Conyers pledges fight against 'deceptive' voter suppression

[Doondoo]

A top House Democrat promised to stop political tactics that seek to prevent voters from casting their ballots today. In a press release sent to RAW STORY, House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers said that a new bill he is co-sponsoring will "provide voter protections and create strong penalties for those violating" them.

Conyers, a Michigan Democrat, joined Reps. Rahm Emanuel (D-IL), Xavier Becerra (D-CA), Rush Holt (D-NJ), Mike Honda (D-CA), and Keith Ellison (D-MN) to co-sponsor the "Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act of 2007." Events during recent elections, the congressmen reasoned, made new standards and penalties necessary.

"Voter intimidation, coordinated misinformation, and other irregularities were sufficiently widespread in closely contested races throughout the country to have affected the outcomes of these elections," Conyers added.

The bill defines "deceptive practices" as "knowing communication of false information." Among other measures, the bill makes such acts a felony and increases the penalty to $250,000 or five years in prison.



http://www.rawstory.com/news/2007/Top_House_Dems_pledged_fight_against_0301.html

[Robson]

1. What about deceptive voting machines?

Voting machines that can be hacked and manipulated is a major problem. What's going on that front?

[Bullet1987]

2. Didn't Obama have exactly the same thing?