Voter Intimidation Strikes Philly

[RamboLiberal]

Source: Philadelphia Daily News

With just weeks to go before the presidential election, voter intimidation has reared it's ugly head here in Philly.

An anonymous flier is circulating in parts of North and West Philadelphia, which says that if you have outstanding warrants or traffic tickets, then police will arrest you at your polling place on election day. (For the complete flier, click here.)

Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Everett Gillison says he learned of the flier last week. He stressed that the message is completely false.

"The only thing that police officers are going to do that we’ll be encouraging that day is that they’ll be exercising their own individual right to vote," Gillison said.

Gillison plans to put up statements on the city and police websites to let people know that the handouts are false, as well as record a public service announcement. He has also referred the matter to the U.S. Attorney's Office and the District Attorney.


Read more: http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/Voter_Intimidation_Strikes.html

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The flyer - note it starts "Recently, at school an Obama supporter approached me during a rock the vote assembly"

http://media.philly.com/documents/intimidationflyer.pdf

[grannie4peace]

1. i do hope the campaign knows about this.

[AllentownJake]

11. Its Philadelphia the campaign new about it 30 seconds after the flyers landed

There are virtually no republicans in North or West Philadelphia. Its repukes from the subburbs and Northeast causing trouble.

[nerddem]

15. they do

i found one taped on a table last week and passed it on to our local field director

[AndyTiedye]

22. How Do You Fight This Sort of Thing?

People who have unpaid parking tickets or even library books will now be afraid to vote.
Do denials by city officials do anything to assuage that fear?

[AllieB]

2. Is this illegal? It should be if it isn't.

:grr:

[Ian David]

21. It says the DA is investigating it. n/t

[drm604]

3. Kick

:kick:

[Quantess]

4. The reader replies are ridiculous.

Some people are saying "good!"

[tbyg52]

19. Well, let'a all go say "bad"! nt

[bertman]

5. You ain't seen nothing yet. Those assholes are just getting warmed up.

[AllentownJake]

12. Repukes from the subburbs better be careful

Philadelphia isn't known for its tolerance of such behavior.

[leftrightwingnut]

17. It's a rough town. Especially for people who get caught handing out shit like this.

Bad things can happen. I wouldn't do it.

[Frances]

6. The Republicans did this in Baltimore Maryland

and even though they were exposed afterwards, they were not punished.

The Maryland Repubs even distributed (in black neighborhoods) a flyer implying that the black Repub Senatorial candidate was a Dem. The Dem (Cardin) was elected anyway, and I think this was discussed in Congress, but I'm not sure what the results were.

[tom_paine]

13. Obama tried to sponsor a measure that made such illegal.

I'm sure the Bushies killed it, probably with some help from the Pelosi Vichy Dem Contingent.

Looked it up. Yep. It's still stuck in committee. The only one from that time frame that is still stuck in committee.

Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act of 2005

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_bills_sponsored_by_Barack_Obama_in_the_United_States_Senate

And DEMOCRATS CONTROL THAT COMMITTEE! Make of that what you will.

What it means, of course, is that Bushies are in no danger of violating the law, because there is no law against it.

There so easily could have been, but there isn't.

I very much hope that, if one of these Bushie Fucks is found putting up these signs, that a little Philly Street Justice is applied.

I can think of few more deserving of vigilante justice in the face of the fact that they will walk scot-free even if they ARE caught.

I wish I still lived in Philly...

[defendandprotect]

14. Good for Obama ..shame on Dems --- again ...

[tom_paine]

18. Exactly.

:argh: :grr:

[Blue_Tires]

24. Erhlich-Steele did the same thing in the governor's race ('02) as well

it was a VERY dirty campaign...

[Blue State Bandit]

7. On the Parking Authority...

my cousin works for them, and she would have told me if such a program was being floated.

The PPA was removed from the city's jurisdiction a few years ago and placed under the Republican led state legislature's control. So such an action does fall under "believable". But I don't think that the city would stand for such a tactic. If this were to actually happen, I could almost guarantee that the blow-back would be swift and decisive from both Mayor Nutter's and Governor Rendell's offices.

And on the same track, I know, personally, that such coordination between the PPA and the Philly PD would be a tough one. These two agencies can't stand each other.

[scarface2004]

8. they have one in pittsburgh that says you can be executed!

if you have outstanding parking tickets and vote, it is a capital crime, punishable by hanging. you will not have a trial, the police will pick you up and take you immediately to the death chamber. signed 'i m jammakain, and i approve this message!'

[notaboutus]

9. NOT THIS TIME NOT THIS YEAR!

The Obama camp as well as independent organizations are all over this along with other schemes. Lawyers will be at numerous voting sites across the country on election day. They also have several 800 numbers to call. Black Radio and BET are making voters aware of all types of situations they may encounter on election day. NOT THIS TIME NOT THIS YEAR!

[Freddie Stubbs]

10. The Pennsylvania Constitution specifically states that voters cannot be arrested

Article VII
ELECTIONS

Electors Privileged from Arrest
Section 5.

Electors shall in all cases except treason, felony and breach or surety of the peace, be privileged from arrest during their attendance on elections and in going to and returning therefrom.

http://sites.state.pa.us/PA_Constitution.html

[MikeNearMcChord]

16. Alert the NAACP-LDF and the ACLU, get the word out.

[Ian David]

20. Domestic Terrorism. n/t

[Thegonagle]

23. The intimidation flier says "walla" instead of viola.

And "'scoff law'" (yes, in quotes) instead of scofflaw.

What a maroon!