Big G.O.P. Bid to Challenge Voters at Polls in Key State

[Clinton Crusader]

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/23/politics/campaign/23vote.html

By MICHAEL MOSS
Published: October 23, 2004

Republican Party officials in Ohio took formal steps
yesterday to place thousands of recruits inside polling
places on Election Day to challenge the qualifications
of voters they suspect are not eligible to cast ballots.

Party officials say their effort is necessary to guard
against fraud arising from aggressive moves by the
Democrats to register tens of thousands of new voters in
Ohio, seen as one of the most pivotal battlegrounds in
the Nov. 2 elections.

Election officials in other swing states, from Arizona
to Wisconsin and Florida, say they are bracing for
similar efforts by Republicans to challenge new voters
at polling places, reflecting months of disputes over
voting procedures and the anticipation of an election as
close as the one in 2000.

Ohio election officials said they had never seen so
large a drive to prepare for Election Day challenges.
They said they were scrambling yesterday to be ready for
disruptions in the voting process as well as alarm and
complaints among voters. Some officials said they
worried that the challenges could discourage or even
frighten others waiting to vote.

<more>
:kick:

[drthais]

1. I FAIL to see how this can be legal

can you see it?
people in line to vote
INSIE the polling place
being harrassed by republicans

this can't be right
this can't be within the law

[Liberal Veteran]

2. Which begs the question as to how they make this determination...

...to suspect someone's credentials?

Skin color? Clothing?

What the fuck?

All I can say is that if someone EVER cast doubt on my credentials to vote, they better be prepared cause I will file a lawsuit against that person and put them on the stand to explain why they chose me and then I'll post their face on fliers as person who tries to cheat people out of their votes all over their neighborhod and basically do everything I can to make their life a living hell.

[Eric J in MN]

3. The election judges need to keep the line moving.

If a Republican challenges a Democrat, pull them both aside and keep the line moving.

[ClintonTyree]

4. This is the Rethugs new strategy...................

this year to disenfranchise potential Democratic voters. The brown shirts will be challenging voters and disrupting the elections in Democratic precincts, while the precincts that usually go Republican will not be challenged. Every year they come up with a way to cheat. I don't see how this can be legal either. On what grounds will they base their challenge? I'd be interested to know if Ohio election law allows this crap?

[StClone]

5. How do Republicans know there are bad Dem votes?

Because I suspect they made sure there were! They had ringers register, then vote only to disappear from existence. They will have a list of names and where they voted for a Democrat illegally. Watch for this!