GOP to intimidate black voters in Ky governor race. (Jefferson cty)

[alfredo]

Kentucky the next florida? Jefferson county also uses Diebold voting machines.

http://www.kentucky.com/mld/heraldleader/news/opinion/7100165.htm

Scare tactics
GOP challengers plan smacks of racism


The Jefferson County Republican Party's decision to place challengers at 59 predominantly black precincts in Louisville is a classic intimidation tactic.


Similar strategies in the last three years have resulted in allegations of civil rights violations in Florida, Arkansas and Tennessee. Even worse, it harkens back to the days when whites imposed poll taxes, literacy tests and other hurdles to suppress the black vote.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

1. I hope the local NAACP investigates this

this is just vile...will the GOP stop at nothing?

[Mikimouse]

2. Even if the 'challengers' don't show up, the damage is already

done. Voters who already feel intimidated by the system will probably not go and vote. What is this all about? It amounts to nothing else but indirect campaigning and coercion. This bs has gotten so far out of hand that it is beyond the realm of fascism. Poll workers should very politely escort these 'pugs right out of the building and put them in a 'free speech' zone a mile away (a zone complete with an electrified fence.

[alfredo]

4. challenging minority voters was how Poppy Bush caught the eye of

the national GOP. He was so good at intimidating blacks and hispanics he became the Republican's darling.

In Kentucky the poll officials can boot out the challenger. Now that they know it is a pre planned attempt to intimidate voters very little slack will be given.

[Mikimouse]

6. Why am I not surprised?

It just bloody figures that he got his start as a 'challenger'. At the risk of writing a string of blue lightening that would probably be deleted, I'll keep my mouth shut.

[Some Moran]

8. Didn't Bush fund some dixiecrat to beat Ralph Yardborough in Texas?

I think that was his name. A progressive Democrat back in the 1970s.

[Q]

3. Civil rights? Geez...this used to be illegal...

- What the HELL is going on in this country when the Democratic leadership doesn't rise up in protest against these type of intimidation tactics?

[rocktivity]

5. It up to the Kentucky Dems, then,

to undertake a voter education program. Pass out flyers and publish ads explaning EXACTLY what kind of ID a voter needs to display, who is in charge of doing what at a polling place, what a challenger can and cannot do, and what to do if their rights are violated. Oh, and they can always submit their OWN challengers, who can simply say, "Oh, you're OK." (Can one challenger overrule another?) In other words, INTIMIDATE THEM BACK!!!!


rocknation

[alfredo]

7. They have to prove their case. There will be Dems and Republicans

working as officials. If I feel a Repug or Dem is intimidating a voter, it is my job, my duty to kick his butt out of the polling station and file a report with the Att General.

[fortyfeetunder]

12. That's Right Rock,

I agree with you, the best solution is to intimidate them back, no holds barred. And the KY Democratic Party in conjunction with the NAACP and the National Urban League...and also collaborate with the Black fraternities and sororities, and churches in that area should join forces to show the Black community cannot be intimidated.

[Scott Lee]

9. Answer - Democratic Voter Escorts

This is just plain bully behavior. Unfortunately its not illegal, but conversely, you can fight it by simply applying the law already in place.

Registered voters have everything they need to go vote. They do not have to answer or even acknowledge any partisan "challengers" at poll sites - they have to deal only with polling officials. Any attempt to interfere with a legal and valid voter's right to cast their vote is plainly and simply a civil rights infraction and should be dealt with swiftly so that the voter can complete their task.

I suggest something that I've seen tried in my state of Utah. Escorts. Volunteers that would show up at polling places to witness and record any attempted interference with a right to vote. Often the mere presence of these escorts is enough to dissuade the partisan thugs who wish to intimidate away those who "look" like they might not vote for their party.

Sadly, a prime example of this type of intimidation sits at the top of the supreme court. William Rhenquist made an early name for himself in Arizona for showing up at polling places and blocking Mexican-Americans from voting until they answered a series of constitutional questions. He did this until election officials had to physically remove him from the premises.

[GinaMaria]

10. OK. Time to make a plan

What can we do? We've been inspired by Mari333 and Will Pitt's and Other DUers action lately to help Mari333's son. So let's generate some ideas here. Do a little brainstorming. No idea is a bad one, get as creative as you can. We'll sort through them when they're done.

Sorry, I hope this isn't thread hijacking. If it is, I will start a new thread.

Someone suggested contacting the NAACP. That's a good start. What else? Let your creativity flow this morning.

[Tatiana]

11. Well, sign-up for training at your election office...

...and become a Democratic challenger! It's what I did for our last election and it was truly an eye-opening experience for me. Repukes always place their challengers in strategic places where they have the chance of invalidating the most (likely Democratic) ballots. In my location, I did some research and found out that our college students had a lot of complaints and wondered whether or not their votes were being counted. Amazingly, there were Republican challengers at between 4 and 6 polling places located on or around our University campus.

At my precinct alone over 100 ballots were challenged. The role of the challenger (or "watcher") shall be their duty to act as such challengers and to challenge any and all persons whom they have good reason to believe are not legal voters at such an election. So basically Republican challengers get votes thrown out by asserting that the ballots they challenge have been submitted by people who are not legal voters. With the college students, they usually have a home address where their parents live or where they get their billing information sent to, but establish residence here. However, if addresses on their licenses were different than the address they currently lived at, Republicans would say that they were not entitled to cast ballots in our elections because they weren't residents of our county. We also have a large international population here and legal, naturalized citizens also were scrutinized as well.

OK, so I hijacked this thread too. But I am begging for anyone to take the time, do the training, and become a Democratic pollwatcher. I'm not sure what individual election codes across the country dictate, but in Illinois, we are usually entitled to have three pollwatchers at every polling place (ideally 1 Dem, 1 Repuke, and 1 Independent). However, if Democrats don't sign up, we're often left with many ballots being challenged by Repukes and thrown out by election judges because there is no objection.

We don't have to just organize and motivate people to vote. In these times, we must ensure that everyone that DOES come out to vote has his/her vote counted.

[alfredo]

15. I will be an election judge, so if there

is any trouble, I will raise holy hell. I doubt there will be any repug challangers, they area is predominantly white.

[beanball]

13. The racist repugs

are just using their old dixicrat playbook.

[Yupster]

14. Someone please explain to me...

I used to be an election judge, but what is a challenger.

At my precinct, either party was allowed to have a person to watch over the proceedings. Neither party ever sent anyone though.

Anyway, a person comes to vote. He shows his voter registration card or his driver's license, signs by his name and votes.

So what does a challenger do? What does he challenge?

Does he claim the person voting is not the one pictured in the driver's license? I guess in that case I would have called the elections office and let them handle that.

[John_H]

16. Fliers? Lawyers? Pollwatchers? Jeepers....

We never had any problem with republican thugs where I grew up. Ever. Why?

Because the challengers would have been greeted with a hearty--and exceptionally firm--handshake by some healthy guys from the pipefitters local, guys who would have taken a keen interest in admiring lines the challengers' fine automobiles, particularly in the vicinity of the license plates. They would have made the challengers feel welcome by standing close to them, never breaking eyecontact so as to be attentive to their every desire.

When are the sweethearts in the new democratic party going to remember how to deal with these assholes. The republicans havn't changed a lick. Why have we?

[Yupster]

17. The proverbial "union thugs?"

Do they really exist?

I thought they were Republican propaganda, but I'm from Texas so we don't have them unions down here.

[John_H]

18. Damn right they existed. The dems used to understand

that thugs only resopond to thuggery. That's why we controlled the house and senate for forty four years. Now we just say, "May I grab my ankles again now, Mr. Rove?"