Salon's shameful six - where vote suppression could cost us 2006

[im10ashus]

Eva Steele has a son in the military who is supposed to be fighting for freedom in Iraq, but sitting in a wheelchair in her room in a Mesa, Ariz., assisted-living facility, she wonders why it's so hard for her to realize a basic freedom back here in America: the right to vote.

Arriving in Arizona in January from Kansas City, weakened by four heart attacks and degenerative disk disease, Steele, 57, discovered that without a birth certificate she can't register to vote. Under a draconian new Arizona law that supposedly targets illegal immigrants, she needs proof of citizenship and a state-issued driver's license or photo I.D. to register. But her van and purse were stolen in the first few weeks after she moved to Mesa, and with her disability checks going to rent and medicine, she can't afford the $15 needed to get her birth certificate from Missouri. Her wheelchair makes it hard for her to navigate the bus routes or the bureaucratic maze required to argue with state bureaucrats. She's unable to overcome the hurdles thrown in her way -- and in the way of as many as 500,000 other Arizona residents -- by the state's Republican politicians.

"I think everybody should have the right to vote, no matter if you've got two nickels or you're a millionaire," Steele says. "I think it's a shame you have to jump through so many hoops to prove that you're the person who you say you are."

But Steele's plight has gotten relatively little notice from pundits and progressive activists confidently predicting a sweeping Democratic victory in November. Opinion polls show that a majority of the public wants a Democratic Congress, but whether potential voters -- black and Latino voters in particular -- will be able to make their voices heard on Election Day is not assured. Across the country, they will have to contend with Republican-sponsored schemes to limit voting. In a series of laws passed since the 2004 elections, Republican legislators and officials have come up with measures to suppress the turnout of traditional Democratic voting blocs. This fall the favored GOP techniques are new photo I.D. laws, the criminalizing of voter registration drives, and database purges that have disqualified up to 40 percent of newly registered voters from voting in such jurisdictions as Los Angeles County.

con'd...

http://salon.com/news/feature/2006/08/15/states/

[MrCoffee]

1. And so it begins...the same old story.

[im10ashus]

2. Sad, isn't' it?

I wish I could track down Ms. Steele. I'd give her the $15 to get her birth certificate. It's ridiculous that someone of such meager means can't get assistance in this so-called "greatest country" on earth. For shame.

[Peeves]

3. But, that would defeat the purpose of this article ...

Taking this woman and getting her proper identification might destroy the perfect anecdote!

Ah, the good ole days of Chicago voting "early" & "often" ... <sigh> :(

[smoogatz]

4. So, you support the disenfranchisement of poor and minority voters?

Nice knowin' ya.

[im10ashus]

6. I "think" they were being sarcastic.

Without the :sarcasm: tag. At least I hope so. :-)

[Peeves]

8. Absolutely not! ...

I just think that this article and the sob stories it raises are a sham!
The Mrs. Steele's of the world (if there are so many of them), wouldn't you think that a concerned Democratic precinct commiteeman would do his or her best to find someone to get this woman a copy of her birth certificate and drive her to the polls?

We had a volunteer already! No, I think it's easier to bitch about it in an article. (Stirs up sympathy ...).
Why would someone be so uptight about simply ensuring that the people voting are actually "who they say they are".

How is it even possible to live in this society without some form of ID????

And for goodness sake, The rolls NEED TO BE PURGED regularly. It used to be, in Indiana, that if you abstained from voting in 3 consecutive elections, you were automatically dropped off the voting rolls. Now they can't purge them without a law suit!
I recently moved and am now registered to vote in TWO counties in Indiana.

If people want to vote, THEY CAN. It's not the government's fault if they get intimidated by having to show a legal form of government issued picture ID!

This shouldn't be a partisan issue at all. (unless you count on voter fraud to win) :rant:

[smoogatz]

14. Maybe we should have literacy tests, too.

Just to make sure the wrong kind of people aren't going to get elected. If you know what I mean.

Jeebus.

[Jazzgirl]

17. Did you not read in the article that she had her

purse with her ID and stuff stolen when she first moved to Arizona??!!??

[Qutzupalotl]

41. But, that would destroy the perfect rant.

;-)

[Horse with no Name]

21. People like you

literally, make me sick.
You have absolutely no insight on what it is to be poor in this country.
My husband let his driver's license lapse.
Call it laziness, call it ignorance...call it whatever you want to.
It was a truly foolish thing.
He had to produce 4 forms of identification in order to get it back.
We didn't have these forms of identification just lying around--how many 50 year olds have their birth certificates? Or their school records?
After jumping through hoops for 3 months or so--and a willingness to pay for archived birth certificates (and a credit card that was needed to pay for it in NY), school records and a marriage license...he finally got a Drivers License again.
So now, tell me how a poor person can whip out a credit card and pay for these things if they don't have one?
Many people don't renew their identification because of trivial matters-- outstanding traffic tickets, no liability insurance, etc., but since those are NOT felonies, it should not be a means to deny them a vote.

[im10ashus]

22. It's all voter intimidation too.

I have a friend who worked for the Kerry campaign. She was in Ohio for the 2 weeks during the 2004 election and I can't tell you how many people she said were told if they showed up to vote and didn't pay their parking tickets or child support, they would be arrested on the spot. Of course, they were all minorities. Go figure. It's the sort of thinking like that of our poster above that keeps us from making progress.

[jamesinca]

34. her ID was stolen and she can't afford to buy it back

Did you put up the $15 that are so easy to come by? She needs the birth certificate in order to get the ID so she may vote. Have you put up the $15 yet? Unfortunately you seem to think that this is relying on voter fraud, but it is a partisan issue. Republicans don't represent America, they represent the rich, straight, white, corporatist and lobbyist. As far back as the Presidential election of 1868 Republicans have had their campaigns paid for by the wealthy. Do you think John McCain, who loves Bush even after he trashed his family in the 2000 election, will support the party line or America. Considering the hug love fest those two have shared since I think he will put party first, his family and America somewhere else in the order of priorities. You then have this woman who does not have $15 to spare, do you think she is high up on somebody like John McCain's priority list? Have you paid the easy to come by $15 yet.

You state the rolls need to be purged, yes they do, people like you are registered in two counties. If you are against voter fraud, your mouth is not lining up with your actions. Paid the $15 yet.

Thanks for the suggestion about a Democrat paying her $15 fee. I think I will try to get in touch with the articles author and get this woman the $15. It would make a nice feel good follow up story, don't you think. I doubt you will beat me to the $15 donation.

[Freedom_Aflaim]

39. Replacing an ID is VERY difficult

You cant get a drivers license without an SS card. You cant get an SS card without a drivers license.

I recently went to SS administration to get my SS card replaced. Seems that the D/L bureas doesnt like my lamination that I put on it 25 years ago anymore.

The SS admin won't give me an SS card. My passport wasnt good enough. (WTF is with that?)

The D/L bureas won't give me an new license without an unlaminated SS card.

What a pain in the ass! I finally got both, but it took 2 trips to each burea as they sent me back and forth, each time with slightly more documentation.

I cant imagine doing such a thing if I were in a wheel chair and 90 years old.

(And I wasnt even trying to vote, just trying to get documents replaced, one of which was perfectly fine except for the new rule about lamination)

[jamesinca]

43. it is an absolute pain, I agree

I forget why, but I recently needed to get a copy of my birth certificate. Fortunately it was not for a reason that interfered with my life. It took months to get it.

[loyalsister]

47. That "sob story" is more commonplace than you think

They just enacted a photo ID law for voting in Missouri, and now there is a 6 month backlog on birth certificates.
People can't get them if they have the money.
Open your eyes. There is a lot more to this than you know.

[xmas74]

61. I live in MO

It's even worse here. I have to order mine from out of state and have a notary republic prove who I am in order to get the birth certificate.

I've never had a copy of my state issued one. I've always had the hospital certificate which was good enough in the past.

[meldroc]

73. 6 month backlog for birth certificates?

I was able to get a certified copy of my birth certificate in 15 minutes when I took my vacation in Mexico.

The only reason why the conditions are in place for a backlog is because obstacles are deliberately being put in place to keep people from voting. :mad:

[lonestarnot]

54. Counting on fraud to win is best left to your party repiglican.

[im10ashus]

11. WOW!

I stand corrected. Apparently there are still loads of misinformed people in Indiana. Glad my family is not amongst them.

[im10ashus]

7. And you live in Indiana - where once I lived.

Indiana has the fastest growing percentage of immigrants this year and they will do anything there to suppress that vote. It's such a white-bred state.

[Peeves]

9. whatever ...

I think they want to suppress voter fraud.

[im10ashus]

10. Whatever???

Who wants to suppress voter fraud?

[Peeves]

12. Hopefully you do.

The governments in these six states mentioned want to suppress voter fraud. I think we all should. That's what all the hullabaloo about election reform should be about.

[im10ashus]

13. OK.

I understand you. You are not being very clear though, IMHO. :shrug:

On edit: Welcome to DU! Hope you stick around a while. :hi:

[Jazzgirl]

18. No that is NOT what all the "hullabaloo" about election

fraud should be about! It is also about disenfranchisement. Do a little research.

[smoogatz]

19. "Voter fraud" is not an issue.

It hasn't come into play in any meaningful way in any major election in recent memory. What we need to fix is systematic election fraud, like that committed by GOP officials in Florida and Ohio in 2000 and 2004, respectively.

[Peeves]

24. Wheren't the election officials in the effected FL counties in 2000...

uh, ... Democrats???

[im10ashus]

25. Uh, NO!

They "wheren't" Dems.

On edit: Nearly 1 percent of Florida's electorate and nearly 3 percent of its African-American voters - 96.000 citizens were listed as felons and removed from the voting rolls. Later analysis showed that 96% of these potential voters were incorrectly listed as felons without voting rights.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._presidential_election,_2000

[Blue Belle]

28. Democrats like Katherine Harris??

:eyes:

[Peeves]

29. I mean the local poll workers ... the ones that counted all the hanging

chads ... :eyes:

[smoogatz]

32. Election fraud in Florida was statewide.

And had nothing to do with hanging chads.

[smoogatz]

31. Uh, no. Jeebus.

You should quit watching Fox News. It makes people stupid.

[flyarm]

55. SELF DELETE

[meldroc]

26. Voter fraud is most certainly an issue...

But it's not coming from those brown folks that the Powers That Be are seeking to disenfranchise.

Vote fraud is coming directly from the Powers That Be, courtesy of Diebold.

[smoogatz]

30. That's not voter fraud.

It's election fraud. Two different things.

[meldroc]

36. OK, I stand corrected.

But you get my point - it's not "brown people" who will be stealing elections this fall.

[loyalsister]

49. Did they also mention

That Missouri has an extremely unpopular Republican Governor who also has a majority- for now.
Republicans may get their asses handed to them- if all of these voters get to vote.
At last count there were 190,000 people without current state ID or licenses. These are likely Democratic voters.

[im10ashus]

52. The governments in these six states are only suppressing "voter fraud"

if it benefits THEM. You are either too young, too naive or too uninformed. No matter which, you have very sad viewpoint.

[SharonAnn]

66. There is virtually no Voter Fraud in the US. There is Election Fraud!

Whole different thing.

Very, very few instances of voters doing anything fraudulent.

However, many instances of illegal "purging", voter suppression, voting prevention, and downright manipulation of the vote.

Whole different thing!

Stop blaming the victims, blame the criminals!

[redqueen]

5. Just reinforces the fact that this country needs election reform. NOW.

HAVA is a joke. When evaluated next to Canada's voting system, it becomes obvious that the hurdles in our system are not there by accident.

How long will we as a nation accept this treatment from those who consider themselves our 'betters'?

[meldroc]

15. I shouldn't read stories like this right after a rough commute...

My blood is absolutely boiling right now.

People who practice vote suppression schemes should be in prison.

I'm remembering a recent Philadelphia election (don't remember when or for what) where shady political operatives were passing out fliers in predominantly black neighborhoods saying "Don't forget to vote this Wednesday." or "Remember to vote, but make sure you pay your parking tickets, get caught up on your child support and don't have any warrants..."

[Shakespeare]

16. How nice to see someone other than Farhad Manjoo write an election piece.

At Salon, that is. And that would be Farhad "there's no such thing as a stolen election" Manjoo, who has written nasty, vicious and, ultimately, unsupportable stories protesting every suggestion that our elections have been compromised.

[truedelphi]

20. When I "hang" with the literary crowd

They ooh and aah over Salon - but the biggest story Salon covers is the election crisis - and that Manjoo character sure keeps a lid on it.

[Shakespeare]

23. That is probably my one and only gripe with Salon (which I otherwise love)

They had the cajones to publish the Abu Ghraib files, and keep it listed with their current stories. Nobody else came close to publishing as extensive a set of photos and other info on Abu Ghraib.

I've been hooked on Salon since '97, and have subscribed every year since they went with the "premium" thing, because I think it's extremely important to support publications like Salon (hell, it's a fraction of what my newspaper subscription costs). Too often, they're a lone voice in the wilderness, and it would be a real loss if they ever stop publishing.

[conflictgirl]

67. You mean you're not a letter writer constantly threatening to cancel?

I think that going to the new comments format they did a few months back (maybe it was longer than that and my memory sucks lol) is one of the worst decisions Salon has ever made. It seems like 75% of all comments are from someone saying "this is the worst story ever, Salon is crap now, I'm not going to renew my subscription!" :eyes:

I think Salon still publishes a lot of interesting material, and as a freelance writer, they're still one of the very few online publications that "counts" as a credible clip of where you've been published.

[Blue Belle]

27. I can't stand Farhad Manjoo...

If anything has the hint of controversy, he takes the "Nothing to see here - just move along" approach. They probably got too much hate mail after the last voting piece he did.

[City Lights]

33. Rehnquist was suppressing AZ votes back in the 60s.

It's a proud GOP tradition. :puke:

http://dir.salon.com/story/opinion/conason/2004/10/29/injustice/index.html

[im10ashus]

60. May he rot in hell.

:puke:

[ThoughtCriminal]

35. I will have problems voting in Arizona

Recently moved, so the address on my voter ID does not match my driver's licence. When we went to DMV to change our address, we were told that getting new picture ID's was optional. In order to vote I will either need to get a new government photo ID or use a alternative non-photo IDs (TWO required). The problem with alternative ID, such as a utility bill, is that these are sent to my PO box, rather than my residence. They do show a service address so it might work but I would not count on it. Further, many families only have utilities listed in one name.

We will probably either request ballots to vote by mail or waste an afternoon at DMV getting new picture ID.

This is going to block a lot of people from voting and most are not going to find out about it until election day. 2006 will be the biggest vote suppression effort since Jim Crow days.

[flyarm]

56. VOTE WITH ABSENTEE BALLOTS AND CALL FOR THEM NOW!! N/T

[Maxdee55]

37. Voting

The soul of America is at stake in the next election and we all know the Republican party cannot win a fair and honest vote, therefore they must turn it unfair and dishonest. As we have seen in the last two elections there is no line the Republicans will not cross in order to win. The word democracy is not in their vocabulary, the Constitution to them is a reference point to see how far they can go, and civil liberties are a cocktail hour joke. They have already started to play the same fear card they play every election, but America has started to get hip to their tactics, that means they will get dirtier, and dirtier as the election nears for they are truly shameless. Democratic Underground should set up a fund where Democrats can donate money to help people like Eva Steele, this election is too important to lose even one vote, if we allow the Republicans to continue to steal elections it will be the end of our democracy and the start of the fascist state they crave. Democrats have to stop these Republicans from defining us as a party, their message is if you elect a Democrat the terrorists will over run America. Democrats have to keep pointing out the lies and manipulations that took us to Iraq, the absurdity of invading an unarmed nation, the cost of the war in lives and money, or the national debt approaching $8.5 trillion. Democrats have to speak out about their proposals that are either voted down, or never get out of committee, they should talk about S.AMDT.4230 which was designed to stop war profiteering, and voted down 55-43 with every Republican voting against it, they must speak of balanced budgets, bringing down the deficit, and saving our civil liberties. Expose the hypocrisy of the Republican party, bring out their determined agenda to help the rich and hurt the poor, show the American people how little the Republicans care about outsourcing of American jobs, or the fact the country is being run on borrowed money in order to finance the Bush tax cut for his wealthy benefactors. There is plenty of ammunition out there Democrats just have to use it.

[im10ashus]

40. Well said, Maxdee55!

And I am honored to have your first post here in this thread!

:hi:

Welcome to DU!

[newyawker99]

48. Hi MaxDee55!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[flyarm]

57. LAST 3 ELECTIONS FOR THOSE OF US IN FL!! N/T

[Laurab]

64. Wow! What an excellent first post!

Welcome to DU!!!! :hi:

[Freedom_Aflaim]

38. If She LIVES HERE, she should get to VOTE. Period

Even if she is an illegal or a felon, she is a still a resident and the policys of her government dicate so much about her life, so she should get a say.

All this BS about illegals voting being bad is nonsensical.

If you live in this country, you should get to choose who runs it.

Residency and adulthood should be the ONLY qualifier.

[Peeves]

44. In Indiana, you can get a picture ID for free if you can't afford one

You should be an American citizen atleast. Let's not get rediculous. If they are here illegally, not only should they not get to vote, they should be deported.

This is a non-issue. I live in a state that hasn't gone Democratic for president since LBJ. If my fellow Hoosier Democrats what to change that, we should concentrate on getting everyone that is legal and wants to vote to the polls. (period)

We need to get on to REAL issues if we want to win elections.

[im10ashus]

46. "In Indiana, you can get a picture ID for free if you can't afford one"

Well, I don't recall that being true, having grown up in Indiana. BUT, the woman in question lives in Arizona, not Indiana. Your lack of sympathy is very telling, however. I hope your karma hat is on straight today.

[Peeves]

68. I have lots of sympathy ...

I have sympathy for people that can't get to the polls, can't afford an ID card. If they need help why don't they get it from friends? I'd be glad to take the day off and help get them to the polls, lisence branch, board of health for a birth certificate. Lots of people would be glad to help. My point is, there are things that can be done to get people legal ID. It may be in convenient, but anything worth having is worth the effort. ;)

[Horse with no Name]

53. Ye shall know them by their spelling

I'm HUGHLY SERIES!!!

[im10ashus]

58. Stop it!!!

You're killing me. Seriesly! Don't be a moran. :evilgrin:

[flyarm]

59. THANKS ALOT Horse with no Name..I JUST ..

SPIT MY COFFEE ALL OVER MY KEYBOARD!!

i series!!!!!111!!1111!11

now i have a "hughly" big mess..lmaooooooo

fly

[Laurab]

65. Yea and I thought so, too!

I'm completely and totally SERIES!!!

[ocd liberal]

63. Yo, Peeves!

cut and paste much?

[Peeves]

69. Gee no ...

I "what" U to just be quiet ... :cry:

:hi:

[KamaAina]

42. Poll tax!!

she can't afford the $15 needed to get her birth certificate from Missouri.

Even Georgia had to back off a little and make their new voter IDs free in order to get around the constitutional prohibition of poll tax.

[Supersedeas]

45. where 'Merican democracy meets Theocratic Cronyism for the Oligarchy

[RB TexLa]

50. If all the "good government" people hadn't killed off political machines

none of that stuff would be a problem. Someone needs help getting a birth certificate, it gets taken care of, state issued ID's would get taken care of by state workers there by patronage and loyal to the political machine, on and on. I think I'll stick to what Edwin Edwards told us along time ago, you don't really want "good government," you want "pretty good government."

[im10ashus]

51. I want a competent government. n/t

[DallasNE]

62. We Have Become A Banana Republic

When it comes to elections. Why in the world the courts don't step in is a real mystery. A review of the Florida felon purge in 2000 showed one case where 134 voters were purged by a single name on the felon list. This happens because the "soundex" logic used by the programs can be set "soft" where a near match is considered a match. This is a clear denial of due process as there is no effort to confirm the soft matches generated by the computer program and tens of thousands of voters are illegally scrubbed from the voter list. Are judges too computer illiterate to understand what is going on? How can the same scam be working 6 years after it was first discovered. And how come nobody ever goes to jail when these scams are uncovered. Instead they run for Governor or Senator.

[truedelphi]

70. Yep that's the other weird bad thing

THERE RE NO PENALTIES!

[truedelphi]

71. I thought the following remarks posted at Salon

by a letter to the editor writer were wonderful
and Right On!


Cable TV news Democrats need to speak
If there are problems in November and they get swept under the rug and dismissed, the marquee democrats like Hillary and Joe Biden will have a sizeable portion of the blame, as far as I'm concerned.

These brewing problems aren't even on the radar for most people, and given the general crappiness of US television news, these issues will continue to be essentially invisible unless the half a dozen or so bigshot democrats that cable tv treats as the the face of the party decide to step up and talk about it before we have another highly questionable election. If they wait until the day after the election to make any noise about this, democratic objections will seem like sour grapes to casual observers(and casual voters).

Having said that, thank you for this article. I am waiting with bated breath for Manjoo's glib refutation in a day or two.

-- Jonathan Versen

[truedelphi]

72. Please would everyone checkout my recent posting

In General Duscussion - Politics Regarding contacting Nancy Pelosi

Between this Salon article and Kip posting about the voter purges in Houston, I was compelled to take action, hoping that all 82,000 of my fellow DU'ers will join in.