I just received this from Congressman Wexler:
"In Florida, my home state, the Republican led Supervisor of Elections is aggressively applying a new law designed to limit voter fraud by summarily deleting voters who might have – as part of a clerical error – a different driver's license or social security number than was put in the database."
The Repugs will never give up their efforts, so neither should we. And it's not just happening in Florida.
More over the flop.
The full email:
I saw it with my own eyes: The Bush and GOP machine stole the 2000 election and the presidency in Florida (not to mention Ohio in 2004) and the results have been catastrophic for our nation and the world.
Don't take my word for it - read the dissent of Supreme Court Justices Stevens, Breyer and Ginsberg in the absurd legal decision of Bush v. Gore: "Although we may never know with complete certainty the identity of the winner of this year's Presidential election, the identity of the loser is perfectly clear. It is the Nation's confidence in the judge as an impartial guardian of the rule of law."
Back in 2000, in Florida, I witnessed the votes of World War II veterans thrown away and GOP thugs bully the Miami Dade elections office into stopping a recount. I swore to myself that never again would the votes of Americans be thrown away and replaced by the votes of appointed judges. Following the 2000 election, I spent 7 years fighting to remove the DIEBOLD electronic machines from Florida and to install a voter verified paper trail which we accomplished last year.
I have bad news: They are trying again to silence our votes.
Most people associate the 2000 election with paper "chads" and the Supreme Court's tragic decision. Yet the voter suppression in 2000 went way beyond not counting votes – from illegal roadblocks near minority precincts to the complete purging of legitimate voters from the rolls through what is called "voter caging "– the practice of using databases to improperly delete voters.
Now, we are seeing signs of voter caging again in both Michigan and Florida.
In Michigan, the state is using a list of foreclosures to purge voters (many of which are still legitimate voters in their districts).
In Florida, my home state, the Republican led Supervisor of Elections is aggressively applying a new law designed to limit voter fraud by summarily deleting voters who might have – as part of a clerical error – a different driver's license or social security number than was put in the database.
If legitimate, legal voters are denied access to the voting booth – we risk a repeat of 2000, in multiple states.
We must remain vigilant, not just in defense of our economy, but in defense of our rights as Americans.
I am working with my colleagues in Congress to call attention to this matter, but I encourage you to contact your state elections supervisor and demand that they allow every person who claims to be a legitimate voter to submit a provisional ballot.
There is a system in every state to deal with provisional ballots – to verify their legitimacy after the fact.
Voter caging is a threat to our (already challenged) democratic principals. Please join me and pass this email along to spread the word.
If you have not already signed up at www.wexlerforcongress.com, and would like to be on this list, please sign up today.
Sincerely,
Congressman Robert Wexler
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The issue is more important than that detail. And it is far more widespread than just Florida.
More from a recent Alternet article:
According to a New York Times report on Oct. 9, key swing states -- including Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana and Missouri -- have been using federal Social Security data to verify voter registration information from established and potential voters...Of 7.7 million inquiries by states to the Social Security Administration to verify voter applications in 2008, nearly 2.4 million resulted in "non matches," according to the agency, which Monday issued a statement urging election officials in six states -- Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Nevada, North Carolina and Ohio -- to "review their procedures."
This past summer, AlterNet reported that Michigan, Kansas and Louisiana were using drivers' license databases in a similar manner to purge voters.
If you or anyone you know lives in any of these states--Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Missouri, Michigan, Kansas, Louisiana or Florida--you should urge them to check their voter registration online before going to vote.
Here is a link: http://www.canivote.org/
Or call your county election office.
And then vote!
This is a public service message approved by me, for all of you not in Oregon. In my currently beautiful state of Oregon, we all just received our mail-in ballots this week. We have a couple weeks to go over them and get them in.
Mine won't take that long!
GO OBAMA AND MERKLEY!