The thing I'm worried about

[d_r]

This tea party group "true the vote." They are going through voter rolls and trying to find anyone with a mis-spelled name or mismatched address. They have targeted students and poor and minorities. There are stories in the press about people being declared "dead" or challenged because their address is "commercial." Basically, they are going through databases and trying to find anything.

Now go forward to election day and this is what I'm worried about. They are looking for "volunteers" to go to mostly poor, mostly minority, mostly democratic districts to challenge voters. So the people who volunteer for that are going to be the nuttiest of the nutty. Now think about how desperate and crazy the far righters are getting. Think about how afraid they are of black people in the first place. Now think about the experiences that African-American people have had with voter suppression. Put those two together on election day. The whole purpose of these right wingers is to make the lines slow and make people give up. But I'm afraid it could get really, really ugly.

[Sekhmets Daughter]

1. I'll be working the polls that day

and I plan on being very vigilant. Normally we have a sheriffs deputy at each polling site...if there is a problem I will be sure to make a stink.

[mysuzuki2]

2. If they come to the polling place in my largely minority neighborhood

the African American people will be the least of their worries. The 4 foot tall, blue haired, octogenerean white lady who runs the polls will kick their asses!

[The Wielding Truth]

3. How is this legal? They are obstructing the vote.

[freshwest]

4. Most of this dirt won't be in person. Anonymous challenges sent out at the last minute to make it..

Impossible to prove voting status were sent to long-time, same residence for decades voters in Democratic leaning areas to disenfranchise them in my blue state and despite the publicity, some lost their privilege as they couldn't go down to the state offices in time, in 2004. It was then and will be now, an all out push to intimidate with frivolous charges being laid against the validity of voters. It will have a significant effect, and it is being well funded by the Koch brothers.

[Grammy23]

5. Does anyone know about how Absentee Ballots will be handled?

I ask this question because I wondered if this is a solution for those who know they are registered but are afraid they will be challenged by the True the Vote volunteers.

Someone told me that absentee ballots are counted AFTER election day. Will the True the Vote people be there for that, too? I plan to vote absentee just so I can avoid what will undoubtedly be long lines here in Florida. The Ballot will be 6 pages, front and back and is estimated to be 2500 words. I can only imagine how S L O W the lines will move. My husband and I have voted absentee since 2004 because my mother was living with us and we could not leave her. So we opted to do absentee ballots and did it again in 2008 because it was easy. We sat at the kitchen table and went over our ballots while we had a cup of coffee, very relaxed and unhurried. Then we followed the VERY Explicit instructions that were included....but not impossible to understand. They were VERY clear instructions that explained exactly what we had to do in order to have our ballots counted. Then we dropped them in the mail. Couldn't have been easier. In fact, it was a whole lot easier than going to the polling place down the street since there were parking issues and long lines.

But I am concerned about my ballot being counted. I have already checked online and my registration is good. I don't mind if they wait until after Nov. 6th, as long as it is counted. Some have suggested that they "toss" those ballots but I don't believe that. There are way too many military families who vote that way and other large groups of people who choose to vote that way. (Transportation issues, mobility problems, etc) Voting Absentee in Florida is very easy, by the way, for anyone considering that option.

Anyone have any inside information on Absentee Voting??? Especially as counter to True the Vote???

[renie408]

6. Now THIS is something to worry about.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

7. I'm getting a bit nervous about them myself

I found out about them when I was surfing around a few weeks ago. Heard that they are partnering with right-wing legal advocacy groups to sue states into purging their voter rolls. Hopefully, legitimate election officials step in if these people try to cause trouble at the polls on Election Day. It is really scary that people like them have access to all of this registration information. I don't trust them in the least bit with it.

[philly_bob]

8. Possibility of violence. n/t

[flamingdem]

9. Nancy Pelosi was right though, important to STAY POSITIVE

because too much fear will make people avoid voting.

We'll have to deal with things one by one

[d_r]

10. yes this is a good point

that is what they want isn't it

[flamingdem]

11. I am a worrier and was always wondering why

the dems are not all over voter machine issues, etc etc, and her explanation helps me understand part of it -- they win and it's not that easy to steal because someone will rat but you can lose people who feel intimidated or turned off about voting