The Republican Pollwatchers in Ohio---why this is a travesty of justice

[Zuni]

Those people aren't there to find out if voters are legit. That is why pollworkers are there.
These people are there to obstruct the voting process---they are going to go to heavily Democratic precincts and try to slow up the works. They are going to try to keep as many people from voting as possible.

We MUST counter this. We want as many voters to vote as possible. High turnout will favor the Democratic Party. The GOP is a much smaller segment of the population, and if you count how people really feel about the issues, without all the spin and distortion, the vast majority of Americans would consider themselves liberal democrats.

We must make sure that every vote counts and nothing will obstruct the voting process like 2000.

[Zuni]

1. just kicking this up.

I think it is important

[eileen from OH]

2. Absolutely, but also consider this

They have NO way of knowing the party of the new voters they challenge as Ohio's registration form has no party affiliation on it. The only way a party affiliation can be known is to cross-check the database with the registrants and new voters won't be in the database. So they could just as easily challenge a new Republican voter.

Also, there are very clear reasons why a voter can be challenged - not old enough, not a US citizen, not living in the precinct where registered. The challenged voter can take an oath to the validity of these. In other words, they can't just do a generic "challenge."
If they try, our people are gonna be in there, too.

Plus, of the 35,000+ challenges that were inititally issued, about 1/4 have been withdrawn as it was discovered that a computer glitch resulted in the returned mail. (The Repubs based their challenge on returned cards sent to new voters - telling them where to vote - that bounced back to the Boards of Elections.) Most were from Franklin County, though. Cuyahoga (Cleve) still has about 17,000 out there.

We're getting our people into the polls as well to watch for shenanigans as well as having a presence outside the polls. And there's an army of lawyers waiting to descend.

You bet this is serious and it could seriously gum up the works with lines, etc. But it is NOT hopeless and we are resolved that this ain't gonna be no Florida. The sheer energy of the Ohio Kerry supporters is amazing and no one is ceding an inch.

eileen from OH

[Silent3]

4. They don't care if they stop a few fellow Republicans...

...as long as they stop more Democrats. This is slash and burn politics. If they target heavily Democratic precincts they comes out ahead by slowing down and stopping as much voting as possible, most of which will be Democratic voting.

[eileen from OH]

3. Whoops - and another thing

When you read in the paper that the Ohio Dem Party did this or didn't do that, consider that the Ohio Dem Party ain't the ones making it happen for Kerry. Not to put to fine a point on it, but (at least around here) the OH Dem Party organization (using that word loosely)is pathetic. It's been GRASSROOT volunteers working with the Kerry people who are carrying the load and there are thousands and thousands of us who have never worked with the Party who are doing the heavy lifting. We work with 'em, but we don't wait for 'em.

Plus ACT has had a huge presence around all around Ohio.

Not to get all Pollyanna-ish about it - yes, serious shit goin' down - but we are mobilized and ready to fight for every vote.

eileen from OH