And Democratic Party officials oppose voter suppression .... except when they engage in it.

[imagine2015]

If this isn't massive voter suppression I'd like to know what is. It's so blatant! Eliminating more than two thirds of polling places and than requiring voters to visit two separate polling locations to cast ballots!

This sound like something the Republicans would pull. But no, it's Democratic Party officials who support Hillary Clinton!
imagine2015



Politics
Puerto Rico Slashes Polling Places For The Democratic Primary, Laying The Groundwork For Chaos
by Alice Ollstein
June 3, 2016


In early May, Puerto Rico’s Democratic Party announced that more than 1,500 polling places would be available for the island’s June 5 Democratic primary. A few weeks later, they slashed that number to just over 430 — a reduction of more than two thirds.

In 2008, the island’s last competitive Democratic primary, there were more than 2,300 polling places.

Some are warning of long lines and voters left unable to access the ballot box, as an estimated 700,000 Puerto Ricans will vote this Sunday, and polling places will only be open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m..

Worse, many voters will have to visit two separate locations to cast ballots in the presidential primary and the local primaries held the same day. Voter turnout and engagement has for years been much higher on the island than in the 50 U.S. states, but these changes may present too heavy a burden for low-income residents who lack transportation options or who need to work.

[msongs]

1. oh dear you forgot any proof this is suppression to help hillary clinton. nt

[imagine2015]

21. Right. It's a clever operation organized by politicians supporting Hillary to help Bernie Sanders!

Are you just pretending to be new and naïve about how the Democratic Party operates in some areas?

In many cases they seem to be following the example set by Republicans in voter repression.

Do you know how the Cook County and Chicago Democratic Party machines got out the vote in the "good ole days" under their great "liberal" mayor Richard Daley back in the 60's?

The Cook County and Chicago Democratic machines allowed absentee voters to vote.

So what's wrong with that?

Well, those absentee voters were absent because they were dead and buried! But that didn't stop Daley machine operatives from casting votes on their behalf!

And those Democratic Party precinct organizers could learn lessons from contemporary politicians on how to carry out and get away with election fraud and manipulation.

[Lord Magus]

22. You realize that Hillary is expected to win Puerto Rico in a landslide, right?

You remember that PR's government is literally bankrupt, right?

And please, enough with the Republican memes about dead people voting in Chicago.

[hrmjustin]

2. Doesn't the state decide this and not the party?

[imagine2015]

9. They are Democratic Party officials running this government operation.

[Melissa G]

3. This is the Minority Voter Suprression that Hillary engages in

yes... I am talking to those that deny she does it.

[emulatorloo]

6. Ok, let's see your (manufactured) evidence.

[Melissa G]

7. Plain as the nose on your face

but if you can't see it, no amount of my explaining is gonna get you there.

[emulatorloo]

8. In other words, you "feel" it is true, but you have nothing.

I do respect your feelings. Have a great night.

[Melissa G]

10. Yes, you have nothing!

Enjoy it and the lovely night!

[emulatorloo]

12. ...

[highprincipleswork]

18. is that how people who happen to be on the Establishment side of things toast? Gloating in the

superiority of your Establishment power, without a care or feeling for the subversion of democratic principles, no matter who is doing it, what is the cause or whatever. Just smashing the results in the face of whoever brings up the unfairness of it? Very unappealing, especially in a country founded on revolution and on a site called "Democratic Underground". Oh, but then I forgot the PTB have over-run everything already, and we're living in an oligarchy. Oh, well then, it's par for the course I suppose. Outright Fascism must be next.

[emulatorloo]

20. You know nothing about me.

I wish both you and Melissa G well.

[99Forever]

31. Pardon me for asking.

Is this a court of law?

Are people here not allowed to state what is plainly obvious to them? That which we have seen repeated ad nausium throughout this entire UNDemocratic primary process?

Then at the end of it all, you seriously think that the people who KNOW they have been cheated, are so brain damaged that they will be brought to heel in the name of "party unity?"

Good luck with that.

[imagine2015]

11. When was the last time you had to go to two different voting locations to cast your votes?

Well?

When and where?

[Melissa G]

17. Thanks...

you have a lot more patience than I do

[emulatorloo]

24. Melissa, my initial posts to you were poorly written/incoherent and I apologize for that.

They were needlessly antagonistic as well, I am truly very sorry.

I am afraid I was irritated about something else and took it out on you. That is not right.

I do hope you understand that my wishes about having a good night are sincere.

[emulatorloo]

19. I was not addressing you or your OP.

[LonePirate]

4. Are there governmental finance reasons for this reduction?

I'm not saying it's right but that could be the cause. Also, of the two major political parties in Puerto Rico, neither are what know as the Democratic and Republican parties.

[imagine2015]

16. "neither are what know as the Democratic and Republican parties." They elect convention delegates.

So it seems they must have some connection to the Democratic and Republican parties.

A very tight one as a matter of fact.

[beachbum bob]

5. Lol...can get early ballots...it's always a conspiracy

PR is broke...

[Ed Suspicious]

13. Lol. Always a coincidence. Nothing to see here. Move along.

[imagine2015]

14. And do you have a credible source indicating that's the excuse to justify voter suppression.

Or did you just make that up?

So if any states have a budget deficit this fall would it be OK with you if Republican politicians close polling stations and require voters to cast their votes at two different locations? Or would you accuse Republicans of voter repression?

Well?

[Lord Magus]

23. There is no voter suppression involved.

Quit trolling.

[imagine2015]

34. Cutting the number of polling stations and making people vote in two places is voter enhancement!

And also .....

White is Black and Day is Night.

My dear Lord!

[Lord Magus]

38. What part of Puerto Rico is completely broke don't you understand?

[Melissa G]

15. more...

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/281639-sanders-supporters-up-in-arms-over-puerto-rico-polling

May 29, 2016, 11:14 am
Sanders supporters up in arms over Puerto Rico polling locations

By Rebecca Savransky

Getty Images

Supporters of Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders are up in arms about the number of polling locations in place for the Puerto Rico primary.

A Sanders supporter, for example, pointed out in a tweet on Sunday that Puerto Rico had 1,510 polling locations in place for the Democratic primary three weeks ago. Now it has just 455.

[msongs]

25. your alleged fixing affects voters for BOTH candidates. not just ONE as you claim nt

[TeacherB87]

26. Sorry, don't buy it.

Puerto Rico's economy is collapsing, and you've presented no direct evidence that Hillary Clinton or her surrogates are involved. If you're so in favor of democracy and the franchise, does that mean you acknowledge that Clinton has received far more votes than Sanders? Does that mean you acknowledge that he has won a higher percentage of delegates than popular votes? Does that mean you acknowledge that he has largely gained a relative advantage compared to the popular vote because of caucuses, which are also extremely inconvenient undemocratic processes that shut out many people on the margins because of the commitment required? I'm sorry, but neither side has a moral advantage to lecture about democracy.

[imagine2015]

35. I think Bernie can talk about democracy as opposed to the former Senator from Wall Street.

It's all about class and who rules.

And the moral advantage is clearly on the side of Bernie who is fighting against the undemocratic minority rule of the billionaire class and their favored spokesperson, Hillary Clinton.

Do you really believe this minority class of incredibly rich people should maintain their control over this nation, our politics, our lives, our economy and our future? I hope not. Not if you're truly for democracy and against oligarchy.

?w=529&h=281

[TeacherB87]

36. I don't disagree

About Bernie having the moral high ground on challenging the oligarchy. I'm saying he's a hypocrite for pretending his fight for superdelegates is anything other than a hypocritical I democratic power grab.

[Thinkingabout]

27. This "voter suppression does not rise to the level of people showing up at

Voting location though not qualified to vote and slowing down qualified voters ability to vote in a faster time. It sure does equalte to caucus states which excludes seniors and disabled.

I also went to two different places before arriving at the proper place.

[Garrett78]

28. It couldn't possibly be a matter of economics.

It couldn't possibly be that some places simply don't have enough people or funds to have open as many polling places as they'd like.

And it couldn't possibly be Clinton who is hurt more by long lines in high population urban areas just because she typically does much better than Sanders in urban areas.

Let's not forget caucuses...they don't suppress the vote at all, not one bit. Working people, parents, persons with disabilities, people who wish to keep their vote private and others have no trouble taking part in a caucus format. The fact that a meaningless WA primary had greater turnout (and a much different result) than the WA caucus is just a fluke, I'm sure.

[cui bono]

29. It benefits the right when less people vote. Whether that's the GOP or the right wing of the Dem

Party makes no difference. The right is always for voter suppression because the more people that vote, the more the left wins.

The right wing of the Dem Party has resorted to many right wing tactics these days, and right wing policy as well. *sigh*
.

[Garrett78]

32. Caucuses suppress the vote in a big way.

One way to increase turnout is to replace caucuses with primaries. Also, have polls open for 3 days and have a mail-in option.

Obviously long lines and not having a sufficient number of polling places open in urban areas hurts the candidate who does best in urban areas. But you need personnel and funds available to have more polling places open.

Of course, replacing caucuses with primaries and having more opportunities to vote in urban areas wouldn't have helped the candidate you support. It would have helped Clinton, and significantly so.

[cui bono]

33. I agree. And they're so disorderly. Caucuses should be done away with.

So electronic voting. Don't trust it at all.

I want the most democratic and "transparent" (not regarding disclosing who individuals vote for but regarding accurate results) system. I know that Bernie won most caucus states but I do not believe that Hillary actually won the primaries. Electronic voting is too easily tampered with and this cycle the results were very different than the exit polls. We use exit polls to determine tampering in other countries yet we didn't hear anything about it on the MSM here. And several of those primary states that Hillary won have results under investigation.

When you have TPTB with such a vested interest in one candidate succeeding and another failing, when TPTB control the MSM and the voting technology, it's hard to have any faith that the results are accurate and honest. So yes, they would have helped Hillary in this current climate, but if we had verifiable elections based on paper counting I do not think that would have been the case.

Totally agree that polling should be over more days, and include weekend days so people don't have to worry about missing work.

.

[Alex4Martinez]

30. SMH at those who think this is a nothing burger. Just very sad.

We have become the party of "oh stop whining, what's a little voter suppression, our candidate is winning" comments.

[Tarc]

37. In case you haven't heard PR is in a bit of an econmic crisis atm

Besides, PR is the size of Connecticut, 2,300 polling places sounds like a bit of overkill.

[imagine2015]

39. So if states are running a deficit they should making voting a lot more difficult.

What a wonderful way to balance the budget. Sounds like something that Republicans would propose.

Once again balancing the budget on the backs of working class people even if it restricts their right to vote.

[Tarc]

40. A small state doesn't need over two thousand polling stations.

My state is twice the size and has around half that.

Seriously, stop embarrassing yourself with silly conspiracy theories in every single primary Sanders loses.