Koch Group Sends Out Mailings Telling WVA Voters It's Too Late to Register

[babylonsister]

http://linkis.com/www.dailykos.com/sto/Yg1Nq

Wed Apr 23, 2014 at 02:05 PM PDT
Koch Group Sends Out Mailings Telling WVA Voters It's Too Late to Register

by Dartagnan



"Freedom-loving" Scumbags hard at work suppressing the vote in West Virginia:

Voters in at least eight West Virginia counties have been mailed “misleading and confusing” material that may make them incorrectly believe they aren’t eligible to vote in next month’s election, Secretary of State Natalie Tennant said Tuesday.The leaflets — mailed by the Americans for Prosperity Foundation — warn voters that if they do not update their voter registration, they may lose their right to vote in the upcoming primary election on May 13. The mailings included voter registration cards and prepaid return envelopes addressed to county clerks.

This is a cute trick. April 22 was the last day to register to vote in the May 13 WVA primary. So the Koch front group sends out mailers geared to arrive on April 21 and 22, complete with voter registration cards and return envelopes to make it seem legitimate. Of course, having arrived "too late" in the mail, the effect of the "warnings" is to make voters think they've blown the deadline to "update" their registration, so they might as well not vote.

Except there is no deadline for the vast majority of voters. No requirement to "update" your status if you're already registered. Unless you have moved or changed your name, or desire to change parties, your registration is just fine.

“We were concerned that people were reporting getting this leaflet [Monday and Tuesday],” said spokesman Jake Glance. “We are concerned, since [Tuesday was] the final day to change your registration to vote. We are particularly concerned about people who went to work in the morning, then got this mailing when they returned in the evening. Some opened their mail and said, ‘Oh, my gosh, I missed the deadline to update my voter registration.

snip//

The Kochs and their surrogates in the Republican Party are attacking Representative Nick Rahall (D-WVA) over his support for the Affordable Care Act, flooding the local airwaves with smear ads:

After 38 years in Congress, Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., is fighting for his political life for the first time. Right-wing billionaires and conservative industries are flooding Southern West Virginia with expensive smear ads making slanted attacks. They even created a fake “Nick Rahall for Congress” Web site to lure viewers, then tell them that the long-term congressman “has openly sold out West Virginia and joined the War on Coal.”Leading this onslaught are tycoons like the billionaire Koch brothers...[.]

Of course, the lower the turnout, the better for the Republicans--and what's good for Republicans is good for the Koch brothers.

West Virginia citizens can check their registration at https://apps.sos.wv.gov/... /Default.aspx, or by calling their county’s voter registration office.

[Arugula Latte]

1. Not gonna post what I'm thinking about these two ...

Nope ... not gonna do it.

[Cali_Democrat]

2. That should be illegal

The DOJ needs to look into this.

Republicans hate it when people vote.

[Maraya1969]

6. Can't it be some sort of mail fraud or election fraud?

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. This sort of dirty trick makes me very angry.

And it certainly should be illegal.

How do we stop these bastards?

K&R

[Timez Squarez]

9. Declare the John Birch Society a terrorist organization

and shut 'em down.

Then begin arresting Koch Brothers for funneling money to terrorists groups, seize their assets and spread it to the American People.

Let the Koch brothers learn how to be dirt poor for once in their goddamn lifetime.

[madaboutharry]

4. The Koch brothers are John Birchers.

The don't believe in American democracy.

[snot]

5. What is wrong with us that we have not made this felonious???

[babylonsister]

12. Great question, and I have no idea. nt

[Gothmog]

7. This is a classic GOP voter suppression trick

This tactic has been used a great deal over the years. Here is a partial list of similar tactics used by the GOP http://www.brennancenter.org/analysis/voter-suppression-incidents-2008

In recent elections, robo-phone calls and misleading flyers, often targeting minority and low-income communities, have spread false information regarding elections and voting qualifications. ....

•New Mexico. Two families reported visits by a private investigator inquiring about relatives that the state Republican Party alleges voted fraudulently in the June primary. The private investigator requested identification for relatives in question as proof of their eligibility, potentially in violation of federal law. The Bernalillo County Clerk confirmed both individuals' legitimate registrations. On October 27, 2008, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund filed a lawsuit seeking an injunction to stop further intimidation.

•Virginia. A phony State Board of Elections flier was posted around the Hampton Roads area, stating that Republicans vote on Tuesday, November 4th, and Democrats vote on Wednesday, November 5th. The Virginia State Police determined that flier was an "office joke" and not intended to deceive voters.

•Philadelphia fliers. Deceptive fliers about the consequences of voting were distributed in a predominantly African American neighborhood in Philadelphia.

•Greene County, Ohio. A law enforcement officer in Greene County, Ohio sought the names of 300 voters who registered and voted at the beginning of Ohio's early voting period in a town made up largely of students. The effort, which was later withdrawn, was criticized as an effort to intimidate student voters and deter others from voting.

•Hamilton County, Ohio. In a move that could intimidate and deter voters, Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters recently requested, via subpoena, personal information for 40% of the voters who registered and immediately cast a ballot during the weeklong period in which Ohio allows same-day registration and voting.

•California. Dozens of voters reported that a firm hired by the California Republican Party tricked them into registering with the GOP when signing a petition they believed to toughen penalties against child molesters. The Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder is reviewing 9,000 registration affidavits submitted by the firm to determine if any of the party affiliation changes were involuntary.

•Travis County, Texas. County officials are looking for a man who may be providing misleading information regarding the state's straight-party voting option, telling voters that in addition to a straight-party vote, they must also select the name of the candidate they would like vote for president. In actuality, doing this would de-select the mark automatically made by the straight-party vote.

•Madison County, North Carolina. Residents have complained of misleading calls that provide inaccurate information regarding absentee ballot deadlines. The State Board of Elections is investigating.

•Kern County, California. A radio host announced that Republicans are being urged to vote on November 4 and Democrats on November 5. Although the host has said he meant it as a joke, the county elections chief has asked the radio station to stop providing misleading information.

•Baltimore City, Maryland. In Maryland, people with felony convictions can register to vote when they have completed the terms of their sentence, including probation and parole. The Baltimore city elections board sent letters to 422 people with felony convictions who registered to vote asking them to verify that they had completed their sentence, but the letter did not provide any information on what proof these voters must provide, who to contact, or a deadline for response. Although the state Attorney General has said it would attempt to contact these individuals, it is unclear if they will be added to the rolls for the November election.

•Texas. In early October, an email widely circulated falsely warned voters that a straight-party vote would not register a vote for president. In fact, if a voter using Texas ballots separately records a vote for president after voting straight-party, the vote for president will be deselected and will not count.

•Florida. The St. Petersburg Times reported that the Republican National Committee sent non-forwardable mailings to older Democratic voters, falsely stating that recipients are registered as Republicans and suggested that undeliverable mailings could be used to compile challenge lists. The RNC claimed that the controversial mailing was just a fundraising piece.

•Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Attorney General announced that he will deploy more than 50 assistant attorney generals and state agents on Election Day to polling places around the state to guard against voter fraud. This is expected to intimidate voters.

•Minnesota. The non-profit group Minnesota Majority, pretending to be from the Secretary of State's office, made calls to voters questioning their registrations in a supposed attempt to uncover voting irregularities.

There is a pattern to these practices.

[TransitJohn]

8. How is this not illegal election tampering?

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

10. Is there a way to find out the names of the real persons who did this?

[babylonsister]

15. Look no further than the

Americans for Prosperity Foundation, per article. The people doing the mailing were only doing their jobs, as distasteful as that might be (to us).

[The Blue Flower]

11. This is real election fraud

Should be prosecutable.

[surrealAmerican]

13. ... and mail fraud.

I wonder if these mailings can be traced back to the brothers personally.

[chuckstevens]

14. Can't this be Prosecuted?

If you can prove they're in on it, throw their asses in jail!

[Dustlawyer]

16. It is literally sabotage! It should be treason to attempt to tamper in elections since it is

a direct attack on our Democracy.
We are more corrupt than any South American dictatorship. Our elections are rigged, Districts gerrymandered, politicians and judges get elected by taking more bribes (campaign contributions) than their opponents. When they take those periodic donations it is with the understanding of what they have to do to in return. I have personally seen a billionaire donate tens of thousands to a Presidential candidate and make him promise to end the Estate Tax.
Publicly Funded Elections
Wolfpac.com

[okaawhatever]

17. Congress is going to have to make a law that protects the sanctity of voting and the voting

process. This has to stop. All of the above mentioned things have been done in North Carolina and some worse.

[Dirty Socialist]

22. You talk like voting is a right or something

Oh yeah, it IS.

[Mr. Evil]

18. One thing republicans know all too well is that

black Americans tend to not vote against their own best interests. White people, especially in the south, on the other hand, are easily scared shitless and do tend to vote against their own best interests. That's why there are so many crackpot, tea bagging republicans in office today. Republicans will stop at nothing (extreme gerrymandering, the tricks stated above, lies about voter fraud and doing anything to stop minorities from voting) to win an election just so they can give more money to rich people. Un-American in my mind.

[Takket]

19. so, who is going to prison for this?

private groups sending out false registration cards for elections is clearly a crime. It is great that these things are pointed out but when will someone DO something about it? Has anyone asked WV's AG for comment?

[WillyT]

20. K & R !!!

[Dirty Socialist]

21. They are John Birch Fucks

What do you expect?

[Initech]

23. How??? How have these traitors not been arrested yet??

They are deliberately destroying our government for profit! Fucking scumbags.

[lobodons]

24. Reid was right

Koch's are Un-American

[on point]

25. This the kind of voter fraud that is rampant and needs serious jail time

Like 10 years a felony

[mucifer]

26. They need to go to prison for that! I'm not kidding.

[lovemydog]

27. I hope someone contacts the appropriate offices

and demands an investigation. I want to see some accountability and public statements from the correct offices in WV and Washington.

[Gothmog]

28. West Virginia Secretary Of State Calls Out Koch Group For 'Misleading' Voters

This is good news http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/west-virginia-afp-mailers

West Virginia's Secretary of State, who also happens to be running for U.S. Senate as a Democrat, issued a statement this week criticizing the Americans For Prosperity Foundation for sending voters "misleading and confusing" documents regarding their voter registration status.

In a news release, Secretary of State Natalie Tennant's office said West Virginia residents had received documents in the mail from the foundation "implying that if they do not update their voter registration they may lose their right to vote in the upcoming election." The Americans for Prosperity Foundation is the 501(c) 3 sister organization of the well-funded conservative group Americans for Prosperity. Both groups are backed by the billionaire brothers Charles Koch and David Koch, and David Koch is chairman of the board of the foundation.

According to Tennant's office, residents in at least eight West Virginia counties received the mailers from the foundation, which included voter registration cards and pre-paid return envelopes addressed to county clerks.

“If you have not moved, changed your name, or switched political parties, then you should throw this mailer into the trash because your voter registration is still valid,” Secretary Tennant said. “We were made aware of this situation because there was a large number of confused citizens calling our office and the offices of county clerks asking questions about why they had to update their voter registration information. The Secretary of State’s Office did not send this mailer, and it did not come from county clerks. We don’t know what the purpose of the mailer is but we do know that it is confusing citizens.”