Coming to a poll near you:GOP lawyers to make frivolous voter challenges!

[farmbo]

According to a story in the Columbus Dispatch, the Franklin County, Ohio,(Columbus) GOP is instructing Republican lawyers to indiscriminately challenge random voters' eligibility at the polls as a way to slow down the voting process, thus discouraging voters in Democratic precincts from standing for hours in long lines to vote.

The frivolous challenges could effectively sabotage what promises to be a record turnout of new voters in the Columbus area. One hundred thousand new voters have registered in Franklin county this year and, while new Ohio voters can not indicate a party preference, The New York Times estimates that registrations in traditionally Democratic precincts are up 250% while those in GOP precincts are up a mere 25%.

(link requires registration)

[bowens43]

1. Could you post the link?

[farmbo]

5. Here you are...

http://www.dispatch.com/election/election-president.php?story=dispatch/2004/10/19/20041019-B1-01.html

[Media_Lies_Daily]

2. Do the Democrats have plans to retaliate in kind? If the GOP wants...

...to play this game, life could become VERY miserable for GOP voters as well.

[AP]

3. You can only challenge a voter if the person challenging the voter is

a member of the community and knows the other members of the community. So if there's a republican doing that, a democratic challenger should ask that the person prove that they're a member of the community (ID) and ask them to prove his familiarity with the community members by asking him to name the next three or four voters who come in the door and ask the voters if they can indentify him. If nobody can, they guy should get arrested for breaking the law.

That's the law in most states. Check the law in your own state.

This is why you should volunteer to be a poll watcher for the Democratic party.

[snippy]

10. Here is some info on Ohio law according to the same paper.

[AP]

12. Here are the Ohio statutes on challenging...

http://onlinedocs.andersonpublishing.com/oh/lpExt.dll?f=templates&fn=main-h.htm&cp=PORC

It looks like they have a pretty liberal challenge law, but I haven't read the whole thing.

I guess the defense is that if the challenger challenges a couple in a row that are wrong, you can say they're only doing it to cause delay, and then you can call the cops.

[debatepro]

4. Voter intimidation

Call the police and charge voter intimidation.

[BillZBubb]

6. Citizen's arrest!

For voter intimidation!!!! The Democrats need to get out a sheet on the laws in each state.

[henslee]

7. Lawyers are allowed in polling stations? I could understand election

officers but lawyers? I also know, first hand, though I know its not news, that the whitehouse has a crapload of lawyers waiting to descend on election trouble spots. My friend went to school with one of them.

[farmbo]

11. In Ohio, Lawyers are allowed in polling places if approved by a party...

...and that would be the Republican party in this instance. Look for them to dispatch their most intimidating, Brooks Bros-wearin',Gucci sportin' obstructionist SOBs to the heavily Black precincts.

BTW...the Dems have hundreds of lawyers volunteering as poll observers that day as well.

[Union Thug]

8. I'll go to jail if someone tries to prevent me from voting.

Take that as you will. This is no joke. I think these bastards need to understand that denying the vote will lead to civil unrest.

As we used to say, you play, you pay. Don't F* with the democratic process.

[snippy]

9. Typical racist, criminal Bushshit. How very republican. n/t

[DemsUnited]

13. I forwarded this article to ABC 2004 watch dog project

If anyone finds other problems, please do the same!

From today's ABC the Note:
------------------------
So we're seeking YOUR help — and by "you" we mean citizens, journalists, activists, party officials and consultants, election administrators, and interested observers.

ABC News is kicking off our 2004 Watchdog project today, and The Note — and Noted Now — will be its canvass. Between now and Election Day, look for regular reports on all ABC News programs.

If you want to help, or if you're concerned, all it takes is an e-mail to The ABC News Political Unit: [e-mail] .

You might encounter problems or issues with the mechanics of casting and tabulating your ballot, from rules about absentee votes and voter IDs, to problems with electronic machines in your county, to poll workers who don't know the law.

As we said, we're especially interested this year in the mechanics of voting ("casting and counting") and voter contact. We're looking for any type of communication — be it from a neighbor, a radio ad, a flyer, a billboard, a county elections official, police officer, a secretary of state — that confuses voters or seems suspect.

To submit material to our casting and counting watchdog corps, just e-mail us — [e-mail] .

You can and should start writing us right now — and all the way through Election Day