NYT: Election Day in Florida May Look Familiar

[gristy]

MIAMI — The League of Women Voters in Florida and its 27 local groups have helped thousands of residents register to vote over the years.

But just over a week ago, the organization’s leaders said they would have to stop their current drive because the state’s top election official planned to enforce strict deadlines and fines of up to $1,000 for groups that lose voter registration forms or turn them in late.

“We’re an all-volunteer organization,” said Dianne Wheatley-Giliotti, president of the League of Women Voters in Florida, which plans to sue. “It’s a matter of being able to protect the leagues from liability.”

<snip>

But Election Day may end up looking oddly familiar. According to independent elections experts at Pew’s Electionline.org and other organizations, it is now harder to vote here than in nearly every other state in the nation. Some critics predict that tens of thousands of potential voters will be kept off the rolls — many of them poor, black or Hispanic.

In many ways, the battle over the laws reflects the larger national debate over how to overhaul the election system after the 2000 recount. Congress tried to institute a uniform guide for voter registration, but the compromise legislation left many details to the states and partisanship arose in the void. Republicans typically demanded high standards of accuracy to eliminate voter fraud, while Democrats focused on making voting as easy as possible.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/28/us/politics/28voting.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

Someone's rewriting history again.

[flyarm]

1. well since 2002 i have been an at large poll watcher for the dem party

..one of only 2 at large poll workers in my large county..and i will not do it this year.

In fact i believe i am done doing it forever..since the DNC decided not to count my vote for the primary.

Fuck them!

I always worked the early vote , many times 15 hours a day all voluntary..for two weeks and then for the general election,..piss on the DNC and the dem party now..they won't count my vote when i have worked so hard to make sure minorities got to vote and have their votes counted.

I am done.

Let them try to find people this year..here in Fla..

what a freaking joke..

Hell my counties DEC meeting last month could not take any votes, because there were not enough people there to get a quorum ..to make a vote count.

This time in 2004 we quadrupled the membership..now , no one shows up...why freaking bother.

The dem party and the DNC has pissed all over the dems here and the participation has dropped to almost nil.

Why bother going to DEM meetings when our votes have not been counted by the DNC?????????

I as well as others i know will not go to any more meetings..and they will not see another dime out of me..maybe ever.

I will do no work for the dem party this time through..period.


fly.. a 2004 elected dem delegate for the State of Florida.

[msongs]

2. why blame the DNC for a problem created by YOUR party members in Florida? nt

[flyarm]

7. the bill that changed the primary date was attached by an amendment by the republican legislature of

fla..the initial bill was to Ban the DRE voting machines and mandate VOTER VERIFIED PAPER BALLOTS.

THE REPUBLICAN LEGISLATURE ATTACHED AN AMMENDMENT TO THAT BILL...so what did the DNC do ..they punished Florida for making sure in 2008..that no more DRE would be used in Florida..not for 2012..but for 2008 general election.

and What did Dean and the DNC do in 2006 when sarasota had 18,000 votes go missing ..not a fucking thing..

it took citizens with little to no help from the Dem party to get this bill to the floor of our legislature..and what did dean do..immediately he called for a caucus in Fla..well the Fla dems and the FDP said no way.

and actually it wasn't my party members that added this amendment..it was the Republican party members.

i am sic k of Dean, Obama and Brazile and their surrogates lying about this!

the four citizens that brought this bill about just were awarded the highest award given by the Fla ACLU...the award will be given May 17th

so bullshit is bullshit.

fly

[Dr.Phool]

3. It seemed like every time I went to a DEC meeting in your county,

It was ready to erupt into a fist fight. I think attendance and membership in the DEC's are reflecting the amount of incompetence at the state and county levels.

I'm not doing anything this year either, but it's because of the FDP and local idjits.

[gristy]

4. The DNC decided to not count your vote?

The DNC set the rules years in advance - madfloridian has covered the situation quite well http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian. Have you posted your views on this before? I'm sure you've received lots of info if you have. Have you been listening?

[gristy]

5. Here's a thread from madfloridian from yesterday

I'm sure they'd all love to hear your views. :D
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x5713463

[flyarm]

6. i do not agree with madfloridian and her views of what happened.

we have polar opposite views of this .

fly