Sample Right-wing Voter Suppression Letter

For any of you who doubted the reports of Right Wing voter suppression campaigns, here's a sample letter that was sent out targeting Democrats in an Ohio county:

Can you believe this crap?

Update: Some people are having trouble seeing the picture of the letter. If you can't see the text, click here for a full sized image. Also, several folks from Lake County have written in that the county is actually majority white and Republican. Not knowing myself, I've taked out those parts of the description. However, I think you can tell from the text of the letter and comments below, though, that this is indeed a FUD/Fake letter that was targeted against Democratic voters. The Lake County Board of Elections to issue this warning to voters about the fraudulent letter.

Comment: Just a note in response to the various comments about whether this is a right-wing or liberal effort. It seems to me there are two possibilities: (1) It's a right-wing effort to suppress voting, or (2) its a liberal effort to get people fired up and vote. One is illegal and anti-democracy; the other, while perhaps ethically suspect, is actually trying to encourage democratic participation in our country's future. So no matter what you think, its important to see the differences between the two, especially in their goals and legality.

Comments

[wolfie]

It's totally fucked and despicable. Are we still in America?

[Laura Quilter]

Unbelievable. I've been hearing about all kinds of voter intimidation, but actually seeing the physical evidence makes it real.

[Mark J]

Wow... that sucks. I'm hearing about this stuff all over the place, on both sides. Check this out: ACT plans voter fraud

Here's a novel idea: People register to vote, according to the law. People vote, according to the law. The votes are counted without prejudice. A winner is selected.

[DaveA]

I'm sorry, how does the ACT email constitute planned voter fraud exactly?
They're asking for people in those districts to provide contact info so they can vouch for other people. How in the world does that constitute premeditated voter fraud?

I will not support either major party as a matter of principle. As someone outside the major parties it is increasingly my perception that the Republicans are both far more corrupt, ethically and morally, and more capable of self delusion with respect to their own actions and those of others and with respect to simple fact. This gives the Republicans the same edge in gaming the political system as cheating does in a game of Monopoly.

I do believe that it may be time to adopt Heinlein's notion of the Professinal Witness.

[Tig]

"It's totally fucked and despicable. Are we still in America?"

well yeah! the inhabitants of other countries are much less surprised by this kind of 'typical' american behaviour than your own countrymen.

i agree, this is fucked and despicable but what you've got to ask yourself is 'how did we get here?'.

[Cowicide]

WARNING:

The right-wing conservatives (and the less extreme Republicans that turn a blind eye as well) had better start watching this shit. Voting is the last right you can fuck with until the guns, bombs and other goodies come out.

Go ahead and thwart voting... take away a fair, legitimate way for the American people to express their will... you'd better be prepared to get your fucking, coward, conservative head blown the fuck off when the shit hits the fan.

The sad thing is, these idiots have no idea how extreme this could turn if they keep this shit up. They live in an dreamland... They would absolutely shit themselves if they knew just how close to the fire they are getting by attempting to subvert the publics right to vote.

I'm not saying it's time to start killing these less than human scum.... yet. But, if they succeed in throwing this election by illegal means and they get away with it... there's going to be HUGE trouble in this country that these despicable cowards are too ignorant... too sheltered.. too blind... to have imagined.

That said, I hope for peace and I hope EVERYONE... Democrat AND Republican gets a fair chance to vote in this election. It's the American way... otherwise, it will be done the other way. This is not a game, this is not your favorite team... this is the future of our families... our country.

I very well expect there may be some legal wrangling and what not if this election turns out as close as many predict. That's fine... but this bullshit of trying to out and out suppress voting? NOT FINE. Our founding fathers would be seriously disappointed if we put it with that shit without a fight.

If you are a conservative thinking of doing your part to thwart voting rights this year... you better think long and hard about everything you've worked for.. and imagine it in ashes. Then rethink your goals, if you will. If you are a wacked out liberal thinking the same? The same goes for you.

ONE VERY PISSED OFF GROUP OF MUTHERFUCKING COWS

[Cowicide]

Our founding fathers would be seriously disappointed if we put it with that shit without a fight.

If you are a conservative thinking of doing your part to thwart voting rights this year... you better think long and hard about everything you've worked for.. and imagine it in ashes. Then rethink your goals, if you will. If you are a wacked out liberal thinking the same? The same goes for you.

ONE VERY PISSED OFF GROUP OF MUTHERFUCKING COWS

[Alexei]

The ACT email calls for fraud because you can't vouch under oath that such-and-such a person lives in such-and-such a district, unless you know this to be the case. Sending out volunteers to vouch for whoever asks them to, is, if not outright fraud, certainly an invitation to fraud. (fwiw: I don't support bush)

[Nemo Ignotus]

There is one thing true in there: October 4 was the registration deadline.

This letter appears to have inspired an Election Alert on the Lake County Board of Elections page: it's a pdf.

Apparently, the Ohio GOP is casting a broad net in trying to suppress voter turnout.

[Rich]

I don't want to be all conspiracy minded here, but it seems obvious that two groups of people could benefit from efforts such as this letter being sent out.

First, Republicans could benefit to the extent that the efforts lowers turnout. Second, Democrats could benefit to the extent that it maligns Republicans, angers the base, and provides 'wiggle room' for challenges.

Quite frankly, anectdotal reports such as this should not be ascribed much weight. Further, the start of this post makes me think it was more likely a Democrat then a republican who did it.

"For any of you who doubted the reports of Right Wing voter suppression campaigns, here's a sample letter that was sent to a largely-Democratic, largely-people of color community in Ohio"

Hmmmm....this just lays the spin right out there. People doubt that one party is actively violating the law, so here is this letter that 'proves' it. Well, actually, it doesn't.

Who sent this letter? Who was it _actually_ sent to? How many were sent?

It would be trivial for anyone of an active political mind to create such a letter and then send it to a few carefully chosen people in order to inspire stories, such as this one, that demonize the opposition.

Hell, it may actually be a legitimate tactic, well, legitimate to the extent that politics is ever legitimate.

But in any event, it is not 'proof' of anything!

And 'Cowicide,' with your rant about blowing people's heads off: way to go! What you have written is actually worse than what you are complaining about.

Your sense of the limits of civil society apparently differ with my own.

[Robert (the commune)]

The Lake County Board of Elections states that a letter (possibly the above referenced letter) was mailed to some voters, and that latter was FALSE. "False information has been mailed to some voters under the Lake County Board of Elections letter head. Chairman John F. Platz and Director Janet F. Clair wish to inform voters that any mailing issued by the Lake County
Board of Elections always contains the Director’s signature. All voter information and mail from the Board of Elections always contain a complete return address. "

It certainly wasn't an OFFICIAL letter from this group.

http://www.lakeelections.com/BOE/ALERT.pdf

I tend to agree with Rich's level-headed analysis.

----Robert

[O.]

I'm French, living in Denmark.
Just to tell you that we from the "rest of the underworld" look at the whole circus in sadness. One thing is to see a big country erring in this or that, and I give you it can be discussed. But your press is full of those reports, in a multitude of states, and this is just the base of your system that looks to be rotting in pieces.
It's very sad indeed.

And Rich... even if it's *one* letter, it's *bad*. It's a principle matter.
I'm not claiming other countries --mine, for that matter-- do differently or better. But I don't believe I've ever witnessed so many and so blatantly visible actions to thwart a voting process before. Anywhere, except in banana-democracies.

[PolarKitten]

Of course you're still in America.
This doesn't happen in _real_ democracies like the ones we have in Northern Europe ;oP
We even have a free press!

[Cowicide]

Rich:

> What you have written is actually worse
> than what you are complaining about.

Yep, worse than this, right?

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20041023/ap_on_el_pr/voter_fraud_investigation_6

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/usatoday/20041007/ts_usatoday/electionwarningcausesanxiety

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20041022/ap_on_el_pr/voter_fraud_investigation_1

That's just the tip of the iceberg and there's a pattern here, my friend... and it's far, far uglier than anything I've written. Do you realize just how important free elections are in this country?

> Your sense of the limits of civil society
> apparently differ with my own.

I doubt it. I'm not saying to go out and blow these people's heads off right now (maybe later). I'm saying, if the suppression of voting continues, our country is headed towards violence whether I hide in a condo with you or not. Human nature dictates it, unfortunately. Don't hate the player, hate the game.

If this reaches a point where our votes don't matter anymore...and the courts do nothing... this WILL spiral out of control no matter what your limits on civil society dictate because we will no longer live in a civil society... it will be a dictatorship. People are going to start flipping the fuck out.

I just hope and pray it doesn't come to this... but I think it IS time to discuss just what CAN happen when a democracy such as our own falls apart. It's time for people to understand the potential dire consequences of subverting the people's will through voter fraud and other underhanded methodologies.

I don't normally condone violence... at the same time, I'm trying to be a realist here and I know that history is riddled with war after war. Without a doubt, wherever people are oppressed and are unable make thier will known... there is war.

We are NOT heading further away from this state of chaos when voting is actively suppressed by individuals, organizations and our own government.

Patrick Henry didn't just all of the sudden flip out and start killing people.. but he certainly issued some "warnings" that should definitely have been heeded.

I hope and pray people begin to realize where they are taking this country when they actively try to stop others from voting... and stop it, NOW.

Thanks for your response.

STILL ANGRY AS SHIT COW

[B.K. DeLong]

Someone needs to call and report this to Election Protection 2004 (electionprotection2004.org).

1-866-OUR-VOTE

Lake County currently has no incidents listed:

https://voteprotect.org/index.php?display=EIRMapCounty&state=Ohio&cat=ALL&tab=ALL&county=Lake

[Cowicide]

> I don't believe I've ever witnessed so many and
> so blatantly visible actions to thwart a voting process
> before. Anywhere, except in banana-democracies.

What's scary is the United States has so much more impact on the World compared to "banana-democracies". If this continues out of control, this could destabalize the planet.

What scares the living shit out of me... is people seem to almost accept this in the United States... where is the outrage?! We are LOSING our democracy here... wake.. the.. fuck... UP!!!!!!!!

[Flagday boy]

I'm still trying to figure out why elections haven't been standardized across the states. We'e had plenty of years to put together a system that works.

As an American and a design professional I'm ashamed at some as simple as marking a box and counting it could turn into such a ridiculous circus. We've done this before, right?

I just wish that there was a box on the next ballot that I could mark that said "You are all doing a lousy job, change the system" or "I abstain from voting because the people I want to govern me are too intelligent and honest to take the job."

[Prio]

"Sending out volunteers to vouch for whoever asks them to, is, if not outright fraud, certainly an invitation to fraud."

Yes, it is. But the email doesn't say, "we'll be having you vouch for anyone from your district who asks." It says "we'll be giving you badges which identify your precinct."
Now, is it easier to:
* Take a potential voter and go around to EVERY volunteer -- every one of THOUSANDS of volunteers -- asking them: "Do you live in the same precinct as this voter, and are you able to personally vouch for this voter?" Until you finally find one out of the thousands who can, in fact, legally do that?
* Take a potential voter and go around to ONLY the volunteers wearing the matching badges -- a considerably smaller selection -- asking them: "Are you able to personally vouch for this voter?"

You don't suppose this is why ACT said, in the email, that "[w]e will be creating name badges...to make it easier to find a volunteer to vouch for a voter at the polls"? Remember, now. All you have to do to be able to vouch for somebody, according to Power Line's own summary, is to know personally that they live in the precinct. You don't have to be best of friends, you don't have to be long-lost brothers.
And you know how many voters live in each precinct in the United States? About 1,000. Tops.
All living in close proximity to one another.

[John Kerry]

Yea, and the Democrats and the NAACP using crackheads to register people like "Mary Poppins" is part of the democratic process.

http://abclocal.go.com/wtvg/news/1022_crackforcards.html
http://www.thereporter.com/Stories/0,1413,295%257E30250%257E2487551,00.html

"I'm shocked to find out there is gambling going on here!"

[TimeToRefreshTheTree]

The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots & tyrants.

[Pablo]

This stuff has been going on since America was born. I just tend to hope that the corruption on both sides of the fence cancels out, more or less.

[W, Kiernan]

(not) John Kerry sez: Yea, and the Democrats and the NAACP using crackheads to register people like "Mary Poppins" is part of the democratic process.

Excuse me, but how does registering a totally phony voter, e.g. "Mary Poppins," lead to fraudulent votes for Democrats? I don't know what state "Mary Poppins" got registered in, but here in Florida at least, first-time voters are required to produce I.D. Do you suppose someone's going to show up at the poll and say, "Hey! My name's Mary Poppins." (I visualize a big rough-voiced man with a beard like Bluto's) "Where the Hell's my ballot?!"

If you think about for a minute, as it does the Democrats no good whatsoever to register a "voter" who ultimately cannot actually vote, it's obvious that registering "Mary Poppins" wasn't an attempt on the Democrats's part to defraud anybody; the Democrats were clearly the victims of fraud, probably by a contractor who was getting paid by the number of voters he registered.

[kerry sucks]

I was just wondering if all of you are going to kill yourselves on Wednesday after kerry the flip flopper loses.... ?

You suck, and your splintered Demorat party is going down...

[RogerX]

I live in Lake County, Ohio, and while I believe the letter is fake (notice no contact info at bottom, other than a "contact the sheriff" message)... I have to correct you on one thing: cities in Lake County (Wickliffe out to Painesville) are NOT predominately "people of color" neighborhoods. Lake county is approximately 4% african american and over 90% caucasian. Moving to the west into Cuyahoga county (Euclid, East Cleveland), THEN you have many more "people of color" as you put it.

This FUD-spreading letter does appear to target some of the many democrat-registered households in the are though. (By yard-sign support polls, I can tell you the presidential race is a dead heat.)
Please don't compound a bad situation by making it into a racial issue.

[Bwach]

Just spoke with my grandma who lives in Painesville. She hasn't recieved this or any other letter, but is mistrustful about anything she gets regarding the election. She's 86 years old and she and the other biddies in her bridge and church groups chat all the time about how they're targets for these campaigns - on both sides of the party coin.

I'm just glad that my grandparents get it. I feel bad for some of the other elderly that don't have as much socialization as they do. Maybe those of us from Ohio/Florida/Wisconsin/etc can make the election a good excuse to give a ring to our Grandmamas? I'm sure they'd appreciate it.