(Utah) Democrats' votes challenged

[wysiwyg]

A Republican candidate gets the voter rolls for his district and challenges every voter who is registered as belonging to any party other than the Republican party.

I suppose he's just emulating the national party. As I've said previously, without penalties dishonest right-wingers can't lose doing things like this.

Democrats votes challenged

Republican candidate questions registration of 1,496 in District 37

Carsno said a campaign staffer provided him the list, but he refused to say why his campaign questioned the voter registration of the 1,496 people.
"I followed the letter of the law, and the law states that any voter may challenge any other voter," he said.
But state elections director Amy Naccarato says Carsno misused that statute.

[enough]

1. Yep, taking a page right out of the national Republican playbook

snip>

If Swensen had decided that Carsno's claims were legitimate, all 1,496 voters would have had to fill out a provisional ballot after showing proof of residence, which is exactly what Carsno said he expected to happen. The process would slow down the collection and counting of those votes.

   Swensen says Carsno is trying to turn the new provisional   ballot law on its head.

   "It is taking a law that is meant to protect voter integrity and abusing it, trying to intimidate voters from voting," she said.

   State law says voter intimidation can result in a class B misdemeanor - and voter intimidation in a federal election could result in a federal crime.

snip>

[liberalmuse]

2. You are kidding?

Here in Utah? I'm in 36, just before you hit the Holladay area. This is outrageous! Fuck the Republican Party. I've had it with these fascists.

[wysiwyg]

3. I wonder what would happen if county clerk was GOP

Fortunately Swenson is a Democrat; one of the few. The incumbent in district 37 is a Democrat so I suppose the Republican saw only advantage in doing this.

I heard the story on the local NPR news and had to hunt for it on the Salt Lake Tribune site. Hopefully, voters in that district find out about it.

[David__77]

4. Best of luck in Utah!

I hope that the Democrats in Utah are organized and energized to deliver as many votes as possible to our ticket. Utah, kind of my second home is an easy place to feel outnumbered. But I've been impressed by the progressive people there, particularly in SLC.

[DoYouEverWonder]

5. Slimball Ben Ginsburg was on MSNBC last night

Advocating this new concept to prevent people from having a fair and free election.

Expect a lot more of this crap. Fortunately, the judge in Ohio ruled against this type of intimidation.

I say if they do it to us, then we should challenge their votes as well.

[PATRICK]

6. Not such a hot idea

First of all it plays into their strategies of delaying votes, intimidating everyone AND the argument both sides do it which also turns people off and away. Might be better to keep people angry at one party and go after the disruptor NOT innocent voters like they do.

Two incendiaries waving torches in a forest does not stop forest fires.

[PATRICK]

7. Not such a hot idea

First of all it plays into their strategies of delaying votes, intimidating everyone AND the argument both sides do it which also turns people off and away. Might be better to keep people angry at one party and go after the disruptor NOT innocent voters like they do.

Two incendiaries waving torches in a forest does not stop forest fires.

[sandnsea]

8. It's not new

They've been using various supression tactics for years. They are on overdrive this year, but it's not new at all.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

9. So just why the hell don't WE challenge EVERY SINGLE

REPUG registration in the country? What's to say we can't play their game?

I mean, if they wanna play dirty, fine. Give it back better than they do. Fuck 'em.

[The_Casual_Observer]

10. I would challenge carsno with a punch in the nose

if he tried to get funny with me. Knock the bastard down a few pegs.

[Redleg]

11. What a fucking anti-democracy scumbag.

Typical bullshit from Utah, our most conservative state (I know, I lived there for 15 years).

[Redleg]

12. What a fucking anti-democracy scumbag.

Typical bullshit from Utah, our most conservative state (I know, I lived there for 15 years).

[March of Time]

13. I heard the damn Mormons delayed Independence Day this year...

Because it was on a Sunday.

:mad:

[yellowcanine]

14. If you want to increase your chances of being challenged at the polls -

try to vote while black.

[ParanoidPat]

15. Utah Election Code, Title 20A, Elections, Chapter 3, Voting, Section 202,

Challenges

http://www.le.state.ut.us/~code/TITLE20A/htm/20A03014.htm

20A-3-202. Challenges -- Recorded in official register and in pollbook.
(1) (a) When any person applies for a ballot or when a person offers a ballot for deposit in the ballot box, the person's right to vote in that voting precinct and in that election may be orally challenged by an election judge or any challenger orally stating the challenged voter's name and the basis for the challenge.
(b) A person may challenge another person's right to vote by alleging that:
(i) the voter is not the person whose name appears in the official register and under which name the right to vote is claimed;
(ii) the voter is not a resident of Utah;
(iii) the voter is not a citizen of the United States;
(iv) the voter has not or will not have resided in Utah for 30 days immediately before the date of the election;
(v) the voter does not live in the voting precinct;
(vi) the voter does not live within the geographic boundaries of the entity holding the election;
(vii) the voter's principal place of residence is not in the voting precinct;
(viii) the voter's principal place of residence is not in the geographic boundaries of the election area;
(ix) the voter has voted before in the election;
(x) the voter is not at least 18 years old;
(xi) the voter is involuntarily confined or incarcerated in jail or prison and was not a resident of the entity holding the election before the voter was confined or incarcerated;
(xii) the voter is a convicted felon and is incarcerated for the commission of a felony; or
(xiii) in a regular primary election, the voter does not meet the political party affiliation criteria established by the political party whose ballot the voter seeks to vote.
(2) (a) The election judges shall give the voter a ballot and allow the voter to vote if:
(i) the person challenged signs a written affidavit certifying that he meets all the requirements for voting; and
(ii) the election judge determines that the person challenged is registered to vote and, in a regular primary election, meets the political party affiliation criteria established by the political party whose ballot the voter seeks to vote.
(b) The election judges may not give the voter a ballot or allow the voter to vote if:
(i) the person challenged refuses to sign the written affidavit;
(ii) the election judge determines that the person challenged is not registered to vote; or
(iii) in a regular primary election, the election judge determines that the person challenged does not meet the political party affiliation criteria established by the political party whose ballot the voter seeks to vote and is unwilling or unable to take the steps authorized by law to comply with those criteria.
(c) (i) It is unlawful for any person to sign an affidavit certifying that he meets all the requirements for voting when that person knows he does not meet at least one of those requirements.
(ii) Any person who violates this Subsection (2)(c) is guilty of a class B misdemeanor.
(3) (a) Any person may challenge the right to vote of any person whose name appears on the posting list by filing a written signed statement identifying the challenged voter's name and the basis for the challenge with the county clerk on the Friday before the election during regular

business hours.
(b) The person challenging a person's right to vote shall allege one or more of the grounds established in Subsection (1)(b) as the basis for the challenge.
(c) The county clerk shall:
(i) carefully preserve the written challenges;
(ii) write in the appropriate official register opposite the name of any person for whom the county clerk received a written challenge, the words "To be challenged"; and
(iii) transmit the written challenges to election judges of that voting precinct.
(d) On election day, the election judges shall raise the written challenge with the voter before giving the voter a ballot.
(e) If the person challenged takes an oath before any of the election judges that the grounds of the challenge are false, the judges shall allow the person to vote.
(f) If the person applying to vote does not meet the legal requirements to vote, or refuses to take the oath, the election judges may not deliver a ballot to him.
(4) The election judges shall record all challenges in the official register and on the challenge sheets in the pollbook.
(5) If the person challenged under Subsection (3) voted an absentee ballot, the county clerk shall submit the name of the voter and the challenge to the voter to the county attorney, or the district attorney in counties with a prosecution district, for investigation and prosecution for voter fraud.

Amended by Chapter 328, 2000 General Session
Download Code Section Zipped WP 6/7/8 20A03014.ZIP 3,598 Bytes