GOP Mailer: We’ll Tell Your Neighbors If You Vote Democratic

[highplainsdem]

Source: Daily Beast

When Anthony Tennent took the flyer out of his Albuquerque, New Mexico mailbox, he knew he had to tell somebody.

-snip-

The mailer shows a woman in a cold blue hue peeking through her blinds. “When the Democrats win the election and you didn’t do your part… your neighbors will know,” it reads, in all caps.

The back shows a map of houses, some tagged with red check marks in blue pinpoints.

“Do your part in this election,” it says. “After all, voting is a matter of public record.”

-snip-

Read more: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/10/14/gop-mailer-we-ll-tell-your-neighbors-if-you-vote-democratic.html

[liberal N proud]

1. I think fear is the only tactic the Republicans know.

[hj.anony1]

2. The sweet smell of Republican desperation. nt

[Ellen Forradalom]

3. Oh really? How do they know?

In the general election you don't take a party ballot.

[forest444]

4. Sure.

But when you look at it from the point of view of a Hispanic working man or woman (this being New Mexico), it's easy to feel intimidated at the thought that your (rabid, Limbaugh listening) boss might find out how you voted.

It's probably not possible, strictly speaking; but the very thought would be enough to keep quite a few people from voting. That's what they want, the cretins.

[McKim]

11. Voter intimidation is Very Common in Mexico and Guatemala

Voter intimidation is very common in Mexico and Guatemala. This would frighten immigrants for sure. I have monitored elections in Guatemala.

[forest444]

14. Wow! Kudos to you, McKim.

Most of us talk about politics, the problems, the need for reform, etc. But few of us can actually claim to have tried to do something about it first hand. Monitoring elections in Guatemala is definitely putting one's ideals into action (and a hell of a lot more than I've ever done).

If I may suggest, you might like to mention this experience to our senior DU contributor Judi Lynn, who's an expert on Latin American issues (she's the unofficial host of the Latin America Group) and who may have done something like that at some point herself.

Thanks again for your insights.

[csziggy]

19. During the 2008 campaign I met an elderly German woman

She told me she would not register to vote since she was worried that records would be kept of who she voted for. She said it had been done in Germany and was used against many people by the Nazis.

It's that sort of feeling that this flyer is trying to convey. Even we we are pretty sure that records aren't kept of our votes if we do not trust the election officials how can we be sure with the electronic voting machines used in most precincts?

Earlier today I was on the side that HOW we vote is not tracked but as tired as I am not that certain tonight. Considering that election machine software is NOT controlled by the local officials but by the companies that manufacture them, how certain are we that votes are not being tracked?

I think I need to go to sleep and hope that I will not be as paranoid when I wake up.

[forest444]

20. That really is the question:

Considering that election machine software is NOT controlled by the local officials but by the companies that manufacture them, how certain are we that votes are not being tracked?

Dutch and Argentine investigators, among others, have already proven that electronic voting equipment - and even the ballots designed for these (by way of their barcodes) - can be easily read with smart phones with a simple software, and that this can be done from yards away.

Here in the U.S., considering our history of Republicans and Dixiecrats of sending goons for the specific purpose of harassing voters (including, btw, William Rehnquist, who cut his political teeth by doing just that), it naturally follows that sending undercover ballot/voting machine readers would be the next iteration in that same tactic.

Knowing that, I can't say you're being paranoid or overly cynical at all - just realistic and above all, informed. We're just lucky we have so many great and brave lawyers there to push back on all these banana republic shenanigans.

On a lighter note, sleep well and have a great weekend csziggy.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

6. They could deduce my vote from the sign in the front yard. nt

[Stonepounder]

5. I hope the DOJ and the FBI are all over this.

This is voter intimidation and is illegal. They ought to be able find the printer that made the flyer and then find out who paid for them. And then they arrest them and put them on trial and...dare I say it...LOCK THEM UP!!

[David__77]

7. That's a stretch.

Whether or not someone votes and a persons party registration may be public information as far as I understand.

[jmowreader]

13. It is

...but as of right now, HOW a person voted is not a matter of public record. In fact, they go to a lot of effort to NOT know how individuals voted. Maybe that worthless piece of shit who's masquerading as an orangutan wants to end the secret ballot, but that asshole is a communist anyway.

[Ms. Toad]

15. Read the flyer, not the hype.

The flyer itself doesn't say anything about how an individual voted.

It is a GOTV mailing to a Republican base, suggesting the Republican recipient bears some responsibility if the democrats win (do your part) for not going to the polls and pointing out that voting (or not) is public information (so your neighbors will know if you stayed home).

It's slimy, but it isn't addressed to the content of the vote.

[jmowreader]

16. I read the flyer

It implies that if the Republicans lose the election, they're going to tell All Your Neighbors who you voted for. You and I know they can't do that, but we're more attuned to how the electoral system really works.

[Ms. Toad]

17. You're reading way more into it than the flyer says.

It doesn't say, or even imply, that your neighbors will know who you voted for.
It doesn't say, or even suggest that the Republicans are going to tell anyone anything.

Both of those come from the inaccurate media report on the flyer.

The flyer is a slimy GOTV tactic to their base (vote in this election; apply to vote by mail). It's slimy because many of them almost certainly don't realize that the fact of voting is public record - and might have been planning on sitting this one out. The message: If you just sit this one out (i.e. don't do your part to stop it), your neighbors will know (becuase the fact of voting is a public record)- so don't think you can get away with not voting.

[David__77]

21. I wouldn't object to Democrats making such a flier.

...

[Augiedog]

9. I'm pretty sure they already know. 😜

[dembotoz]

25. if mine do not they are blind, deaf and stupid....omg....the trump base

[mdbl]

10. Sen Joe McCarthy would be so proud!

Morons!

[Kennah]

12. I'm voting Blue, so come at me, bro (n/t)

[turbinetree]

18. Game on

come to my state and see how I vote and its not "republican, libertarian, of green, or write in"

In fact I will tell you right now Democratic on the federal ticket and on the state tickets

[Dems2002]

22. That isn't what this mailer is doing

This is a gotv mailer. It probably went entirely to republican voters. It's purpose is to convince republicans to vote, not to prevent Dems from doing so.

Studies have shown the best way to get someone to vote is to tell them their neighbors are all voting.

No voter intimidation, just an attempt to shame republicans into voting.

[MrModerate]

24. I doubt the authors of the mailer . . .

Were unaware of its intimidating effects. It seems clear that they're talking to multiple audiences.

It's very clever, actually -- although a more accurate term would be 'diabolical.'

[BumRushDaShow]

23. This is the type of thing that had been done in the Philly 'burbs for years

although not as obvious as through a flyer. I.e., It was often known that if you didn't identify or register as R, then you were guaranteed to be cited for the most minor of property infractions and good luck having the volunteer fire department respond if you called. I knew a number of friends/coworkers who lived in the 'burbs who experienced this and tuned out from elections altogether. Thankfully this kind nonsense has been reduced (at least in the immediate rim areas) as the demographics changed.

[elleng]

26. “After all, voting is a matter of public record.”

[True_Blue]

27. Sounds like the GOP is worried about Republicans secretly voting for Hillary

And they probably will.

[TomCADem]

28. False - Voting Is By Secret Ballot. At Best...

...you can perhaps isolate out results by precinct and if very few people in precinct vote in a small rural area, then it is possible to sort of approximate the likelihood of how a group of people voted. The public record threat is based on the precinct by precinct reporting of results. Put another way, based on the reporting of results at a statewide level, we can determine that most people voted one way or the other, but you can't tell how any one voter voted.