TNGA GOPers scheme repeal of Tennessee paper ballot law

[doeriver]

GOP moves to repeal TN paper ballot law
Republicans push to keep TN using electronic voting
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110425/NEWS/304250007/2288/NLETTER01/GOP-moves-to-repeal-TN-paper-ballot-law?source=nletter-news

By Chas Sisk
THE TENNESSEAN

A plan to require paper ballots in next year’s elections is on the verge of being repealed, the latest in a series of actions taken by Republicans in the state legislature to rewrite Tennessee election laws.

State representatives are trying to reverse most of a 2008 law that called for the replacement of electronic voting machines across the state with paper ballots read by computerized scanners. The move would kill off a plan that supporters say would create a verifiable record of votes but opponents say will be costly and open to tampering.

The measure is one of several bills moving through the legislature that deal with election laws that would shorten early voting periods, toughen identification requirements and give state election officials greater discretion to investigate fraud at the local level.

Democrats say the changes will throw up unnecessary hurdles to voting that could keep voters from the polls and could open new alleys for manipulating election outcomes.

“I thought the elections were going pretty well for them,” said state Rep. Mike Turner, the House Democratic Caucus chairman. “Little bit by little bit, they’re disenfranchising people’s right to vote.”

Republicans, however, say new laws are needed to combat voter fraud and raise public confidence in election results.

“Even one incident of corruption is enough,” said Speaker Beth Harwell. “I think that the legislature took proper steps to ensure we had safeguards in place.”

The state House of Representatives is scheduled to vote this week on legislation that repeals most of the Tennessee Voter Confidence Act, which requires county election commissions to replace voting machines with optical scanners that read ballots that voters mark by hand in a system to the procedure for standardized tests.

The move comes three years after the legislature passed the Voter Confidence Act with wide support, largely on the argument that the touch-screen and electronic tablets many county election commissions have adopted in recent years leave no hard copies of votes that can be checked for accuracy or in a recount.

...(more at hyperlink)

Voter Suppression 101 – It’s Never Too Early to Start Paying Attention
On September 27, 2009, in Liberate Your Radio from The Right, by Mary Mancini
http://www.liberadio.com/2009/09/27/voter-suppression-101-its-never-too-early-to-start-paying-attention

Below is a list of voter suppression tactics used by those in power to suppress voter turnout. There are two reasons why it is important to pay attention to voter suppression tactics now even though we do not have a statewide election until next year:

1) Some of these tactics are being used in Tennessee right now in anticipation of the statewide election next November.

2) Traditionally, Democrats do better when turnout is high. Republicans know it. Huckabee even called it “the Lord’s work.”

Frankly, the reality is that the Tennessee GOP is systematically looking for ways to prevent certain voters from casting a ballot next year <2010>. They started during last session with a plan to delay auditable and recountable paper ballots (Tennessee Voter Confidence Act or TVCA) and introduce photo ID laws. And last week Secretary of State Tre Hargett and GOP gubernatorial candidate Ron Ramsey tipped their hand for what’s next, in addition to continuing to push for the delay of the TVCA, on their voter suppression agenda.

Voter Suppression Tactics

• Purging voter rolls (ex. 2008 election) “Far too frequently, however, eligible, registered citizens show up to vote and discover their names have been removed from the voter lists.” See recent GOP-led purging activity in Shelby County.
  
• Photo ID laws
  
• Creating partisan election administrations
  
• Partisan election commissioners voting to make it harder for citizens to vote
  
• Impenetrable Obstacles to conducting voter Registration Drives
  
• Election Day manipulation of resources i.e. too few voting machines allocated to a specific precinct
  
• Voter intimidation
  
• Election Day Challenges
  
• Caging lists – Used by GOP for decades
  
• Baseless accusations of voter fraud
  
• Organized misinformation campaigns
  
• Good Ol’ Dirty Tricks

[doeriver]

1. resource: Steal Back Your Vote!

Steal Back Your Vote!
http://www.gregpalast.com/sbyv

Download your free copy of the investigative comic book "Steal Your Vote Back!"
http://www.gregpalast.com/sbyv/download-the-comic-book.html