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Alaska voters upset about public-shaming mailers, but experts say they work
Alaska Dispatch News ^ | 10/27/2014 | Michelle Theriault Boots

Posted on 01/30/2016 1:49:49 PM PST by JediJones

"We're sending this mailing to you, your friends, your neighbors, your colleagues at work and your community members to publicize who does and does not vote."

The letter let Adams know that the senders intended to mail an updated chart after the Nov. 4 election.

Increasingly, political groups across the country are utilizing publicly available voter lists and other databases to send mailings that use what researchers call "social pressure" to get people to vote.

The most forceful threaten to expose an individual's voting record, or lack thereof, to peers.

...was sent by a political action committee called the Opportunity Alliance PAC [4] that has been active in Oregon and Iowa Senate races [5]. Filings with the Federal Election Commission show the main donor...has contributed to conservative causes and championed charter schools and educational choice [7].

Letters like the one being delivered to mailboxes in Anchorage are among the most effective ways to mobilize voters...

...shame was an effective motivator to get people to the polls, he said.

If you see voting as a "pro-social activity," having people whose opinions you care about know you don't vote could be embarrassing.

For all its utility, the technique also causes backlash.

News reports from the 2012 and 2014 election cycles describe angry reactions from recipients of "voter shaming" mailers in states like Colorado and Arkansas.

The voter-shaming mailers don't appear to be in violation of the law, she said.

One was sent by America Votes [8], a progressive group...

The other was sent by the Koch brothers-backed conservative nonprofit Americans for Prosperity [9].

"Very few things have been proven to be as effective as the heavy-handed social pressure mailer," Panagopoulos said.

In fact, research shows they are roughly as effective as the far more resource-intensive door-to-door, get-out-the-vote visits, he said.

(Excerpt) Read more at adn.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: abigkochup; campaign; cruzeffsupagain; gunownersinfonext; kocheyedbastids; mailer; shaming; tactic; tedleadballontour
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To: CodeToad

You are an overly dramatic child


41 posted on 01/30/2016 2:28:52 PM PST by thestob (Cruz 2016)
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To: JediJones

And to thnik lib groups want gun owner and ccw permit holder info made public.


42 posted on 01/30/2016 2:31:53 PM PST by Organic Panic
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To: JediJones

It’s one thing to mention “neighbors”, it’s quite another thing to name them.


43 posted on 01/30/2016 2:33:48 PM PST by Fresh Wind (Falcon 105)
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To: thestob

“You are an overly dramatic child”

Support who you want, but this “child” thing shows what children the Cruz/Beck campaign has become. It isn’t working. Try something else, but don’t try that mailer crap with the rest of us.


44 posted on 01/30/2016 2:34:09 PM PST by CodeToad (Islam should be banned and treated as a criminal enterprise!)
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To: Fresh Wind

“It’s one thing to mention “neighbors”, it’s quite another thing to name them.”

And you just know their mailer has your name on it.


45 posted on 01/30/2016 2:34:55 PM PST by CodeToad (Islam should be banned and treated as a criminal enterprise!)
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To: CodeToad
If I get one here in Colorado I’ll sue the bastard.

Might I ask, for what?

46 posted on 01/30/2016 2:35:33 PM PST by RegulatorCountry
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To: RegulatorCountry

If you knew the first thing about law you’d know such matter take more than an inquiry from an anonymous poster to form. Posing threats to people via postal mail and misuse of the license for those voters lists is just a start.


47 posted on 01/30/2016 2:37:35 PM PST by CodeToad (Islam should be banned and treated as a criminal enterprise!)
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To: twister881
Who legally votes and who does not vote in *any* election should not be publicly available information.

That's a huge "should." This publically available info is what EVERY campaign GOTV effort is based on to start with, with their own research used to expand upon their voter databases. Here's Obamagirl's voting record. Her parents are Republicans, LOL.

http://politicalstrategies.com/voter/25345573

48 posted on 01/30/2016 2:38:45 PM PST by JediJones ("How stupid are the people of Iowa?" -Donald Trump, November 12, 2015)
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To: CodeToad

There was no “mis-use.” These types of mailings have been going on for years and all the articles say they’re perfectly legal.


49 posted on 01/30/2016 2:39:32 PM PST by JediJones ("How stupid are the people of Iowa?" -Donald Trump, November 12, 2015)
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To: ziravan

How kind of you to send birthday cards. They are not shaming letters though.


50 posted on 01/30/2016 2:43:33 PM PST by nclaurel
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To: CodeToad

What threat was contained in that mailing? How was their mailing permit misused? These political direct mailings are not ad-hoc, ill thought-out affairs, they’re tested, honed and marketed to political campaigns. Had there been any issue with legality, it never would have crossed the desk of whoever approved the use of it for Ted Cruz.


51 posted on 01/30/2016 2:45:08 PM PST by RegulatorCountry
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To: JediJones

For GOTV purposes, I’m OK with identifying party affiliation, if any, of legally registered voters, but *nothing* else. It’s the revealing of who did and who did not vote to which I object. There are legit reasons why citizens do or don’t go to the polls.


52 posted on 01/30/2016 2:47:09 PM PST by twister881
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To: Robert DeLong

Anyone with a smart phone look up anyone’s voting record in minutes. All you need to know is their name and where they live. You can find out what years they voted and for which party in the primaries. Exactly who they voted for is, of course, still secret. This is all public records.


53 posted on 01/30/2016 3:00:15 PM PST by jstaff
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To: ziravan

I’d send a birthday card to EVERYONE, and say, “I know you have a birthday this year...hope it’s happy!”


54 posted on 01/30/2016 3:26:36 PM PST by goodnesswins (Alinsky.....it's what's for dinner)
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To: Georgia Girl 2

“Nothing says Evangelical Christian like a shaming letter. :-)

There’s a special shunning letter Cruz is sending to Amish voters...


55 posted on 01/30/2016 3:31:34 PM PST by aMorePerfectUnion (As a representative of Earth, I officially welcome Global Warming to our planet)
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To: aMorePerfectUnion

LOL!


56 posted on 01/30/2016 3:34:38 PM PST by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped)
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To: RegulatorCountry
Ted Cruz, the "Constitutional Attorney", the "smartest lawyer in the room", by sending these "Voting Violation" mailers, in my opinion, violated the following federal election laws. Many States have similar laws.

The following is an image of a mailer Senator Ted Cruz sent out intimidating and threatening voters. It contains voter information and the information of the voter's neighbors.

It threatens "follow up notices" with no doubt information about if the voter voted in the caucus.

It attempts to intimidate voters by threatening public disclosure to neighbors of a person's voting record.

One must ask what does Senator Ted Cruz expect the person receiving this notice should do to their neighbors for not voting as Senator Ted Cruz demands, and what might happen to the voter if the neighbors are informed they have not voted as Senator Ted Cruz expects?

These are direct threats and intimidations in violation of federal election, civil rights, and postal laws.

The following PDF document outlines the federal election laws and the government's position on such matters for the purposes of prosecutions in such matters.

Federal Prosecution of Election Offenses Seventh Edition, May 2007

The following sections are from the above document.

42 U.S. Code § 1973gg-10 - Criminal penalties (violation of election law)
A person, including an election official, who in any election for Federal office-
(1) knowingly and willfully intimidates, threatens, or coerces, or attempts to intimidate, threaten, or coerce, any person for-
(A) registering to vote, or voting, or attempting to register or vote;
(B) urging or aiding any person to register to vote, to vote, or to attempt to register or vote; or
(C) exercising any right under this subchapter; or
(2) knowingly and willfully deprives, defrauds, or attempts to deprive or defraud the residents of a State of a fair and impartially conducted election process, by-
(A) the procurement or submission of voter registration applications that are known by the person to be materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent under the laws of the State in which the election is held; or
(B) the procurement, casting, or tabulation of ballots that are known by the person to be materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent under the laws of the State in which the election is held,
shall be fined in accordance with title 18 (which fines shall be paid into the general fund of the Treasury, miscellaneous receipts (pursuant to section 3302 of title 31), notwithstanding any other law), or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.

18 U.S. Code § 594 - Intimidation of voters
Whoever intimidates, threatens, coerces, or attempts to intimidate, threaten, or coerce, any other person for the purpose of interfering with the right of such other person to vote or to vote as he may choose, or of causing such other person to vote for, or not to vote for, any candidate for the office of President, Vice President, Presidential elector, Member of the Senate, Member of the House of Representatives, Delegate from the District of Columbia, or Resident Commissioner, at any election held solely or in part for the purpose of electing such candidate, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.

18 U.S. Code § 245 - Federally protected activities
(b) Whoever, whether or not acting under color of law, by force or threat of force willfully injures, intimidates or interferes with, or attempts to injure, intimidate or interfere with-
(1) any person because he is or has been, or in order to intimidate such person or any other person or any class of persons from-
(A)
voting or qualifying to vote, qualifying or campaigning as a candidate for elective office, or qualifying or acting as a poll watcher, or any legally authorized election official, in any primary, special, or general election;

(5)
any citizen because he is or has been, or in order to intimidate such citizen or any other citizen from lawfully aiding or encouraging other persons to participate, without discrimination on account of race, color, religion or national origin, in any of the benefits or activities described in subparagraphs (1)(A) through (1)(E) or subparagraphs (2)(A) through (2)(F), or participating lawfully in speech or peaceful assembly opposing any denial of the opportunity to so participate- shall be fined under this title, or imprisoned not more than one year, or both; and if bodily injury results from the acts committed in violation of this section or if such acts include the use, attempted use, or threatened use of a dangerous weapon, explosives, or fire shall be fined under this title, or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both; and if death results from the acts committed in violation of this section or if such acts include kidnapping or an attempt to kidnap, aggravated sexual abuse or an attempt to commit aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to kill, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for any term of years or for life, or both, or may be sentenced to death. As used in this section, the term “participating lawfully in speech or peaceful assembly” shall not mean the aiding, abetting, or inciting of other persons to riot or to commit any act of physical violence upon any individual or against any real or personal property in furtherance of a riot. Nothing in subparagraph (2)(F) or (4)(A) of this subsection shall apply to the proprietor of any establishment which provides lodging to transient guests, or to any employee acting on behalf of such proprietor, with respect to the enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations of such establishment if such establishment is located within a building which contains not more than five rooms for rent or hire and which is actually occupied by the proprietor as his residence.

18 U.S. Code § 241 - Conspiracy against rights
If two or more persons conspire to injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate any person in any State, Territory, Commonwealth, Possession, or District in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him by the Constitution or laws of the United States, or because of his having so exercised the same; or If two or more persons go in disguise on the highway, or on the premises of another, with intent to prevent or hinder his free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege so secured- They shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both; and if death results from the acts committed in violation of this section or if such acts include kidnapping or an attempt to kidnap, aggravated sexual abuse or an attempt to commit aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to kill, they shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for any term of years or for life, or both, or may be sentenced to death.

18 U.S. Code § 242 - Deprivation of rights under color of law Whoever, under color of any law, statute, ordinance, regulation, or custom, willfully subjects any person in any State, Territory, Commonwealth, Possession, or District to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured or protected by the Constitution or laws of the United States, or to different punishments, pains, or penalties, on account of such person being an alien, or by reason of his color, or race, than are prescribed for the punishment of citizens, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both; and if bodily injury results from the acts committed in violation of this section or if such acts include the use, attempted use, or threatened use of a dangerous weapon, explosives, or fire, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both; and if death results from the acts committed in violation of this section or if such acts include kidnapping or an attempt to kidnap, aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to commit aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to kill, shall be fined under this title, or imprisoned for any term of years or for life, or both, or may be sentenced to death. Ted Cruz is a US Senator and subject to this law.

18 U.S.C. § 1341 - Mail Fraud Whoever, having devised or intending to devise any scheme or artifice to defraud, or for obtaining money or property by means of false or fraudulent pretenses, representations, or promises, or to sell, dispose of, loan, exchange, alter, give away, distribute, supply, or furnish or procure for unlawful use any counterfeit or spurious coin, obligation, security, or other article, or anything represented to be or intimated or held out to be such counterfeit or spurious article, for the purpose of executing such scheme or artifice or attempting so to do, places in any post office or authorized depository for mail matter, any matter or thing whatever to be sent or delivered by the Postal Service, or deposits or causes to be deposited any matter or thing whatever to be sent or delivered by any private or commercial interstate carrier, or takes or receives therefrom, any such matter or thing, or knowingly causes to be delivered by mail or such carrier according to the direction thereon, or at the place at which it is directed to be delivered by the person to whom it is addressed, any such matter or thing, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both. If the violation occurs in relation to, or involving any benefit authorized, transported, transmitted, transferred, disbursed, or paid in connection with, a presidentially declared major disaster or emergency (as those terms are defined in section 102 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122)), or affects a financial institution, such person shall be fined not more than $1,000,000 or imprisoned not more than 30 years, or both.

57 posted on 01/30/2016 3:41:05 PM PST by CodeToad (Islam should be banned and treated as a criminal enterprise!)
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To: CodeToad
It attempts to intimidate voters by threatening public disclosure to neighbors of a person's voting record.

Whether or not a person voted, and their political affiliation, is information already in the public domain and readily available. So, what is the threat, implied or otherwise? You may not like it and I may not like it, but a whole lot of money rides on these mailings, and violating the letter of the law is not something they're going to pay big money to do. You are mistaken in believing that the law was broken, here.

58 posted on 01/30/2016 3:44:17 PM PST by RegulatorCountry
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To: JediJones

Believe what you want, but don’t come crying to us after Cruz gets crushed in the Iowa caucus vote for this damn stupid stunt.


59 posted on 01/30/2016 3:59:10 PM PST by sergeantdave ( If not you, who? If not now, when?)
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To: RegulatorCountry

For you not to think these are letters of intimidation is just you supporting Cruz. Your bias is showing. Even the Iowa Secretary of State has come out with a public statement against these letters.


60 posted on 01/30/2016 4:18:54 PM PST by CodeToad (Islam should be banned and treated as a criminal enterprise!)
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