|
Taken off THE NEW YORK TIMES 108th CONGRESS Forum, January 5, 2005: "VOTER SUPPRESSION RAP SHEET
It happened all around the country. Prior to Election Day 2004, people of colors, students and low-income people were intimidated and denied the right to vote. Citizens reported 1,074 instances of voter intimidation to the Election Protection Coalition. Below are just a few of the many examples of voter suppression:
1 -The day before the election, students at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire received flyers stating they would lose their financial aid if they voted in New Hampshire, which has Election Day voter registration. (Pamphleteers dissuade students from voting, The Dartmouth Online, 11/2/04) The Dartmouth editorial staff cleared up the falsehoods in the flyers in their editorial. Turns out that federal financial aid is not affected by where students decide to vote.
2-At the University of Pennsylvania, a flyer of a doctored copy of a newspaper article claimed that if students from Pennsylvania voted they would lose their financial aid. (Fake News story circulates to suppress voter turnout, dailypennsylvania.com, 11/1/04)
3-Students signing petitions for state referenda unknowingly had their political party changed to Republican and their addresses changed. An address change prompts a polling place change meaning the students would not show up on voter rolls at their correct polling place. (Voting tricks hitting new low, Houston Chronicle, 11/1/04)
4-Students in New York were told their eligibility would be “carefully scrutinized and possibly legally challenged” despite the fact that New York law requires that a person live in their residence 30 days before an election to vote. (Student voting registration questioned by candidates, polytechniconline.com, 10/22/04)
5-In Ohio, Virginia, Texas and Maine, local election officials were blocked from registering to vote. (Students Decry Registration Process, The Washington Post (free subscription required), 10/27/04)
6-The Brennan Center for Justice* received reports from students in Arizona, Texas, Delaware, Michigan, New York and other states about being denied to register to vote. Students faced everything from confusion about whether or not they could vote in the state in which they reside while in college to flagrant denials to register to vote. (College students face voting barriers, Center for Voting and Democracy, 9/27/04)
7-In western Pennsylvania, a flier on what looked like official election board letterhead stated that Republicans should vote Tuesday while Democrats should vote Wednesday. (Voting tricks hitting new low, Houston Chronicle, 11/1/04)"
|