The Republicans are going to do EVERYTHING they can to make sure that as few people as possible are able to cast ballots for the November 4 election. Vote suppression is simply part of the plan. We have seen the McCain-Palin-FOX News-Wall Street Journal coordinated attack on ACORN for bogus claims of voter registration fraud. And now we have a Republican Lawyer, in front of an Indiana Court of Law, asking a judge to throw out thousands of LEGALLY CAST BALLOTS in the Democratic Stronghold of Lake County Indiana.
You heard me right.
On Monday, a Republican Lawyer, R. Lawrence Steele, argued in front of Lake County Superior Court Judge Diane Kavadias-Schneider that ballots cast in Lake County early voting be discarded:
When Kavadias-Schneider asked, "What of those who have already voted?" R. Lawrence Steele, a GOP lawyer, replied, "Maybe those votes should be discarded."
Why?
Possibly because Lake County in Northwest Indiana (Home to Gary, East Chicago and Hammond) is the part of the state with the highest concentration of African Americans, and
Gary posted a 91 percent vote for Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama in the May primary.
Although they allege the familiar refrain of concern about "vote fraud", it seems patently obvious why the GOP is seeking to suppress votes in Lake County....
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But here is the Rub:
Indiana has the MOST RESTRICTIVE PHOTO ID requirements in all the land to cast a ballot.
- A voter who desires to vote an official ballot at an election shall provide proof of identification
- Specific forms of ID are not listed. ID must be issued by the state of Indiana or the U.S. government and must show the name and photo of the individual.
- Voters who are unable or decline to produce proof of identification may vote a provisional ballot. The ballot is counted only if (1) the voter returns to the election board by noon on the Monday after the election and: (A) produces proof of identification; or (B) executes an affidavit stating that the voter cannot obtain proof of identification, because the voter: (i) is indigent; or (ii) has a religious objection to being photographed; and (2) the voter has not been challenged or required to vote a provisional ballot for any other reason.
That's right. NO PHOTO ID, NO VOTE.
You might recall the GOP defended Indiana's voter ID law up to the Supreme Court, and WON. You would think that this ballot security measure would satisfy Indiana Republicans who love to suppress votes. (Remember back in May when they gleefully prevented 10 old nuns without Photo ID from voting in the Democratic Primary.)
Well, No, it is not enough for the craven GOP. They will not rest until they have stolen legal votes. And make no mistake, ballots cast thus far in Lake County are LEGAL BALLOTS that have been cast with PHOTO ID.
If you ask me, Larry Steele and the rest of the GOP lawyers trying to steal votes in Northern Indiana and Across our Nation should be put in jail as the first cases of AUTHENTIC Vote Fraud.
UPDATE:
GOP GETS SQUASHED, early voting to continue.