Why Did 3.2 Million New Yorkers Lose Their Voting Rights?

[thomhartmann]

Thom Hartmann talks with Shyla Nelson, Spokesperson-Election Justice USA, Website: http://electionjusticeusa.org, whose group has filed an emergency lawsuit in New York State Federal court on behalf of voters who were erroneously purged from the rolls.

[turbinetree]

1. The powers of the powerful may have "won" for now...................

but a word of advice, there is still a investigation going on with this lawsuit and the Sanders lawsuit.....................


Honk------------------for a political revolution Bernie 2016

[Baobab]

2. How many were turned away?

Do they know?

[turbinetree]

3. From what I have heard..............................

http://gothamist.com/2016/04/18/voter_registration_lawsuit.php

http://heavy.com/news/2016/04/new-york-election-fraud-lawsuit-results-voter-purge-hearing-open-primary-election-justice-usa/

I do know that a judge said something about the provisional ballots had to be given out, but he wants some answers.

I am sure Hartmann will have more on it today



Honk-----------------for a political revolution Bernie 2016

[HockeyMom]

6. I personally know one

My SIL's fellow Teacher who has been a registered Democrat, lived in the same location, and has been voting for 15 years. Long Island.

[liberal from boston]

25. New York City Election

U.S. Uncut: "To add to the confusion, approximately 126,000 voters in Brooklyn were purged from voter rolls between October and April, many for no reason other than the fact that they hadn’t voted in four years or more (most Americans only vote every four years), and tens of thousands of others for simply moving. It could be reasonably argued that this restriction is discriminatory against low-income voters, who tend to move more frequently as rents rise, and just as discriminatory as the voter ID laws that Democrats claim to despise.

There were also widespread complaints of polling places opening hours later than they were supposed to, voting machines not working, and registered Democrats being told they could only vote by affidavit ballot. The obstacles to voting in New York City were so profound that city comptroller Scott Stringer ordered a full audit of the New York City Board of Elections’ processes."

[George II]

64. In primaries or just general elections?

[TryLogic]

4. Why did 3.2 million NY voters lose their right to vote?

Because NY is Clinton territory? Because there is a corporate sponsored anti-democracy movement. Because our elections are corrupted.

[George II]

8. For two weeks we heard NY was Sanders territory ("I was born in New York"), funny how quickly.....

...that changes.

[PeoViejo]

10. Smells like RICO to me.

I wonder how many of the helpful election authorities are paid Clinton Consultants.

[beastie boy]

13. All of them, of course!

Caps for sale!

Aluminum foil caps for sale!

[BlueCaliDem]

51. Yep.

The CT's are getting ridiculous.

[padfun]

15. That was never said

Clinton has always had a large lead in NY. A month ago, she led by 48%

[beastie boy]

22. What was said:

“We are going to win New York," the Vermont senator told "CBS This Morning" in a segment teasing his longer sit-down interview with the hosts and his wife, Jane Sanders.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/2016-dem-primary-live-updates-and-results/2016/04/bernie-sanders-new-york-win-221454
http://www.commondreams.org/news/2016/04/01/we-are-going-win-new-york-thousands-flock-see-sanders-clintons-turf

[padfun]

26. Thats called attitude or team spirit.

During the Tampa Bay Bucs 26 game losing streak, they always went in looking for the win. Everybody does that or you get fired.

Why would you want someone on your team looking for defeat? People don't go around and say, "NO WE CANT".

[beastie boy]

57. Got it. "It wasn't meant to be a factual statement". Just attitude.

[padfun]

60. You got it.

Hillary says the same thing on every state she has lost. Unless she is saying "Just say NO"

[padfun]

61. Look, I know you Hillarites are pissed

that her coronation was put on hold, but please, just get over it. You guys/gals are real sore losers/winners.

Go out and live a bit and stop getting your panties in a twist every time someone says something.

[beastie boy]

62. Oh c'mon, can't I be pissed for a while longer?

I am enjoying being a sore winner! Looking forward to be pissed some more in Pennsylvania!

[floppyboo]

5. I hope Thom interviews Josh Uretsky.

Remember, that whole firewall debacle happened in December when everyone was 'publicly' playing nice. He knew Sanders' supporter base was being compromised.

[George II]

7. They didn't lose their voting rights.....

They're independents and there were no independent candidates running yesterday.

[Lordquinton]

20. They didn't follow the rules

Follow the rules, it's not suppression, just the rules.

[Lordquinton]

34. Hit a nerve didn't I?

Registration ends 6 months before the election date, many people had their registration just disappear, or turn inactive.

The real point here is how many people on this site are not only just fine, but cheering voter disenfranchisement.

How is this plan of yours of calling people stupid for not following instructions going to help win the GE?

[stopbush]

47. Many people are lying about having their registration changed.

It's easier to blame some nameless, faceless election office for your problems than to admit you screwed up.

[DawgHouse]

58. Exactly. I would feel stupid if I was a supporter who didn't know I had to be a registered Dem.

[JTFrog]

54. The rules did not change this election. They have been in effect since primaries were established.

I personally think there should be one voting day for Primaries and General Elections with everyone eligible to vote for whoever they want. I also believe in establishing an holiday for election days.

That being said, at this point we can only work with the system that is in place now. We should have better ways of getting this information out there. And we should be actively working to change things. But you can't call for the rules to be changed for this election season 3/4 of the way through the race. That just isn't going to work.

[stopbush]

48. Yep. The level of desperation is reaching comic proportions with some people.

[99th_Monkey]

35. THANK YOU!

Some Clinton supporters apparently missed their civics classes having to do with citizens having
a right to vote and our ugly history of voter suppression.

[Lordquinton]

43. The whole concept is undemocratic

But many here are not only fine with that, but view it as a strength. "The lesser of two evils" isn't a good campaign strategy, and that's what the Democratic party has been running on for decades. It's the plan in the GE, they've been saying so since last summer. People will vote for Clinton, they wouldn't want a Republican in the White House!

[trumad]

17. Easy Peasy

[still_one]

19. Thank you George

[liberal from boston]

21. New York City Election

What happened in Arizona happened in NY -- party affiliations disappeared from voters registrations. "To add to the confusion, approximately 126,000 voters in Brooklyn were purged from voter rolls between October and April, many for no reason other than the fact that they hadn’t voted in four years or more (most Americans only vote every four years)." City Comptroller has ordered a full audit of New York City Board of Elections. http://usuncut.com/politics/clinton-supporters-mock-voters/New

[George II]

23. It appears that no laws were violated.

[Bohemianwriter]

29. I didn't know that purgoing votes were legal...

Oh right!

Florida in 2000!

It's kind of telling that establishment "democrats" who blindly supports Clinton have the same attitudes towards voters as Rick Scott!

[George II]

63. It is legal under the detailed laws/regulations that permit it.

I noted a few here, but again non-residents and deceased are a couple.

[Bohemianwriter]

65. Florida is infested with voter purges...

Veterns who haven't even gotten a ticket gets purged as criminals due to their name.

Why hasn't DWS who is supposed to represent these people never taken Rick Scott to task on this matter rather than campaigning against other democrats for republicans and rigging the system in favor of a corrupt politician?

The more I witness this circus, the more it reminds me of wrestling in the middle of a storyline.

[George II]

67. I guess she can use the same excuse that Sanders has used for not getting his governor to try....

...to overturn Vermont laws that he doesn't agree with.

He says each time it comes up "I'm not the governor".

[Bohemianwriter]

68. Do you really...

Want to go there without even touching the actual issue at hand?

Your equation to the issue sounds kind of confused if you ask me.

Apparently veterans who are purged doesn't matter to you as long as you can attack Bernie on completely different, non related issues.

Apparently we don't deserve your respect or even the right to vote if one of us happens to have an "ethnic sounding" name, or a name resembling a convicted pot dealer.

In Norway, we have REAL democracy where even our criminals are represented with a ballot after serving time.

And we have more parties than the ridiculous two party freak show in USA.

Perhaps you should look to Norway and UK for that matter to learn some lessons in Common Welfare and democracy. It seems that you have lost your way, cheering to get a real oligarchy replacing what once resembled a democratic republic.

I am speaking as someone who have alreadt had the American experience and worked in UK (Northern Ireland and England) for 6 years altogether. So you can say I have my credentials in order to make an educated assessment on what system works the best.

[George II]

69. This is what I was responding to:

"Why hasn't DWS who is supposed to represent these people never taken Rick Scott to task on this matter"

Sanders has repeatedly used the excuse, even though he represents the people of Vermont, that he isn't the governor so he can't do anything about it.

And we were talking here originally about 3.2M people in New York who "couldn't vote", not because of any voter purge but because they didn't qualify in accordance with the law. Voter purges in Florida was way off the discussion or, as you put it, "completely different, non related issues."

As for Norway and the United Kingdom, one can't really compare the two - completely different demographics, completely different numbers of people, completely different geography, etc.

[Bohemianwriter]

70. Care to explain DWS without dragging something...

completely different matter?

Why hasn't DWS represented her base against voter suppression in Florida?

Why do you defend DWS by deflecting (avoiding an issue you obviolusly find very unpleasant.

She has a duty to the people who vote for her, and voting rights is a national issue, not a local issue. It's a human rights issue and not up to the whims of some local banana republic crony.

126 000 eligible DEMOCRATIC voters have been purged the last six months. And all you can come with is "we are different than you because of demographics.


Demographics have nothing to do with it.
Demographics is just a non argument to defend voter suppression in a country that claims that you are superior to us in democracy, general freedom, freedom of speech and plenty of other things.

The Hillary fans keeps reminding me what joke USA has become in the world, where you insist on using voter suppression laws to coronate a political hack who's resume is far worse than some small time cigarette dealer from New York. A city I lost my virginity in by the way.

[liberal from boston]

59. New York City Election

We will find soon find out. Mayor de Blasio questioning NYC Board of Elections. http://www.democraticunderground.com/10141420931

[Loki]

31. If you want an open primary in the state, then petition your lawmakers to do so.

Not right before the primary happens. I know the voting laws in my state, and I followed them. Remember, ignorance of the law is not an excuse. If you were a registered Democrat and weren't on the books, there are remedies already in place to allow you to cast a provisional ballot.

[George II]

36. YES! Most complaining about this don't even live in NY.

[fullautohotdog]

11. You're confusing two separate issues...

1) 3.2 million New Yorkers chose not to register with a party, and did not get to help those parties choose their respective delegates to the national conventions.

2) 125,000 being purged from voter rolls for "maintenance," to which I've seen no news stories actually asking the board of elections specifically why.

1) is not an issue. More than half of states have at least one party with a closed primary/caucus system (Did Bernie rail against the nine states he won with closed primaries* the way he is about New York? Nope...). 2) could be.


* source: https://ballotpedia.org/Closed_primary#Presidential_primaries_and_caucuses

[George II]

28. Voters are routinely "purged" from New York voter rolls. We're talking about a city of 8.4 million..

...people.

There are a number of reasons why that would happen, the two biggest being inactivity (which is written into the laws) and death. There are others, like duplicate registrations and registrations for people who no longer live in New York.

People in New York frequently move in and out or change residence, and I'm sure the last thing they think of is telling the Board of Elections they're moving, either to a new address or out of the area altogether.

I've lived in four states, and New York twice. I never told them I was moving to New Jersey, Ohio, or Connecticut, but I was no longer qualified to vote in New York.

It's so easy to throw out a blanket statement "125,000 people were purged", without actually looking into the reasons for those purged.

[LisaM]

12. They didn't, but you know that.

If I was turned away from a GOP primary, I wouldn't consider I had lost any rights. I have no right to participate in another party's primary. In a general election, yes. If I could not vote then, I would have lost a right.

[beastie boy]

14. I know Thom Hartman frequents DU. I have a question for you, Thom:

Don't you realize that fudging facts like you do makes you look totally ridiculous?

3 million New Yorkers didn't lose their voting rights.

They EXERCISED their voting rights. And that includes a right to not participate in the Democratic primaries.

[Duval]

16. Ha!

Show me ONE example of Hartmann fudging facts. I know you don't like them, but a fact is a fact.

[beastie boy]

18. You have read the header on the video, haven't you?

Will reading it again help you see the fudged facts?

Not if you keep your blinders on.

The statement and the premise of Hartman's flick are patently false, as my post illustrates.

[floriduck]

33. When did statements end with question marks?

How many times must I read the title until it turns into a statement of fact?

[George II]

39. If the heading read simply "did", rather than "why did", you'd be correct.

[floriduck]

46. Wrong. The real issue is how many of the 3.2 million were indies versus Dems.

There was no question on the number. It's how many Dems, who met the requirements were impacted. Those are the ones who deserved to vote for Clinton or Sanders.

[George II]

49. By asking "why did....", the author already established the false idea that it happened. It didn't.

[floriduck]

50. How about we agree to disagree until the investigation is over?!

I can't change your view but maybe the Comptroller's findings will.

[beastie boy]

55. Exactly. 3.2 million wasn't even in question. It was a given.

It's like me asking you, why are you so literally challenged?

It presumes your complete illiteracy. Not the fact itself or the extent of your illiteracy.

[Scootaloo]

37. Looks like the fudging is on your and your friend's part.

"nobody was purged, but it's okay that they were purged. here's why they were purged, even though they totally weren't! "



It's like you all switched your support from Hillary Clinton to Katherine Harris or something.

[beastie boy]

56. Did 3.2 million New Yorkers lose their voting right?

If you are marginally sane, your answer would be "no". Thom pretends, with all evidence to the contrary, that the answer is "yes".

And now, since you accused me of fudging, be so kind as to point out the exact part of my post where the alleged fudging took place.

...Looking forward to your apology.

[stopbush]

45. He wrote a book saying the mob killed JFK.

Pure fantasy that ignores the facts in that particular case. Embarrassing, in fact.

[xloadiex]

27. The Clinton camp didn't want independents

In the primary, I hope they aren't expecting their votes in the GE.

[billhicks76]

32. That's The Rub

They don't want them voting in the primary but egotistic ally expect them to vote for them in the general. Won't happen if you exclude them now.

[George II]

38. That restriction has been on the books for decades. This is as silly as Obama's parents...

....planting a phony birth announcement in a Hawaii newspaper back when he was born so if they ever left Kenya he'd be able to run for President.

Remember that?

[stopbush]

44. Independents don't ever decide elections.

They break down evenly along partisan lines. Roughly 5% of Indies are truly independent. The rest lean heavily one way or the other.

75% of Sanders voters say they'll vote for Hillary. Many Rs will cross over. Hillary won't need the votes of Indy voters who would have never voted for her in the first place.

Some voters have an inflated opinion of their importance to the process.

[onecaliberal]

30. CLinton doesn't want people voting.

When people vote, she loses.

[stopbush]

41. Right. That's why over 10,000,000 people have voted for her.

Close to 3-million more than have voted for Sanders.

[LisaM]

42. Right.....

That is why her team is working so hard on voting rights. Latest battleground: Arizona. Are Bernie's lawyers on the ground there at the moment?

[onecaliberal]

53. I'm not sure, I think they are though.

[stopbush]

40. See the 2000 SCOTUS decision CA Democratic Party v Jones.

[Adrahil]

52. They didn't Thom.

This a PARTY nomination process, not the first heat of the general election.


This bull;shit is getting old.

[captainarizona]

66. no taxation without representation

Independents pay for primary with their taxes. No same day voter registration because they vote against incumbents. Independents had to change their registration last october. Looks like republicans are not the only ones guilty of voter suppression.