Voter Suppression Wiki launches

On Thursday Jack and Jill Politics announced the launch of the Voter Suppression Wiki, complete with an intro video from Baratunde Thurston (who used to co-host Drinking Liberally with me):

   

The goal of the wiki is simple: to document and expose reported cases of voter suppression, whether they be targeted at veterans, students, folks on foreclosure lists, or otherwise.  The wiki also includes an action center to help activists get involved in preventing voter suppression.  Anyone can register and contribute to the wiki - in fact, I did just that Friday morning, adding a link to Pollworkers for Democracy to the action center page.

As a brief aside - I think Pollworkers for Democracy is an extraordinary idea.  But I wonder if there are other, similar activities which could supplement poll-working, would be less demanding than an all-day job, and still be useful in preventing voter abuse.  To take a simple example, what if every precinct had someone whose job it was to get in line exactly when the polls closed, and could somehow prove it?  In a precinct with long lines, that person could help ensure that everyone in front of him or her would get to vote - or testify in front of a judge, if it came to that.  This kind of job could even be done by a campaign's GOTV volunteers, since GOTV usually is over about 30 minutes or so before the polls close.

In any case, kudos to Jack and Jill, as well as others involved in helping set up the wiki, including Jon Pincus.  This is a great resource for pulling together all of the sundry voter suppression efforts going on across the country, and for helping activists fight back.



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Re: Voter Suppression Wiki launches (none / 0)

Giving more credence to the Republican stance than it is due, let us assume pure intentions.  We do not want people scamming the system. Certainly, if a house has been foreclosed there should not be someone listing that address on a voter registration card...unless they are now homeless and have no other address to list, or they are so caught up in the drama of having their home taken from them that they have not had a chance to deal with something so mundane as changing the address on their  voter registration card or their home has only very recently been taken from them.  Nonetheless, rules are rules and they must be followed. So, in the interest of law and order, all of these votes should be challenged.  

Of course there is another, more likely source of this sort of fraud.  That is rich folks who have more than one home, including those who do not know how many homes they own.  Certainly, if you own more than one house, especially if one is a vacation home, it would be easy to register in both places and double the voting power of your family.

So, I am confident that in the next couple of days we will be hearing from the Republican Party on the lists that they have collected of people who own multiple homes and are thus likely candidates for voter fraud.


by Hugh Stearns on Sat Sep 20, 2008 at 10:52:42 AM EST

Re: Voter Suppression Wiki launches (none / 0)

Right... and how much are you asking for that bridge in Alaska?

More seriously, as far as the foreclosure issue is concerned - why not deal with people who have lost their homes in the same way we "deal" with people who have recently moved?  In that case, usually what happens, is that you move, don't update your address, and the mistake is discovered at your new polling place.  Depending on the laws where you live, you then need to fill out a provisional ballot and/or re-register on the spot, and you're allowed to vote anyway.  Not a pretty procedure perhaps, but as long as voter registration is required (which seems sort of silly to me anyway,) that seems like a reasonable way to deal with people who have recently lost their homes, as well.


Strengthening the progressive movement through liberal entrepreneurship http://www.plantingliberally.org
by Shai Sachs on Sat Sep 20, 2008 at 11:35:41 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Voter Suppression Wiki launches (none / 0)

It's a good sign that in this election the extended Democratic team is fighting back quickly against the GOP vote suppression tactics. A lawsuit has already begun in Michigan against the planned GOP forclosure list voter challenges and by extension all their vote caging tactics will be exposed and put on trial. The "Election Protection" project has been reactivated for election day to monitor what's going on. Taking a position at the end of the line at the official 'last in line' time is a good idea. Having a time/date stamped photo taken likely would be sufficient proof. The offensive "interview" questions of the GOP Jewish group while not in themselves a "push poll" are obviously being tested for inclusion in one and having publicity now will help defuse that nasty tactic. And BTW, that one's home is in forclosure doesn't necessarily mean one no longer occupies the residence. It's terrific that we've "Got Hope" but also good that we're fighting to keep it.


by SuznAZ on Sat Sep 20, 2008 at 11:44:07 AM EST

Best Advice: VOTE EARLY (none / 0)

Seriously. Any and all sites that are promoting fair voting practices should list the states where early voting is permitted. Want to obviate even the remote possibility of being challenged at a poll: VOTE NOW!


by Bob Miller on Sat Sep 20, 2008 at 02:24:14 PM EST

Re: Voter Suppression Wiki launches (none / 0)

It's not enough to document all of the voter suppression tactics -- we also need to take action! On the Progressive Future website, you can sign a petition to the chairs of both parties in every state telling them that they should be doing everything they can to protect the votes of all eligible voters. Please sign it today! You can find it here.
by ProgressiveReb on Sat Sep 20, 2008 at 02:39:12 PM EST


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