As we ride a relatively optimistic wave to Election Day, fueled by reports of massive registration of new democrats this election year, its easy to forget the biggest hurdle is yet to be overcome, vote suppression.
The Wall Street Journal is reporting today that the GOP held a workshop this past weekend attended by a group of Republican lawyers. The topic ? Training for local operatives on how to comb thousands of new Democrat voter registrations and challenge their right to vote. Effectively, how to use every legal means possible to stop recently registered democrats from voting on election night.
Republicans said they are particularly worried about prospects for fraud in Virginia and Pennsylvania, and are beginning to comb thousands of new registrations in those states
However, while the GOP is using the smoke screen of election fraud to attempt to disenfranchise legitimate votes, the actual election officials in these States see things markedly differently :
Election officials in Virginia and other states say there is no evidence of widespread fraud so far. Numerous studies have found fraud and other voting irregularities in past elections to be infrequent and generally not prevalent enough to influence the outcomes of most contests.
To attempt to counter this initiative the Obama campaign has launched a voter defense initiative, including teams of Democrat leaning lawyers in each of the 50 states.
In a year that will likely see unprecedented turnout, we can't afford to let our guard down. The stakes could not be higher. This election has to be different.
However, considering how well the results were defended in 2000 and 2004 should cause us to pause and reflect on our ability to protect the vote.
In Pennsylvania, where improper registrations have been a problem in past elections (WSJ editorializing...), state officials say rolls have increased by about 230,000, to 8.4 million, since the 2006 midterm elections. Some observers believe the large increase could invite more potential for voter-fraud problems, said Lawrence Tabas, general counsel of the state Republican Party. "When you get so many new registrations like that at record numbers...it's very difficult for people to monitor the validity of it," he said.
The Republican secretary of state in Alabama has asked the Justice Department to investigate claims and monitor polling sites on Election Day
So legal challenges, plus police presence at polling stations to intimidate...oh how familiar this all sounds.
The St. Louis weekend training session, held annually by the National Republican Lawyers Association, featured a session on voter fraud and possible Republican responses. The panel included Sen. McCain's Election Day coordinator, Michael Roman, as well as Foley & Lardner lawyer Cleta Mitchell
Vote suppression is a reality in this country and a well used tactic by the GOP. Our best defense of course is a robust get out the vote campaign and education of voters. A voter turned away is a vote lost.
The use of caging lists to challenge valid voter addresses is a well known GOP tactic, sending registered mail to a registered voter and challenging the registration if they do not get a response.
In the ’02 election GOP officials tried to prevent democrats in Idaho from voting by paying telemarketers to call and jam DNC ride-to-the polls phone lines.
In the ’04 election there were numerous reports of voters receiving calls at home telling them their polling station location or hours had changed, causing many not to turn up at the right precinct to vote.
Our best defense :
• If registering new voters, check the information for accuracy to protect the voter from being disenfranchised
• Educate and inform voters of their rights, they should not go home without casting a ballot
• Find out from your local campaign office who should be contacted if there are allegations of interference with voters on election day
• Help get out the vote, organize before election day
• Pay attention at the polling station, report any inappropriate action by the GOP or police or election officials