Bill to Oulaw 'Voter Caging' Introduced in U.S. Senate

[Flabbergasted]

Source: Brad blog

Bill to Oulaw 'Voter Caging' Introduced in U.S. Senate

Measure, Co-Sponsored by 13 Dems, Would Prohibit 'Voter Supression' Tactic as Used in Florida in 2004 by Former Rove Associate, Interim US Attorney Tim Griffin...

Thirteen Democratic Senators have introduced a bill that would outlaw "voter caging", the practice of sending mail marked "do not forward" to a targeted list of voters in hopes of using the returned mailings to then challenge the right of the voter to vote.

The practice was used by Republican operatives in both the 2000 and 2004 election, despite the Republican party having agreed in two consent decrees during the 80's, to no longer carry out the practice.

A press release from Sen. John Kerry's (D-MA) office, announcing the new bill, is posted in full below.

"The practice of 'caging' is reprehensible and has absolutely no place in our democracy," Kerry says in the statement. "Here in America, every citizen, regardless of race, gender, religion or sexual orientation has the right to cast his or her vote. These are the very foundations of our democracy and this bill will ensure that we protect fundamental freedoms for millions of voters across our country."



Read more: http://www.bradblog.com/?p=5248

[ray of light]

1. Gee...if only they would have done this in 2001 after the 2000 selection

and caging and fraud!

Thank you Terry McAuliffe for making sure the Democratic Party lost 2 other elections before someone stepped in.

[Up2Late]

2. Unbelievable. So this is STILL Legal?!?

WTF!?!:banghead: :wtf:

[annabanana]

3. I'm rather surprised to find out that it EVER was...

(more fool, I)

[robinlynne]

9. NO it was and is illegal, but the department of justice....

[rmgarrette64]

4. Please explain

Why is this illegal?

I understand the targeted lists were undoubtedly presumed Democratic voters. But why shouldn't it be legal to try to challenge voters if it looks like they've moved, died, etc? I guess I'm trying to understand the principle behind this law.

I'm also curious as to why it is called caging, if anyone happens to know the answer?

Thanks for any help,

R. Garrett

[immoderate]

5. The term comes from direct mail advertisers.

As I understand it, returned advertisements are put in a "cage" to be removed from mailing lists.

The Republicans do it with a twist. They send a mailing targeted to military personnel with minority sounding names. If they are posted overseas, the names are removed from voter rolls when the mailings are returned. I thought this was illegal.

--IMM

[tkmorris]

8. Because it is not applied fairly

Those who engage in the practice target specific groups of voters, but not others, resulting in an imbalanced purging of voter rolls.

Furthermore, even if such a practice were applied across the board certain demographic groups would have more legitimate voters purged from the rolls than others. Military members for example, the elderly, people who travel frequently, and anyone who does not reside at their home of record year round.

[madrchsod]

6. bush will yell terror !

and the democrats will pee in their pants....

[PSPS]

7. This is already illegal

More useless political theater.

The GOP had a consent decree issued against it in 1982 when it was busted for doing this. Why don't they simply round up the crooks and put them away?

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/17303.html

[Doctor_J]

10. Bsuh is on the record saying he will write, enact, and enforce his own laws from now on

What's the purpose of this?

[Sam Ervin jret]

11. It still BLOWS MY MIND!! The depths to which these criminals will submerge themselves into the slime