Many of us know about Rush Limbaugh's Operation Chaos. It's not clear how many Republicans crossed over to vote in Democratic primaries. I saw operation Chaos in action as I served as a poll watcher here in Indiana, and wrote a diary about that on May 6, 2008.
Crossing to vote is legal in Indiana, but there'a huge IF involved. Follow me below the fold to see that IF, and how I'm using it to try to suppress Republican turnout.
We're all familiar with the concept of "values voters." As a progressive Christian, I reject the conflation of "values voters" with a right wing religious and political stance.
However, where I live, in Goshen, IN, many right wing Republicans identify as values voters.
I intend to use that identification to keep as many Republicans as possible from voting.
According to Indiana law, a voter may request any party's ballot in the primary if they have voted for a majority of that party's candidates in the past, or if they intend to vote for a majority of that party's candidates in the general election.
I don't think many Republicans in my area know that. I wrote the letter reproduced below to remind them of that fact. I've sent it to a number of newspapers in my area.
I would recommend that all Indiana Kossacks consider sending some form of this letter to their local papers. In a tight election, putting some sense of moral confusion in the minds of some of these Republican voters is worth a try.
__________
To the Editor:
All ethical voters – Republicans and Democrats alike – are concerned with the integrity of our elections, and are opposed to voter fraud. While much of the recent media coverage has focused on ACORN, and the irregularities in their registration efforts, Republican voters face their own ethical challenge in this election.
Many Indiana Republicans reportedly asked for Democratic ballots in the primary this spring. Some were inspired by Rush Limbaugh. Some voted to prolong the Democratic primary. Some voted because they were attracted to one of the Democratic candidates.
All these voters face a moral challenge on November 4.
According to Indiana State law (IC 3-10-6-6), a voter may vote for a particular party in the primary if they either voted for a majority of that party's candidates in the last election, or if they intend to vote for a majority of that party's candidates in the general election.
Therefore, any Republican who voted in the Democratic primary must, by law, vote for the majority of Democratic candidates in this general election, unless they voted for a majority of Democratic candidates in the previous general election.
In the primary, a cross-over voter can be successfully challenged unless they agree to swear, under penalty of perjury, that they intend to vote for that party in the general election.
As Republicans who voted Democratic in the primary head into the polls this fall, they need to remember that their God is watching their vote. Unless they want to commit voter fraud, they need to vote for a majority of the Democratic candidates in this election.