In what can only be considered another example of the sad state of the United States of America, Katherine Lucey of philly.com reports on some of the tactics used in predominantly black neighborhoods to depress citizens more likely vote democrat.
An anonymous flier circulating in African-American neighborhoods in North and West Philadelphia states that voters who are facing outstanding arrest warrants or who have unpaid traffic tickets may be arrested at the polls on Election Day.
Shocking is the fact that a country so devout in preaching freedom does not ensure that every one of its citizens is able to vote. The US spends billions of dollars to ’spread’ democracy, but has done nothing but create a perversion of the idea back at home.
Allen Raymond, a former Republican operative who went to prison for three-months in 2006, suggests things have done nothing but become more”overt’ since the 80’s.
Raymond list some time honored tricks:
- “Push-poll” phone calls using the guise of a survey to push negative information about a candidate.
- Leaflets or emails listing the wrong date or a “rain date” for the election.
- Automated voicemail messages telling voters that the location of their polling place has changed.
- Repeated late night automated “robo-calls” with a message from a candidate.
In his book, “How to Rig an Election: Confessions of a Republican Operative”, Raymond describes how he helped devise other subtle tricks playing on voters’ prejudices during the 2000 congressional race in New Jersey.
To complicate the matter, ven though voters may survive the intimadation tactics, it may not be enough. More and more evidence has been revealed that contractors with ties to the GOP have been hired in many states such as Illinois, Colorado and Kentucky to count your vote. Bev Harris of Blackboxvoting.org has an indepth piece regarding tactics that are in place even for the 2008 election
What should come to no surprise to anyone, is the fact that these tactics seemed to be incorporated by one group. Whether they are using this tactics against their opponents or even amongst each other, the GOP is guilty of disabling democracy.
