voter disenfranchisement

This last week Maine residents began an all out war in their state to prevent a new Voter ID bill and stop the Governor's attempts at changing a 34 year old law giving voters the right to register to vote on Election Day. The result has been efforts to mobilize Maine residents to stand up to elected officials who are playing politics with their Constitutional right to vote.

Following Thursday's press conference of a nonpartisan coalition announcing a people's veto of LD 1376, Maine GOP Chair Charlie Webster waged new false accusations against the Maine Democratic Party. Last week, Webster was in the news for claiming Democrats 'steal elections.' Today, he alleged that every attorney general and secretary of state in Maine for the past 30 years have been accomplices.

Maine Democratic Party Chairman Ben Grant released this statement:

"This is ridiculous. The Republicans are making a mockery of our political system. First it was the Maine Democratic Party busing people in to 'steal elections.' Now he says it's us and every attorney general and secretary of state in the past 30 years. What next? Is he going to claim that aliens are in on it too?

"This issue is about Maine people and our democratic right to vote. So far, we've seen no real evidence of why taking away Election Day voter registration is a good thing and plenty of why it's a bad thing. Let's stop the fear mongering and lies and talk about the facts."

Seventeen organizations have joined the coalition so far, along with hundreds of individuals who are committed to protecting voter rights.

"Voting is fundamental to democracy," said Barbara McDade, President of the League of Women Voters of Maine in a press release. "Government works best when it represents all people. We should work to find ways to expand voter participation, not reduce it. This bad legislation is unnecessary and will mean eligible voters are turned away on Election Day."

A petition to begin the process was filed on Tuesday, June 21, the same day that Governor Paul LePage signed the bill.

Along with the petition, organizers submitted the following suggested wording of the question to the Office of the Secretary of State: "Do you want to reject the new law that prevents voters from registering to vote on Election Day?"

To place the People’s Veto on the ballot, the coalition will need to collect more than 57,000 signatures in the 90 days after the Maine Legislature adjourns.

"Election day registration is part of Maine’s vibrant democratic tradition." said Charlotte Warren, Associate Director of the Maine Women’s Lobby. "Why make it harder for these folks to register and vote now? What’s the purpose? While our Country is 235 years old, and our great state of Maine is 191 years old, women have only possessed the right the vote for 91 years. That’s why Maine women take voting rights seriously."

Across the country conservative activists have been working tirelessly in state legislatures to try to place additional barriers to voting access.

New Hampshire's new Republican Speaker of the House went so far to say that young people can't be trusted to vote because they won't vote along with him in efforts to justify why voting rights should be taken away from young voters.

"Voting as a liberal. That's what kids do," he added, his comments taped by a state Democratic Party staffer and posted on YouTube. Students lack "life experience," and "they just vote their feelings."

(turn your audio up to hear)

Legislation is pending in states that barely voted for President Barack Obama or large states that are critical for electoral vote in the last election including North Carolina, Ohio, Wisconsin, Florida,

"Young people have been at the forefront of expanding the right to vote in this country for over 200 years" said Nicola M. Wells of the Maine League of Young Voters. "By repealing same day registration, Governor LePage shows disregard for that tradition- squarely endorsing a program of voter disenfranchisement. Young people care about voting. Our frequent moves and multiple jobs can make it difficult to ensure we are registered in the right district by the right date. We are committed to continuing Maine's tradition of helping more people exercise their right to vote on election day, and we're proud to be a part of this People's Veto effort. To join us in signature collection, visit maine.theleague.com/veto2011"

If you're in Maine - join the fight in protecting your right to vote.

• 15 Myths about Millennials

  My favorite include:
  "They’ve got severe entitlement complexes" and my personal favorite I submit for Bill Maher's pleasure

  "They don’t care about real social and political issues: Which, of course, is why 91% of Millennials are registered to vote, 68% participate in community service and 53% consider themselves politically active. The perception of the generation as wholly self-centered and entitled naturally fuels this myth, but growing up with ceaseless news cycles apparently engages more than isolates. In 2008, most of the youth polled admitted they follow the current political climate "somewhat closely" — far more than the apathetic and passionate combined. Nearly 60% of American college students watched the first 2008 presidential debate, and a little over 50% did so for the vice presidential equivalent."

• In Montana they are Rigging Elections against Young Voters
  

  "An attack on the right to vote is under way across the country through laws designed to make it more difficult to cast a ballot. If this were happening in an emerging democracy, we’d condemn it as election-rigging. But it’s happening here, so there’s barely a whimper."

• The Unpaid Internship Problem
• The REAL story about getting a job after college
• NPR radio host Diane Rehm had a show on the "evolution" of voting rights laws. I didn't get to hear the whole thing - to be honest when Kris Kobach started talking I turned it off because I can't stand his racism masked with fake policy.

Good buddy recently asked if the Supreme Court considers voting to be a First Amendment rights issue then how is it possible for anyone to restrict those rights. Good question...

Have a good Wednesday!

You know em... ya love em... its the elected officials and supporters of the Student VOTER Act joined together to talk about how important it is to pass!

Thursday's Press Conference was awesome. Rep. Wasserman Schultz, Rep. Tim Ryan, Rep. Meek, and Rep. Schakowsky all joined in support of this bill.

Rep. Schakowsky (pictured right)said that we want more people to vote in our elections not create more barriers. She further said "we have a special responsibility to promote civic education" talking about the very essence of voting and the civic duty we all have to participate in such a crucial part of our democracy. She assured the audience that they would get both parties to pass this bill.

Rep. Meek said the bill "just makes good sense" further agreeing that everyone eligible should be registered to vote.

Ian Storrar from Mobilize.org went further saying that if we have more voices working together we enact better policies.

The event was a great success and the bill is sure to progress. Empirical evidence suggests that voter registration is the greatest hurdle to young voter participation. According to a 2004 study by CIRCLE, 22% of 18-29 year olds who did not vote did so because they missed the registration deadline. An additional 10% of that age group did not know where or how to register to vote. Therefore, a combined 32% of 18-29 year olds who did not participate in the election did so because of uncertainties in the registration process.

The Student VOTER Act will guarantee that students have at least a fighting chance to register and make a difference in every election, not just the elections that maintain youth outreach.

Youth organizations from across the country are working to support this bill including:
Student Association for Voter Empowerment
United States Student Association
People for the American Way
Common Cause
League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)
Mexican-American Legal Defense & Educational Fund (MALDEF)
People For the American Way
U.S. PIRG
Rock the Vote
Mobilize.org
The Roosevelt Institution
Campus Progress Action
Voto Latino
Young Democrats of America
18 in 08’
Students for Barack Obama
College Democrats of America
New Era Colorado
Advocates for Youth
FairVote
Fair Elections Legal Network

I can't think of a better person than Secretary Jennifer Brunner to speak out about this issue. She understands more about the unbelievable disenfranchisement of young voters face than many and has dedicated her work in the Ohio SOS office to ensuring every citizen of her state who can vote is able to vote.

Please RT this video:
RT @SAVEvoting Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner Supports the Student Voter Act http://tinyurl.com/d34wcm

And please take a minute to push this around facebook to encourage more Secretaries of State to support it as well. THANKS!

We've worked so hard to help students have equal access to voting its a rewarding day to have it reintroduced into a legislature that will see it as a priority. As we speak in Washington there is a press conference announcing its importance and emphasizing the difficulties that young people face simply in casting a ballot each election.

According to a release from the Student Association for Voter Empowerment:

"Reps. Jan Schakowsky, D-IL, and Steven LaTourette, R-OH, along with the Student Association for Voter Empowerment and distinguished guests will hold a press conference to discuss the impact this legislation will have to expand the right to vote to more Americans...

Barriers in the voter registration process are the most commonly cited reason that young people (18-29 years old) do not participate in elections. According to a study by CIRCLE, a combined 32% of 18-29 year olds did not vote because of uncertainties, confusion, or difficulties in registering. Similarly, a report from Harvard University's Institute of Politics noted that nonvoting youth are "more likely [than any other group] to cite registration mistakes or a lack of registration knowledge as a reason why they did not vote."

In response to the current problems with voter registration, The legislation will require all colleges and universities that receive federal funds to provide their students with an opportunity to register to vote as they enroll in classes. The Student VOTER Act builds off the successful model of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, and like Department of Motor Vehicles, will designate colleges as “voter registration agencies."

Update: From William Wilson, Orangeburg County Branch President, NAACP. Apparently this problem was foreseen and the NAACP received assurances that these students would be able to vote.

“I presented to the Legislative Delegation my concern about people not getting their registration cards when we knew we registered them in a timely manner, including absentee ballots, etc. The other concern I presented to them was the situation at SC State and Calflin University. They had those students not voting on campus, which was Ward 4, although they confirmed that Ward 4 was on campus. With all those students that registered and changed their registration to Orangeberg County, they assured me the problem had been taken care of. Today we’re experiencing all kinds of problems, they’re not on the books, sending them to other polling places, and telling them to vote by provisional ballot.

We stopped the provisional ballot voting real early, but still they’re often not on the books and these kids are getting real frustrated. Now we’re trying to get these kids out of their dorms to come back and vote.

The issue is that the ones that get their registration cards, they put the school’s address on the cards, and not the PO box or dorm street address. On some they have the school’s address and they’re the ones having problems. According to the county’s Voter Registration Director, Howard Jackson, a batch of those registrations were sent to Columbia to be keyed into the system. If that is the case, the election commission in Columbia would not have a clue about the geographic location of the students, which may be the nucleus of the problem. The problem is what they have on the books for the students and what they have on the registration card is two different addresses.

We challenged it, and now they’re being sent to another precinct, or they’re being told to go to the Voter Registration office to vote. We’re trying to locate these students and transport them to the Voter Registration office. The issue is…some of them don’t even have their cards. All day long we’ve been transporting students down to the office to get their cards, once they had verified they were actually registered to vote.

I’m really proud of these kids for standing in long lines in the rain, etc, and being so determined to vote. But this is a letdown to them when they get up there to vote and are told they have to go somewhere else to vote. This is what the Legislative Delegation told me would not be a problem.”

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From the NAACP Youth and College Division:

From: Alethea Howard, NAACP Youth and College Division
404-428-8597

South Carolina State – polling site was never set up
Students being redirected to Howard E Middle School

- Enterprise Rental Car helping shuttle students back and forth

- Howard E Middle School is closer than first location they were redirected to, Whitaker Elementary, which is a 30 min drive away

From: Mr Akeem Brown, Political Action Chair for South Carolina NAACP Youth and College Division – ON LOCATION AT SC STATE
803-347-3160

"I'm here at SC State in the Fine Arts Center. Students were deterred because when they went to Smith Hammond Middleton Center (SHM), where they were told to go to vote on campus, they were told they have to go to Howard E Middle School or Whitaker Elementary School.

NAACP is working on shuttling students back and forth, preferably to Howard E Middle School or to the election office to cast provisional ballots. We're doing whatever we can to make sure they cast a regular ballot and not a provisional ballot.

Right now the NAACP Branch President is meeting with Howard Jackson, a local election official, to get the situation solved. We don't want anyone to get students to cast provisional ballots. Once people get to polling places they are finding that they ARE on the rolls.

They were told they could vote on campus at SMH. What's confusing is that the school across the yard, Claflin University, their students are able to vote at SMH. We're trying to figure out who gave the SC State students the information that their polling place was on campus."

These schools are located in Orangeburg, SC

Lawyer – William Wilson, branch president working with Lawyers Committee and EP Colaition
Sharon Daniels - documentarian

Update II: This is also confirmed in Montana. While most people won't be fooled by this, the influx of first time voters, many connected to the election via Obama's text program, and reports of long lines conveyed by these texts, could depress turnout.

Update: Florida is confirmed and the message is much the same as that from the George Mason email. No word on where these are originating.
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Stories are beginning to break that young voters - particularly students - are receiving fraudulent emails and text messages that provide misinformation about the day, time and location that students should vote.

Ben Smith reports on an email sent to George Mason University students:

A George Mason University student forwards over a pair of emails that went out to the student body of the Virginia school:

First:

-----Original Message-----
From: ANNOUNCE04-L on behalf of Office of the Provost
Sent: Tue 11/4/2008 1:16 AM
To: ANNOUNCE04-L@mail04.gmu.edu
Subject: Election Day Update

To the Mason Community:

Please note that election day has been moved to November 5th. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you.

Peter N. Stearns
Provost

And then:

-----Original Message-----
From: Office of the Provost on behalf of Office of the Provost
Sent: Tue 11/4/2008 8:08 AM
To: PROVOSTOFFICE-L@mail04.gmu.edu
Subject: Urgent Voting Information

Dear Colleagues,

It has come to my attention early this morning that a message was hacked into the system fraudulently stating that election day has been moved. I am sure everybody realizes this is a hoax, it is also a serious offense and we are looking into it. Please be reminded that election day is today, November 4th.

Peter N. Stearns
Provost

In Austin and Houston, young voters are receiving text messages saying that Obama supporters should vote tomorrow do to long lines.

I'm also hearing - and various people are working to confirm - that young voters in Florida and Montana are receiving similar text messages. I'll update you when we get confirmation on this.

See Luke Russert's special report that aired on the Today Show this morning featuring Matthew Segal of the Student Association for Voter Empowerment.

From last night's Rachel Maddow show, Matthew Segal from the Student Association for Voter Empowerment making the rounds on the talk shows spreading his message of youth power and the disproportionate disenfranchisement they face year after year.

Please note, the assumption that seniors vote more than youth was disproved in 2006 when young voters 18-29 surpassed the 65+ voters.

Our favorite Student Voting Rights advocate Matthew Segal of the Student Association for Voter Empowerment battled out unfair ID Laws on Fox's Morning show this AM.