christian, or patriotic enough.

From Fox News to Sarah Palin rallies, these themes have hauled the snide and nasty spirit of McCarthyism into the 21st century. Let’s send it back to the days of poodle skirts, where it belongs.

It’s worth confronting the Orwellian abuse of language behind the snearing, and finger-pointing, to examine a fundamental issue at the very heart of American democracy: the right to vote.

How patriotic is it to undermine American democracy?

Chest-thumping Republican patriots in battleground states have announced that they plan to impede American democracy and seek to disenfranchise voters at the polls—by contending that anyone who has lost a home to mortgage foreclosure has forfeited their residency status.

They are betting of course, that those folks who have lost their homes to mortgage foreclosure aren't Republicans. For anyone who really wants to talk about "anti-American" behavior, let’s suggest this might be a mighty fine place to start.

In tonight’s final debate, John McCain should be challenged on this point, and asked whether he is prepared to publicly call back his party thugs from attacking Americans who seek to exercise their right to vote.

Unfortunately: that won’t happen.

So please: it is imperative that we all summon the best of American neighborhood spirit to combat these tactics aimed at subverting democracy.

Use this website’s Speak Out tool, and write to your local newspaper:

Insist that the struggling folks who have lost their homes should not lose their right to vote as well.

----------------

Here is an excerpt from a New York Times editorial on the subject, with the link to the full article below:

The foreclosure crisis could do considerable damage to the nation’s voting system. More than a million people have lost their homes in the past two years. And because voter registration is based on people’s residences, they could face politically motivated challenges at the polls.

The problem may be especially acute in the presidential battleground states. In Ohio, more than 5 percent of home mortgages are seriously delinquent or in the foreclosure process, and there were more than 67,000 foreclosure actions in the first half of 2008. Michigan and Florida have also been hard hit.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/05/opinion/05sun2.html

Final Blitz Ad campaign - bring out regular folks barackTV!

Carolyn — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 23:13:11 EDT

What we need now, in the final blitz is (a) to blast out voting rights, polling place rules, date, time, and any other counter-voting rights tampering tactics that our best and brightest pollwatchers and voting rights experts can devise, and (b) the voices of regular Americans telling America why they are voting for Obama.

Let's see the following ad blitz:

Regular Americans, from that amazing line-up at the Democratic Convention, from the home-made video testimonials on the Obama campaign site, from youtube, from facebook postings, the best and the most eloquent of regular Americans telling everyone why they are voting for the Obama/Biden ticket on November 4.

Ending each ad with a visual, bulleted list and voice-over explaining key voting rights, and repeating accurate date and polling rules, and assuring the American people that we have poll watchers organized and local hotlines everywhere to make sure that every American will have his and her vote counted properly in this election.

That word "Liberal"

Nanci — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 01:15:58 EDT

When did the word “Liberal” become a dirty word? I read articles in Letters to the Editor, and some people seem to think that merely labeling Obama as a “Liberal” ( insert shudder and gasps) is enough to make people not vote for him.

Well, I am a Liberal, I lean further toward things Liberals stand for: the common man, the American worker, labor unions’ right to exist, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, voting rights, and civil rights. The right of every person to be shown respect as a human being regardless of race, sexual orientation or religion. I believe in the individual’s right to decide how to live their life and what to do with their own body in their own privacy, and the right to access to medical and health care benefits, as do Liberals. I, as a Liberal, believe after working for 30 or 40 years and paying into a pension or 401K you have the right to collect a retirement. Liberals believe in fair taxes and expect fair taxes on the wealthy as well as the poor. We believe people don’t mind tax increases as long as they benefit all citizens and not just the top 10% of the wealthiest individuals and corporations. We believe tax cuts should be used judiciously and not just to win an election, but consider the current state of the country’s economy.

Liberals, myself included, believe in the right to voice an opinion, without fear of reprisal. We anticipate the hope to live in peace and not fear. We support policies that do not weigh our children, our grandchildren and our great-grandchildren with our irresponsible fiscal policies and lack of oversight, putting them deeper and deeper into debt. We value the opportunity to make a living wage, and being able to walk down the street without the fear of being shot.

Liberals espouse recognition of the value of education in our country and backing up that recognition by funding education for every child in America, as well as recognition of the value of our elderly and our obligations to our elders. Liberals talk about being willing to stop the discarding of the elderly into homes unfit for any human being, or relegate them to poverty and illness at the end of productive lives based on the mighty dollar. Liberals believe in the right to health care that does not force a choice between bankruptcy and medical care. The examples are legion, but if you want to know, talk to your neighbor.

The values Liberals hold I hold: love your neighbor as yourself, choose peace over war whenever possible, hold life (every life) in the highest esteem, empathy, understanding, trust, individual rights, and the respect for the opinions of others. None of us are less, for we are all intertwined and rooted in the same tree. That tree is the Tree of America, and it stands on the Planet Earth. Therefore, we Liberals think globally, trying to work with, rather than against our neighbors. Last of all, Liberals think for themselves and do not believe everything said to them from the pulpit or the soapbox. Instead they look for truth. As individuals we are not perfect, but we are not ashamed of our label either. I am proud to call myself a Liberal.

For Barack Obama's beliefs and stands on the issues see http://www.barackobama.com/issues/.

VOTE FOR CHANGE!! VOTE FOR A NEW AMERICA!! VOTE FOR AMERICAN VALUES! VOTE FOR OBAMA!!!

ACORN: Association Of Community Organizations for Reform Now

Hope4Unity — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 04:03:20 EDT

Who is ACORN?

ACORN is the nation’s largest grassroots community organization of low- and moderate-income people with over 400,000 member families organized into more than 1,200 neighborhood chapters in 110 cities across the country. Since 1970, ACORN has been building community organizations that are committed to social and economic justice, and won victories on thousands of issues of concern to our members, through direct action, negotiation, legislative advocacy and voter participation. ACORN helps those who have historically been locked out become powerful players in our democratic system.

Community organizing: Each of the 1,200 local ACORN neighborhood chapters in 110 cities and 40 states brings neighbors together to work for stronger, safer and more just communities.

Issue campaigns: Each ACORN office carries out multiple issue campaigns. ACORN members across the country work to raise the minimum wage or enact living wage policies; eliminate predatory financial practices by mortgage lenders, payday lenders, and tax preparation companies; win the development of affordable housing and community benefits agreements; improve the quality of and funding for urban public schools; rebuild New Orleans; and pass a federal and state ACORN Working Families Agenda, including paid sick leave for all full time workers. Learn more about ACORN:

http://www.acorn.org/index.php?id=12342

U.S. Attorney Fired After Failing to Indict ACORN for Voter Fraud

April 4, 2007

There are new developments in the scandal over the Bush administration’s firing of eight U.S. Attorneys. One of the dismissed prosecutors has revealed that he was pressured by Republican officials to target the advocacy group ACORN for voter fraud. ACORN was working on a voter registration drive in low-income and largely minority neighborhoods in New Mexico. David Iglesias told Newsweek that he found no case worth bringing against ACORN. But that apparently did not please the White House. Last week Attorney General Alberto Gonzales" ex-chief of staff D. Kyle Sampson testified that during the run-up to the mid-term election White House adviser Karl Rove complained that Iglesias and two other U.S. Attorneys had not done enough to prosecute so-called voter fraud.

Source: Democracy Now! The War and Peace Report

http://www.democracynow.org/2007/4/4/headlines#11

Bogus "Voter Fraud Charges" Aim to Camouflage Voter Suppression October 10, 2008

ACORN has just completed the largest, most successful nonpartisan voter registration drive in U.S. history. We helped 1.3 million low-income, minority and young voters across the country register to vote.
Unfortunately, just as in 2006, that success in bringing people into the democratic process, have been greeted with unfounded accusations to disparage our work and help maintain the status quo of an unbalanced electorate.
After a similar spate of charges against ACORN in 2006, we learned that then-Attorney General Alberto Gonzales had fired Republican U.S. Attorneys because they refused to prosecute ACORN and other voter assistance groups on trumped up fraud charges. This was the heart of the U.S. Attorney-gate scandal that led Karl Rove, Gonzales and other top Department of Justice officials to resign. Because the press didn’t catch on until long after the election, it was part of a successful strategy to create an unfounded specter of voter fraud and to suppress voting.
Statement continued @ Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now
http://www.acorn.org/index.php?id=12340

Let's Rally The Vote For Senator Obama

Larry — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 02:29:11 EDT

What If?Posted Oct-11-08 23:26:32 PDT

I realize that many well intentioned Americans are exercising their wishful thinking that the elections would finish up quickly but what if the constitutional right to vote was suspended or removed?Stop for a minute and reflect on how many men,women and children lost their lives for the very freedoms that many of us take for granted and complain loudly that they infringe on our rights to be involved in other matters rather than politics.

It wasn't all that many years ago that certain groups of Americans won the right to vote.During the time of the ratification of the Constitution only the landed gentry had the rights of voting which was approximately only half of the men folk.Other groups didn't get the right until much later.

Women's right to vote:1920

Native American right to vote:1924

African American right to vote:1965

The citizens of Washington D.C. wern't able to vote until 1961.So although you may get tired of the voting process,it is the biggest responsibility of citizenship.So get involved and rally the vote.The future of our country depends upon it more so now than ever.

Ready (Register), Set (Validate), Go (Vote)!!!

Dave — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 23:09:40 EDT

Hi Guys,

According to the Virginia Registration folks, there have been over 300,000 new voters have been added to the voter rolls in 2008. This is a wonderful credit to the sustained hard work by the Obama unsung heros like our very own JP who helped grow democracy.

Republicans love to chant USA-USA-USA and wave their "Country First" signs at McCain and Palin campaign stops. Seems like Republicans must love the democracy too, right? However if you we Martian listening in on radio waves from U.S. media lately, and especially Murdox's FOX affiliates, you might conclude that registering new voters was akin to commiting an egregious criminal offence. Unfortunately, accusing democratic leaning registration activists of voter registration fraud, real or imagined, is politics-as-usual for Republicans. The fact of the matter is Republicans fear new voters, especially if they are from "suspect" race and economic demographics (see in Defense of ACORN YouTube video). Republicans tried to stop state Motor Voter initiatives when they were first proposed, imagining all those newly arriving residents might lean towards Democratic candidates. Further proof Republicans hate democracy is their shameful display during the 2000 Florida Presidential recount where they did everything in their power to stop the re-count, ultimately using their right-wing Supreme Court majority to snuff out all appeals to restart the counting. Welcome to Karl Rove hard-ball politics America! We saw voting problems in Ohio in 2004 in pro-Kerry districts where voters stood in line for 10 hours, some of these districts were forced to stay open longer than scheduled after Democratic lawyers demanded that judges intervein.

Hopefully, you have your ears up by now, and wary of the "Country First" Republicans and their hatred of democracy. What should we do to battle these anti-democratic forces?

1. Valid New Registrations: Ensure all new voters are positively accepted by voter registration. Many times, there are problems completing the voter registration form. A great web site I have found is Can I Vote (dot) org link. The site shows if you are registered and where your voting precinct is located.

2. Vote: Maybe easier said than done. According to today's (October 10th) Virginia Pilot,

"The Advancement Project charged that the six cities it examined in Virginia do not have enough voting equipment or poll workers" and,

"Norfolk, Virginia Beach and Newport News were among the six Virginia cities studied because of the active voter registration efforts that have taken place.

"There are potential serious problems in all six cities and counties," Jim Freeman, a staff attorney for the organization, said. "Norfolk and Virginia Beach are certainly at or near the top of the list."

Obama voters will clearly need to be patient to make their vote count. It will be worthwhile!!!

3. Litigate, as Necessary: The Republicans were not shy about sending their sworms of lawyers to Florida in 2000. I hope and pray that the Obama Team has the badest, nastiest, meanest group of lawyers chained up in a padded room somewhere ready to be unleashed November 4th upon state voter officials should any voter irregularities threaten the integrity of the election. All American's votes must count on November 4th; cast and count all votes possible!!!

Dave

Confusion reigns in Alabama over ex-felons' ability to vote

debbier — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:18:07 EDT

Monday, October 06, 2008 KIM CHANDLERNews staff writer

MONTGOMERY - When James Solomon went to register to vote earlier this year, he said he was told he couldn't vote because of a past conviction for cocaine possession.

That was in direct contrast to advice given by the Secretary of State's Office that drug possession is not a crime that strips someone of their voting rights.

"I just wanted to vote. When you got a felony, they treat you like you're nobody," said Solomon, an Enterprise welder and the widowed father of seven.

Less than a month shy of a historic election expected to bring record turnout, there still is uncertainty over who is eligible to vote in Alabama. State officials have given boards of registrars conflicting lists of felony convictions that bar a person from voting.

And registrars, already swamped with new voter applications, have the difficult task of sorting out who is and who isn't eligible to vote.

"We don't want to be in a multiple choice situation. You want to know the answer," Montgomery County Elections Director Trey Granger said.

A statewide computer system for the past 11 months has been noting convictions for more than 400 crimes that Gov. Bob Riley's administration deemed to be felonies of moral turpitude - even though officials with the Administrative Office of Courts said they were assured by Riley's office only a shorter list of 70 felonies developed by the attorney general's office were being checked.

"I know there is confusion. The computer system is flagging people who ought to be able to vote," said Kenneth Glasgow, a former drug offender turned pastor who works to help former felons to register to vote.

Secretary of State Beth Chapman said she's been trying to sort out the confusion through a series of conference calls and memos with county registrars over the past several months.

"They must first go to the AG's opinion. If that doesn't answer their question, they should seek guidance from their county attorney, their district attorney or my attorney," Chapman said, describing the advice her office has given local boards.

Is the G.O.P. Illegally Purging Voter Registration Rolls?

RB — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 17:40:25 EDT

Looks like the G.O.P. is really trying to play dirty in order to win this election. Word is they are now subtlety encouraging some States to illegally purge Voter Registration Polls. In addition they are attempting to violate the LEGAL Voting Rights of many citizens who are ready to help bring about C-H-A-N-G-E in this nation. The Voting Rights Act of 1965, Section Two defines how Election Boards are required to be conducted: Section 2 of the Act, is a nationwide prohibition against voting practices and procedures, including redistricting plans and at-large election systems, poll worker hiring, and voter registration procedures, that discriminate on the basis of race, color or membership in a language minority group. It prohibits not only election-related practices and procedures that are intended to be racially discriminatory, but also those that are shown to have a racially discriminatory impact. The Attorney General, as well as affected private citizens, may bring lawsuits under Section 2 to obtain court-ordered remedies for violations of Section 2. However State of Board of Elections employees in certain States are simply REFUSING to comply with Federal Laws that establish the Voter Eligibility rules and which limit the circumstances in which a Voter's Registration can be cancelled. Questionable Voting Rights practices in Ohio, Nevada, North Carolina, Michigan, Florida, Louisiana, New Mexico, Colorado, Virginia, Georgia, Texas and perhaps South Carolina could possibly try to sway results in the G.O.P.'s favor by intentionally disenfranchising hundreds of thousands of Voters thus affecting Ballot results. How? For example: 1) Cancelling the Registrations of Felons whose rights have been restored. Convicted Felons who have served their time, are NOT on Probation and have paid all of their Restitution or Fines are Legally Eligible to Vote in a U.S. General Election. 2) Cancelling the Registrations of people who have lost their homes to Foreclosure. (The Obama campaign recently filed a lawsuit against within the Michigan Federal court system to challenge the G.O.P. from purging Voter Registrations of citizens who have lost their homes to Foreclosure.) (The McCain campaign pulled out of Michigan last week.) 3) Deciding to use the U.S. Mail as a method for Voters to verify their Registration Status, thus when forms or letters are returned unopened or with no response, those citizens will NOT be allowed to Vote on Nov. 4Th. 4) Trying to nullify the ballots of Deployed Soldiers. 5) Attempting to also nullify or disqualify the Registrations of College Students due to them being claimed as Dependents on their Parents Income Tax Forms. 6) Denying citizens the rights to cast their ballots if they can't meet certain Voter I.D. criteria. NOTE: The U.S. Supreme Court has since ruled to uphold the Voter I.D. Law. In essence the State Board of Elections in some of those states may try to use any little challenge as a means of cancelling Votes intended for the Democratic Party. How can this be avoided? a) If you as a citizen feel as though or believe your Voting Rights are being violated in any way and your State Board of Elections refuses to assist you, feel free to contact the U.S. Dept. of Justice division, Civil Rights Division. b) If you as a citizen and a Registered Voter believe feel that you are being FORCED to vote for a certain Candidate such as being told to cast your ballot for Incumbent Politicians or Candidates of a certain Ethic group, in exchange for Jobs, Money, etc., or if your being intimidated into voting for certain Candidates contact your State Board of Elections. If they refuse to assist you contact the U.S. Dept. of Justice, Civil Rights Division. c) If you are a Convicted Felon who has fulfilled your sentence, are NOT on Probation, owe no Fines but your being told you CAN'T Vote, contact your State Board of Elections. If they refuse to assist you contact the U.S. Dept. of Justice, Civil Rights Division. d) If you are a citizen who has lost their home due to Foreclosure and are being told you CAN'T Vote, contact your State Board of Elections. If they refuse to assist you contact the U.S. Dept. of Justice, Civil Rights Division. According to the Federal Voting Standards and Procedures Act ALL states are required to streamline Registration, Voting and other Election Procedures. In layman's terms: ALL states and provinces within the U.S. MUST practice or enforce the SAME Voting Policies to avoid illegally swaying votes for a particular Political party. This Election is one of the most important events in United States History. Please don't allow anyone or anything to deter you from being able to exercise your LEGAL right to cast your ballot for YOUR Political Candidate of choice. Register and take action because EVERY VOTE COUNTS! Peace Chief, Voting Section Civil Rights Division Room 7254 - NWB Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W. Washington, DC 20530 Chief, Voting Section Civil Rights Division Room 7254 - NWB Department of Justice 1800 G St., N.W. Washington, DC 20006 You may call the Voting Section toll-free at (800) 253-3931 or (202) 307-2767.

Sources: Huffington Post, NY Times, Progessive Politics, Politico, FederalElectionReform.com, USDOJ, cnewmark.com, Southernstudies.org, Cornell Law School, thestate.com, VoteMeCool

Alabama Ex-Felons' Voting Rights

debbier — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 23:55:27 EDT

Sunday, August 31, 2008

Courts make the moral turpitude callTROY KING

In July, the American Civil Liberties Union held a press conference to announce that it would be suing over Alabama's felon voting laws. Since that time, there have been several news articles and opinion pieces about the lawsuit, some written by counsel for the plaintiffs and their allies. As Alabama's attorney general, I am charged with defending this litigation, and I want to tell you the other side of the story.

The Alabama Constitution provides that felons who have been convicted of felonies involving "moral turpitude" may not vote, unless they have their rights restored. Felons - except those who committed the most heinous of felonies, like murder, rape and possession of child pornography with intent to distribute - may have their voting rights restored through a pardon or through a Certificate of Eligibility to Register to Vote. That latter process was created by the Legislature in 2003.

One of the arguments plaintiffs have made in court is that the constitution requires the Legislature to decide which felonies involve moral turpitude. In their essays, plaintiffs' counsel said the same thing.

CORRECTION on my earlier post regarding Florida voting

jgabriel — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 23:02:45 EDT

Hello all,

I'm so sorry to have misinformed everyone. In an earlier post, I had told everyone that I had found out that the address on your identification had to match the registration address in order for you to legally vote in Florida. I had gotten this from a contributor in one of the Obama groups. Turns out, this information is WRONG. I've learned my lesson, and I hope you will too - only trust information coming directly from the Obama campaign.

Here is the email I just received from the Obama campaign, with details about the false rumor.

There's a dangerous rumor going around the internet in Florida right now, and it's being repeated by some news outlets.

To be clear: when you vote in Florida, the address on your identification CAN be different than your registration address.

Thousands of voters around Florida could be discouraged from voting or even denied their rights based on this misunderstanding. And nobody knows better than Floridians how big a difference even a few votes can make.

We need to make sure this false rumor isn't reported as truth and alert people to the facts.

Write a letter to the editor of your local paper now and help preserve voting rights.

The voter identification law is relatively new, and there is a lot of honest confusion around what will be required of Florida voters this November.

But this election is too important to let the confusion go uncontested. With the devastating effects of the Bush-McCain economic policies being felt worse than ever, millions of Americans are counting on the change that only Barack Obama and Joe Biden can bring.

Once this rumor gets established in people's minds, it will be very hard to dislodge. That's why we need to act now to push back with the truth.

With our easy-to-use letter tool, it's simple to write and send letters to your local paper. Check it out now and help get the message out:

http://fl.barackobama.com/FLvoting

Keep fighting the good fight,

Obama Action Wire

Remembering Fannie Lou and M. L.

Leslye J Allen of Atlanta, GA — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 20:43:08 EDT

I had to wait a few days and let reality sink in. A man of African descent has been nominated by a major political party for President of the United States. I am going to say that one more time: A man of African descent has been nominated by a major political party for President of the United States. I have already written about the significance of the date on which Barack Obama accepted the Democratic nomination. His moment in the spotlight not only made me proud, but forced me to examine the significance of what had occurred on August 28, 1963 and August 28, 2008.

Back in August 1963, Washington, D.C. closed all of its liquor stores and prohibited the sale of alcohol in the belief that over 100,000 crazy Black folks were going to descend on the district, get drunk and create all kinds of mayhem. Police officers were equipped with riot gear. White women were warned that because so many Black men were coming to town, they needed to be cautious about possibly being raped. The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was not seen as the love fest that we see it as now. It was viewed as a recipe for disaster and mayhem. Importantly, most major newspapers did not mention Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. At that time, that speech was not seen as particularly exceptional. Time has aged it and the nation well. I was approximately two years and eight months old; Barack Obama was exactly two years old. We are the first generation of Black Americans who would be one part witness, and one part recipient of the kind of opportunities that M. L envisioned for peoples of color. Time does bring about change.

As Barack gave his monumental address, I thought about Fannie Lou Hamer again. Hamer was a Black woman from Mississippi who organized the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party that arrived with its own legally elected delegates at the Democratic Party’s 1964 convention. A few years earlier in 1962, Hamer was arrested after registering to vote, taken to a jail cell, and beaten so severely there that she suffered permanent kidney damage. So disfigured from her torture, for weeks she would not even allow members of her own family to see her out of the fear that one of them would become so angry they would retaliate against her captors and subsequently get themselves killed. She made the decision to organize the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party after meeting young black college students (who made up a majority of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee’s membership) traveling throughout the South spent their summer vacations educating Black citizens about their voting rights.

Hamer recognized that many counties in Mississippi held a Black majority. She believed that even she, a sharecropper with a sixth grade education, could make a difference. Hamer’s testimony on August 22, 1964 before the Democratic Conventions’ Credentials Committees was so emotional that news networks made the decision to cut away from it. Fortunately, her voice and words are preserved for future generations in numerous biographies and sound archives. (Visit: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/fannielouhamercredentialscommittee.htm to hear her statement in its entirety.) When Hamer spoke to the DNC’s Credentials Committee about why the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party delegates should be seated, I was three years and eight months old; a few weeks earlier Barack Obama had celebrated his third birthday.

I have made references to how old we were for a reason. It has been during our lifetimes that these epic changes have occurred. In a span of less than fifty years Black Americans have gone from being beaten and killed for daring to register to vote to a moment when one Black man has become a nominee for President of the United States. As I listened to Barack’s speech this past Thursday August 28, 2008, he invoked a rather forgotten section of King’s “I Have a Dream” speech when he said that, “we cannot turn back.” I am glad that Barack chose that section to highlight.

What we have witnessed has been earned. Martin Luther King, Jr., Fannie Lou Hamer, and countless others are not here in the flesh to see this moment. Yet they made the down payment on this moment. It was never their speeches and statements that mattered most, but rather their willingness to go to jail, risk being shot at, bombed, fired from their jobs, along with their efforts to politically organize their neighbors that made what we witnessed on August 28, 2008 possible. They literally gave their lives. It is my sincere hope that none of the folks younger than I will ever have to endure what those who have gone before them have endured. But it is also my sincere hope that none of those who are younger than myself ever forget that they too may be called to extreme moments of sacrifice, particularly in the next few months before November 4, 2008. May we all remember that “we cannot turn back,” and “we cannot walk alone.”

Reminder: Third Thursday with Amarillo ACLU of TX

Lisa Caid — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 23:14:29 EDT

The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas Announces:

Third Thursday with Amarillo ACLU of TX

Tomorrow (Aug. 21)

"Thinking on Thursday" with the High Plains Chapter

Guest speaker J.E. Sausedo, voting rights attorney, and video screening of Protecting the Ballot

Date: Thursday, August 21, 2008

Time: 7 PM

Place: Downtown Library

Voting in Ohio

John in Cincinnati — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 22:44:59 EDT

The two most important things Ohio citizens can do now are

Check your registration in the statewide voter registration database (SVRD), and
Make an informed decision whether to vote absentee (sometimes referred to as early voting or vote by mail). For more information click here.

Why?

While the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) mandated the availability of provisional ballots to protect the voting rights of citizens whose registration was in question, available data suggest they may have had the exact opposite effect. For example, 22% of Ohio's provisional ballots were rejected in 2004; 19% in 2006. News reports will say this was because voters were not registered. In fact, many--if not most--registrations were either not entered into the system on time, or election staff made a clerical error on the registration (e.g. typing 1201 Main St. as 1210 Main).

Most of these errors were no doubt unintentional, but a faulty registration means a vote which does not count. Protect your right to vote by verifying it is correctly listed in the registration database, while there is ample time to correct it at your local board of elections (BOE).

So, there you go, two important things you can do now to ensure your vote counts.

GOP Disenfranchising Vets

Peach McD — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 22:18:09 EDT

Spread the word on this article on Alternet and Truthout:

2008's First Disenfranchised Voters: Injured and Homeless Veterans by Steven Rosenfeld

"Just last month, the VA issued new rules that banned election officials -- whether local registrars or secretaries of state -- from registering voters, saying it was a partisan activity that interfered with its medical mission."

This smells like Rove to me. The media may not have picked up the story of how more and more vets - especially those just returning from overseas - are deserting McCain and the GOP, but Rove wouldn't miss that. Rosenfeld writes,

The first large block of voters to be disenfranchised in 2008 are the wounded warriors from recent wars and homeless veterans living at hundreds of Department of Veterans Affairs facilities across the country, according to veterans and voting rights activists.

"President Bush and Karl Rove are attempting to block voter registration of at least 200,000 and possibly as much as 400,000 veterans," said Paul Sullivan, president of Veterans for Common Sense, referring to injured former soldiers from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq in various VA treatment facilities, veterans living in the VA's nursing homes, and homeless veterans living in VA shelters.

For more, see Bush's Veterans Affairs Department Continues to Ban Voter Registration Drives at Veterans Facilities by Faiz Shakir

Can you say, "beneath contempt"? I knew that you could.

Senator Barack Obama's response to Voting Assistance for VA patients

Bridget — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 11:45:36 EDT

I was outraged when I found out the other day that the Department of Veterans Affairs has forbidden voter registration drives in its hospitals, rehab centers and other facilities. This ban hurts thousands of young veterans who have been injured while fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. We should be helping our veterans register and vote, not making it more difficult.

I wrote Senator Obama on this issue:

Dear Senator Obama,

As a voter, I strongly disagree with the Department of Veterans Affairs ban on voter registration drives in V.A. hospitals. Please co-sponsor the Veterans Voting Support act to protect the voting rights of our armed forces, and work to make sure this bill comes to a quick vote.

This was his response: see Voting Asssistance for VA patients VHA Directive 2008-025

http://www1.va.gov/vhapublications/ViewPublication.asp?pub_ID=1687

Voting from the Space Station

Jerod Poore — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:35:07 EDT

One good thing then Governor George W. Bush did - signing a law that makes it relatively easy for astronauts to vote.

For anyone who missed the story on NPR you can find it here:

NASA Helps Astronauts Cast Ballots from Space

While two votes from space won't make much of a difference in the presidential contest in Texas, who knows what they'll mean at the state-level given the GOTV efforts.

Regardless, that NASA and the Texas election officials go through the trouble to help the astronauts vote is one of those "proud to be American" moments.

Remember the District of Columbia

Joan from Washington, DC — Fri, 23 May 2008 22:36:37 EDT

To Sen. Obama and others reading this: We are registering voters here too - remember us! There are 50 states AND the District of Columbia - we voted strongly for you and no doubt will again. Do not please take us for granted - you'll be a resident of a house in our n'hood and we want you to enjoy the experience. Remember us and consider what can be done to include us in the rights others have.

To others who may read this: write to your own Seantors and Representatives. As long as we are all working for change we can believe in, believe that we in DC want the same rights as others in the country!

POLICY -- Electoral Schmechtoral College and Delegate Embarassments

Andrew Tipton — Wed, 21 May 2008 11:35:28 EDT

In our pursuit of protection of the minority from the tyranny of the majority , we have wrestled with the inequities of the Electoral College ( negating a majority popular vote ) , the two seats / state in the Senate that can sometimes frustrate popular will, and the delegate fiasco we are currently experiencing ( which honestly should not be happening -- the Democratic Party should be mortified over this development ).

The simplest thing that occurs to me might actually circumvent a lot of these problems while preserving minority protections as they are expressed in the voting habits of the populace.

Why not institute a party statute , and eventually a constitutional amendment that awards delegate selections and electoral college votes not on the basis of total population, but rather on the basis of VOTING population in the previous major election years?

It would preserve the notion of popular VOTE being dominant, while also giving a measure of anti-bully protection to the smaller states ( and delegations ). In essence, you could bulk up as much as you wished.

Imagine the levels of voter participation we would finally begin to experience in this country. There would be incentive to vote for all factions. It would TRULY make their vote meaningful, even if their candidate lost. Are we ever embarrassed that the supposed bastion of democracy in this world exhibits the lowest voter turnout of all ?

It wouldn't hurt to make voting a 2-day, weekend holiday process as well ( as in many European countries ). God knows we could do without another questionable national holiday in favor of a voting one.

It is my hope that those responsible for this site and information dissemination in the campaign would respectfully forward these ideas directly to Barack Obama for immediate consideration.

Finis / Andrew Tipton

Local Democratic leader who received Women's Voices robo-call suspects voter suppression

Mary from Vermont — Thu, 01 May 2008 17:30:16 EDT

The following comment is from Durham, N.C. resident and local Democratic Party leader Kevin Farmer, who received and recorded the illegal Women's Voices Women Vote robo-call and brought it to the attention of Democracy North Carolina:

I'd like to clear up one discrepancy that has been floating around in relation to this story. I've seen people ask in comments here, and on other sites, why WVWV would target somebody named "Kevin Farmer," obviously a man.

As I've explained to several people, and as was reported on WTVD, the call I recorded and sent out was received at work, on the voicemail line that my wholesesale bread customers use to place their orders. I also received a call from the Obama campaign on the same line, two days prior to the call in question. My hypothesis about this -- and it remains a hypothesis, since I have no further empirical evidence -- is that both the Obama campaign and the WVWV were trolling around for unregistered voters.

The bakery where I work is in downtown Durham, in voting precinct #17, a low registration/high population (if you correlate voter reg w/Census data) district that looks like a hotspot for voter registration, going strictly by the numbers. The Obama campaign targeted this area with a robo call that emphasized same day registration/early vote. It was clear, concise, and contained all the necessary contact information.

The follow-up call from WVWV was anything but, and in my opinion, was designed for one purpose and one purpose alone: to sow confusion and suppress the vote.

I look at it this way. As a poster on another site noted when they posted the script for one of WVWV's radio/tv ads, they clearly know how to construct an informative and effective ad piece. Now let's look at what they did for this robo-call: an organization whose stated mission is registering single women to vote, an organization that notes, on its web site, the sponsorship of several noted female celebrities, this organization did not send out an informative, inspiring ("Hey ladies, it's time for women to stand up and be counted!") call using the voice of Christine Lahti or Julia Louis-Dreyfuss (a couple of their celebrity sponsors). Oh no, they sent out a dull, obscure, and mis-informative call using the voice of.......some guy named Lamont Williams.

Look, I am the Chairman of the Durham County Democratic Party, not a seasoned political veteran working out of Washington. I've done robo calls, both the targeting and the scripts, and I would never in a million years use a call like the one I received to reach the audience WVWV claim they were trying to reach, and their organization is one helluva lot more sophisticated than ours.

I'm sorry, but claims of incompetence just do not cover this at all. In my opinion, this was malfeasance, pure and simple.

FACING SOUTH EXCLUSIVE: D.C. nonprofit aimed at women voters behind deceptive N.C. robo-calls

Mary from Vermont — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:28:01 EDT

Chris Kromm
Facing South

Who's behind the mysterious "robo-calls" that have spread misleading voter information and sown confusion and frustration among North Carolina residents over the last week?

Facing South has confirmed the source of the calls, and the mastermind is Women's Voices Women Vote, a D.C.-based nonprofit which aims to boost voting among "unmarried women voters."

What's more, Facing South has learned that the firestorm Women's Voices has ignited in North Carolina isn't the group's first brush with controversy. Women's Voices' questionable tactics have spawned thousands of voter complaints in at least 11 states and brought harsh condemnation from some election officials for their secrecy, misleading nature and likely violations of election law.

First, a quick recap: As we covered yesterday, N.C. residents have reported receiving peculiar automated calls from someone claiming to be "Lamont Williams." The caller says that a "voter registration packet" is coming in the mail, and the recipient can sign it and mail it back to be registered to vote. No other information is provided.

The call is deceptive because the deadline has already passed for mail-in registrations for North Carolina's May 6 primary. Also, many who have received the calls -- like Kevin Farmer in Durham, who made a tape of the call that is available here -- are already registered. The call's suggestion that they're not registered has caused widespread confusion and drawn hundreds of complaints, including many from African-American voters who received the calls.

The calls are also probably illegal. Farmer and others have told Facing South the calls use a blocked phone number and provided no contact information -- a violation of North Carolina rules regulating "robo-calls" (N.C. General Statute 163-104(b)(1)c). N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper further stated in a recent memo that the identifying information must be clear enough to allow the recipient to "complain or seek redress" -- something not included in the calls.

It is also a Class I felony in North Carolina "to misrepresent the law to the public through mass mailing or any other means of communication where the intent and the effect is to intimidate or discourage potential voters from exercising their lawful right to vote."

The calls have been denounced by the N.C. State Board of Elections, as well as by voter advocacy groups including Democracy North Carolina, which called them "another in a long line of deceptive practices used in North Carolina and elsewhere that particularly target African-American voters."

Yesterday, I placed a call to the Virginia State Police, which had investigated similar suspicious robo-calls before that Virginia's primaries last February. Their investigation concluded that the source of the calls was Women's Voices Women Vote.

Facing South then contacted Women's Voices, and staffer Sarah Johnson confirmed they were doing similar robo-calls in North Carolina; they later admitted that they were the ones behind the deceptive "Lamont Williams" calls.

So who is Women's Voices Women Vote, and why are they making shadowy and legally-questionable calls that are causing North Carolina voters so many headaches?

The D.C.-based nonprofit, led by well-connected Washington operatives, claims in a press release they sent to Facing South [PDF] that the North Carolina calls are part of a 24-state effort targeted at a list of 3 million voters, especially unmarried women. The robo-calls, which never mention Women's Voices, are followed by mailings that include information on how to register to vote. They plan to mail some 276,000 packets in North Carolina alone.

But since last November, in at least 11 states nationwide, Women's Voices -- sometimes working through its Voter Participation Center project -- has developed a checkered reputation, drawing rebukes from leading election officials and complaints from thousands of would-be voters as a result of their secretive tactics, deceptive mailings and calls, and penchant for skirting or violating the law. For example:

* In Arizona last November, election officials were "inundated with complaints" after Women's Voices sent a mailing erroneously claiming that recipients were "required" to mail back an enclosed voter registration form. Many who received the mailing were already registered; the mailing also gave the wrong registration date. Secretary of State Jan Brewer denounced the group's tactics as "misleading and deceptive." A similar mailing in Colorado that month "[drew] fire and caused confusion," according to a state press release.

* In Wisconsin, state officials singled out Women's Voices for misleading and possibly disenfranchising voters, stating in a press release [PDF]: "One group in particular -- Women's Voices. Women Vote, of Washington, D.C. -- apparently ignored or disregarded state deadlines in seeking to register voters," sending in registrations past the January 30 deadline and causing "hundreds of Wisconsin voters who think they registered in advance" to actually not be.

* Michigan officials ended up "fielding tons of calls from confused voters" after Women's Voices did a February mailing to "380,000 unmarried women" -- including numerous deceased voters and even more that were already registered. Sarah Johnson of Women's Voices "seemed confused by the confusion," the Lansing State Journal reported.

* A 1.5 million-piece Women's Voices mailing in Florida falsely stated: "To comply with state voting requirements, please return the enclosed application." Pasco County's elections supervisor called it "disingenuous"; another said it created "a lot of unnecessary panic on behalf of the voters," reported local newspapers. Sarah Johnson of Women's Voice said, "I'm sorry to hear that."

* By March, Women's Voices was backing off the erroneous "registration is required" language, but there were still problems. For example, a mailing in Arkansas allowed that "registering to vote is voluntary," but a clerk in Washington County reported that "the majority [of forms] sent back to the county come from registered voters, causing needless labor for office employees."

Problems with the group's tactics have also been documented in Louisiana, Kentucky and Ohio.

In each state, the Women's Voices campaigns have brought the same news and the same themes, again and again: Deceptive claims and misrepresentations of the law -- sometimes even breaking the law. Wildly inaccurate mailing lists, supposedly aimed at "unregistered single women," but in reality reaching many registered voters as well as families, deceased persons and pets. Tactics that confuse voters and potentially disenfranchise them.

For such a sophisticated and well-funded operation, which counts among its ranks some of the country's most seasoned political operatives, such missteps are peculiar, as is the surprise expressed by Women's Voices staff after each controversy.

In at least two states, the timing of Women's Voices' activities have raised alarm that they are attempting to influence the outcome of a primary. As we reported earlier, in Virginia, news reports surfaced the first week in February that prospective voters were receiving anonymous robo-calls telling voters that they were about to receive a voter registration packet in the mail.

The timing of the calls was astoundingly off: As the Virginia State Police confirm, the calls were made Feb. 5 and 6 -- about 10 days before the then-critical Virginia primary, but more than two weeks after the deadline for registering in the state had passed (Jan. 14). The Virginia State Board of Elections was deluged with calls by confused voters -- many who were already registered. When they heard the calls from Women's Voices, they feared that they really weren't.

Because of the horrible timing and their secretive nature, state officials assumed the calls and mailings were part of an identity theft scheme. When the Virginia State Police investigated, they found Women's Voices was behind them. Women's Voices was unapologetic after the controversy, merely issuing a boilerplate press release trumpeting the success of the program.

Now Women's Voices is plunging North Carolina into the same confusion. State officials tell Facing South they are still receiving calls from frustrated and confused voters, wondering why "Lamont Williams" is offering to send them a "voter registration packet" after the deadline for mail-in registration for the primaries has passed.

In correspondence with North Carolina election officials, Women's Voices founder and President Page Gardner merely said that the disruptive timing was an "unfortunate coincidence" -- a strange alibi for a group with their level of resources and sophistication.

There are other questions about Women's Voices' outreach efforts. Although the group purports to be targeting "unmarried women," their calls and mailings don't fit the profile. Kevin Farmer in Durham, who first recorded the call, is a white male. Many of the recipients are African-American; Rev. Nelson Johnson, who is a married, male and African-American, reported that his house was called four times by the mysterious "Lamont Williams."

And as Farmer asks, "Why are they using a guy for the calls if the target audience is single women?"

Some have also questioned the ties between Women's Voices operatives and Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton. Gardner, for example, contributed $2,500 to Clinton's HILLPAC on May 4, 2006, and in March 2005 she donated a total of $4,200 to Clinton, according to The Center for Responsive Politics' OpenSecrets.org. She has not contributed to the Obama campaign, according to the database.

Women's Voices Executive Director Joe Goode worked for Bill Clinton's election campaign in 1992 as a pollster; the group's website says he was intimately involved in "development and implementation of all polling and focus groups done for the presidential primary and general election campaigns" for Clinton.

Women's Voices board member John Podesta, former Chief of Staff for President Bill Clinton, donated $2,300 to Hillary Clinton on April 19, 2007, according to OpenSecrets.org. Podesta also donated $1,000 to Barack Obama in July 2004, but that was well before Obama announced his candidacy for president.

"The reports from other states are very disturbing, especially the pattern of mass confusion among targeted voters on the eve of a state's primary," Democracy North Carolina's Bob Hall tells Facing South. "These are highly skilled political operatives -- something doesn't add up. Maybe it's all well-intended and explainable. At this moment, our first priority is to stop the robo-calls and prevent the chaos and potential disenfranchisement caused by this group sending 276,000 packets of registration forms into North Carolina a few days before a heated primary election. We need their immediate cooperation."

While Hall says his group has "begged" the group to stop the mailings, Women's Voices has refused to do so -- even though the mail-in voter registration deadline for the primaries passed April 11.

State election officials say they are bracing for the deluge of confused phone calls and complaints that are sure to follow.

[UPDATE: Bob Hall tells us that Women's Voices is now cooperating and trying to stop the North Carolina mailing. The mailing has apparently left the mail house but there’s still a chance it can be stopped before it gets into the mail system.]

Labels: north carolina primary, voter participation project, voting rights, women's voices women vote

U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TO MONITOR PRIMARY IN PHILADELPHIA TOMORROW

Cindy — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 19:35:33 EDT

The feds are going to monitor the PA primary in Philadelphia tomorrow to insure compliance with federal voting rights laws.

http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Top_News/2008/04/21/justice_dept_to_monitor_pa_primary/3002/

Did FBI ignore threats to jail black voters?

A New & Better Day! — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 13:35:37 EDT

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/art-levine/house-panel-launches-prob_b_94263.html

Obama Wins over the "Tarheel" State!

RB — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 18:23:05 EDT

Obama Wins over the "Tarheel" State!

According to Charlotte Observer.com, Senator and Would-be Democratic Presidential Nominee, Barack Obama is opening 13 Offices in North Carolina as a part of his Grassroots Campaign.

Obama has visited the state at least 3 times within two months and has been very warmly received.

He is also leading in the NC Polls against his opponent Hillary Clinton, 54-34.

The Wall Street Journal has also recently reported that 7 North Carolina Democratic House members are poised to endorse Sen. Obama as a group before that state's May 6 primary.

In fact North Carolina seems to love Obama!

Don't Shoot the Messenger but.....

His presence in this state will help bridge the gap in what has historically been a very Racially Divided/ Racially Oppressed region, even within the Democratic Party and begin the tearing down of North Carolina's Culturally Biased Barriers.

North Carolina has NEVER been supportive of Black Political Candidates, so this is definitely a moment in History I dare not forget.

Obama definitely has an advantage here because the Majority of North Carolina's African-Americans residents (Democrats) are ready to be heard and ready for Positive
C-H-A-N-G-E.

Obama opening 13 Offices here including Charlotte, is NOT by coincidence and NOT just to win Votes.

He represents a Melancholy mood that is spreading throughout this Nation where EVERYONE will be able to enjoy life again.

A Crossover Appeal similar to that of President John F. Kennedy's Era before his untimely demise.

There seems to be a "Camelot Connection" about this particular Candidate.

Obama is a DIFFERENT kind of Politician who will be good for North Carolina.

But what separates him from the "Status Quo" Black Candidates?

Why is this dude so Uber Popular to the masses?

He's NOT from Barbecue/ Nascar country but he doesn't look down on us either.

He's Highly Intelligent (a Licensed Attorney) and NOT afraid to use it without appearing Conceited.

He's Wealthy, NOT Corrupted and NOT a Thief so his Constituents Trust him.

He's Articulate, Well-Spoken and Confident thereby possessing the ability to Verbalize his Views without second-guessing himself.

He's married to a Beautiful, Courageous, Loyal Woman, (the kind of Wife I'd like to have one day) who is also Highly Educated and can hold her own with the BEST of them.

He's Focused, doesn't have an Embarrassing, "Messed Up" Background and has a REAL Plan to help improve North Carolina's Economy.

He doesn't "Kiss up", yet he RESPECTS everyone regardless of their ethnicity or Socio-Economic status.

He's FEARLESS, Wise and NOT afraid to be a TRUE LEADER.

He's NOT ashamed of his race but doesn't play the "RACE CARD", so he's able to concentrate on Issues that affect ALL Voters.

He REALLY cares about the People of America (especially North Carolininans) NOT just his Political Career.

You may perhaps still think to yourself "OK what distinguishes him from other Leaders who possess those SAME Attributes?"

Other Black Candidates possibly out of FEAR of destroying their Political Career, never seemed to address the Racial Issues or ANY other Issues that have hindered North Carolina's Progress except when they were PERSONALLY affected, then they wanted to "CRY WOLF" (Racism).

Since North Carolina's Legislators (Caucasian Majority) aren't accustomed to dealing with a Black Candidate (Presidential or Otherwise) who has reached Obama's level of Success, they will more than likely (at least UNTIL NOVEMBER) demonstrate less Racial Inequality towards the state's African-American Citizens.

They will also probably be more willing to listen to the Black Leaders' discussions of how such Ridiculous, Out-dated, Racial Oppression is hurting NOT just the Black Population but the ENTIRE STATE.

Due to his Heartfelt, Relevant, yet very PERSONAL Speeches on Government Reform that will take our Country to the NEXT LEVEL, North Carolina's Younger Voters (18-30) and Black Voters are expected to turn out in RECORD numbers for this year's Elections.

As a Civil Rights Attorney, Obama's presence will give Minorities (North Carolina's MOST Disenfranchised residents) H-O-P-E.

What Obama's presence will EXPOSE in North Carolina:

Black North Carolinians have approximately $35 to $44 Billion dollars worth of Consumer Buying Power each year, however at least half of the Population are Incarcerated, High school Drop-outs or Living in Poverty.

North Carolina's Public Schools have also Traditionally and Intentionally FAILED its Minority Students. In fact this "Tradition" STILL holds TRUE today in spite of the "No Child Left Behind Act" of which the state CONTINUOUSLY tends to IGNORE.

Black Businesses are NOT awarded Contracts EQUAL to White Business Owners and Black North Carolina Farmers are losing their Farms at an alarming rate.

The state has a terrible record of giving its African-American citizens EQUAL RIGHTS even though the Civil Rights Act was signed in 1964.

The number of Black Children who for Decades were placed in Foster Care (even Bad Foster Care homes)or in the State Mental Institutions as a means of Revenue for the state, can't be counted. The State officials knew of this but did anyone care or try to stop it?

No!
These are North Carolina's "FORGOTTEN" Citizens. Forgotten because MANY of them have left the state or are DEAD.

Unless you have EVER lived in North Carolina as an African-American, you can never realize the MAGNITUDE of Racism that has existed and STILL exists.

North Carolina as it relates to the landscaping, is a BEAUTIFUL place to live BUT for its Black Citizens LIFE here has NOT been Beautiful.

There are some, I will go so far as to say several places in this state that a Black Man dare NOT venture into late at night, especially if he alone.

Yes, there are some counties here where a Black Candidate is still NOT allowed to even become a Sheriff.

(The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments this Fall regarding a Civil Rights case for North Carolina's Black Voters.)
In addition......

The Klan Organization is STILL STRONG in North Carolina whether anyone wants to admit it or not.

This type of information is NOT supposed to be discussed because the lawmakers want the Tourists to believe that N.C. is the "Hospitality Center of the South".

The Legislators don't want the rest of the Nation to know what's REALLY going on in the "Tarheel" state in the year 2008!

I am expected to DENY it goes on while my "Brothers & Sisters" continue to suffer.

I am TIRED OF PRETENDING TO LIVE IN RACIAL HARMONY. I want it to be a Reality!

I want to be able to graduate from College and feel confident that I will be paid the SAME SALARY as my White Counterparts, if I seek employment in this state.

I want to be able to Marry and raise my children here knowing that if they attend North Carolina Public Schools, will receive the SAME EDUCATION as their White Peers.

I want to be able to travel in this state without being followed or stopped by Law Enforcement Officers for NO reason other than the color of my skin or because "I looked like a suspect" since "all them black boys look alike you know".

I want to be able to run for Public Office one day knowing that if I win, the Election results WON'T be overturned by the state just because I was the "wrong Candidate" (if you know what I mean) as it happened in Charlotte.

It's time for North Carolinians, Black & White to live together as ONE, with the SAME opportunities, instead of Superior Citizens vs. Inferior Citizens.

It's time to put Pre-Civil War Ideals to rest so that our State can finally experience true SUCCESS, NOT just an "Illusion of Progress".

Lt. Governor Beverly Perdue who has endorsed Obama is currently leading in the 2008 N.C. Gubernatorial Race against her opponent N.C. State Treasurer Richard Moore, 41-34.

She too shares similar views of Senator Obama and wants to see a NEW North Carolina.

Change doesn't happen overnight but if you never make an effort to REALLY put forth some action towards it, how do you expect to receive different results?

Sincerely desiring to see different results (for the better) is what Candidates like Obama and Perdue embrace.

I support them in their endeavors however, I hope I am NOT speaking too soon.

Say or think whatever you will but......

Obama is "The Man" for "The Moment" and I will keep him in my Prayers.

North Carolina's Primary is May 6. I hope to see you at the Polls.

Every Vote Counts!

Peace:)
Sources: Charlotte.com, North Carolina Democratic Party, huffingtonpost.com, WorldNewsNetwork.com, blueridgenow.com, realclearpolitics.com, reuters.com, washingtonpost.com, publicpollingpolicy.com, infoplease.com, Chicagoreader.com, www.law.unc.edu.documents, jfklibrary.org, thetimesnews.com, drugpolicy.org, minority.unc.edu, newsobserver.com, wikipedia.org, Wallstreetjournal, youtube, Factchecker.org, topix.net, votemecool.blogspot.com/2008/03/obama-wins-over-tarheel-state.html

John Tanner resigned today

Sam Graham-Felsen — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 17:29:56 EST

Today, John Tanner -- the controversial top voting rights official at the DOJ -- stepped down.

As I wrote about earlier this week:

[Tanner's] record reflected a career of obstructing, rather than expanding, voting rights, particularly for minorities...
Tanner was caught on video claiming that photo ID requirements do not disproportionately disenfranchise minority voters because, in his words:

Our society is such that minorities don't become elderly the way white people do; they die first.

He went on to argue that these requirements actually benefit minorities because, "Anything that disproportionately impacts the elderly has the opposite impact on minorities."
Obama campaign manager David Plouffe sent out an email to our grassroots supporters, and thousands responded with letters demanding that Tanner step down.

TPM reports on Barack's reaction to Tanner's resignation:

Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL), who called on Justice Department officials to fire John Tanner back in October, has a glass-half-empty view of Tanner's resignation. A statement just out:
"It's unacceptable that the Administration is simply shuffling deck chairs by moving Mr. Tanner to another important position in the Justice Department. During his tenure, he made offensive, intolerant comments about minorities in an attempt to defend voter identification laws that threaten voting rights, and that's why I called on him to be fired. It's time we restore confidence in the Department by appointing public servants who are truly committed to upholding our civil rights."

Obama Champions Voting Rights

Sam Graham-Felsen — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 20:33:32 EST

As I wrote yesterday, one of the remarkable things about this campaign is the number of people who have been inspired by Barack to participate in politics for the first time.

And while Barack Obama is exciting a new generation of voters to engage, he's also fighting to preserve and strengthen voting rights so that more, rather than fewer, people can take part in the process. Senator Obama worked with civil rights leaders to help secure the reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act and he has been a leading Senate opponent of onerous photo ID provisions that disproportionately disenfranchise the poor, disabled and minority voters who are less likely to have a drivers license or other government-issued forms of identification.

This is crossposted on DailyKos.com.

Obama statement on DOJ's support for Indiana voter ID law

Sam Graham-Felsen — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 20:01:06 EST

Today, TPM Muckraker's Paul Kiel reported that the Department of Justice filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court in support of Indiana's controversial voter ID law. Opponents of the law, Kiel writes, "say that the brief's argument would set a standard that stacks the deck in favor of vote suppression measures and against those who challenge them."

Here's Obama's response to this troubling news:

The intervention of the Department of Justice on behalf of the Indiana law continues this Administration's disturbing trend of putting politics ahead of justice. States should not pass restrictions on voting that disproportionately shut out minority, poor, and disabled voters. That is why I joined my colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus in filing a brief urging the Supreme Court to strike down Indiana's law as unconstitutional. When I am President, my Department of Justice will fight to extend the right to vote, and stand up against laws that deny it. I will rid the department of political cronies, and have a Voting Rights Section that works to defend the right of every American to vote.

Tanner Must Go

Sam Graham-Felsen — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 15:03:25 EDT

John Tanner, the highest ranking voting rights official at the Justice Department, just apologized for his outrageous comments that "minorities... die first." Paul Kiel at TPM Muckraker has details from today's testimony before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.

In case you haven't been following the story, Tanner was recently caught on video claiming that photo ID requirements do not disproportionately disenfranchise minority voters because, in his words:

"Our society is such that minorities don't become elderly the way white people do; they die first."

He went on to argue that these requirements actually benefit minorities because, “Anything that disproportionately impacts the elderly has the opposite impact on minorities.”

In the wake of these comments, Barack sent a letter to acting Attorney General Peter D. Keisler demanding that John Tanner be removed from his position, and last week, thousands of you stepped up and sent letters to the Justice Department as well. Click here to send a letter demanding the removal of Tanner if you haven't alreaady done so.

Tanner's apology won't suffice. This wasn't simply a verbal mishap or an isolated incident; indeed, Tanner's record reflects a carreer of obstructing, rather than expanding, voting rights, particularly for minorities.

CAP's Progress Report has a run-down of Tanner's dirty work. For example, Tanner "bent over backwards" to rule that 5,000 to 15,000 African American voters in Ohio who were unable to vote in 2004 due to long lines "did not have a right to the same number of machines as white registered voters," according to David Becker, a former attorney with the voting rights section.

Tanner has also been an outspoken advocate for photo ID requirements for voters -- which many compare to a modern day poll tax -- going so far as to overrule the recommendations of Justice Department lawyers in order to support a controversial photo ID requirement in Georgia.

In 2005, Barack spoke out against this law, noting that, "in our democracy, the goal should be to encourage eligible voters to vote, not to create new barriers to make it more difficult for them to exercise their most basic right." Barack also introduced a resolution in response to Tanner's decision to approve the Georgia law, expressing his belief that any law requiring a photo ID to vote would put an undue burden on voters.

One of the core principles of Barack's candidacy is expanding our democracy and breaking down barriers that hinder participation. That's why he's standing up to Tanner and that's why we need you to stand up as well. An apology is not enough. Send a letter and make your voice heard loud and clear: Tanner must go.

John Tanner Must Go

Sam Graham-Felsen — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 11:41:46 EDT

David Plouffe sent out this email today:

Dear Sam,
This is pretty unbelievable.
John Tanner, the top ranking voting rights official at the Justice Department, was caught on video claiming that photo ID requirements do not disproportionately disenfranchise minority voters because: "Our society is such that minorities don't become elderly the way white people do; they die first."

He went on to argue, irrationally, that these requirements actually benefit minorities because: "Anything that disproportionately impacts the elderly has the opposite impact on minorities."

Barack sent a letter to Acting Attorney General Peter D. Keisler last week demanding that John Tanner be removed from his position -- but the Justice Department needs to hear from you as well. The more they hear from people like you, the more pressure they will feel to do the right thing.

Send a message to the Attorney General's office and tell him to replace Tanner immediately:

http://Action.BarackObama.com/TannerMustGo

As absurd and wrong-headed as Tanner's remarks were, they are less surprising in the context of his record as voting rights chief.

Tanner has been an outspoken advocate for photo ID requirements for voters, going so far as to overrule the recommendations of Justice Department lawyers in order to support a controversial photo ID requirement in Georgia.

The Georgia law has been repeatedly compared to a poll tax. In 2005, Barack Obama spoke out against this law, noting that, "in our democracy, the goal should be to encourage eligible voters to vote, not to create new barriers to make it more difficult for them to exercise their most basic right." Barack also introduced a resolution in response to Tanner's decision to approve the Georgia law, expressing his belief that any law requiring a photo ID to vote would put an undue burden on voters.

Numerous studies show that photo ID requirements have a discriminatory impact on African American and other minority voters. Yet, in public statements like his October 5th remarks, Tanner continues to justify them with faulty logic. And it adds insult to injury to use tragic discrepancies in life expectancies for African Americans as justification for policies that would further disenfranchise them.

The situation is clear. John Tanner has an obvious disregard for the voting rights of minorities and should not be in charge of protecting them.

John Tanner must go. Join Barack in demanding that he be removed from his position immediately:

http://Action.BarackObama.com/TannerMustGo

From the beginning, our campaign has been about increasing the number of Americans who are engaged in the political process. We took our lead from Barack's days as a community organizer and built a network of hundreds of thousands of supporters nationwide, many of whom are getting involved in politics for the first time.

John Tanner and others like him have been appointed to positions of power in the Bush administration with the specific intent of limiting participation in ways that benefit the Republican Party. It's time to turn the page on that kind of politics.

All we demand -- and all that any reasonable person of either party should demand -- is that voting rules be fair and enforced equally, regardless of race.

John Tanner has demonstrated time and again that he has other things in mind. His recent comments are the last straw -- he must go:

http://Action.BarackObama.com/TannerMustGo

Thank you,

David

David Plouffe
Campaign Manager
Obama for America

Obama: Fire Voting Rights Chief

John Lewis-Dickerson, Atlanta — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 08:39:12 EDT

ARTICLE AT- http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/004507.php

Obama blocks von Spakovsky nomination

Sam Graham-Felsen — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 16:44:47 EDT

Roll Call reports:

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) on Wednesday derailed a plan blessed by Senate leaders to vote on controversial Federal Election Commission White House nominee Hans von Spakovsky, a move giving Democrats time to breathe in the ongoing Senate stalemate on FEC nominees.

As Slate.com's Dalia Lithwick detailed, von Spakovsky has worked to undermine voting rights in the name of partisan goals:

Von Spakovsky's Senate confirmation hearing last June was noteworthy for many oddities, not the least of which was a letter sent to the rules committee by six former career professionals in the voting rights section of the Justice Department; folks who had worked under both Republican and Democratic administrations for a period that spanned 36 years. The letter urged the committee to reject von Spakovsky on the grounds that while at DoJ, he was one of the architects of a transformation in the voting rights section from its "historic mission to enforce the nation's civil rights laws without regard to politics, to pursuing an agenda which placed the highest priority on the partisan political goals of the political appointees who supervised the Section." The authors named him as the "point person for undermining the Civil Rights Division's mandate to protect voting rights."

Continue to read some of the reactions to Barack's principled stand.

Open Letter: Time to Visit the Inner City

Athena — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 16:41:19 EDT

Dear Sen. Obama,

As you grow your campaign and make your foray into large and diverse states like California, I believe the time has come for you to campaign heavily in inner-city neighborhoods – particularly historically black ones.

Up until now, you have strengthened your broad appeal to “the general public” (whatever that means) and, understandably for strategic reasons, the savvy early-state voters. Besides having established yourself as a great future leader, you have also positioned yourself as a president for all. Now is the time to begin breaking out by constituency, while keeping up the national, “generic” aspect of your campaign.

Whenever I hear the question posed: “Can America vote for a black president,” my answer is “Yes, but only if you vote for him.” A logical, silly answer, in a sense, but also one that speaks profoundly to your message of how we can effect change ourselves.

Now translate this exchange into one between you and a black voter. It could sound something like this:

Potential black voter: “Why should I vote for you – you won’t get elected. Time and time again, we have been made promises of a better life, better schools, better opportunities. Now you come and tell me that we can have a black president when we don’t even have good schools?”

Your answer, Senator, should be, “It will be different this time IF YOU VOTE. And if you vote, your vote will have been counted, heard, and you will have become a Public Citizen. You will have earned power.”

Consider this hypothetical exchange in the context of your message of hope, change, and optimism. If we white people with means are weary of the state of the nation, if we needed convincing before daring to hope, imagine how much help blacks need to become optimistic?

What to discuss:

In speaking at black inner-city neighborhoods, I suggest that you retool your stump speech in the following ways:

--After a brief stump speech, ask questions first, provide answers later. How do they perceive life? What do they want? What does government reform mean to them? How do THEY define change? As you hear the answers, as you gain a presence in their mind’s eye, you will take with you a piece of a constituency all the way to the White House. And they, like all of us who support you, will know it.

--Health care;

--Improving schools;

--Improving neighborhoods;

--Experiences you had as a community organizer and how you made a difference, and

--The need to bring the people closer to government, rather than government to the people – note the difference. These potential voters want to politically leave and go somewhere else. Rich whites feel more comfortable having others come to them.

--A note of caution on government reform, however: be careful with how you discuss lobbying. Washington lobbying, I think, is more of a middle class concern. Poor blacks I have spoken to say that those things are in the details, that the establishment never changes, that lobbyists and non-lobbyists are part of the same structure. Generally, unless asked, do not overly emphasize this issue until you have become a more familiar presence, especially because many of your proposals involve making documents available on the Internet, something that many Americans still do not have access to.

--Enfranchisement: You – not just your campaign aides, volunteers and advertisers, must talk about the voting process, explain ways in which they can make sure they are registered and that their vote does not get discounted because of technicalities. Speak of how elections in Florida in 2000 resulted in the marginalization of many poor blacks and how you will not tolerate that – how you will help them to make sure they are there to vote. Talk about the meaning of the word Democracy. Remind them of federal laws that make it illegal for employers to detain them from voting on Election Day. Tell those who cannot afford to take a minute away from work about how they can submit absentee ballots.

Strategy:

In general, move slowly, by stages.

--Begin by holding small, Iowa-like forums. Sit down with residents in the Watts district or, better still, areas of South Carolina, a state where, in my opinion, you have not sufficiently campaigned and cannot afford to take for granted. Do not hold rallies immediately, lest you be seen as equally inaccessible as your average politician.

--Do not initially try to recruit volunteers. First, arrive as your own man, as one human being talking to others. Set foot on terra firme before attempting to conquer the ground. Although you have had to plant volunteers in many areas that you have been unable to visit, you may have to change that strategy here. I am not proposing that you visit every neighborhood in a district before recruiting a single volunteer – just make sure that you have held at least one or two well-publicized events. In short, go by the motto that one uses in daily life: give first, and take later. That way, you build trust.

--Have aides distribute pamphlets about you at campaign events. These should include a brief biography, very specific policy points, and a section answering the question they will all have on their minds: “what can a black president do for black America?”

--Many residents will not have access to electronic media, or to your website. Make sure that campaign workers provide them with a mailing address and phone number where they can communicate their thoughts and suggestions with the campaign. Use the blogs posted by the campaign on the website to create paper newsletters that can be mailed out either to those who sign up or to neighborhood community centers.

--If possible, ask to be allowed to sit in on city hall meetings and neighborhood watch meetings in order to learn more about the issues, and to show people how much you really care. Although you are sending policy experts to many areas of the country in order to advise you on many issues, this situation calls for a more personal touch.

The overall value (besides votes, of course):

Visiting inner-city neighborhoods in the way I suggest offers you a golden opportunity that no other candidate has seized: to put change into action, not just talk about it. Enfranchising potential voters, getting them to act, listening to them, making your campaign accessible to them – all of these are actions that, for underprivileged blacks, are policy outcomes in themselves. Most of us whites interpret your intent to effect change as one that you will put in place come 2009. By breaking ground with black constituents, you are actually making change happen in 2007.

Presidential candidates have certainly campaigned in black neighborhoods in the past, but they have usually done so through large rallies only, and through demagoguery. You can do it through dialogue and education. That way, they will really see you for the extraordinary man that you are.

Expect this to be a slow process, though. Ironically, poor blacks may have more trouble trusting you than they do a powerful white public figure simply because they fear that white America will not let you triumph. It is hard to believe in something when you risk having your hopes dashed. Not everyone has your extraordinary strength and courage.

South Carolina - a snapshot:

The results of a poll conducted by Winthrop/ETV, released on Sept. 14, of 657 randomly selected African Americans in South Carolina show you winning the support of 35.4 percent of respondents, beating out Sen. Hillary Clinton, who received 30.7 percent of the vote. Your margin increased among men, but you were in a virtual tie with Mrs. Clinton among women. (The poll has a margin of error of plus/minus 3.82 percent.)

The full results are here:

http://www.myetv.org/television/productions/the_big_picture/winthrop_etv_polls/poll2/survey2page2.html

Let us assume, for the sake of argument, that this survey accurately reflects voter sentiments among blacks in South Carolina. If so, they are cause for only modest optimism, and demonstrate that much work needs to be done by you and your staff. A whopping 28.7 percent of respondents were undecided, including one third of females who were surveyed. Those figures represent huge numbers of potential supporters that you must tap into, and they suggest that, while the trend is in your favor, support for you is far below what it could be among blacks.

They may also suggest that, unless you increase your outreach efforts, many undecided blacks in South Carolina could eventually make up their minds - and choose a different candidate.

Here are some words you uttered a few weeks ago, as reported by Marc Ambinder in his blog on the website Atlantic.com:

"I guarantee you African-American turnout, if I'm the nominee, goes up 30 percent around the country, minimum.""If we just got African-Americans in Mississippi to vote their percentage of the population, Mississippi is suddenly a Democratic state," Obama said. He said Georgia would also turn Democratic and South Carolina would be in play.”

As things currently stand --and unless you visit more of these underserved areas-- I doubt whether your predictions will prove correct, even for the primary season.

Finally, please forgive me if I offend you by sounding as though you are not an expert in these outreach matters after decades of service to the community. I know how very much you care. The main value in what I say may be in that hearing something from someone else always helps. And hearing it from this and other supporters (see attached comments) may give your strategists the wake-up call we feel they need.

Good luck Senator!

Pamela Mercer

Washington D.C.

Barack Obama on Election Reform Issues

Sacramento for Obama Newsletter — Sat, 05 May 2007 14:20:14 EDT

      Voting Rights

There is no more fundamental American right than the right to vote. Before the landmark 1965 Voting Rights Act, barriers such as literacy tests, poll taxes and property requirements disenfranchised many Americans, especially minorities. Senator Obama worked with civil rights leaders to help secure the reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act. Also, working with such civil rights stalwarts as Rep. John Lewis of Georgia, Senator Obama has been a leading Senate opponent of onerous photo ID provisions that disproportionately disenfranchise the poor, disabled and minority voters who are less likely to have a drivers license or other government-issued forms of identification.

      Election Reform

More than 40 years after passage of the Voting Rights Act there are still numerous obstacles to ensuring that every citizen has the opportunity to participate in our democracy. In recent elections we have seen political operatives purge voters from registration rolls for no legitimate reason, uneven distribution of polling equipment, and efforts to deceive voters about the time, location and rules of elections. A recent study discovered numerous organized efforts to intimidate and mislead voters and suppress voter turnout in minority communities. Few states have enacted clear and effective prohibitions against these abuses. Senator Obama introduced the Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act to enable investigations into deceptive practices. It establishes significant harsh penalties for those who have engaged in fraud and it provides voters who have been misinformed with accurate and full information so they can vote.

   Obama Legislation Would Protect Voting Rights

People For the American Way President Ralph G. Neas praised Senator Barack Obama’s introduction of legislation intended to crack down on deceptive practices and bring greater accountability to the electoral process. Senator Charles Schumer is the principal cosponsor of the legislation. Neas issued the following statement:

    “In 2006 as in so many years before, we saw examples of unscrupulous political operatives trying to mislead and deceive voters, and attempting to hold down voter turnout for political gain. Some voters were told the date of the election had shifted. Others were told that their polling place had changed. Some were given misinformation about voter I.D. requirements. Others were the victims of inaccurate or misleading campaign flyers, or annoying robo-calls with deceptive information.

    “Enough is enough. Americans deserve elections that are clean and fair. We may not be able to stop dirty tricks in campaigns, but we can make it harder for them to succeed—and we can make the consequences very serious for those who carry them out. Senator Obama’s bill is an important step forward. His Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act proposes strong, effective procedures to prevent deceptive practices in the future, and to ensure that the individuals responsible for such practices are held to account. Senator Obama should be commended for introducing this legislation.

    “Senator Obama’s bill would criminalize egregious deceptive practices that keep voters away from the ballot box. It would provide immediate accountability before the election and encourage citizen participation by making it easier to report voter intimidation tactics and seek justice through the courts. And it would require the Attorney General to investigate every reported problem and make the findings public. The bill is an important component of the comprehensive election reform that Americans are demanding after suffering an avalanche of problems in the 2006 elections—most notably the inexplicable disappearance of 18,000 votes in a congressional race in Sarasota County, Florida.

    “I encourage all senators to take a close look at this legislation, and I hope that they will recognize, as Senator Obama has, the crucial need for reforms to ensure that every American’s right to vote is protected."

Vaughn Hopkins