posted on December 4, 2000 10:29:14 PM new
This has come from a campus on the east coast:
Subject calculated scheme to deny voting rights to people of color
> >
> > I spent several hours this morning watching the NAACP public hearing
> > on the Florida vote on C-SPAN.
> >
> > Having done so, it is very clear to me that there was a systematic
>and
> >
> > calculated effort to lessen the Gore vote by denying the franchise
>to
> > as many African Americans as possible.
> >
> > . . .
> > The hearing was orderly, well run, and transcribed by a court
> > reporter and was presided over by NAACP President (and former
> > Congressional Black Caucus chairman) Kweisi Infumi. The hearing was
> > much like a Congressional hearing (but without the
> > wordwaste and puffery that usually dominates Congressional
> > hearings),
> >
> > There were several panels of witnesses, 2 to 4 people per panel. The
> > witnesses included voters who were denied the right to vote, NAACP
> > activists
> > who worked the get-out-the-vote effort all day, NAACP phone-standby
> > volunteers who worked the phones fielding election-day
> > complaints, poll workers and news media people. The witnesses
> > were all credible and impressive, their information detailed and
>often
> > accompanied by notes with names, dates, places. I would
> > not hesitate to call any of these people as witnesses
> > if I were handling a lawsuit on their behalf.
> >
> > Witnesses testified that they (and family members and others in
> > their presence) were denied the right to vote because they
> > "were not on the rolls " even though some of them had
> > their voter registration cards as well as
> > identification showing their names and addresses.
> >
> > This violates Florida law. In many cases, the poll
> > workers who refused them declined to make any effort to
> > validate their status and told them to "come back later. "
> > Some poll workers were sympathetic and attempted to get approval
> > for the voters to go ahead and vote but were denied by
> > "headquarters. "
> >
> > THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT Two poll workers testified that they
> > had been instructed by "headquarters " that they should apply
> > "qualification " procedures VERY STRICTLY and if
> > there is the slightest doubt, DENY THE REQUEST TO VOTE.
> > They were also told to refrain from giving out any written
> > verification of the refused voters' requests, including affidavits
> > (this is illegal; the law REQUIRES that any voter whose
> > attempt is challenged be given an affidavit of
> > challenge signed under oath by the poll worker).
> >
> > And in fact, many of the denied voters asked for an affidavit or
> > something in writing to prove they had attempted to
> > vote and ALL such requests were refused. NONE
> > were given the chance to cast a "challenge ballot " (which I
> > gather is similar to the "provisional ballot " that is used
> > in California when there is a dispute as to whether someone is
> > entitled to vote or not).
> >
> > Witnessses testified that they and others who were African American
> > (but not white) voters were asked to provide BOTH photo ID and a
> > current voter registration card and many who could not
> > do so were denied the right to vote even though the law
> > does not require that the voters present both ID and
> > voter registration cards.
> >
> > A newswoman who spent all day at various polling places witnessed
> > the above time and time again. When she tried to intervene,
> > she was threatened with arrest. This newswoman (who
> > happens to be white and a former policewoman)
> > accompanied one black voter to SIX polling places as she was turned
> > away time after time because, despite her having a voter card
> > and ID, she was told "this is not your polling place.
> >
> >
> > Finally, she returned to her original polling place and
> > was allowed, finally, to vote. The newswoman testified that at
> > one polling place in Healdsberg County, there were
> > numerous police cars who were stopping African American voters
> > and asking for ID and "what are you doing here? " She
> > saw them stop one elderly man after he left the polls, order him
> > to "assume the position " and question him, as he
> > tried to explain he had just voted (and was wearing a
> > button that said "I voted ".
> >
> > When she tried to intervene, she was told to move on or
> > she would be arrested, and when she did so out of fear for her
> > safety, she was followed for several miles by a police car.
> > This newswoman, who is white and a former policewoman, broke
> > town in tears because she was ashamed that she left the
> > scene.
> >
> > The newswoman testified that she was leaked a list of over a
> > thousand absentee voters by an election official. This was
> > a list of absentee voters who were disqualified for
> > being "felons " (their votes were not counted but
> > they were not informed of the rejection of their vote or the
> > opportunity to challenge it; the Republican commissioner who
> > leaked the list told the newswoman that the
> > instructions were to NOT notify the rejected absentee
> > voters of their disqualification.
> >
> > The newswoman happened to know one of the people on the
> > list and it is someone she knows has never been convicted of a
> > crime, let alone a felony. Many witnesses testified that
> > people who came in to vote were required to answer a
> > litany of questions even though they were on the rolls and had ID,
> > the questions had to do with whether they had been convicted of a
> > felony since the last time they voted, was their address
> > correct, etc.
> >
> > Only African Americans appeared to be asked these questions.
> > A police lieutenant testified that a box of ballots was sitting in
> > the police station. Someone called in that it had
> > not been picked up. The police department claimed
> > that they had tried to call the election commission on Friday
> > but nobody answered because it was a holiday. As of
> > now (actually, the hearing was Saturday but C-SPAN aired it this
> > morning), the box is still sitting in the police evidence room,
> > sealed with evidence tape. A minister
> > testified that nobody ever came to pick up the box at his
> > church (a polling place for his precinct) and STILL HAS NOT
> > DONE SO!!
> >
> > The president of Haitian Women of Miami testified that she was
> > threatened with arrest for attempting to enter the polling booth
> > to help first time Haitian voters who needed
> > translation assistance, and even though she presented a
> > copy of the statute that permits such assistance inside the
> > booth she was told that she would be arrested if she did not leave
> > and the police were actually called.
> >
> > None of the Creole speakers who asked for Creole
> > ballots (which were printed for the first time this election) were
> > given them and although there were Creole speaking volunteers
> > present to assist those voters, they were denied the right
> > to do so. Handicapped people were able to get into some polling
> > places but the polling booths were not acceptable to
> > them and requests for special ballots or other
> > assistance was denied in African American precincts, according to
> > the witnesses. I could go on...but
> > is it necessary?
> >
> > These are THOUSANDS of denied voters. Does anyone not
> > know a pattern and practice of obstruction when they see it?
> > Does anyone not see the last gasp of the OLD SOUTH being called upon
> > one more time to put its own man into the White House?
> > Thusands of voters were deliberately and systematically
> > denied their right to vote because Bush's brother and
> > his cronies knew they were voting for Gore.
> >
> > WHERE IS THE NEWS MEDIA? Why is this damning evidence not on
> > the FRONT PAGE OF EVERY NEWSPAPER IN THE COUNTRY? Why is it
> > being COMPLETELY suppressed on the corporate media
> > television stations and in the corporate print media?
> > Why is the systematic denial of the Voting Rights Act tolerated?
> > There is no remedy other than to allow EVERY SINGLE DENIED
> > VOTER HIS AND HER VOTE. NOW.
> > And we who have volunteered to uphold justice have the
> > responsibility to do whatever we can to ensure that occurs,
> > whether its volunteer in the legal fights, write
> > letters, emails and faxes, raise or give money, call our news
> > media, call our congressional people, or if necessary, engage in
> > civil disobedience in memory of Martin Luther King, the little
> > girls who were burned to death in a church and every
> > racist atrocity that has been brought back to life by
> > the shame in Florida. If not now, when? If not us,
> > who? THE RACIAL PROFILING OF THE FLORIDA VOTE IS
> > THE CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS -- not the delay in crowning
> > King George.
posted on December 4, 2000 10:37:35 PM new
Ah, I was hoping you'd be allowed to post this again...
There was also a briefly covered story about several polling places in predominantly black neighborhoods being summarily moved to inconvenient, unfamiliar locations (my favorite was an all-white country-western bar). So much about this election stinks, but the spectre of Old South officials denying blacks the right to vote in the year 2000 has got to be the worst.
posted on December 4, 2000 10:48:47 PM new
Witnesses testified that they (and family members and others in
> > their presence) were denied the right to vote because they
> > "were not on the rolls " even though some of them had
> > their voter registration cards as well as
> > identification showing their names and addresses
WOW! My daughter also was DENIED the right to vote! Even though my husband and I were on the rolls SHE wasn't! She registered, but the evil enemy, didn't turn it in! This would have been her FIRST election and she was quite upset.!
She isn't BLACK so I guess it doesn't matter...she accepted the rules and learned to double check to be registered. She is Disabled and a woman..perhaps it was a conspiracy?
I listened to this hogwash today. How come it is just now surfacing? How come Blacks want to be thought of as Victims, descrimination..all republican conspiracy of course.
Don't the african american's realize Gore is saying that they are too stupid to fill out ballots..too confused...to intimadated...and so HE has to help them...save them from themselves.
posted on December 4, 2000 10:57:54 PM new
It is not 'just now surfacing', Carole, though I've no doubt that you think it is. These complaints began on election day even before the polls closed. They were why Jesse Jackson was in Florida until supposedly ordered to back out by Gore.
posted on December 4, 2000 11:05:14 PM new
IMLDS---WOW!!! your family has really got it's hands filled. In previous threads you have mentioned that your husband is a disabled Vet, and that you are a disabled housewife and now we learn your daughter is also disabled.
posted on December 5, 2000 12:00:50 AM new
If the part about ballot boxes being held in police evidence is true. The real question is whether under Florida Law an election can be certified missing an entire precinct.
And knowing Gore like I do maybe he was avoiding the Race issue since it becomes so obvious when you view the Bush team. In fact that can be stretched to the team of any Republican candidate. It is a known point of fact that a lot of affluent African Americans are active Republicans. However the parties attempt at inclusion is weak at best non existent for the most part. We can look back to 1996 when the Party denied Candidate Keyes the right to participate in the Republican debates.
IMLDS - Trust me African Americans for the most part do not enjoy that victim role one iota. However, if a problem surfaced with your daughters registration at the time of election. I would seek a remedy as to what went wrong with the registration system. As we have learned from watching the C Span coverage this weekend in most states the ordinary joe voter can file a petition after an election. This whole mess has served a few very useful purposes. Voters now know about a whole slew of rights that they never knew existed under the law. And no American will ever feel that their vote doesn't count if counted.
As for the Republican conspriracy thingie you mentioned. It doesn't strike you as odd that 35 years after getting rid of poll taxes and other hinderances to minority voting. That in one State in one election you have a whole slew of problems in predominately minority districts. That by some weird chance of circumstance happens to be in the State where the Govenor happens to be the brother of one of the candidates. You have an official in a haste to certify an election where known irregularities have been reported since before the Polls closed that day. This same official happens to already be in line for an important Ambassadorship if the candidate she is in hurry to certify happens to luck up and win.
I am not into the conspiracy thing but too many random chance events have occurred in one State where chance happens to have that State hold the key to the White House. Any other election and Florida holds no true value except 25 electoral votes. But this year not only are those 25 electorial votes the deciding factor. But there exists a high degree of irregularites in the districts where the candidate who happens to be the brother of the Govenor doesn't stand a chance to win. Which also happens to also house the majority of the minority vote. So you explain it in pro Bush manner that sums it up nicely and is acceptable to the ordinary American that happens to live in one of the other 49 States.
posted on December 5, 2000 01:01:50 AM new
Zazzie,
Why is it that the only thing you have to contribute is character assasination?
All I've done is state my opinion, just like everyone else.
Because I am disabled I don't have a voice or a vote? My husband a DISABLED VET shouldn't have a voice/vote either?
But the LOWEST you've gone, is to degrade my 19 year old daughter! How DARE you! You have no idea as to what/how the disability is...and you don't care! All you want to do is drag people down.
You are a real good example of the character of Gore supporters.
Sheesh..attacking a 19 year old who is DISABLED...but works full time is pathetic!
posted on December 5, 2000 03:22:19 AM new
Oh ack. Is "Constitutional Crisis" going to be the overworked phrase of the year? This is not a "Constitutional Crisis." This is America. Where have you been living?
Has discrimination suddenly become a problem because your candidate didn't win?
This is what's really angered me about the Democratic party during all this; All of a sudden, they were extremely concerened about discrimination, and they'll stay extremely concerned about it until they're sure that being extremely concerned about it won't help them anymore, probably for 1 more day.
posted on December 5, 2000 03:41:42 AM new
IMLDS2 - I didn't interpret Zazzie's statement as being attacking or degrading of your daughter.
I didn't see that she said you and your husband weren't entitled to vote because you're both disabled.
I know the arguments on this board have become rather hostile from time to time, and I'm often wrong, but perhaps you misinterpreted her post.
By the way, lumping all Gore supporters into one category, (of which you obviously have a very low opinion), is hardly fair and is degrading in itself.
Having a life-long interest in disabled children and adults, I commend your daughter for working, I know that can be difficult. Of course, you don't have to answer this, but would you mind sharing with me the type of disability she has. The reason I ask is that I have a nephew who is high-functioning autistic and wonder about others' expectations of children with this affliction.
posted on December 5, 2000 04:11:42 AM new
[b]even though the law
> > does not require that the voters present both ID and
> > voter registration cards.[/b]
posted on December 5, 2000 04:40:48 AM new
Is is State controlled whether or not you have to show ID when voting? I've never been asked, although the people who work our poll do get to know many of the people since we all live in the same neighborhood.
I can't remember ever being asked for ID...and I've been voting for 23 years.
posted on December 5, 2000 04:53:42 AM new
Those who have not been paying attention will assume this is a last gasp by the Democratic Party.
However, this information has been out there since day 1.
Early in the Florida mess, when discussing it with my daughter, I told her then I was more concerned about voters being denied their right to vote than I was about confusing/problem/antiquated voting ballots/machines.
She, at that time, had not been aware of this; it was getting very little attention.
posted on December 5, 2000 04:57:41 AM new
Although I DID produce my voter registration card along with my picture ID in FL, I don't know whether I was required to do so.
FL statutes state that
The clerk or inspector shall require each elector, upon entering the polling place, to present a Florida driver's license, a Florida identification card issued under s. 322.051, or another form of picture identification approved by the Department of State.
and
The precinct register may also contain a list of the forms of identification, which must include, but is not limited to, a Florida driver's license, a Florida identification card issued under s. 322.051, or another form of picture identification approved by the Department of State.
Too bad nobody's actually identified in these claims. For exampke, I wonder who the "newswoman who spent all day at various polling places" and witnessed the above time and time again" is. In what precinct were the "two poll workers" who testified that they had been instructed by "headquarters " that they should apply "qualification " procedures VERY STRICTLY"? Who at "headquarters" so instructed them?
posted on December 5, 2000 08:20:39 PM new
Hi Jada,
I couldn't figure out any reason that Zazzie would want to point out that the disabilities of my family.?
My daughter has Hishimoto's disease...hearing impairment..severe learning disabilities. For her to work 8 hours would be the equivalence of you and I working a 16 hr day every day. She literally collapses when she gets home(she has lived in her own apartment for 2 months now! Doctors didn't think she'd be able to live on her own). She is smart enough to know she is different..and it frustrates the heck out of her. Recently severe stress related mental problems are surfacing for the first time.
She qualified for Social Security..but has decided to keep working at Walmart as long as she can handle it.
posted on December 5, 2000 08:40:09 PM new
Carole,
You brought out the disability of your daughter, not Zazzie, in your post above containing
She isn't BLACK so I guess it doesn't matter...she accepted the rules and learned to double check to be registered. She is Disabled and a woman..perhaps it was a conspiracy?
posted on December 5, 2000 08:57:26 PM new
krs,
Zazzie brought that question from a previous thread. For some reason it is important for everyone to know the summary of my family.
I have nothing to hide, not ashamed...what I really would like to know is WHY it was so important to Zazzie anyway?
posted on December 5, 2000 09:05:24 PM new
IMLDS2---just popped back to this thread and saw that Carole has taken a leap in interpeting my comment on her family's disabilities.
My comment was just plain old astonishment--that one family has much to bear--nothing else. No degrading--no character assasination, no implying that your family's voice is not important. There is no attack on a 19 year old--except for the one you have invented.
Carole--I have never commented on the abilities or disablities of my family on this board or any other board--so you have no idea what I have to deal with or have dealt with in the past.
posted on December 5, 2000 09:07:58 PM new
Not quite, Carole.
Zazzie reiterated what you had brought out about yours and your husband's disabilities in previous threads and only remarked upon the new disclosure of your daughter's disability here.
I wonder why you are telling everyone about these conditions if you do not care to have them discussed?
posted on December 5, 2000 09:15:14 PM new
krs,
The reason I mentioned my daughters was to point out she too was a minority(but not Black)..her voice/vote had been denied too..and she was 'whining' about it a month after the election.
posted on December 5, 2000 09:28:55 PM new
I have tired that complaints by (certain) minorities and minority representative organizations always have instant credibility?
posted on December 6, 2000 01:53:48 AM new
Those reports have been present since the day of the election.
Police checkpoints were set up in certain areas where minority voting was expected to be heavy. The Governor of the State--the candidate's brother--controls the state police who operated the checkpoints. The same brother who promised to deliver Florida.
There were reports of Black Americans being singled out and hassled at polls.
Remember that less than forty years ago civil rights workers in Mississippi were murdered helping Black Americans to register to vote.
It is a shameful thing to have happened.
How can we, as a democratic nation, tolerate this behaviour in our own country, yet attempt to dictate to other countries like Azerbeijan and Serbia that voting corruption must be cleaned up?
You know, the thing about this election is that the fact that Bush won is fine by me. That is not an issue. But I DO mind that peoples' rights to vote were interfered with. Because that is a much more important issue. You rob, trick, manipulate people out of their right to vote, you take away their voice.
posted on December 6, 2000 05:35:45 AM new
The only "report" that I've seen that actually names ANY names, places, and specific incidents is in krs's link #2 - the "roadblock" complaint.
Had to laugh when I read that one, as "roadblocks" are commonplace here. Sheriffs usually set one up down the road from us, as it's well-traveled but the speed limit's only 25. Happens about every 3 months or so, and makes Val crazy because she admits to having a boiling (and wholly irrational) hatred of cops.
Anyway, they DO check the cars over carefully, and I swear it occurs whenever we HAVE to be someplace at a certain time. How come? Florida has no auto inspection system, and Alabama (less than an hour away) has no auto insurance requirement. The only way they can get some of these cars off the road, or to e.g. have two working headlights, is to give 'em a ticket. And they set 'em up in the areas where poorer folks live, since we are the most likely to be driving rattletraps.
I'm absolutely not saying this is the reason for the "roadblock" complained of. But we live in a predominantly white (albeit poor) neighborhood, and it sure sounds familiar.
Can anybody point me to any substantiated "reports" that are supposed to be part of the suit that is at least threatened to be filed - including the one I heard on TV last night, that somehow poll workers feeding the punch cards into the counter are able to separate out the "black" votes and fold, spindle or otherwise mutilate those cards so that they are "thrown out" (so they say) by the counter? In my precinct at least, each voter puts his own ballot in the ballot box, where his ballot sits, racially unidentified, with countless other ballots until they are fed en masse into the counter.
posted on December 6, 2000 06:13:33 AM new
I doubt that there are actually any substantiated credible reports on these stories. It is "somebody told me", or "I heard this from a friend". It is just more spin wrapped in the race card. No actual names are used in the posted article.
This newswoman (who happens to be white and a former policewoman) accompanied one black voter to SIX polling places as she was turned away time after time because, despite her having a voter card and ID, she was told "this is not your polling place.
Come on...of course you can't vote at a polling place other than the one you are supposed to use. Spin spin spin
.
