BAD news from PENNSYLVANIA!

[friesianrider]

I was at the Kerry HQs today in Reading, and the worker there said that over 75% of the new voter registration in Berks County, PA has been Democratic! Because of this, he said the supervisor/head of elections (? something like this) is saying that there's a lot of "voter fraud" and is threatening to throw out a lot of forms, and also *may* be dragging his feet with getting these registration forms processed - Berks Co has a HUGE backlog. There is also some concern that they will use this so-called "voter fraud" excuse to contest the results from PA if Kerry wins the state.

Is there anything we can do? I hate to call and bother them since they NEED to be processing the voter forms, but I'm worried about this. Anything we can do?

[wolfgirl]

1. Alert the

media...and the State Elections Committee....stop 'em in their tracks NOW!

[kysrsoze]

46. Not just the media. Alert the FBI. This CANNOT be allowed.

[aquart]

2. They have NO basis for determining fraud. None.

Get the lawyers on this. NOW.

[Wickerman]

3. Sounds like a media issue

use the blogger, see if anyone will pick it up locally.

[cally]

4. Call the Democratic National Committee

They have lawyers available for this stuff.

[H2O Man]

18. good advice

also call the Kerry campaign HQ. Do not assume that others have gone through all the proper channels.

[freetobegay]

5. No sympathy from me

Idiots that wait till the last minute deserve what they get! Wev'e known for awhile now waht Bush is capable of, waiting till the last minute was just plain stupid!

[lancdem]

7. If they registered before the deadline

they have every right to vote.

[freetobegay]

11. I still stand by my statement

If people didn't wait till the last minute this would be a mute point. Last minute people always screw things up! & we seem to have alot of them in our party.

[DrWeird]

13. I suppose you believe...

they should just "get over it?"

[freetobegay]

15. Well since you asked...

[Name removed]

36. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[TahitiNut]

17. The word you're seeking is "moot" ... not "mute."

:shrug:

Oh, and I disagree both with your logic and your implication that there's any unwritten "eleventh hour" exception to the law. That's nonsense. "Equal protection" MEANS equal protection.

(Guess what. Some people don't turn 18-years-old until September or October.)

[Bridget Burke]

37. Who knows?

"Moot" is a very old word, referring to something that should be discussed; as in Tolkien's "Entmoot".

"Mute" means silent. That is, we're being told to shut up.

[NoPasaran]

41. You know who REALLY pisses me off?

These people who wait until the last hour or two of Election Day to vote! Hey folks, when 7PM rolls around the election judges want to go home, not have to wait until everyone standing in line casts a ballot. I say if you can't be bothered to vote until you're on your way home from work then FUCK YOU!

/sarcasm

[JanMichael]

19. Good god a mighty how f'ing undemocratic. If they meet the deadline...

...they meet the deadline, PERIOD. Who on earth would not sympathise with disenfranchised voters? Oh, I bet Catherine Harris doesn't, but other that knuckledragging neo-con criminals who else would?

[Kanary]

28. I think we have the answer to your question, on this very thread.

Rather amazing.

At some point, we're going to have to look inside ourselves, if we truly want to make progress.

Kanary

[prayin4rain]

30. My voter registration didn't ask if I was a Democrat or Republican

I know this is probably stupid, but I really don't understand all of these stories about voter registrations being torn up and such on either side. My voter registration application has no mention of party. Could someone please explain this to me. And sorry for the stupidity.

[Butterflies]

35. It depends on the state

When I lived in Pennsylvania I was registered as a Dem and it said it right on my voter registration card. Now I'm in Virginia and there is no party mentioned. So in Virginia you can vote in any primary, and you can switch parties constantly if you want to. I was proud of being a Dem and I liked it being listed on my card in PA.

[progressivebydesign]

33. Tolerant person, aren't you?

Geez. I have yet to see more unbelievable rude post in weeks.

[ibegurpard]

34. typical for this poster.

eom

[gardenista]

40. Way to win it! I agree completely

with others who say you're completely wrong.

[Forkboy]

50. freetobesomething

[onethatcares]

6. go everywhere you can,

three hundred letters to the Reading Eagle might raise a flag? How about the office of Mike O'Pake? My folks live there in Reading and they are not going to vote rep for sure. Keep the faith and if you have to, get on the National News Networks. any of them.

[Shopaholic]

9. This is going to happen everywhere---

we've really got to be on guard for this. They arrested a guy here in South Carolina the other day for falsfying voter registration forms. He said he was getting paid $3 for everyone he turned out by some organization that everyone then denied having been a part of. So they're saying now that people may not be registered who think they are registered, etc. and this is a Repug state. WTF is going on here???

[China_cat]

22. I'm in Charleston

And the same thing that the news is now reporting in Nevada happened here in 2000. At the time it was thought to be racial, but people who signed up at the 'vote America' stands outside the Wal-Mart found later that they were never added to the rolls of the registered.

I've been thinking that that was a test balloon for what they're pulling in other parts of the country this year.

[newyawker99]

31. Hi China_cat!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Joy Anne]

45. Welcome, China-cat

My new in-laws are in Charleston, and I've made the 700-mile trip to visit a couple of times this year.

[louis c]

8. The Governor is a Democrat and a former DNC Chairman

The state is in charge of the election.

Call Ed Randell's office to complain, and put him on it.

[salvorhardin]

10. Call Janeane Garoffalo and Mike Malloy and Randi Rhodes

Instant media exposure.

[dave502d]

12. If Bush wasn't Prick he could stop this.

But It his people doing this shit.

[DemocracyInaction]

14. Agree with poster above--This is Dem. Gov. Rendell's state........

Contact them and this will come to an abrupt halt. This is where any complaints should go. Unlike the Repub states that will encourage this shit, Rendell will be all over them like flys on shit.

[Lorien]

20. Post Rendell's contact information

and maybe we can give you a hand with this. Please provide all the specifics that you can.

Go get 'em !

[dave502d]

16. Its all over the country!They cheated 4 year ago and their doing in now.

http://www.katu.com/news/story.asp?ID=7180

http://www.ala.org/al_onlineTemplate.cfm?Section=American_Libraries&template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=76329

http://www.klas-tv.com/Global/story.asp?S=2421595&nav=168XRvNe

http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041013/NEWS09/410130353/1001

[nostamj]

21. wow! people are motivated to VOTE..... yeah,

sounds like FRAUD to me.

there is a 'voter registration' fraud scheme in motion across the country. if the chimp loses, all HELL could break loose.

[high density]

23. Do corrupt Republicans run everything in this country?

It's one thing for CNN to wipe rather useless online polls that they don't like the results of, but I can't believe the State of Pennsylvania wants to throw away registrations because the Democrats are more organized than the Republicans for finding new voters.

[Shopaholic]

25. They do here in South Carolina

Our local Election Director for the County is a Repug--his wife sent me an anti-Kerry (actually, it was an anti-Clinton) diatribe this morning via e-mail. I took great pleasure in going to Snopes and debunking it and copying it to everyone she'd sent it out to. But that's what's running the election office here-a Repug thug.

[Kanary]

32. You got it! We Dems have a *LOT* of catching up to do!

That's why those of us who are always asking people to contact their congresscritters, etc., are so discouraged. I'ts like pulling teeth to get dems to take action, and the RW has been doing it for years.

The ball is definitely in our court.

We learn to start taking action, and make it a commitment, or...... we go down.

Kanary

[Andy_Stephenson]

24. See here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=2488129&mesg_id=2488129&page=

[Supersedeas]

26. Bush trial lawyers are preparing frivolous law suits--NO WAY

[MaraJade]

27. I've been having a terrible feeling. . .

that my home state of Pennsylvania is going to be the "Florida" of
this election. Dubya has simply been hanging around here WAAAAY too much!

But I think that Rendell et al might be on to the tactics. . .

Check it out--

http://www.state.pa.us/papower/cwp/view.asp?Q=438567&A=11

[MGKrebs]

29. Here is an attorney standing by for you:

1-866-687-8683
Ask for Debbie Liu (extension 1008).

[TexasSissy]

38. Yes, I'm hearing lots of this kind of fraud allegations by freepers

in a bipartisan forum I participate in. It must be something being pushed on some right-wing websites. It focuses on the new registrations being fraudulent, when they're Democratic.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

39. if these registration forms do not get processed in time they must ask for

provisional ballots and vote...

[merh]

42. Alert the Secretary of State and the State Attorney General...

if this clerk is a repuke alert local FBI - (they are investigating voter fraud in oregon & nevada due to discarding of registrations).

[Nordic]

51. yes, and tell them they will go to JAIL if they fuck with this election

we will make sure of it

[Merlin]

43. Please contact Mike O'Pake ASAP. Here's his contact info.

Capitol Address
Senator Michael O'Pake
11 EAST WING CAPITOL BUILDING
Harrisburg, PA 17120-0001
Phone: [phone]


District Office
Rockland Professional Center
1940 N. 13th St., Suite 232
Reading, PA 19604
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]


Email: [e-mail]

Web Site:

http://www.senator-opake.com/

or

http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/member_information/senate_bio.cfm?districtnumber=11

[prolesunited]

44. How are they trying to disenfranchise voters nationwide?

Let us count the ways:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x2484893

[Zorra]

47. Notify the Kerry campaign. n/t

[OnionPatch]

48. I don't understand this

Each registration has the name and address and more for each person. For crying out loud, if they are questioning the legitimacy of the registration, they have all the info they need to find out the truth! But they're just going to THROW THEM OUT!! Where the hell is this place, Guatamala, or the United States?
If I lived in that county I'd be storming the supervisor's office. What the hell is tax-payer money doing going to these people who can't do their jobs?
They must be living with their heads in the sand if they don't know the massive voter registration efforts underway by the Dems. Of course there are going to be big numbers of new Dems registered.

[Nordic]

49. call them, e-mail them, and promise they will go to JAIL

if they fuck with this election.

That's what we did to the guy in Ohio with the 80-lb paper joke, and it WORKED.

Let's get on it.