West Virginia Secretary of State Disenfranchising Thousands of Obama Voters?

[kpete]

West Virginia Secretary of State Disenfranchising Thousands of Obama Voters?

Posted by Matt Stoller, Open Left at 5:07 AM on April 29, 2008.


Separate but unequal voting systems in West Virginia threaten to disenfranchise independent voters.

I got a call today from Mark Levine, the election protection attorney for Donna Edwards and one in whom I have a good amount of trust, and he told me about a brewing problem in West Virginia which will probably end up disenfranchising thousands of Obama voters. Here's the nub of the issue. West Virginia has an open primary, which means you can vote even if you are an independent. However, if you are a Democrat or a Republican, you are automatically given a normal ballot in a primary. If you are an independent, you are pointed to a touch screen device which does not list a Presidential choice.

If you are an independent, you have the option of requesting a Democratic or Republican ballot so you can vote in the Presidential primary, but you have to request it. And unless you know to request it, you will end up with no vote in the Presidential primary. The Secretary of State has decided not to inform people of this fact, which will leave potentially thousands of voters in West Virginia who came to vote for Obama without a choice.

Independents, in other words, are being disenfranchised.

http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/83823/#more

[MountainLaurel]

1. You might want to Xpost

In the WV forum.

[Cheap_Trick]

2. color me surprised

:sarcasm:

[DemVet]

3. Just like they say in FL and MI, "rules are rules"

Tough shit.

I suppose absolutely NONE of these people have come to vote for Hillary, huh?

They are ALL going to vote for Obama?

[hokies4ever]

4. Useless arguing

with someone clouded so much by spin. Some of the 65+ voters vote for Obama you know. Disenfranchising them would hurt Hillary's numbers. It's not whether or not any of the Independents support Obama, it's that he has consistently polled higher with Independents than Hillary. You should be ashamed that I have to educate you like this.

[tabasco]

5. What a stupid fucking response.

You have equated the Democratic party with a corrupt republican state official.

More stupidity from Hillary supporters.

[MagickMuffin]

6. Off to the Greatest

:kick: & RRRRRRR

We NEED to inform the voters. ASAP

[rinsd]

7. If you want to choose a party's nominee, join the party.

[suston96]

8. So unenrolled (no party choice) voters don't know they have to make a choice.....?

Sorry, but I made that choice for over 40 years and each time I voted in a primary I was asked by the poll worker which ballot I wanted. In my state (MA) that choice automatically enrolled me in that party.

Before I left the building I filled out a card and returned to my unenrolled status.

I doubt very much that registered but unenrolled voters anywhere aren't aware of that process or that poll workers will not offer the choice of ballot to the unenrolled voter standing before them.

[TexanDem]

9. Somehow gotta get this info out to voters! K&R

[redqueen]

10. "The Secretary of State has decided not to inform people of this fact"

Now why would they do that?