RNC funded Robo-calls & other dirty tricks in at least 53 close Congressional races in 2006- details

[philb]

Dirty tricks/Intimidation

Robo-Calls planned to reduce Democratic turnout were funded by the Republican National Committee in at least 53 close Congressional elections throughout the U.S.

In addition other dirty tricks were funded including misleading push polls and mass calling or mailings to mislead minority voters regarding their correct voting precinct.
details/links:
www.flcv.com/eirsdt6.html

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/11/6/02926/3087
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2006/11/21/cheat_sheet/index1.html

[philb]

1. Was Calif. SOE involved in dirty tricks, or just incompetant in checking mailouts?

27,000 Contra Costa Voters Sent Wrong Polling Info

Postcards Incorrectly Notify Voters Of Polling Place Change

(BCN) MARTINEZ An estimated 27,000 voters in 11 Contra Costa County cities have received incorrect notices of polling place changes that are telling them to vote in cities where they don't live, Assistant County Registrar Candy Lopez reported Wednesday. According to Lopez, the computer file that merged voter and polling place information from which the notices were printed was corrupted sometime after the elections department reviewed a correct copy to proof. "People are being directed to outrageous locations," Lopez said. Voters who live in 29 precincts within Antioch, Brentwood, Bay Point, Concord, Pittsburg, Pleasant Hill, Lafayette, Walnut Creek, Richmond, El Cerrito and San Pablo are believed to have received the incorrect postcards. http://cbs5.com/topstories/local_story_298224542.html


There were mass mailings like this all over the country to Dem voters, telling them their precincts had changed.
But most were paid for by the RNC, rather than a county SOE.
How could this happen?

[philb]

2. Robo-Calls and other dirty tricks apprear to be illegal and some are filing criminal complaints

The legality and appropriateness of such deceptive "robo-calls" quickly came into question.
According to FCC rules, all prerecorded messages must "at the beginning of the message, state clearly the identity of the business, individual, or other entity that is responsible for initiating the call."
Yet after they were known about, these seemingly forbidden calls continued through the weekend in many races.

Voters in some of the various states where the deceptive illegal dirty tricks were used are filing criminal complaints against the RNC and other parties involved in the campaigns.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/11/6/02926/3087
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2006/11/21/cheat_sheet/index1.html


CONCORD, N.H. -- It turns out that some of the political phone messages Granite Staters are receiving as Election Day nears may be illegal. The issue revolves around the national Do Not Call registry.
A homeowner in Hillsboro received the same message several times in one day. It began by stating it had information about Paul Hodes, the Democratic challenger for the 2nd Congressional District.
After a few seconds, the ad turns on the attack. It isn't until the end that you find out it was sponsored by the Republican National Congressional Committee. It is not permissable to send prerecorded political calls to individuals who are on the Do Not Call list in New Hampshire," said Assistant Attorney General Jim Kennedy.
While political calls are exempt from the federal Do Not Call regulations, New Hampshire modified that law when the state adopted it. It makes prerecorded political messages illegal if they're called to people on the registry.
Alex Borgus, a spokesman for the Republican National Congressional Committee, told News 9 that the group complies with all federal laws regarding automatic calls. Borgus said that the calls in New Hampshire would continue up to the elections.
http://www.wmur.com/news/10239713/detail.html

[nicknameless]

3. .

K&R

[philb]

4. Did anyone experience these? How many would think the Dem candidate responsible

as intended by the RNC?
and how many would figure out who was reponsible and change their mind about who to vote for based on the calls?

[bleever]

5. K&R. Excellent contribution to the documentation.

:thumbsup:

[philb]

6. Some voters in each District that had Robo-Calls should file criminal complaint (imo)

There is information given on the previous links about how to do it.