Did y'all know that the "undeliverable" mail in Ohio was REGISTERED mail?!

[scarletwoman]

In all the mainstream media coverage of this suppossed "undeliverable" mail sent by the GOP to newly registered voters, I haven't seen or heard one mention of this fact.

But here it is:
http://www.mydd.com/story/2004/10/28/192844/76#readmore

GOP Voter Suppression in Ohio

The details about "Caging" and what the Republicans have planned to do are coming into view. The Republicans have been compiling lists (probably in the tens of thousands) of voters whom they have culled from lists of those newly registered, mailing registered mail to them, preparing lists of those who did not accept the Republican Party mailing, and then challenging their right to vote.

<snip>

Catherine Herold, the first voter challenged at the hearing, told the board that she believes that she was on the undeliverable list because she "refused the letter when she saw that it came from the Republican Party."

REGISTERED MAIL!!!! Do you know what that means? It means you get a little postcard in the mail that says you have a "registered letter" waiting for you at the post office. It means that you have to GO TO THE POST OFFICE IN PERSON to sign for your "registered letter" within a certain window of time (two weeks, IIRC, I used to work in a post office), and if you DON'T show up to sign for this registered letter after 2 weeks, it's returned to the sender as "undeliverable".

I caught a little bit of a news report last night about these "undeliverable" letters in Ohio that showed a video of post office bins filled with letters with the official USPS yellow "undeliverable" stickers pasted on, and I was feeling a bit disturbed -- how could there be that many wrong addresses?

They NEVER mentioned the fact that these were REGISTERED MAIL letters that people just weren't coming to the post office to sign for and pick up! I wouldn't bother going to the post office to sign for a letter from the GOP either! Would YOU?

I'm even more enraged than ever! :grr:

sw

[democratfever]

1. ugh!

ugh!

[Roland99]

2. Not even two weeks! A matter of days!

I've gotten CMRR mailings before and you have, at most, 3-4 days to pick it up.

[scarletwoman]

11. Thanks! My USPS adventure was MANY years ago, so I wasn't sure...

You're probably correct. (I think maybe it's "certified" mail that gets held for 2 weeks -- a different deal altogether from "registered" mail)

This just blows my mind. Not ONLY the fact that this makes the GOP mail thing even MORE of a scam -- but the fact that the so-called NEWS about it HASN'T BOTHERED TO MENTION THIS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL DETAIL!!!!

GADS!!!! :argh:

sw

[Paradise]

3. wow! n/t :(

[Pirate Smile]

4. This needs to get out for when the Repubs start their whining about

voter fraud. What BS!

[indepat]

5. The Rethugs will literally stop at nothing/do absolutely anything IMHO

[qanda]

6. Those dirty dogs!

They are so evil.

[Roland99]

7. GOP Challenger Barbara Miller Could be Indicted on Felony Charges

Fry her!

[billyoc]

8. Now *that's* the Karl Rove

I know. :)

How in the *hell* do they think they'll get away with that cheap shit?!

Two Minute Warning, GOTV!

[cthrumatrix]

14. what a bunch of BS reporting by the media AGAIN.... why doesn't the

media REPORT the damn OBVIOUS.

This is ineed Rovian.

[scarletwoman]

15. That's what totally chaps my butt, too!

Explaining HOW all those letters ended up "undeliverable" would seem to be a crucial piece of the story -- you know, like a totally relevant FACT!?!

Un-f**king-believable!

sw

[cthrumatrix]

16. Time for a MEDIA BLAST ...this is important

[aden_nak]

9. Wow. I am completely and utterly NOT shocked.

Those deceitful fuckers.

[Philostopher]

10. Well, you can look at it this way ...

it could (likely will) result in frivolous poll challenges, and poll workers can boot the challengers if what they're doing results in holdups for illegitimate reasons, I think. They can only do so much before it's determined that what they're doing is detrimental to the smooth operation of the polling place, and though I don't know where I read it, I'm pretty sure I read that the 'honcho' of the polling offices can make them stop if they're making frivolous challenges.

Which is to say, if they try to challenge too many legitimately registered voters, they may get kicked out for causing an unnecessary strain on the poll workers and people who are trying to vote.

Yeah, and the post office tries to deliver registered mail during the day, when most people are at work -- like they didn't know that. Turds.

[scarletwoman]

12. Hoping more folks will see this....

:kick:

[sherilocks]

13. With all the bullshit going on in the repug party

these caging mailings have me the most enraged. I don't think that we've seen the tip of the iceberg. I'm willing to bet that we are going to see this as an organized repug conspiracy in every battleground state come election day. I hope I'm wrong. My blood pressure can't take much more of this.

[cthrumatrix]

17. can somebody "media Blast" this news...its IMPORTANT and clearly

shows how the GOP ganme is played.... eff them

[scarletwoman]

19. Yes, PLEASE!

I can't -- I'm already late leaving the house this morning and have GOT to go offline now.

Please -- I'm really hoping some other DUers can do the blasting, it's a great idea!

sw

[MileHiStealth]

18. Most people just throw those cards out ...

Anything that requires a signature is usually
some kind of legal document, summons,etc. saying
we know you received it and now we're going to screw you ...

[cthrumatrix]

20. especially GOP cards.....Media mail Blast...... thank you !

[On the Road]

21. Registered Mail is Even MORE Restrictive than That

You can live at your address for years but the post office will return the mail as undeliverable unless your name is on the official list of addressees at the post office. There are many, many people who are not listed this way and may not even realize it -- people who share apartments, transient people, spouses recently separated, etc.

I know a woman from El Salvador who needed a replacement for a green card that was stolen. The new card never came, and I helped her talk to the INS twice to figure out why. Turns out she shares an apartment and her name was not registered with the post office. The registered mail was returned as undeliverable with no notification.

If this is what they're basing the charges of fraud on, it's even worse than I thought. Just complete and utter bullshit.

[madrchsod]

22. these people are so fucking stupid

did they actually think that they could get away with this? the postal service is not going to be the fall guy for anyone, maybe someone in the post office realized what was happening.

[txindy]

23. The SCLM strikes (out) again.

No, I didn't know the mail was registered. Figures. :eyes: Will we ever get real reporting in this country? When are Al Gore's network plans supposed to come together?

[cthrumatrix]

24. Media Blast..... let them know the truth !