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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsArizona Voting Debacle Could Be Test For General Election.
We know what happened in 2000, & 2004. And we suspect that Obama won despite massive voter fraud. 2010 & 2014 also make you wonder how secure voting is. And now that the GOP has passed voter ID laws all over the place the sense is that they are all out to give the election to Cruz or Trump and many other GOPPERS.
What has happened in Arizona should be a cause for concern. The fact that voting centers were eliminated before the vote is scary. In the general GOP Secretaries of State can skew where voting machines are in their respective states.
We know how desperate the GOP is to take the White House and maintain their majorities in Congress. And we can't afford to be lax or inattentive.
TDale313
(7,820 posts)The issues in Arizona should not devolve into a Bernie v Hillary issue. It was voter suppression- and it was Democratic and minority voter suppression. It may or may not have had a major effect on the primary result. It most certainly will have an effect in November if the same tactics are used. And regardless who is effected or benefitted, voter suppression is just wrong! But if appealing to a sense of fair play doesn't fire some up, I'll gladly appeal to their sense of enlightened self interest.
upaloopa
(11,417 posts)reduced.
The woman who is responcible says she is sorry. Is there to be no consequences? It is too late after election day to do anything about it.
I just don't understand why this was not foreseen.
Downwinder
(12,869 posts)nadinbrzezinski
(154,021 posts)right?
Here, some propaganda for you from local news source
http://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/elviadiaz/2016/03/22/maricopa-county-election-officials-writing-off-voters-you-bet/82145554/
certainot
(9,090 posts)thinking that sanders would be gone by now
maybe this was something they were going to use for the general
dems have to make sure this is fully investigated ASAP, including whitleblower protection and rewards to hurry it up
nikto
(3,284 posts)The stolen elections of 2000 and 2004 should have been enough to cause real change.
But America ignored/denied the problem---That the GOP is actually
STEALING major elections, and doing it repeatedly.
Too many good people who should have known better,
simply could not accept the fact that this level of deceit existed
in their own, supposedly "free" and "representative" political system.
So they went into a "happy-as-a-clam" state of denial.
But that just gave the cheat-system a chance to get more varied and efficient.
And now, in 2016, the system-rigging has become state-of-the-art.
Smart people like Brad Friedman, Greg Palast, Bev Harris
and others, plus numerous statistical-analysis experts were called "conspiracy theorists" or
"sensationalists", or, mostly, were just not covered at all in the media.
Well, those folks turned out to be 100% right all along.
But the trouble is, as time has let this thing evolve, it has grown, like
some kind of alien predator, getting smarter and deadlier as it develops.
So now we have progressed beyond the early-century Karl Rove days into a more complex, nuanced
set of strategies (local suppression/manipulation by various methods, gerrymandering, computer tabulation/switching of votes).
They are doing it. You know it, and I know it.
Now, a whole system is in place that 80% of America is basically, blind to.
Could the GOP have stolen this election already?
It fell off the radar. And here we are.
nikto
(3,284 posts)I saw it clearly back in 2000, and more so in 2004, when I felt like I was almost alone.
Deeply depressing time, that.
I'm a big fan of Brad Friedman. Would you be too?
SusanCalvin
(6,592 posts)Of the daily Election Reform News thread that used to be a staple here.
Anytime six other people want to revive it, I'm in for a day's news gathering.
zeemike
(18,998 posts)Our leaders ignored it...in both parties.
And those who did bring it up were accused of being conspiracy theorist and shamed into shutting up about it.
I suspect this will be news for a few days and then nothing will happen, and 2016 will be no better than the ones before...and things stay the same.
nikto
(3,284 posts)I wasn't getting called "conspiracy theorist" by GOPers (who I didn't talk to much), but by
mainstream centrist Democrat-types!!
I've retired since, so I haven't seen many of those folks (I used to see at work) in
a long while.
I wonder if any of 'em have changed their tune.
malokvale77
(4,879 posts)I've been screaming about this ever since W won the election over the most popular Texas Governor of all time.
Why didn't the Democratic Party of Texas challenge it?
Democrats were complicit. Bill Clinton was President.
Texas has gone to shit and the rest of the nation is following.
elljay
(1,178 posts)SusanCalvin
(6,592 posts)It probably had little if any effect on the outcome, but now people have been alerted. Hope something comes of that.
AZ Progressive
(3,411 posts)And it seemed to have worked.
Loki
(3,825 posts)Anyone who has been paying attention knows this and a lot of us have been the canaries in the coal mine but no one thought it could happen to them. Well if you live in a Republican controlled state you are going to be SOL when it comes to voting. They have made sure of that.
malokvale77
(4,879 posts)that the Democratic Party isn't complicit, you aren't paying attention.
I've got some tin foil for you sounds like you need some.
nikto
(3,284 posts)At the highest levels (DNC, etc), the Democratic Party has repeatedly decided
not to even question this, despite evidence.
I smell something, and I am far from alone.
Loki
(3,825 posts)Since you seem to be so much better informed about Democratic politics toward voter disenfranchisement than I am. I'm looking forward to your citations.
billhicks76
(5,082 posts)Obama won by waaaaay more than reported. Electronic voting machines and even worse their tabulators are hacked. We have no democracy.
malokvale77
(4,879 posts)Clinton/Bush = no democracy.
billhicks76
(5,082 posts)Sounds like an actual ticket
malokvale77
(4,879 posts)Loki
(3,825 posts)Sound like a disgruntled Republcan voter Mr Hicks.
billhicks76
(5,082 posts)I was saying Obama actually had much bigger margins than people think. A ham sandwich could've beaten McCain or Romney. The problem occurs in Senate and House races where unfortunately Republicans stole seats especially in the South which is more rigged. You're accusing me of being a repuke? You know where you can put that. I'm sure you're the more conservative one so please take your insults elsewhere.
Get it now. Clintonistas can definitely make one defensive.
Loki
(3,825 posts)especially since I loved Bill Hicks humor.
Wounded Bear
(58,584 posts)you all oughta try it.
former9thward
(31,923 posts)95% of voters vote that way.
snot
(10,496 posts)former9thward
(31,923 posts)The County election board determines where the polling place are going to be. In 2008 there were 400 polling places in Maricopa County. In 2012 as more people shifted to voting by mail the polling places were reduced to 200. Neither the State Democratic Party or the Maricopa County Democratic party made any protest or criticism. In 2016 for the presidential primary it was reduced to 60 as even more people shifted to vote by mail. This decision was made and advertised months ago. Neither the State Democratic Party or the Maricopa County Democratic party made any protest or criticism.