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Election 2010 Dirty Tricks

Halloween is not until Sunday but the dirty tricksters are already come out and spooking voters.

In Houston, a shadowy group, the “Black Democratic Trust of Texas,” is circulating fliers that discourage black voters from voting a straight Democratic ticket.

TPM reports:

Misleading fliers are showing up on the windshields of vehicles at a predominately African-American polling place in Houston that claim to come from a non-existent group called the “Black Democratic Trust of Texas.”

The fliers were placed on the windshields of vehicles at and near the Sunnyside Early Voting location and tell voters not to voter straight Democrat, according to Texas Democrats and local news reports.

The tricksters are not just using old-school tactics to confuse voters. The Electronic Privacy Information Center has compiled a report of deceptive Internet-based tricks, “E-Deceptive Campaign Practices: Technology and Democracy 2.0.”

Lillie Coney, EPIC’s Associate Director, notes:

Deceptive campaigns are attempts to misdirect targeted voters regarding the voting process for public elections. Historically, deceptive campaign practices have been aimed at reducing voter participation among low-income, minority, young, disabled, and elderly voters. Examples of deceptive election practices could include false statements about polling times, date of the election, voter identification rules, or the eligibility requirements for voters who wish to cast a ballot.

If you see something, call 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683) or send a tweet to #866OURVOTE.

Philly Canvass Kick Off Rally with Obama

On Saturday, President Barack Obama will be back in the City of Brotherly Love, where he will kick off a canvassing rally with Temple University students.

Joe Sestak and Dan Onorato need voters in Philly to show them a lot of love. One in eight Pennsylvania voters lives in the city. The Greater Philadelphia Region accounts for one-third of the state’s nearly 8.5 million voters.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of State, there are 8,478,509 registered voters in the Keystone State:

• 4,311,203 registered Democratic voters
• 3,132,039 registered Republican voters
• 38,031 registered Libertarian voters
• 997,236 registered all other party voters

A new Gallup poll found the midterm electorate looks like Temple’s school colors – cherry red (read: Republican) and white:

Gallup's latest figures on the composition of the 2010 electorate suggest that, consistent with an earlier Gallup report, those voting in this year’s congressional elections across the country will be similar in gender, age, and education to 2006 voters. At the same time, they will be substantially more Republican in their party orientation, and more conservative than has been the case in the past several midterms.

The rally will begin at 10 a.m. at the Student Pavilion, located at 1901 N. 15th Street. No ticket is required, but RSVPs are requested.

You Have the Right to Vote

While members of the Election Protection Coalition work overtime to protect the vote, other groups allegedly are scheming to suppress the vote in the name of “voter fraud.”

Fox News and the New Black Panthers kerfuffle notwithstanding, there have been few cases of voter fraud. Still, election after election, conservative groups the “voter fraud racket” rolls out “election integrity” campaigns.

This time, some poll watchers may have crossed the line.

The New York Times reports:

Tea Party members have started challenging voter registration applications and have announced plans to question individual voters at the polls whom they suspect of being ineligible.

In response, liberal groups and voting rights advocates are sounding an alarm, claiming that such strategies are scare tactics intended to suppress minority and poor voters.

Wendy Weiser, deputy director of the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law, told the Times:

Private efforts to police the polls create a real risk of vote suppression, regardless of their intents. People need to know that any form of discrimination, intimidation or challenge to voters without adequate basis is illegal or improper.

I’m all for civic engagement, but voter intimidation is not my cup of tea.

If you encounter a problem at the poll, don’t lose your cool. Keep in mind the following (h/t Eddie Hailes of the Advancement Project):

You have the right to be treated with respect at the polling place, and privacy in your vote. Valid poll watchers can observe what is happening at and inside the polling place, but they cannot speak to you, ask you for ID, or interact directly with you. They cannot watch when you are completing the ballot or being assisted by a person of your choice.

Do not let poll watchers or others outside the polling place interfere with your vote! You do not have to listen to or talk to them, and you should not rely on what they may say about voting rules. They are not election officials and they may be giving out WRONG information.

If you or other voters are being harassed or subject to improper behavior by poll watchers or others at the polling place, tell the nearest election official. You can also get help by calling 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683).

Remember, voters whose eligibility is questioned are entitled to vote by provisional ballot.

Make your vote count.

UPDATE: USA Today published my letter to the editor about the perilous state of the machinery of our democracy.

I Voted

Election Day is seven days away.

As of yesterday, I am one of the more than 6.5 million early voters nationwide. I cast my ballot at Philadelphia City Hall where the election workers include Otis Jones.

I didn’t get a sticker so I will have to “Shout!” because I want you to know right now.

Countdown to Election Day

At last, the midterm election season is nearing an end. In eight days, it will be all over except the counting.

Already, millions of votes have been cast. The votes will not be counted until Election Day so it is sheer speculation as to whether these are newly fired up voters or convenience voters.

If you plan to vote early or on November 2nd, you need to get ready. The Voting Information Project has developed a free application that will let you find your polling place and other relevant information, including polling hours.

To install the VIP Polling Locator on your website, go to Google Election Center.

National Politically-correct Radio

NPR’s abrupt firing of Juan Williams for expressing an opinion that is held by many Americans is generating a lot of static.

During an appearance on The O’Reilly Factor, Williams said:

I mean, look, Bill, I’m not a bigot. You know the kind of books I’ve written about the civil rights movement in this country. But when I get on the plane, I got to tell you, if I see people who are in Muslim garb and I think, you know, they are identifying themselves first and foremost as Muslims, I get worried. I get nervous.

While standing by the decision, NPR Ombudsman Alicia Shepard says the handling of Williams’ inartful remarks was, well, inartful:

I’m not privy to the why this announcement was so hastily made. NPR could have waited until his contract ran out, or possibly suspended him pending a review. Either way, a more deliberative approach might have enabled NPR to avoid what has turned into a public relations nightmare.

Williams has already landed on his feet with a $2 million contract with Fox News. Still, Republicans plan to land a knockout punch and defund NPR.

Sen. Jim DeMint, a member of the Senate Commerce Committee which oversees Corporation for Public Broadcasting, says it’s time to end taxpayer-funding of NPR and PBS:

Once again we find the only free speech liberals support is the speech with which they agree. The incident with Mr. Williams shows that NPR is not concerned about providing the listening public with an honest debate of today’s issues, but rather with promoting a one-sided liberal agenda.

We can’t keep borrowing hundreds of millions of dollars from China each year to fund public radio and public TV when there are so many choices already in the market for news and entertainment. If CPB is defunded taxpayers will save billions. This is just one of the many cuts Congress should make next year.

I plan to introduce legislation to defund CPB and force a vote on it as well as other measures to start getting our fiscal house in order.

Although I don’t agree with the effort to defund NPR, the incident represents political correctness run amok. The PC police who want to silence Williams also want to silence opponents of the Ground Zero mosque.

Our President Needs You

Twenty-two months into his presidency, Barack Obama has become the President of Black America.

In an ad playing on black radio stations, Obama says:

This is Barack Obama.

Two years ago, you voted in record numbers, and we won a victory few dreamed possible.

I know so many across the country are hurting and think change isn’t happening fast enough.

That's why we’ve fought so hard to repair the economic mess we were handed to begin putting people back to work.

Reducing health care costs and stopping insurance company discrimination.

Reforming education so it works for every child. Investing in programs to keep them off the streets.

But now, that’s all at stake.

The same Republicans who’ve fought against change are pushing the same plan that crashed our economy -- tax cuts for millionaires; deep cuts to education; repealing health care reform. We can’t afford to go back.

On November 2, I need you to stand with me and vote.

The ad makes no mention of the chronic joblessness or rising foreclosures in the African American. Still, “vote for me and I'll set you free.”