LATEST UPDATE ON NEVADA SITUATION

BACKGROUND: There are two high profile voter suppression and intimidation situations taking place in Nevada right now.

1.0 VOTER REGISTATION FRAUD
This week, Channel 8 Investigative Reporter George Knapp, broke a story about a company that sought to register only Republican voters and destroyed voter registration forms completed by Democrats.

 It was exposed that this group hired and trained employees to solely register Republican voters and walk away from anyone who considered registering Democrat.

Even more shocking is the fact that voter registration forms that were checked Democrat were torn up and thrown in the trash.

Eric Russell, a former employee of Voters Outreach of America, said he saw his boss destroy forms and came forward to shine the spotlight on this problem.  The televised investigation also featured an individual who, when shown a copy of a completed registration form that had been destroyed, confirmed the form was his.

 But what is most disturbing is that the investigation pointed out that Voter Outreach of America was being paid by the Republican National Committee.  Now, as a result of the desire of Republicans to steal this election, thousands of voters may have lost one of the most fundamental rights of our country, the right to vote.

 The Republican National Committee (RNC) paid to solely register Republican voters in Nevada.  A Chandler, Ariz., political consulting firm, Sproul & Associates, was hired by the Republican National Committee to register Republicans in Nevada, according to the Associated Press.  According to FEC filings, since July 14, 2004, Sproul and Associates has received $488,959 form the RNC.

 This Classified ad from the RNC ran in the Reno Gazette Journal:

 8.50/hr part-time,
$10.00/hr full-time
Canvassing Neighborhoods in Support of the GOP!

Voter's Outreach of America is hiring door-to-door canvassers asking people to register to vote. Must be at least 18 yrs of age, no felonies, registered to vote and have own transportation. Need good communication skills and professional appearance. Hours are 4pm to 8pm Monday-Friday and 8am to noon Saturday.

Call toll free 702-307-1320 for more information.

Paid for by the Republican National Committee. www.gop.com <http://www.gop.com> . Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

Source - Reno Gazette Journal - Reno, NV

NEVADA DEMOCRATIC PARTY FILES LAWSUIT
Nevada State Democratic Party files lawsuit. NSDP filed a lawsuit near the close of business on Wednesday, October 13.

 The suit filed by the Party seeks to allow Larry Lomax, the Clark Counter Registrar of Voters, to re-open voter registration to victims of Voters Outreach of America.

The suit alleges the company violated four Nevada laws:
NRS 293.5045 (b) whichprohibits anyone engaging in the registration of voters from taking anyaction to discourage an applicant from registering to vote.
NRS 293.805 which prohibitscompanies from paying individuals based on the number of forms theysubmit.  Voters Outreach of America deducted employee pay if theyregistered Democrats to vote.
NRS 293.505 (12) whichprecludes the alteration or defacing of a voter registration applicationthat has been signed by a registrant.
NRS 293.710 (d) because the actof destroying completed Democratic voter registration forms constitutesvoter intimidation and voter fraud.

It is difficult to know how many people may have been victimized by this company.  Voters Outreach of America was in business for at least 50 days, and it is unknown how many Democratic voter registrations were destroyed during that period.  It is also unknown how many people were turned away in malls and other public venues where the company registered voters.

We are waiting for a hearing.

Additionally, in Washoe County the voter Registrar has called for an investigation into alleged widespread voter registration fraud by Republican front groups.

2.0 VOTER SUPPRESSION

On Friday, October 8, Dan Burdish, the former director of the Nevada Republican Party attempted to throw out the voting rights of 17,000 Clark County Citizens.

Dan Burdish admitted in the Las Vegas Review Journal he is "looking to take Democrats off the voter rolls." [Las Vegas Review Journal, 10/10/04]

The 17,000 votes the GOP is trying to throw away belong to people who have been categorized as "inactive voters".

Inactive voters still have the right to vote in Clark County. They have only been moved to that category because the Clark County Election Department's efforts to reach them by mail were unsuccessful.  But, again, they still have the legal right to vote.

Burdish filed a challenge with Clark County Voter Registrar Larry Lomax.  Mr. Lomax referred the challenge to the District Attorney's office.  The DA rejected the challenge and said that it would have to be filed by an individual living in the precinct of the challenged voter.

Desperate Republican times call for desperate Republican measures to suppress the vote.  This situation is regrettable, but not surprising.  Republicans are using these same tricks and pressure tactics in other Southwestern states and across the country.

VOTER RIGHTS PROJECT
We saw it in Florida, now we're seeing it here, Republicans want to steal this election.  We won't let that happen.

This is an election about serious life and death issues and it is critical that every person who wants to vote can do so without interference and with confidence that their vote will be counted. We must work together to promote voting and voting rights.  So the Nevada State Democratic Party has launched a statewide "Voter Rights Project". Our efforts are in conjunction with the Kerry-Edwards Campaign and the Democratic National Committee.

The goal - a voting rights attorney in every priority precinct in the battleground states

1. We have created the world's largest virtual law firm in the country dedicating to promoting and protecting the vote.

2. We have a Kerry-Edwards counsel in every state and every key county in Battleground states to protect voting rights on election day.

3. We have hired DNC Voting Protection Coordinators in every battleground state to design and implement voting rights and election protection plans.

4. Nationally, we will have thousands of Volunteer Voting Rights Attorneys in every priority precinct on Election Day.

5. From now until election day, we are conducting intensive trainings on line, in battleground states and in coordination with our field staff.

6. We will promote Early Vote and Vote By Mail and protect voters who vote early or by mail.

7. We are investing record amounts in voter education and empowerment via Mail, Phones, Print and Electronic Media

DNC and VPC lawyers are reviewing the ballots in every priority county and state to make sure ballots are clear and easy to vote.  

Our Kerry-Edwards, DNC, and VPC lawyers are also ensuring that election officials have made met all bi-lingual requirements and have made appropriate provisions so that disabled voters and older voters can cast their votes.

We are working to ensure that everyone who is registered can cast a ballot on Election Day by fighting to ensure states and counties provide provisional ballots so that everyone who is eligible to vote is able to.

Today we will also launch a toll-free number that voters can call if they feel their right to vote is being threatened.  We are encouraging people to call this number if they feel they are a victim of voter intimidation or if they see anything strange at any point between now and Election Day.

The number to the Voter Rights Project Hotline is 877-WE-VOTE-2.

MESSAGE:  
The Republican effort to intimidate citizens and suppress the vote must not be allowed to succeed.

 People must turn their anger into votes. You cannot allow people who are trying to take away your right to vote to win.  Your vote takes away their power.

 You won't see a lot of Republicans in minority communities urging us to get out to vote - but sadly you will hear a lot of Republican trash on the radio and in the mail.  Don't be confused, discouraged or brought down by what they try.  They are scared of the power of your vote .

John Kerry and the Democrats will not stand by quietly and let them stop you from voting for positive change. We will be there to promote and protect your rights.

 

•  Nice work

  There are a lot of diaries under the recommended section that are useful, and a number which are not.

  I cannot imagine a more important issue than the one of the RNC's coordinated voter suppression efforts, and this diary is a brilliant study and update of some of those efforts. I would argue it's a lot more important than whether Bush had a stroke or has palsy or whatever, and more important than what some right-wing asshole thinks about Kerry's words about her daughter.

  We can win all the spin wars we want to - but if our people are not allowed to vote, we will not win this election. This issue is THE issue we need to focus on from here until Nov 2, and possibly after.

  by eugene on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 10:16:39 AM PDT

  •  GO VOTE ON THIS NOW AT YAHOO

    http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20041014/ap_on_el_pr/voter_fraud

    Go and give this story your own rating.  It just made the front page of the world's most popular internet portal.  Let's keep it there.

    by topdog04 on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 12:06:33 PM PDT

•  Recommend

  this baby.  This is important stuff.

  by chi mai on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 10:23:22 AM PDT

•  Thanks for the update...

  Good summary of everything going on.  You don't mention any suggestions for things Kossacks can do to pitch in re: Nevada.  Any thoughts on ways non-locals can help out?

  by Jsea on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 10:23:59 AM PDT

  •  I recommended this too...

    Know we're busy with Sinclair, but this subject is even more important, so let's keep at least one eye on it for the next 19 days.

    by Jsea on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 10:25:35 AM PDT

    •  Forget about Sinclair

      This is the issue to pay attention to with BOTH eyes. Sinclair's biased broadcasting is the distraction. Sure send a letter decrying their efforts to misuse the public airwaves they are the custodian of, but the rampant attempts at voter suppression, intimidation must receive 150% of our attention. Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota, Alaska, Colorado, Ohio, and of course Florida and these are just the ones we have heard about recently.

      The VoterOutreachAmerica story should have begun weeks ago when a librarian in Southern Oregon first brought the fraudulent ways of their voter registration drive to the public, but it got buried until now. We must be vigilant, and active in preventing any further erosion of voting rights. We must also be do the important GOTV work to get our own base of identified voters to the polls.

      by Vitarai on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 04:00:27 PM PDT

  •  YES: things Kossacks can do to pitch in re: Nevada

    Volunteer to work election day and the day before for VoterProtection.Org, who are looking for volunteers to take a short training and go in teams to polling places in Nevada and make sure no voter suppression activities go on at those polling places. The more volunteers they get, the more troubled precincts they can protect.

    Since you're from seattle, you can get a cheap ticket on Alaska Air, and the expenses are tax-deductible, since VoterProtection is a non-profit and non-partisan and will be protecting the voting rights of all voters.

    I strongly urge you to consider it. I think it can make a lot of difference.

    http://www.electionprotectionvolunteer.org/electionprotection/index.cfm

    by Big Jack Stark on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 08:24:22 PM PDT

•  Kudos, Chef...

  ...and props, I remember that you broke all of this in the first place - If you need mojo, I'm sure plenty of us remember, and would be happy to fill a tip jar...

  by Turtle Bay on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 10:30:25 AM PDT

  •  What is Mojo??

    Either because I live in Australia or because I am antiquated at the elderly age of 42, I have no idea what it is??

    Is this an Austin Powers thing ;-)

    by Norwegian Chef on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 10:48:30 AM PDT

    •  People rate Comments...

      ...and if you get enough high ratings, you have the power to rate people as "super trolls" and keep them from flooding the boards....

      ...and how do you manage to be in Australia and Nevada at the same time?!?

      by Turtle Bay on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 10:50:39 AM PDT

      •  Diary

        I have been keeping a diary on my diary pages about how I have come from Sydney, Australia to Las Vegas, Nevada to work on the campaign.  So you can go to my diary pages.  I try to update them every day.

        by Norwegian Chef on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 11:05:59 AM PDT

        •  Cool...

          ...thanks - I never even checked those pages out, thought since I didnt do anything with mine, neither did anyone else...

          by Turtle Bay on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 11:12:09 AM PDT

    •  yeah baby YEAH

      YES, it IS an Austin Powers thang! And apparently you just got some.

      If you get a lot of high ratings for your comments, you get privileges that the less witty or more offensive, or trolls with low rating don't get. If something is offensive, you can rate it a zero and it will go away into hidden commments land, but only if you have enough mojo and hence trusted user status.

      Somebody got a link of the discussions we've had for our Aussie friend? I'm too lazy....

      by Hollywood Liberal on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 10:53:51 AM PDT

    •  MoJo

      MoJo is sexual juice.  Muddy Waters gives the best example I can think of;  "I got my mojo workin' but it just don't work on you."  Or as I'd put it:  "I got my mojo workin' but it just don't work on lutefisk."  Uf da!

      by kaleidescope on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 11:19:55 AM PDT

      •  Mojo

        Mojo is pidgin English for "magic."  It's been around as a phrase for years...it started to emerge into the pop culture with blues music.  Mojo was taken by some in the '60s as synonym for drugs and for others as sex juice.  But to African Americans of the antebellum South, it's MAGIC!

        by CrazyHorse on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 11:40:25 AM PDT

      •  Mojo - Slight correction

        Although the above definition is correct in these times, the pre-Austin Powers meanings (and the one used by Muddy Waters in his great song from the 1950s) are more like these

        1. A magic charm or spell.
           
        2. An amulet, often a small flannel bag containing one or more magic items, worn by adherents of hoodoo or voodoo.
           
        3. Personal magnetism; charm.

        Lots of modern definitions here.

        by meander on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 11:49:57 AM PDT

      •  I though it was a

        reference to Mother Jones magazine! MoJo.  Since that zine is a journalistiic pearl, I thought it was the highest form of a compliment.
        I had no idea it was about sex.
        

        by Jean on Fri Oct 15, 2004 at 03:42:09 AM PDT

    •  History of Mojo in this context, as I know it

      The software that runs Daily Kos is based on something called Scoop, which was originally written for use in the tech/culture blog Kuro5hin. Scoop has a lot of the same functionality as (and to some degree was inspired by) Slash, which is the software written to run a competing tech/culture blog, Slashdot.

      When people get upmodded on sites based on Slash, they receive "karma", which is fairly self-explanatory. The better your posts, the better your karma. When the authors of Scoop implemented their ratings system, they wanted something similar to karma, but they didn't want to copy the name. Hence, Mojo, which as stated in other posts was originally a word meaning roughly "magic".

      by Field Marshall Stack on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 01:38:53 PM PDT

      •  Nice explanation...

        ...but I simply can't think of Slashdot as a "competing" blog... The frame of reference is simply too different -- as is the culture. I look at slashdot when I want to look at things as a technogeek (and yes, I am a technogeek) and I look at Kos when I need input on what is happening with the fate of this nation. Guess which site I am on every night. Guess which one I can't remember the last time I visited... I guess I'll just have to start to pick up on the latest Linux-centric news again after November 2nd...

        by drybones on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 09:20:01 PM PDT

        •  read it again

          He meant Slashdot as a competitor to Kuro5hin, not Kos.  Kos is based on the same base software as Kuro5hin.

          by muji on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 10:22:13 PM PDT

      •  Mojo--The Cyberspace Roots

        Another piece of the mosaic is that Mojo comes from the Vodun tradition, which traces back to the Yoruba. Their divine beings, the Orishas, were used by William Gibson in his earliest imaginings of cyberspace--a term he coined circa 1980.  So, one could say that Mojo is indigenous to cyberspace, not just to Scoop.

        by Paul Rosenberg on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 11:31:31 PM PDT

    •  Mojo -- going back to the roots...

      Refers to a 'medicine bag' or charm, worn around the neck that gives the wearer power or protection.

      I think it derives from Voodoo religious practices rooted in Haiti and the american south.  Often referred to in old blues songs, ala Muddy Waters--'Got My Mojo Workin'.

      Good mojo is a good thing to have!

      by Malixe on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 08:31:16 PM PDT

•  excellent

  This is great. Thanks for the update. I know they still need more lawyers and volunteers, so spread the word, people!

  by Hollywood Liberal on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 10:34:19 AM PDT

•  not showing up

  Geez, how many recommendations does it take, these days??

  by Hollywood Liberal on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 10:36:34 AM PDT

  •  A lot, apparently

    It seems too many Kossacks care more about Mary Cheney and Bush's drooping face than the issue that will actually decide whether or not we win this election.

    by eugene on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 10:38:38 AM PDT

  •  It's up now

    Took 24 recommendations to do it.

    by eugene on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 10:44:24 AM PDT

•  Nevada Is Small Among the Swing States

  But that also means that the electoral vote to popular vote ratio is smaller, which is another way of saying that arguably -- given its size and current closeness --  each individual vote in Nevada counts for more than in any other state.

  Perhaps Kossacks in California with nothing else to do should take a trip next door and see if they can help defend the voting rights of Silver Staters!

  by GreenSooner on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 10:44:53 AM PDT

  •  HUGE opportunity in NV...

    ...pop growth renders all polls meaningless - but even the polls, which should slant against us, show a dead heat.  Nevada would be a very big prize, and this kind of story could be just the thing to deliver it to us.

    by Turtle Bay on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 10:47:32 AM PDT

    •  Hundreds of us have been going every weekend.

      Especially from the Bay Area to Reno, and now that it isn't 90+ degrees, it's a lot easier. Here's a good site for info.

      http://eastbay4kerry.com/

      DMt
      

      by DMtShooter on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 11:51:10 AM PDT

  •  ACTUALLY, over 300 So Cal folks are going to

    Nevada this weekend.  And I'm sure Northern CA folks will be there as well!

    by CalDoc on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 02:34:34 PM PDT

•  Reminder

  Hey, travelling Kossacks going to swing states - don't forget to apply for your absentee ballot if you haven't already...

  by Hollywood Liberal on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 10:58:25 AM PDT

  •  And Double Check on That Application

    As I've already posted a couple times, I'm one of three OK voters I know who are currently in NC this fall, and, mysteriously, all three of our applications were lost the first time through (they were sent in separately).  Luckily, we each discovered this, reapplied, and now seem to be ok.

    So if you have applied, but have yet to receive your ballot, call your board of elections today and make sure that it's gone through!

    by GreenSooner on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 11:11:41 AM PDT

    •  I know

      I verbally requested an AZ absentee ballot almost two weeks ago, didn't receive it, called again and they said there was no record of the initial request.

      In the last 15 years I have voted in CA, WA, & TX with no problems whatsoever...getting registered in AZ and waiting for my absentee ballot has been like pulling teeth.

      And I'm a white guy!

      by Zach in Phoenix on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 11:38:36 AM PDT

      •  From an insider

        though not Arizonan, I know that this kind of thing can happen in good faith too.

        One thing that many new registrants can do is to go on-line to verify that their registration has been received and processed.  For instance, Chicago voters can go to www.chicagoelections.com (go to the Services link) and suburban Cook County (IL) voters can go to www.voterinfonet.com.

        You plug your last name and address into the site, and it tells you everyone with that last name who is registered there.

        As far as absentee ballots, you probably just have to keep after them.  In many places, you can vote absentee in-person by going to your village hall or election office

        by ne plus ultra on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 01:13:45 PM PDT

        •  I would tend to agree

          The "white guy" comment was meant as a joke.

          Having said that, the State of Arizona does have a certain reputation among local Dems that I wasn't aware of until I moved here.

          by Zach in Phoenix on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 01:29:20 PM PDT

        •  Voting early at City Hall

          That's how I plan to do it. I am going down there next week and personally filling out my ballot and handing it to one of the clerks at the elections department. I don't trust our mail system to deliver in the time available. I want my vote to count.

          And then I am off to Ohio to help all those good American citizens to vote in a President who understands the meaning of the word INTEGRITY!

          by Vitarai on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 04:03:58 PM PDT

•  Wisconsin crap too

  Has this one been noted somewhere?

  After receiving only 679,000 ballots -- less than the city was given in 2000
  and 2002 -- Milwaukee's mayor, expecting major turnout in this election,
  asked the County Executive for more ballots. "No way," said the county,
  telling the Associated Press that election-fraud "'chaos' could occur at
  understaffed polling places where voters could grab ballots."

  There's strength in numbers - join me and sign the petition now! We need to
  put pressure on Scott Walker to give Milwaukee the ballots they need.

  http://www.pfaw.org/go/letmilwaukeevote

  
  

  by Hollywood Liberal on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 11:29:11 AM PDT

  •  Thanks

    I signed.

    We ALL need to sign.

    This and every other call to protect voters' rights.

    I am I and you are you, and we are both each other too -- Clair Huffaker

    by xysrl on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 11:50:29 AM PDT

    •  THIS SHOULD BE A RECOMMENDED DIARY BY

      itself, don't you think?  Every bit of voter intimidation or fraud should be highlighted, so we can take action??

      It's only a few more weeks, Yes?

      by CalDoc on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 02:37:08 PM PDT

•  It seems to me...

  ...that unless they know who all the ripped-up Democrats are, the only workable legal solution to problem #1 is to allow registrations on election day at the polling place. Otherwise, how will EVERYONE find out what happened? Remember, this isn't a crime against the Democratic Party, it's a crime against the registrants. Every single one of them needs to be given as much time and publicity as possible to find out that they are not registered and how to go about rectifying the situation --- not to mention to figure out where their voting station is.

  by Doug in SF on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 11:35:57 AM PDT

  •  Or a super-expensive ad campaign...

    ...in all mass media in NV, paid for by the RNC, explaining what happened and telling people where/how to register pursuant to court order.  The judge who is hearing the case NorwegianChef talks about in the main post will be making all these key decisions.  We're just speculating.

    But lemme put on my lawyer hat...wait, I am a lawyer...ewwww...well, anyway, my bet is that any judge, in any state, is going to see it as imperative to rectify the situation.  There's 19 days, not 3 or 2, so practically speaking, it can be done.  But then, I thought they couldnt possibly stop them from counting votes in Florida.

    by Turtle Bay on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 11:41:43 AM PDT

•  I called 877-WE-VOTE-2...

  and volunteered.  My first pro bono client- Democracy!  
  I'm also forwarding this diary to all my law school classmates.  If you are a lawyer, call and volunteer.  Or, if you know a lawyer (like the one you give all your money to ;-p!)- send them this link and ask them to come to the aid of their country and the rule of law as required by the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 6.1.

  by Myrkury on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 12:00:01 PM PDT

  •  Is there a web site?

    by CalDoc on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 02:38:54 PM PDT

•  thanks

  for your very informative and clear reporting, and for your work, and the work of the NV Democratic Party.

  Voting rights are near and dear to my heart, as I spent a lot of time registering voters here in Canada. While we were all strongly democratic, we were very conscientious about both appearing and being non-partisan in our efforts.

  by LisainVan on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 12:00:51 PM PDT

•  Election Poll Officer Volunteer in CA

  Given the concern on this topic I'm wondering how I should treat any perceived voting irregularities while serving my duty as election poll officer.  I haven't gone through training yet to know yet what is or is not permitted as far as informing any citizen of their voting rights if they feel they are being violated.  I have made a note of the Voter Rights hotline number listed above.  I live in a precint in California that has the electronic voting machine so there are obvious concerns on that issue.  I don't know the current legal status of decisions made by the State of California regarding their accuracy and validity.

  Any advice from you folks here on Kos?

  by blue drop on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 12:08:01 PM PDT

  •  HAVA

    You need to find out about HAVA regulations in California

    HAVA California

    Read up, and especially get to know what to do in case of a challenge, what your rights are as far as challenging, and most importantly, about provisional ballots.

    I haven't looked over everything, but there might be e-voting info too. My understanding is that for e-voting it is required in CA that people have an option to vote by Optiscan if they are not comfortable with e-voting.

    Thanks for your commitment to be informed.

    by Hollywood Liberal on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 12:16:56 PM PDT

    •  none

      Thanks HL, will look at link and do some Google searching.  Provisional ballots was another question of mine.

      by blue drop on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 12:46:37 PM PDT

•  story on MSNBC

  Voter suppression is the headline story for the 3:00 hour -- starting with interviews from Detroit (and including Pappageorge quote); according to reporter Chip Reid, "what's new this year is the intensity of these charges across the country" --including SD, NM, Fla, but "Repubs say this is a myth without much support -- just a Dem GOTV effort." and of course, Pappageorge tries to explain away his quote.

  Reid: "We didn't come up with a clear yes or no." According to Election Law Expert Ken Gross, "the truth lies somewhere in between, but it's an insidious thing." Subtle things CAN scare people, and it CAN be intentional -- but Reid is clearly skeptical of this paradigm.  Gross points out that with all the new voter registrations, it's not so unlikely that little things would affect them -- but then finishes by noting that the suppression story can also be a tool for GOTV.

  "On the one hand" journalism at its finest!! Time to go back to the SCLM and point out the lawsuits, etc....

  by Silverleaf on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 12:08:16 PM PDT

  •  CNN Headline news this afternoon had Oregon and

    NV registrars on to talk about the problems and that they don't know what's going to happen regarding the law suits, etc...

    by CalDoc on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 02:40:11 PM PDT

  •  It's a myth

    Just like that projected budget surplus.

    by AdmiralNaismith on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 08:41:13 PM PDT

•  Why do they hate America?

  Seriously, we should be putting this question out there.

  People who love our democracy don't pull dirty tricks like these.

  People who love our freedoms don't pull dirty tricks like this.

  People who pull dirty tricks like this have no faith in democracy. They don't trust their neighbors and fellow citizens to make the right choice.  Or worse yet, they do have that trust, and they know that the only way their side will win is by breaking the law.

  Why do they hate America?
  

  by Compassionate Conservationist on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 12:31:40 PM PDT

•  Californians in Nevada

  I volunteered to be dem precinct captain in my CA neighborhood.  I was sort of excited to spend election day running around getting my Kerry supporters to the polls.  But last night I got a call from the local dem party.  CA is a safe state.  They are asking all available volunteers to go to Nevada to GOTV there.  Sounds very organized.  Any Californians who are available and interested:  contact your local dem party or ACT to get marching orders.

  by mcgrayc on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 12:42:10 PM PDT

  •  Or ElectionProtection.org.

    by CalDoc on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 02:40:46 PM PDT

  •  Early Voting weekends in NV

    Because NV has Early Voting, ACT Nevada is organizing large pushes on each weekend in October to get Democrats to the Early Voting polls, and again on Election Day.

    It took me four hours to get to Las Vegas from Orange County (Irvine).  The drive was easy.  Hotel rooms are cheap.  Same deal from SF to Reno.  I've taken a week's vacation.

    I got to watch the third debate in a roomfull of committed Democratic activists, and then go phonebank to registered Nevada Democrats about volunteering.  It was great.

    Please come help, especially on Oct. 23rd.

    http://nevada.actforvictory.org/
    702.382.4541 Las Vegas
    775.337.2555 Reno

    by joeKelley on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 07:35:47 PM PDT

•  Three Levels

  Partisan voter registration efforts always discriminate between parties, but there are different ways of doing it:

  1. Location or message: Registering voters in blue or red areas will produce a bias, as will choosing more specific locals (liberal university, rural county fair).  Nothing wrong with this, so long as you accept from each side.

  2. Only accepting registrations from one side:  This is problematic, and is illegal in some states.  It can also be quite dishonest if a group presents itself as a non-partisan polling or registration group to gain access and then only take registrations from one side.  This was done by Sproul groups in some areas, where they would pose as a non-partisan poll group and then register anyone that said they were a Republican.  Organizations/individuals only paid for registrations from one party have an incentive to do this, but it is somewhat difficult to pull off if anyone is watching.

  3. Accepting multiple registrations from individual voters for a given party:  This is actually mainly a form of fraud participated in by low level participants paid by the partisan registration - if you are paid $5 per head, counting a head multiple times gets you more money (and sometimes the workers registered themselves a bunch of times, presumably for the money.)  I suspect that most of this stuff gets caught by the state.  I would not give money to ACORN right now, not because I think they encouraged this (its not an effective way to actually influence the election anyway) but because it is a waste of money that should be going to getting real voters to the polls.  Not likely to be organizationally attempted, because its stupid and useless, the workers who do it should get prosecuted for fraud.

  4. Accepting all applicants, and ripping up one party:  This is certainly the scummiest.  Its the least transparent, as most folks will likely just assume their registration was lost and even if they don't will have a hard time tracking down who did it.  It does more than register one side only, it actively disenfranchises individuals, which is a sin that should be considered one of the most undemocratic crimes around.  The folks who participate (the managers ripping up the applications, the organization running it) should get sued for fraud, people need to go to jail.  The RNC who sponsored this needs to have a injunctions before the election and a massive lawsuit afterwards.

  The vote is the one of the most precious, most valuable things we as citizens have: without it, the rest of the rights we enjoy will go away.  All of our ancestors fought for this right, and have given us this inheritance, but there are always those who will try to take it away.  It doesn't matter if these folks are doing it for profit or out of true belief:  To disenfrachise someone who disagrees with you is wrong, and we have to stop it.

  Sometimes we talk here about being able to fight the republicans on their level, to fight them in the gutters where they dwell.  As far as most of it goes, I am completely willing; its distasteful, but you don't bring a knife to a gun fight.  On the other hand, there are some places we shouldn't go, and this is one of them.  Its good to have a few things like this to remind us of how powerful the differences are between us and the Sprouls, DeLays, and Bushes of the world.

  by Fides on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 12:54:41 PM PDT

  •  Make them pay

    for expensive TV commercials and billboards telling people to double check their registration and why. Make them use up their money on this instead of their candidates.

    by Jean on Fri Oct 15, 2004 at 03:49:30 AM PDT

•  State officials allowing instant registration???

  I heard that because of the voting fraud that these Republican goons perpetrated, some of the state officials (dunno which state) have had to announce that anyone who thinks they might have had their registration trashed will be allowed to vote even if their registration isn't in the system.  

  Of course there's no way to prove or disprove that they ever tried to register in the first place, so essentially it becomes an instant registration system.

  again, this is not confirmed yet, if someone can find out, I think it could be BIG.

  by racerx on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 12:56:48 PM PDT

  •  show up at the polls and vote?

    The unintended consequence of which would be enabling folks to vote as many times as they had IDs (doubt ye not that a Sproul-type operator would be happy to provide them). Once the ballot is in the system it is anonymous. There is no recalling it.

    What are the safeguards?

    by half on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 02:25:51 PM PDT

    •  safeguards

      Safeguards could involve some form of provisional ballot, to be counted only after verification of the voter's identity and qualification to vote. This is exactly the kind of safeguard whose use Kenneth Blackwell is trying to restrict in Ohio.
      

      by MGK on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 02:49:11 PM PDT

  •  Same-day registration

    I'm pretty sure this is already the law in some states.  This was mentioned the other day in another thread, but I don't have a link.

    by Geheimbundler on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 03:25:21 PM PDT

    •  Provisional Ballots

      It was implemented by the Help America Vote Act (HAVA)

      Download PDF here.

      by Hollywood Liberal on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 05:28:21 PM PDT

    •  More on provisional ballots

      
      

      While problems with voting machines grabbed the national spotlight in the aftermath of that
      historic election, flaws in voter registration systems were just as severe. Accordingly, when Congress passed the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA), it included a requirement to protect these voters. Under the new law, voters whose eligibility is in doubt on Election Day - voters whose names are not on the registration
      rolls or whose eligibility has been questioned - will be allowed to cast a provisional ballot that will be counted once election officials determine the voter is eligible.

      
      

      by Hollywood Liberal on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 06:08:10 PM PDT

•  Instant/on-site registration

  IMHO this is the high-road short term (until Election Day) solution.  After we win, We have hold the entire RNC's feet to the fire over this.

  by ScrewySquirrel on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 01:22:17 PM PDT

•  "Canvassing Neighborhoods" ad phrasing

  Got a question.. I know I've seen that particular ad in the local want-ads here in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (The phrasing stuck in my mind.) I've seen mention that Sproul was doing things in Michigan too. Were different companies working with the RNC (including Sproul's) using the same phrases in their ads across the country, or does it mean that Sproul was operating in our area?

  by lpackard on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 01:46:21 PM PDT

  •  We had hired companies or individuals, too.

    I wonder if our folks were vetted?

    by CalDoc on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 02:42:22 PM PDT

•  Suit to Extend Deadline?

  Can this be used as grounds to petition a court to extend the registration deadline?

  by lysias on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 02:16:59 PM PDT

•  Please note that Sproul's organization was active

  ... in at least five other states (that we know of, to date):
  

  • Missouri
    
  • West Virginia
    
  • Ohio
    
  • Oregon
    
  • Pennsylvania

  His MO appears to be the same in each state -- either not registering/refusing to register Dems, or discarding/destroying Dem registrations.  

  In addition, his people consistently and fraudulently misled recruits, officials of the properties on which they registered voters, and voters, themselves, on the true identity of their organization, by using the name of a legitimate GOTV organization, America Votes.

  We still need to contact more people in other states who either:
  A) worked for Voters Outreach, or
  B) had contact with Voters Outreach personnel.

  Libraries seemed to be common registration ground for this company.  So libraries in these states may be a good place to start.

  In addition, Sproul & Associates and Voters Outreach hired registrars through Kelly Services, one of the country's largest temp agencies.

  Does anyone have any contacts at Kelly?  Can we find out in which states they were hired by Sproul & Associates to find workers for Voters Outreach?  Did Sproul tell Kelly that the name of his organization was Voters Outreach or was Kelly led to believe that they were hiring people for America Votes?

  We need to dig this stuff up so we can present evidence of a broader effort that reached well beyond Nevada and Oregon.

  And then we tie it all back to the RNC who funded the whole thing.

  Sweet.

  by Bob Johnson on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 02:21:29 PM PDT

  •  And add Michigan to that list

    Sproul & Associates and Voters Outreach were active in Michigan, too.

    Anyone have any contact with these folks at libraries or shopping malls there?

    by Bob Johnson on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 02:26:26 PM PDT

    •  God. Excuse me, while I go bang my head against

      the wall for a couple of minutes!

      by CalDoc on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 02:43:25 PM PDT

•  fl and mi

  i captured screen shots from careerbuilder for

  pensacola and miami fl
  contract company name penmac
  same ad with rnc mentioned

  sent email to corrine brown

  also springfield mi page

  by demnomore on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 03:34:40 PM PDT

  •  Penmac

    The only Penmac company I could find on the web is the one right here in Springfield, MO. Can you tell me anything more about this ad?

    by gp39m on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 07:05:57 PM PDT

•  Great Diary

  Excellent reporting, NorwegianChef, and Kudos to you for breaking this and latching on to it like you have.

  Kudos to Bob Johnson and the many others who are all over these issues as well.

  And MORE Kudos for going to Nevada from Australia - me and my peeps here in Tokyo are going to Tampa Bay with our self-created organization Sunshine and Alligators...check us out!

  Finally, there is a great wiki page being created over at the dkosopedia, The Voter Fraud Clearinghouse.

  Y'all ought to take some time, peruse the page and the state-by-state breakdown of the various stories and cases. Add anything missing, use anything you need and HAMMER this story right back down the GOP throats...

  Cheers...and recommended!

  by RedDan on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 06:31:19 PM PDT

•  Change through *voting*?

  People must turn their anger into votes. You cannot allow people who are trying to take away your right to vote to win.  Your vote takes away their power.

  
  Why do I find this mildly amusing given what you just described as actively happening, namely disenfranchisement? How will voting have any effect whatsoever if you are prevented from being able to vote in the first place, or if your vote is tampered with or otherwise dishonestly manipulated?
  

  I have the strong suspicion that the GOP is going to hijack this election, worse even than the previous presidential election, and that we will, again and for various reasons, passively tolerate it.

  by JamesC on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 06:39:42 PM PDT

  •  Last time,

    people were surprised, shocked, and frozen in astonishment at what had happened.

    By the time they got around to getting BOTH angry and organized, it was too late, the Gore campaign had capitulated and/or fallen into the neat trap laid for them by the Baker/Cheney crowd, and we watched in dumbfounded fascination and fear as our nation's democracy was hijacked.

    THIS time, the stories are out early, the campaign is organizing a nationwide Lawyer/ACLU/Activist/Enforcement/Political effort directly targeted at the voting issue.

    THIS time, there are literally hundreds of thousands, possibly into the millions, of people directly involved in the Registration, GOTV, and Protect the Vote effort.

    THIS time, there is the potential for literally thousands of individuals to show up at the polls, having thought they registered, only to find that their registration was stolen and destroyed by a NOW KNOWN GOP dirty trick operation.

    I smell blood.

    by RedDan on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 07:20:26 PM PDT

  •  and you?

    Have you volunteered yet to be an Election Protection Volunteer?

    by Hollywood Liberal on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 07:31:46 PM PDT

•  RNC voter fraud efforts may have been incompetent

  It's time to pause, see what information we have about the efforts of Sproul/Voter Outreach of America, assemble it into a coherent narrative, and try to decide if these efforts might taint the election.

  There's clearly a lot still left to be discovered about just exactly what the Republican party and Nathan Sproul have been up to, but it is important we consider the very real possibility that Nathan Sproul is not a very competent political operative who may have utterly failed to register very many Republicans, not faked that many Democratic registrations and was possibly a huge waste of GOP money.

  Key example: In Clark County, Nevada, a.k.a. Las Vegas, one of the fastest growing counties in the nation, there were as many as 150,000 new voters  registered this year. That's the highest rate of new registrations of any county in the United States. Yet, according to Larry Lomax, the Clark County Registrar, Nathan Sproul's 'army' of temp agency personnel barely managed to register 2,400 people. Fewer than 2,000 of those were registered as Republicans.

  In comparison, an arm of the NAACP (part of America Coming Together) registered 17,000 voters in Clark County.

  Gathering available evidence, I did some back-of-the-envelope calculations that lead me to think we may find that Nathan Sproul's efforts may have been so incompetent as to amount to nothing. On my blog, I've just written up why the RNC may have bought a pig in a poke when it hired Nathan Sproul, but I wanted to place this caveat here, where so much excellent work to expose the fraud has been done. I welcome alternative suggestions and theories, as well as added hard data on just how many registrations Sproul may have affected.

  The RNC-Nathan Sproul voter registration scandal is a fascinating story, but let's also try to find out whether it has the potential to affect the outcome of the election.

  We might also consider a competing narrative: These efforts weren't really meant to make much of an actual difference in the outcome, but simply to sow just enough chaos in key swing states on election day to throw a close election into doubt. Republicans have been complaining about the potential of fraud so much -- Bush has raised this concern himself -- that it is obviously part of their game plan.

  They're laying the groundwork to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. We need to be prepared so that when we win on Election Day, and the Republicans throw everything and the kitchen sink at us, we're prepared to beat them at that game too. Let's be ready for when we win.

  by johnmccrory on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 07:37:39 PM PDT

  •  I agree that it is incompetent

    if the intention was just to register more Republicans,
    but the appearance of ruthless and unbeatable sophistication does add to the sense of self- disenfranchisement which helps to keep voters (Democrats!) from the polling booths.

    by jeno mules on Fri Oct 15, 2004 at 03:48:18 AM PDT

  •  speaking of strategic confusion ...

    I found this relatively old link at TAPPED.

    Apparently the renowned Theresa LePore conducted a test run of the voting systems and they crashed. Were that to happen on election day, it would create chaos, contention, delay, and a national uproar.

    This raises the question, what would it take to throw the decision of the outcome of the election to the Florida Legislature? I think we heard some of the high- and noble-purposed arguments for doing that in 2000.

    Being able to crash the system at will should not be that difficult to program, and might even be a selling point,-- to the right people, of course.

    This is tangential to this thread, and pure speculation, but something to keep in mind. They do need Florida.

    by half on Fri Oct 15, 2004 at 10:31:32 AM PDT

•  Las Vegas Sun article

  October 14, 2004 Las Vegas Sun article concerning the registration problems:

  The state Democratic Party filed a lawsuit late Wednesday charging that an untold number of Democrats will lose their right to vote Nov. 2 because a Republican-funded group destroyed their registration forms.

  The lawsuit asks that Clark County Registrar Larry Lomax allow Democrats to register to vote beyond the deadline that passed Tuesday if they say they filled out voter registration forms that have since disappeared.

  The Republican National Committee has paid Voters Outreach about $488,959 to register voters in several states, according to the lawsuit filed by the Democratic Party.  

  Nevada law considers it a gross misdemeanor to "impede or prevent, by abduction, duress or fraudulent contrivance, the free exercise of the franchise by any voter."

  Perrah-Lewis said the woman who trained her from Voters Outreach made it clear from the beginning that the company didn't want Democratic registration forms.
  "She said repeatedly the Republican Party is not going to pay you if you don't bring in Republican registrations," Perrah-Lewis said.

  (see original article for full story)
  

  by greatbasin2 on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 10:46:55 PM PDT

•  Addendum from Harry Reid's e-mail

  Those on the Sen. Harry Reid mailing list received this tonight:

  "Recent efforts to suppress Democratic votes has raised concern among Nevada voters that their most basic right as an American, the right to vote, is being violated. The Nevada State Democratic Party has created the Voter Rights Project. The VRP is designed to ensure that every Nevada citizen is able to exercise their right to vote.
  If you or someone you know feel that you are a victim of voter fraud and/or intimidation, please call the Voter Rights Project hotline at 1-877-WE-VOTE-2. For more information regarding the Voter Rights Project please (link)"

  Let people in Las Vegas know that they can contact this phone number for assistance.
  

  by greatbasin2 on Thu Oct 14, 2004 at 11:00:59 PM PDT

•  Forgive me

  If someone has already posted on this but I am at work w/out a lot of time to read all the posts.

  Krugman came through this morning - HURRAY!!

  http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/15/opinion/15krugman.html?oref=login

  -Cat

  by Catriana on Fri Oct 15, 2004 at 05:07:19 AM PDT

  •  Judge Rules for Democrats in Dispute...

    http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/15/politics/campaign/15vote.html

    - "There are a couple of isolated allegations that we're taking very seriously and looking at, Mr. Sproul said, but they're by far the minority of incidents."

    Sounds like the few bad apples arguement coming up again.

    by parulb on Fri Oct 15, 2004 at 05:58:42 AM PDT

•  Notable Article in Reno Gazette Journal

  Article here.  It's from yesterday.

  Weak, "balanced" story.  The Washoe County Registrar is a Republican I read this elsewhere.  It is not noted in the article, but you can tell it by his statements!

  But some interesting information.

  The Arizona-based company has been accused of turning in fraudulent forms in Washoe County, refusing to register anyone but Republicans and encouraging people to leave the party-affiliation space blank on the forms they filled out.

  Washoe County Registrar Dan Burk said Wednesday he has turned over the fraudulent forms and a report on the complaints he received to the Nevada Division of Investigation.

  Fraudulent forms?  How were they identified?
  

  by MediaRevolution on Fri Oct 15, 2004 at 05:09:42 AM PDT

•  In future...

  
  We need to push for same day voter registration.   We have provisional voting here.  If we can do provisional voting, we can do same day voter registration, or allow them to vote provisionally.

  by DFWmom on Fri Oct 15, 2004 at 08:09:54 AM PDT