Posted on 06/29/2004 9:31:12 AM PDT by rface
The chairman of the Republican National Committee on Monday called for a bipartisan effort to safeguard polling locations in Missouri and other presidential battleground states against voter fraud.
But a group helping Democrat John Kerry's campaign called the proposal as a “very cynical attempt” to suppress black voter turnout in the state by undermining groups that are working to increase black registration.
While visiting Kansas City, Republican Party Chairman Ed Gillespie cited allegations that groups such as America Coming Together were turning in inaccurate voter registration forms and using convicted felons to go door to door. A spokeswoman for the group called both accusations insignificant.
Gillespie said the allegations underscored the potential for fraud as a “legitimate concern in the upcoming elections.” He outlined a “transparent bipartisan solution” that would involve listing, with Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe, precincts in presidential battleground states where problems might surface.
The two parties would assign volunteers to observe each precinct in addition to the already assigned voting judges from both parties. Members of the news media could stand alongside the teams to watch the voting unfold.
The added safeguard would help assure fair elections, Gillespie said. He distributed a June 15 letter he had sent to McAuliffe outlining his plan, but a Democratic Party spokesman said he could not confirm that McAuliffe had received it.
“I can certainly assure you that if there is a political party in this country committed to ensuring that every vote be counted…it's the Democratic Party,” spokesman Jano Cabrera said.
Sara Howard, a spokeswoman for America Coming Together, defended the voter registration efforts, saying less than 2 percent of the forms submitted had been rejected by a St. Louis election board.
Howard said about a dozen of the group's canvassers in Missouri had felony convictions out of the nearly 100 working for the group. She said none had been convicted of a violent crime, and they pose no threat to the public. The group has begun screening its employees.
“It's pretty clear they are trying to raise questions about the validity of our organization,” Howard said of the Republicans.
I have relatives in Montgomery County. They have only a modest size mansion (!) compared to the average MC estate that looks like a church.
And let's not forget voter fraud in Pittsburgh, my area.
I actually had an experience as a poll watcher two years ago that confirms this. The demonrat poll watcher was actually a Wisconsin State Senator - And she spent the entire time there coordinating the activities of the democratic "Get out the vote" (read: "get out and vote several times") people. She left an hour before the polls closed, and showed up right at closing time with a van full of "voters" that she wanted to "vouch" for (Since Wisconsin is not allowed to demand ID at the polls, someone can come in and identify another voter, allowing them to vote)
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