#vote suppression

[cartoonpolitics]

(cartoon David Horsey)

[tomorrowusa]

If anybody is trying to prevent you by intimidation, fraud, or trickery from casting your legal vote, that is a federal crime and should be reported to the proper authorities.

It's not just the FBI which handles such reports. You can contact the local United States Attorney or the Department of Justice Public Integrity Section.

I find that voting early and in person presents the fewest potential problems. If you have a minor problem with your signature, ID, or other information, it can usually be sorted on the spot. If you mess up your ballot, you can have it voided and get a new one. If you are still unable to cast a regular vote, they are obliged to issue you a provisional ballot and you can then make a case for yourself to the election authorities.

The only big downside to voting early in person is that early voting centers are fewer in number than neighborhood Election Day polling places; you'll usually have to travel further to cast your ballot. However such centers are open for several days and occasionally offer variations in voting hours.

Election Day in person voting is okay, but if something keeps you from voting that day (weather, personal emergency, health) then you've lost your chance to vote in that election.

Vote absentee if you have no other way. But anybody who has ever experienced something getting lost in the mail understands the problems with this. Unsupervised outdoor drop boxes are also a potential problem. There are plenty of bad things a vote suppressor can do to those. Though it is safe to personally deliver your completed absentee ballot to the local election board or county clerk's office.

[heliotropist]

"House Republicans are once again pushing H.R. 22 (what we’re referring to as the “Silencing Americans Act”), a dangerous bill that would create unnecessary obstacles for millions of eligible Americans trying to register to vote. The House passed it last session, but it never made it to the Senate—now they’re bringing it back in an attempt to restrict access to the ballot.

The Silencing Americans Act would require every voter to show proof of citizenship,like a passport or original birth certificate, when registering to vote in federal elections. That might sound simple, but the reality is that millions of eligible voters don’t have these documents readily available. Because the bill would require showing this proof in person, it would eliminate online and mail-in voter registration. This bill wouldn’t improve election security—it would just make it significantly harder for everyday Americans to vote.

If passed, the Silencing Americans Act would disproportionately impact:

Married women who have changed their last names, many of whom don’t have birth certificates matching their legal name

Naturalized citizens who could face additional barriers and intimidation

Military members, tribal citizens, and working-class Americans, who may not have easy access to these documents 

And others! 

We’ve seen the damage of similar laws in states like Kansas and Arizona, where thousands of eligible voters were blocked from registering. Americans without citizenship status are already barred from voting in federal elections, and states have secure systems in place to verify voter eligibility — this bill is unnecessary. "

Trump’s New Executive Order (EO) to Silence Americans: What You Need to Know

[whatthehelloh]

[uboat53]

In light of Giuliani admitting that he used dirty tricks to suppress Hispanic votes in the early 90s, I'm sure you've heard a lot of people asking why all of a sudden there's so much talk about voter suppression, and they're absolutely right, the talk about it is new.

What's not new is that it's been happening. This kind of thing has been going on for decades, perhaps centuries. It's only recently that the groups that have been suppressed have gotten the kind of influence that they need to get the rest of us to talk about it.

Giuliani admits using ‘dirty trick’ to suppress Hispanic vote in mayoral race

Former New York City mayor reveals voter suppression tactics from 1993 election to Steve Bannon and Kari Lake

[generalelectionmusings]

Voter ID list gives few options for younger voters

Long-awaited details of the government’s voter ID scheme have now finally been released including details of which IDs will be accepted at t

[18kgold]

‘Don’t go down without a fight’: Texas Democrats’ effort to block voting restrictions sputters

Some Texas Democrats dismayed their colleagues returned to make a quorum, but others hope their protest has drawn attention to voting rights

A last-ditch effort to stall Texas Republicans from passing sweeping voting legislation effectively ended on Thursday evening after enough Democrats returned to the state capitol in Austin to allow lawmakers to proceed on legislation.

It’s a coda that came a little more than a month after Democrats in the state house of representatives dramatically left the state capitol, denying Republicans a quorum to conduct legislative business. As Republicans threatened those who fled with arrest, the effort electrified Democrats, in Texas and around the country, at a moment when Republicans have been able to ram through new voting restrictions in state capitols across the country.

With a quorum now intact, Texas Republicans are expected to quickly approve legislation that would outlaw practices that local election officials adopted to make it easier to vote in 2020, including drive-thru and 24-hour voting. The measure would also give more authority to partisan poll watchers, prohibit officials from sending unsolicited absentee ballot request forms, and provide new rules, and potential criminal penalties, for those who assist others in casting ballots – a move that could make it more difficult for people who are disabled and others to get help voting.

Oof. If I was part of the effort, I’d be pissed at the returning members who allowed quorum. 

Also, I love the woman pictured, Celia Israel: 

While she said it was “unsettling” to have a warrant out for her arrest [...], “They can kiss my Texas behind before I walk on to that house floor and give them quorum over the horrible bills that they have lined up.”

[svgittvurus]

THIS.