The loss of the consent decree and unleashed voter suppression tactics by the GOP

[LymphocyteLover]

Scary scary stuff here:
https://washingtonmonthly.com/2020/07/18/expect-trump-to-use-dhs-stormtroopers-to-stop-people-from-voting-and-plan-accordingly

Last night I wrote about Trump’s use of ICE and Border Patrol stormtroopers under the auspices of the Department of Homeland Security to detain and intimidate peaceful protesters. In that piece I speculated that Trump was not only testing the waters of creating his own personal paramilitary domestic security force and attempting to please the most sadistic elements of his base, but also that he was taking the natural actions an executive might take if he actually believed the dystopian propaganda about America’s cities being promulgated every day on Fox News.

But there is another deeply alarming possibility to consider. This November will be the first since the expiration of a 1982 consent decree in which the Republican National Committee will be freed to conduct voter suppression and intimidation en masse. As Andy Kroll recently explained at Rolling Stone:

The result of the suit was a 1982 consent decree between the Democratic and Republican parties. Even though the RNC refused to admit wrong-doing in New Jersey, the group agreed to stop harassing and intimidating voters of color, including by deputizing off-duty law-enforcement officers and equipping those officers with guns or badges. Over the next three decades, Democrats marshaled enough evidence of ongoing Republican voter suppression to maintain the consent decree until 2018, when a federal judge lifted the order.

The 2020 presidential election will be the first in nearly 40 years when the RNC isn’t bound by the terms of the 1982 decree. Clark, the Trump campaign lawyer, told the group of Republicans at the private meeting last November that the end of the consent decree was “a huge, huge, huge, huge deal,” freeing the RNC to directly coordinate with campaigns and political committees on so-called Election Day operations. The RNC is sending millions of dollars to state Republican parties to vastly expand these measures, which include recruiting 50,000 poll observers to deploy in key precincts.

[Hoyt]

1. Fortunately, Dems have poll observers too and in 34 states any registered voter can vote by mail.

5 of those states, vote by mail always.

GOTV and we win.

[LymphocyteLover]

5. I hope so! What about swing states though?

[dragonlady]

2. Another reason for massive absentee voting

The best system would have secure facilities around a city where voters can submit their ballots without interference at the polls and despite the slowing of the post office, which the GOP obviously hopes will keep our votes from being counted.

As an example, Milwaukee will have drop-offs at nine libraries before the primary this summer, where election staffers will also be available to witness the ballot for voters who have no one to do that and to help others register to vote and apply for absentee ballots. One suburb that I know of has a permanent, refurbished U.S. mail box (painted yellow) outside the city hall to receive utility and tax payments, where absentee ballots can also be submitted. Alternatives like this could avoid much of the voter suppression.

[LymphocyteLover]

4. Good info. There are worries about mail-in voting but if we plan ahead

it should work for us.

[RANDYWILDMAN]

3. Mail in Ballots please for ALL !

Please, I can already see R's trying to monkey this election up big time....