My greatest fear is being "scrubbed" from voting

[ck4829]

Call it strange, but I honestly think the worst thing that could happen to me is that I can not vote for this election. Of course I am afraid of terrorism and especially in regards to my family and friends, but when it comes to me I don't want to imagine not having the full rights of a Citizen. I guess I would rather die on my feet than live on my knees with Bush as President. Does anyone else share my belief?

[CaTeacher]

1. yes! And I think you are right--

we should ALL be very afraid! This is the story that no one is telling--but behind the scenes--you know that they are working hard to take away YOUR voting rights. Particularly if you have been unlucky enough to have committed a felony.

I believe in redemption. We do not have the right to take away any person's vote. Be very afraid.

[Radical Activist]

2. Not really

If you're that worried about it, call your local county clerk a month before the election and make sure you're still on the voter rolls. Write down the name of the person you speak to. If there's a problem on election day after you do that you can file a lawsuit and expose the assclowns.

[LWolf]

3. I don't dwell on the worst.

In my 44 years, everytime I singled out one thing that was "the worst thing that could happen to me," it happened. Almost like I invited it by dwelling on it. I've quit doing that.

You are male; if you're also white, and don't have a criminal record, you probably don't need to fear scrubbing. If you are part of a group that could be targeted, don't fear. Act instead. Find out what the local dem and progressive groups are doing to gear up for election day, and be part of the action.

I am not afraid. I'm too busy living and working to fear. Just by removing fear, you remove GWB's biggest weapon. Setting aside fear is the patriotic thing to do at this point!

:hi:

[ProfLefty]

4. Your fears are justified

We should all be concerned. Just look at the last election. The systematic disenfranchisement of African American voters was a cornerstone of the Bush-Cheney '00 campaign strategy...and just look at the crucial role that it played in Florida. All of us who are of a progressive mind set should be very much concerned about the rw attempting to further and build on their evildoings of four years ago in another attempt to seize power that they cannot win by popular vote.

[CaTeacher]

5. I noticed that the person who told you not to fear

said--oh you will be OK--if you are white, a male, with no felonies in your past etc etc.

Has everyone forgotten how African Americans were kept from voting in 2000? Does anyone think that this will not happen again if we just sit back and relax?

I feel it would be very racist not to be concerned about the disenfranchisement of minorities and felons.

[ProfLefty]

9. You are so right cateacher

Remember Al Sharpton's outstanding address to the dnc in which he referred to the right of african-americans to vote as a right purchased by the blood of martyrs (I am paraphrasing), nonetheless it is not to be taken lightly nor is the very real threat to the voting rights of millions of worthy americans to be taken lightly. This is perhaps one of the most important issues confronting those of us who are progressive politically.

[ProfLefty]

11. Jimmy Carter

Maybe like many of the third world nations america likes to hold itself above, jimmy carter should oversee the 2004 election to insure fair voting practices and legitimate results. Certainly there is noone more honorable than carter for such a task and things have gotten to the point where our elections need the same or stronger oversight than many of those around the world where he has presided.

[CaTeacher]

12. Now that is a really really

good idea. Someone should get this idea to the Kerry campaign--it would be great if they would approach Carter. We may actually have a chance at a fair election that way.

[LWolf]

16. In case I need to clarify:

I AM NOT A RACIST.

I am concerned about the disenfranchisement of minorities and felons. I'm also concerned about some of the other methods employed in stealing the vote; BBV, moving polling places, etc.

The point of my post is about not giving into fear, not about dismissing threats.

It seems to me that all time and energy we put into talking about how afraid we are feeds the fear, and feeds the likelihood of tampering. Working to address the concerns is a better way to deal with threat, imo.

[MallRat]

6. If my name magically disappeared from the voting rolls...

...I would have to be forcibly removed from the polling station.

I hope I'm not alone in this sentiment.

-MR

[Eric J in MN]

7. There are supposed to be "provisional ballots" for poeple

whose names are dropped.

[claudiajean]

14. Provisional ballots only help you if you are registered...

..but accidentally are voting at the wrong polling place, or if you were canceled accidentally and the election office with jurisdiction agrees upon review that your cancellation was inaccurate (eg. person with same name and same or similar birthdate was the actual target cancellee).

If you were canceled or "purged" for reasons that the election office can legally defend, however speciously, and you failed to re-register after you were canceled and notified of the cancellation, then your provisional ballot will not be counted. (And although election laws vary widely from state to state, this is the case in all 50).

The most common means of "purging the rolls" is to send out a notice sometime between about now and mid-September - a sample ballot, voter information, new registration cards, etc. These mailings are not forwardable by the USPS. Any voter who has their mail returned (even though they may have a change of address or forwarding order on file) is placed on inactive status, and if they have missed the last two Federal elections in their jurisdiction (this can include an off year congressional primary and general), they can be canceled.

Notice of the cancellation is required to be sent to the voter, but again, if the voter has a forwarding order on file, this mail cannot forwarded, and the voter does not know they have been canceled. However, at this point, the legal onus is on the voter to ensure they are registered. So, if they show up in November to vote, even if they didn't know they had been canceled, any provisional ballot they vote will not be counted.

This is all in accordance with the 1993 NVRA and 2002 HAVA. It's all perfectly legal. Indeed, some election officials will argue that they are compelled to do so, to comply with the law.

The most insidious aspect of this is that disadvantaged communities have the highest rates of frequent change of address - they are less likely to own homes and more likely to need to move to find a sustenance-wage job.

So guess what communities are the most likely to have voters legally canceled for no reason other than the fact that they are having their mail forwarded?

And guess which party these voters are more likely to favor...????

[Pepperbelly]

8. Not me. I'm scared of being ... like in a pipe that's barely wide enough

and it's hot and shit and I can barely breathe and it's all darkness and then i hear ...

Don't talk to ME about greatest fears, bub.

[LoZoccolo]

10. Well then, you have to check.

Call your Secretary of State's office tommorow, and keep calling every week or two to make sure you're still on, and pass on the word to the Democrats in your state you know.

[claudiajean]

15. Actually, you should check with the jurisdiction responsible for voter reg

...in your area.

In a few states, that may be the Secretary of State. This is more likely to be the case in small states in area, population, or both.

In most states, it's a County office that handles voter registration. It may be your County registrar, County auditor, Supervisor of Elections, etc. Whoever runs elections in your county. This is the case in my state - the Secretary of State's office would not be able to tell me if I was registered to vote. But my local County elections office would.

Whatever office actually keeps the voter registration records would be the people to call. Call now, and call them about 10 days prior to the election just to re-check.

[lanparty]

13. DITTO ...

I will die with a gun in my hand before they take my vote away from me.

[Walt Starr]

17. If you are scrubbed, do the following

Request that you get to file a ballot anyway under protest of the scrubbing. Say there has to have been a mistake and there is no legitimate reason for them to not allow you to vote. Take people's names and demand you get a ballot that is filed under protest.

Your vote is your right. Do not allow them to steal it without a fight.