Well, The Powers That Be are getting an early start on messing with our votes. Already, voter purges, voting machine errors, and other such shenanigans are being reported in New Jersey, Florida, Michigan, Mississippi, Kansas, and Virginia. They are also attempting to thwart college students who plan to vote.
Earlier this year, the Veterans Administration, which is supposed to support veterans, blocked voter groups that tried to register homeless vets. Men and women who defended this country were being denied their right to vote! However, after pressure from vets’ rights groups and politicians, the VA finally relented and will allow registration drives. Interestingly enough, a majority of vets are rallying behind Obama, and troops deployed overseas have contributed funds to Obama’s campaign at a 6:1 pace over McCain’s. Perhaps more reason to disenfranchise our military?
Here in lovely Ohio, we are no strangers to voter fraud. We’ve been in the national spotlight for the past four election cycles (including midterms). After the 2004 presidential election, Congressman John Conyers headed a committee that looked into voter disenfranchisement allegations; the result was a massive report detailing numerous instances of voter fraud and intimidation statewide. What should have been a national outrage received, incredibly, no play whatsoever from the “liberal” media.
Once again, all signs point to continued cloak-and-dagger moves by the Republicans to bludgeon voters’ rights, especially those of minorities. During this year’s primary, Rush Limbaugh encouraged his Pumpkinheads to try to scam the system by registering as Democrats and voting for Hillary Clinton, believing that Republicans could more easily defeat her than Obama. As I write this, our current Secretary of State, Democrat Jennifer Brunner, is challenging a constitutionally questionable, Republican-passed state law that would strike voters from voter rolls simply for having an election notice returned as “undeliverable.” If the voters somehow make it through all of this and get to the polls, then there is the very real possibility that voting machines can be tampered with or re-programmed. It’s ironic that the company at the epicenter of the controversy, Diebold, is headquartered right here in Ohio. At a 2004 fundraiser, Diebold’s CEO vowed to deliver Ohio’s votes to George Bush.
Please use the following resources to educate yourselves on illegal tactics and your rights as a voter.
Know Your Rights!!!
Earlier this year, the Veterans Administration, which is supposed to support veterans, blocked voter groups that tried to register homeless vets. Men and women who defended this country were being denied their right to vote! However, after pressure from vets’ rights groups and politicians, the VA finally relented and will allow registration drives. Interestingly enough, a majority of vets are rallying behind Obama, and troops deployed overseas have contributed funds to Obama’s campaign at a 6:1 pace over McCain’s. Perhaps more reason to disenfranchise our military?
Here in lovely Ohio, we are no strangers to voter fraud. We’ve been in the national spotlight for the past four election cycles (including midterms). After the 2004 presidential election, Congressman John Conyers headed a committee that looked into voter disenfranchisement allegations; the result was a massive report detailing numerous instances of voter fraud and intimidation statewide. What should have been a national outrage received, incredibly, no play whatsoever from the “liberal” media.
Once again, all signs point to continued cloak-and-dagger moves by the Republicans to bludgeon voters’ rights, especially those of minorities. During this year’s primary, Rush Limbaugh encouraged his Pumpkinheads to try to scam the system by registering as Democrats and voting for Hillary Clinton, believing that Republicans could more easily defeat her than Obama. As I write this, our current Secretary of State, Democrat Jennifer Brunner, is challenging a constitutionally questionable, Republican-passed state law that would strike voters from voter rolls simply for having an election notice returned as “undeliverable.” If the voters somehow make it through all of this and get to the polls, then there is the very real possibility that voting machines can be tampered with or re-programmed. It’s ironic that the company at the epicenter of the controversy, Diebold, is headquartered right here in Ohio. At a 2004 fundraiser, Diebold’s CEO vowed to deliver Ohio’s votes to George Bush.
Please use the following resources to educate yourselves on illegal tactics and your rights as a voter.
Know Your Rights!!!
- Ohio League of Women Voters Election Information Flyer
- Ohio Boards of Election Directory
- Ohio Secretary of State Election Day Procedures
- Project Vote Smart State Election Directory (choose your state, click Go, look for State Resources in the right sidebar, then choose Local Electiion Offices. You will find your county board of election, listed alphabetically)
- Project Vote (Click under Issues to familiarize yourself with the various tactics used to disenfranchise voters)
- Voters' Self-Defense Manual
- Reporter's Resource Book (full of media, social organization, and government agency contact info)
- The Politics of Vote Fraud (long but informative report)
- NOW on PBS: Will The Vote Be Fair?
- Rock The Vote! (Nonpartisan org, mainly directed at 20-something voters)
- Declare Yourself (Another non-partisan organization aimed at young people, founded by Norman Lear)
- League of Women Voters
- Brennan Center for Justice Voting Rights & Elections Page
- Legal Guide to Student Voting
- Just Vote (Enter your information and the site will generate a state-specific registration form for you to mail in)
- National Campaign for Fair Elections
- Electronic Frontier Foundation (info about voting machines)
- Black Box Voting (voting machine fraud watchdogs)
