UPDATED: If you read just some of this, please just read this quick summary which has been bolded.
Voters rights are being violated by a Republican organization masquerading as an independant voter registration organization and then tearing up Democrats' registrations.
Here's a good, quick, summary of recent voter registration fraud, from a variety of sources:
The following links all seem to point to the same company that is suspected of tearing up Democratic voter registration forms in Las Vegas. It has set up registration drives in Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, Florida and Nevada and is accused of the same things in most if not all of these states. Sproul & Associates is a Republican consulting firm run by Nathan Sproul, former head of the Arizona Republican party and Arizona Christian Coalition.
Nevada:
Voters Outreach of America AKA America Votes tears up Democratic voter registration forms in Nevada.
Oregon:
Company claiming affiliation with non-partisan 'America Votes' to register voters in Oregon is actually GOP consulting firm Sproul & Associates, Inc.
West Virginia and Pennsylvania:
Sproul & Associates AKA America Votes workers in WV and PA refuse to register Kerry voters.
Oregon
Democrats in Oregon have complained that canvassers for Arizona based Sproul & Associates have been pressuring residents to register as Republicans so that they can get paid.
Arizona
Arizona Nader campaign was assisted in its petition drive by an unlikely figure: the ultra-conservative former executive director of the Arizona Republican Party, Nathan Sproul.
About Sproul:
Good background story on Sproul and his political track record, cached on Google.
The link:
Here is the direct link between Sproul and Voters Outreach of America.
According to several sources, two of the contractors Sproul hired to oversee petition gathering for No Taxpayer Money For Politicians -- Aaron "A.J." James, who directs Voters' Outreach of America, and Diane Burns -- were also paid by Sproul to get as many signatures as possible for Nader.
And the funding?
KLAS-TV, Las Vegas:
"The company has been largely, if not entirely funded, by the Republican National Committee."
CareerBuild.com listing:
Help wanted ad for Voters Outreach of America says "Paid for by the Republican National Committee".
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If you have registered to vote at any location other than your official government offices there is a very good chance that your registration has been destroyed and you will not be permitted to vote on election day. For that you reason, please, go to your town offices and confirim that you are registered to vote. If they say o, and you have submitted a registration firm with an outside organization (outside a supermarket, library, school, etc) please submit a complaint indicating that you have been the victim of voter registration fraud and that your vote must be counted.
Why? Because there is massive voter registration fraud being perpetrated by GOP operatives posing as independant voter registration organizations. Already they have been caught on camera ripping up, shredding and trashing Democratic voter registrations. This is a disgrace, a full-on assault on Democracy. Many states have been affected, so there is a very good chance your registration was torn up as well.
The chief operative in this fraud is Nathan Sproul of Sproul & Associates in Phoenix, Arizona. Nathan Sproul is the former head of the Arizona Republican Party and of the Arizona Christian Coalition.Sproul is connected with the Republican National Committee-funded voter registration organization, Voter Outreach, Inc., a group that used paid registrars to register voters in a number of states including Nevada, Oregon, Arizona and perhaps more, including Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maine and Missouri. (Others states pending, particularly swing states.) Sproul's organization also recruited registrars by fraudulently telling recruits that they would be working for America Votes, a legitimate nonpartisan GOTV operation!
But Nathan Sproul may have made one fatal mistake in his efforts... He got greedy. Yes, he failed to pay many workers and he didn't pay his rent. He pissed some people off. And he raised suspicions. It seems that Sproul, funded by the Republican Party, has been involved in voter registration fraud on a massive scale.
A google search on Nathan Sproule will come up with a lot of damning information, including these newsgroup postings to a forum for librarians warning them of a possible fraud perpetrated by Sproul. It includes a description of the scam in Pennsylvania, an article from a West Virginia newspaper reporting the same scam, and a comment from a librarian in Medford, Oregon outlining the same scam in her library... all fraudulently misrepresenting the organization doing the hiring as America Votes:
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"From: "McCullough, Holly" xxxxxxx
Date: Fri Sep 17, 2004 5:49:58 AM US/Eastern
Subject: Re: SCAM ALERT: Voter Registration
We had the same thing happen here in PA. Sproul and Associates hires
Kelly temp services to do voter registration. At one library site
where they were suppose to be only doing voter registration they were
also asking people how they were going to vote. I did some research
and found out that they were doing the same thing in WV (see the
article below) and one temp worker claims that they were trained to
ask people how they were going to vote. If the person said "Bush"
they were given a voter registration form. If they said "Kerry" they
were just told thank you and no form was given. When we found out we
asked them to leave immediately. One explanation from Sproul and
Associates was that they were doing "market surveys" at some sites.
Later they claimed that it was just a problem with a few temp workers.
Sproul and Associates is headed by Nathan Sproul the former head of
the GOP and Christian Coalition in Arizona.
They also always said they represented America Votes. When I finally
asked them to give me the contact information for America Votes they
told me that "America Votes is a non-partisan voter registration drive
project of Sproul & Associates. Everything originates from this
office. There is a partisan organization with that same name."
Clearly they know that when they say they represent America Votes they
are misleading people.
Holly
Here is the article from the WV paper for more info.
VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVE 'MISLEADING'
Publication: THE CHARLESTON GAZETTE
Published: 08/20/2004
Page: 1A
Headline: VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVE 'MISLEADING'
Byline: TOM SEARLS
xxxxx
For a mother of two teens trying to finish up college, $9 an hour as a
temporary customer service representative sounded good.
"I wanted to find something that would work around my schedule and be
flexible," said St. Albans resident Lisa Bragg.
After spending more than an hour with Charleston personnel agency
Kelly Services last week, Bragg was hired. "They wouldn't tell us at
first what this job was," the 37-year-old Bragg said Thursday.
Then she found out it was registering Republican voters at One Stop
convenience stores throughout the Charleston region.
But she won't be there today, the first day she was scheduled to be on
the job.
"I'm giving up a job that I need," she said. "It's the only decent job
I've found."
While the job was to last six weeks, the $9 an hour was far above the
minimum wage of $5.15 Bragg was offered for most other temporary
employment.
Bragg feels her employers were misleading the public, even if it's not
illegal. Employees were to approach One Stop customers and ask if they
favor George Bush or John Kerry for president. If Bush was their
answer, they were then to inquire if the person was registered to vote
and offer them a voter registration card.
If the person supported Democrat Kerry, they were only to say thank
you and give them a registration card only if asked.
If asked questions, employees were instructed, "Only state you are
there to conduct a simple field poll to see what neighborhood support
is ... a nonpartisan registration drive."
They were told to quietly listen to any person who becomes angry and
to remember, "The goal is to register Republicans and to remain
positive."
"Is this the way it has to be? People have to be sneaky to make $9 an
hour?" Bragg said.
Employees were also given the number of a Kelly Services employee to
contact if there are problems. Contacted Wednesday, two different
employees said they would have someone from Sproul & Associates, the
firm paying for the survey, answer any questions.
Later, a Kelly Services employee who would identify himself only as
"Rob" initially said a message had been left with Ben Decker at
Sproul's office. He said he had no contact number for Decker, then
agreed to release a Michigan number.
A message left with Decker was not returned.
"[Kelly Services] said the less you know about the company, the better
off you are, especially if the media would come asking questions,"
said Bragg, an admitted Democrat. "That made me more curious than ever
as to who's behind this and what's going on."
Sproul & Associates appears to be operated by Nathan Sproul, former
head of the Arizona Republican Party and a wealthy GOP activist who
has been involved in petition drives. An Internet search shows Sproul
has received some financing from national Republican groups, though it
was not clear who is paying for the West Virginia work.
Bragg, and another person working for the group, said they were told
the owners of the One Stop stores had agreed to allow them to conduct
the work on the stores' lots. Patrick C. Graney III and Michael R.
Graney are listed as the principal owners of 42 One Stop stores,
according to the state Alcohol Beverage Control Administration.
Messages left at One Stop's headquarters in Belle were not returned.
For Bragg it's an economic loss, but one she carries with pride. She
asked about registering voters with another organization - a group
that treats those of all political persuasions the same - and found it
pays only $5.50 an hour.
"I just don't want to be in my hometown and mislead people," she said.
To contact staff writer Tom Searls, use e-mail or call 348-5192.
Begin forwarded message:
From: "Meghan O'Flaherty" <xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: September 16, 2004 3:29:16 PM PDT
To: <libs-or@webhost.osl.state.or.us>
Cc: Subject: [LIBS-OR] SCAM ALERT: Voter Registration
Recently the Jackson County Library has been contacted by persons
purporting to represent America Votes. Our director was contacted by
a Harry Miller and asked to call an 800 number to give permission for
America Votes to conduct a non-partisan voter registration project in
our libraries. I received a letter from Sproul and Associates,a
consulting firm in Arizona,also saying they represented America Votes,
with the same request. I contacted the Kevin Looper, the Oregon State
Coordinator for America Votes, to verify the information and received
this reply from him:
"Here is what I know: We do not have a Harry Miller in our employ.
This organization is absolutely not representing America Votes, and my
National leadership is initiating action to get them to cease and desist representations that infringe upon our rights and mislead voters.
Further, Sproul and Associates is a partisan political consulting firm
Based in Arizona that works for very conservative causes and has worked to oppose campaign finance reform. Their use of our name to cover their political leanings makes me question the overall intregrity of the voter registation that they seek to conduct. I will be forwarding this information to the Secretary of State's office for further investigation."
Meghan O'Flaherty
Headquarters Library Manager
Jackson County Library Services
205 South Central Ave.
Medford, OR 97501
-----------------------------------------------------
So here we have Sproul involved in three (swing) states, using a bogus GOTV name to disguise his organization's own name, and using fictitious names (Harry Miller) as "contacts" for those with questions.
But that's just the tip of the iceberg with Mr. Sproul and the RNC. Keep in mind that in the recruitment ads for Voter Outreach, Inc, run on careerbuilder.com in targeted states (including Missouri and Arizona), the bottom of the ads included this statement:
Paid for by the Republican National Committee. www.gop.com. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.
Folks, this was an organized effort in swing states by the Republican Party using Nathan Sproul as their hatchet man.
In fact, democrats.com noted Mr. Sproul's efforts in Oregon on September 22, 2004 with this piece: http://www.democrats.com/preview.cfm?te ... ign%202004
"GOP Caught Trying to Use Public Libraries as Fronts
22-Sep-04
Bush Campaign 2004
Mail Tribune: "A local librarian checking on a company's request to set up a voter registration booth in the library discovered the company was not affiliated with a non-partisan national group as it claimed. Sproul & Associates, Inc. of Phoenix, Ariz., phoned and mailed the library in September, saying it had been hired by America Votes. That came as news to America Votes. 'This organization (Sproul) absolutely has nothing to do with America Votes,' said Kevin Looper, the state organizing director for America Votes. America Votes is a non-partisan political organization formed in July 2003 to increase voter registration, education and participation in electoral politics. Libraries in Oregon and other states have been contacted by Sproul." A little digging by librarian Megan O'Flaherty revealed that Sproul & Associates, Inc. is a political consulting firm headed up by former Arizona state Republican Party executive director Nathan Sproul."
But they didn't put all the pieces together. Sproul is operating this bogus scam in numerous states.
In Arizona, Sproul set up an organization to battle a proposed Clean Elections initiative that was to be placed on the ballot. Clean Elections would clean up campaign financing in Arizona by delivering public funds to candidates. Sproul wanted no part of that, as this article from azcentral.com makes clear. (Note: It's a cached file so I can't post a direct link.)
The story includes some interesting history on Sproul:
"It can be a complicated program. But simplicity is the key for the anti-Clean Elections committee. Even its name, No Taxpayer Money for Politicians, looks to make the question easy for voters in the November election. It doesn't encourage them to query whether the previous system, with lawmakers beholden to monied special interests, would serve them better. And it doesn't get them to ask why the former head of the Arizona Republican Party and the state's Christian Coalition would be pushing the move.
Sproul, who was born and raised in Tempe, has floated between religious and secular politics. He interned in the office of then-Rep. Jon Kyl during his successful 1994 run for the U.S. Senate, a campaign buoyed by Kyl's perfect voting score from the Christian Coalition. Sproul then worked for the Arizona Christian Coalition, eventually becoming head of that organization. He became executive director of the state Republican party in 1999, stepping down in January 2002.
The Christian Coalition was under intense scrutiny for its political activities during the 1990s. As a non-profit organization, it was prohibited from working to elect candidates. But the Federal Election Commission and the Internal Revenue Service determined it was too political.
In particular, the FEC cited the campaign of J.D. Hayworth in 1994, the sportscaster's first run at Congress. The FEC determined that it was improper for Thomas Grabinski, who was head of the Arizona Christian Coalition, to also work for Hayworth's campaign. Especially because the Coalition was preparing voters guides to hand out at churches - guides that were fairly blatant endorsements of Republicans like Hayworth and Kyl.
Usually, any appearance of the Coalition and a campaign working together would be deemed a violation of election law. But a federal judge said it was impossible to prove that Grabinski's work with the Christian Coalition influenced his work on the Hayworth campaign.
Sproul was also accused of questionable tactics. His name comes up in a U.S. Senate committee report on the organization's activities. The report cites an Arizona caucus meeting during the 1995 national Christian Coalition meeting in which Sproul told members to become active in politics, especially as local precinct committeemen, but to not let on that the Coalition told them to do so. An account of that meeting first appeared in The Arizona Republic."
Apparently for Mr. Sproul, the law be damned.
We need to act on this immediately, if not sooner. This is a disgrace and an attack on democracy and the American way, regardless of your political affilliation. Please get the word out to your local media organizations.
Sincerely,
Christopher Laughlin
OT - UPDATED - Massive voter registration fraud!
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ChrisLaughlin
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OT - UPDATED - Massive voter registration fraud!
Last edited by ChrisLaughlin on Wed Oct 13, 2004 1:27 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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ChrisLaughlin
- Posts: 2054
- Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2001 6:00 pm
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Media organizations to contact about this fraud:
rkemper@tribune.com, bjapsen@tribune.com, csimpson@tribune.com, cgarrett@tribune.com, fjames@tribune.com, GWashburn@tribune.com, gdelama@tribune.com, joshea@tribune.com, jgreenburg@tribune.com, jzeleny@tribune.com, jzuckman@tribune.com, jcrewdson@tribune.com, JPeres@tribune.com, mdorning@tribune.com¸ MPossley@tribune.com, cptkilian@aol.com, mtackett@tribune.com, nbendavid@tribune.com, psinger2@tribune.com, bdold@tribune.com, rranderson@tribune.com, RAP30@aol.com, shedges@tribune.com, schapman@tribune.com, vwalton@tribune.com, wneikirk@tribune.com, bmccauley@enquirer.com, cweiser@gns.gannett.com, dhorn@enquirer.com, dwells@enquirer.com, jborgman@enquirer.com, rcooklis@enquirer.com, tlang@enquirer.com, aaron.brown@turner.com, am@cnn.com, 360@cnn.com, andrea.koppel@turner.com, bill.schneider@turner.com, bruce.morton@turner.com, candy.crowley@turner.com, carol.lin@turner.com, crossfire@cnn.com, daryn.kagan@turner.com, david.ensor@turner.com, daybreak@cnn.com, kurtzh@washpost.com, inthemoney@cnn.com, insidepoliticts@cnn.com, crossfire@cnn.com
newsonline@bbc.co.uk, btbtalk@aol.com, news@bet.com, anita@mindgallery.com, jfetzer@d.umn.edu, osanic@prouty.org, hprzybyla@bloomberg.net, hrosenkrantz@bloomberg.net, dkeil@bloomberg.net, ombud@globe.com, goodman@globe.com, kcooper@globe.com, johnson@globe.com, letter@globe.com, brelis@globe.com, oliphant@globe.com, lettersbwol@businessweek.com, richard_dunham@businessweek.com, buzzflash@buzzflash.com, query@cambridgeforum.org, 48hours@cbsnews.com, 60II@cbsnews.com, 60m@cbsnews.com, bpc@cbsnews.com, evening@cbsnews.com, earlyshow@cbs.com, efm@cbsnews.com, ftn@cbsnews.com, mkx@cbsnews.com, pma@cbsnews.com, rbc@cbsnews.com, sundays@cbsnews.com, grain@cbsnews.com, aweathersbee@suntimes.com, zwecker@suntimes.com, stbusiness@suntimes.com, cledbetter@suntimes.com, metro@suntimes.com, dmiller@suntimes.com, ddouglas@suntimes.com, metro@suntimes.com, showcase@suntimes.com, jbarry@suntimes.com, jwisser@suntimes.com, jbarron@suntimes.com, jcruickshank@suntimes.com, jwcary@suntimes.com, letters@suntimes.com, marym@suntimes.com, mcooke@suntimes.com, sneed@suntimes.com, prosen@suntimes.com, stphoto@suntimes.com, rroeper@suntimes.com, feder@suntimes.com, answerman@suntimes.com, rjr@suntimes.com, shuntley@suntimes.com, savage@suntimes.com, zays@suntimes.com, aobejas@tribune.com, ctc-editor@tribune.com,
jeanne.meserve@turner.com, jeff.greenfield@cnn.com, jim.walton@turner.com, deirdre.walsh@turner.com, kelly.wallace@turner.com, kyra.phillips@turner.com, live@cnn.com, livefrom@cnn.com, livetoday@cnn.com, lou.dobbs@turner.com, loudobbs@cnn.com, miles.obrien@turner.com, moneyline@cnn.com, newsnight@cnn.com, paulazahnnow@cnn.com, paula.zahn@turner.com, rick.davis@turner.com, robert.novak@turner.com, tom.hannon@cnn.com, wam@cnn.com, wolf@cnn.com, george@coasttocoastam.com, info@commongroundradio.org, finlay.lewis@copleydc.com, george.condon@copleydc.com, bobdeans@coxnews.com, clindell@coxnews.com, gedmonson@coxnews.com, llipman@coxnews.com, mhopgood@coxnews.com, meversley@coxnews.com, mail@democracynow.org, imusshow@yahoo.com, bashamradio@yahoo.com, letters@economist.com, ed@kfgo.com, wendy@edschultzshow.com,
rkemper@tribune.com, bjapsen@tribune.com, csimpson@tribune.com, cgarrett@tribune.com, fjames@tribune.com, GWashburn@tribune.com, gdelama@tribune.com, joshea@tribune.com, jgreenburg@tribune.com, jzeleny@tribune.com, jzuckman@tribune.com, jcrewdson@tribune.com, JPeres@tribune.com, mdorning@tribune.com¸ MPossley@tribune.com, cptkilian@aol.com, mtackett@tribune.com, nbendavid@tribune.com, psinger2@tribune.com, bdold@tribune.com, rranderson@tribune.com, RAP30@aol.com, shedges@tribune.com, schapman@tribune.com, vwalton@tribune.com, wneikirk@tribune.com, bmccauley@enquirer.com, cweiser@gns.gannett.com, dhorn@enquirer.com, dwells@enquirer.com, jborgman@enquirer.com, rcooklis@enquirer.com, tlang@enquirer.com, aaron.brown@turner.com, am@cnn.com, 360@cnn.com, andrea.koppel@turner.com, bill.schneider@turner.com, bruce.morton@turner.com, candy.crowley@turner.com, carol.lin@turner.com, crossfire@cnn.com, daryn.kagan@turner.com, david.ensor@turner.com, daybreak@cnn.com, kurtzh@washpost.com, inthemoney@cnn.com, insidepoliticts@cnn.com, crossfire@cnn.com
newsonline@bbc.co.uk, btbtalk@aol.com, news@bet.com, anita@mindgallery.com, jfetzer@d.umn.edu, osanic@prouty.org, hprzybyla@bloomberg.net, hrosenkrantz@bloomberg.net, dkeil@bloomberg.net, ombud@globe.com, goodman@globe.com, kcooper@globe.com, johnson@globe.com, letter@globe.com, brelis@globe.com, oliphant@globe.com, lettersbwol@businessweek.com, richard_dunham@businessweek.com, buzzflash@buzzflash.com, query@cambridgeforum.org, 48hours@cbsnews.com, 60II@cbsnews.com, 60m@cbsnews.com, bpc@cbsnews.com, evening@cbsnews.com, earlyshow@cbs.com, efm@cbsnews.com, ftn@cbsnews.com, mkx@cbsnews.com, pma@cbsnews.com, rbc@cbsnews.com, sundays@cbsnews.com, grain@cbsnews.com, aweathersbee@suntimes.com, zwecker@suntimes.com, stbusiness@suntimes.com, cledbetter@suntimes.com, metro@suntimes.com, dmiller@suntimes.com, ddouglas@suntimes.com, metro@suntimes.com, showcase@suntimes.com, jbarry@suntimes.com, jwisser@suntimes.com, jbarron@suntimes.com, jcruickshank@suntimes.com, jwcary@suntimes.com, letters@suntimes.com, marym@suntimes.com, mcooke@suntimes.com, sneed@suntimes.com, prosen@suntimes.com, stphoto@suntimes.com, rroeper@suntimes.com, feder@suntimes.com, answerman@suntimes.com, rjr@suntimes.com, shuntley@suntimes.com, savage@suntimes.com, zays@suntimes.com, aobejas@tribune.com, ctc-editor@tribune.com,
jeanne.meserve@turner.com, jeff.greenfield@cnn.com, jim.walton@turner.com, deirdre.walsh@turner.com, kelly.wallace@turner.com, kyra.phillips@turner.com, live@cnn.com, livefrom@cnn.com, livetoday@cnn.com, lou.dobbs@turner.com, loudobbs@cnn.com, miles.obrien@turner.com, moneyline@cnn.com, newsnight@cnn.com, paulazahnnow@cnn.com, paula.zahn@turner.com, rick.davis@turner.com, robert.novak@turner.com, tom.hannon@cnn.com, wam@cnn.com, wolf@cnn.com, george@coasttocoastam.com, info@commongroundradio.org, finlay.lewis@copleydc.com, george.condon@copleydc.com, bobdeans@coxnews.com, clindell@coxnews.com, gedmonson@coxnews.com, llipman@coxnews.com, mhopgood@coxnews.com, meversley@coxnews.com, mail@democracynow.org, imusshow@yahoo.com, bashamradio@yahoo.com, letters@economist.com, ed@kfgo.com, wendy@edschultzshow.com,
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Lorenzo
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- Location: Oregon, USA
I registered at the place where the ballots are counted...the county auditors office.
A young black boy from the mid-west was recently caught in Portland, Oregon (he was bused out here with a Republican group) registering voters--Republicans only! That's illegal, but this teenager explained he was getting paid to do it. He'd ask which party they were going to register with first.
I still say that the Provisional Ballots are going to be this elections hanging chads. Every voting precinct is required to have these for people who may not even show as registered on the books. Partisan offices, from the state on down, will have the authority to determine if these voters are valid, and whether the ballot was filled out properly. And the waiting game for states with close numbers could be forever before the ballots can been certified.
A young black boy from the mid-west was recently caught in Portland, Oregon (he was bused out here with a Republican group) registering voters--Republicans only! That's illegal, but this teenager explained he was getting paid to do it. He'd ask which party they were going to register with first.
I still say that the Provisional Ballots are going to be this elections hanging chads. Every voting precinct is required to have these for people who may not even show as registered on the books. Partisan offices, from the state on down, will have the authority to determine if these voters are valid, and whether the ballot was filled out properly. And the waiting game for states with close numbers could be forever before the ballots can been certified.
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ChrisLaughlin
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ChrisLaughlin
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That's a great queston Susan. I'm sure it was downplayed. Just in the last few days a lot of cases have come to light.
Here's an article from a few days ago:
George Knapp, Investigative Reporter
Voter Registrations Trashed
Also on klastv.com
http://www.klas-tv.com/Global/story.asp ... v=168XRvNe
Clark County Election Dept.
(Oct. 12) -- Employees of a private voter registration company allege that hundreds, perhaps thousands of voters who may think they are registered will be rudely surprised on election day. The company claims hundreds of registration forms were thrown in the trash.
Anyone who has recently registered or re-registered to vote outside a mall or grocery store or even government building may be affected.
The I-Team has obtained information about an alleged widespread pattern of potential registration fraud aimed at democrats. Thee focus of the story is a private registration company called Voters Outreach of America, AKA America Votes.
The out-of-state firm has been in Las Vegas for the past few months, registering voters. It employed up to 300 part-time workers and collected hundreds of registrations per day, but former employees of the company say that Voters Outreach of America only wanted Republican registrations.
Two former workers say they personally witnessed company supervisors rip up and trash registration forms signed by Democrats.
"We caught her taking Democrats out of my pile, handed them to her assistant and he ripped them up right in front of us. I grabbed some of them out of the garbage and she tells her assisatnt to get those from me," said Eric Russell, former Voters Outreach employee.
Eric Russell managed to retrieve a pile of shredded paperwork including signed voter registration forms, all from Democrats. We took them to the Clark County Election Department and confirmed that they had not, in fact, been filed with the county as required by law.
So the people on those forms who think they will be able to vote on Election Day are sadly mistaken. We attempted to speak to Voters Outreach but found that its office has been rented out to someone else.
The landlord says Voters Outreach was evicted for non-payment of rent. Another source said the company has now moved on to Oregon where it is once again registering voters. It's unknown how many registrations may have been tossed out, but another ex-employee told Eyewitness News she had the same suspicions when she worked there.
It's going to take a while to sort all of this out, but the immediate concern for voters is to make sure you really are registered.
Call the Clark County Election Department at 455- VOTE or click here.
The company has been largely, if not entirely funded, by the Republican National Committee. Similar complaints have been received in Reno where the registrar has asked the FBI to investigate.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Here's an article from a few days ago:
George Knapp, Investigative Reporter
Voter Registrations Trashed
Also on klastv.com
http://www.klas-tv.com/Global/story.asp ... v=168XRvNe
Clark County Election Dept.
(Oct. 12) -- Employees of a private voter registration company allege that hundreds, perhaps thousands of voters who may think they are registered will be rudely surprised on election day. The company claims hundreds of registration forms were thrown in the trash.
Anyone who has recently registered or re-registered to vote outside a mall or grocery store or even government building may be affected.
The I-Team has obtained information about an alleged widespread pattern of potential registration fraud aimed at democrats. Thee focus of the story is a private registration company called Voters Outreach of America, AKA America Votes.
The out-of-state firm has been in Las Vegas for the past few months, registering voters. It employed up to 300 part-time workers and collected hundreds of registrations per day, but former employees of the company say that Voters Outreach of America only wanted Republican registrations.
Two former workers say they personally witnessed company supervisors rip up and trash registration forms signed by Democrats.
"We caught her taking Democrats out of my pile, handed them to her assistant and he ripped them up right in front of us. I grabbed some of them out of the garbage and she tells her assisatnt to get those from me," said Eric Russell, former Voters Outreach employee.
Eric Russell managed to retrieve a pile of shredded paperwork including signed voter registration forms, all from Democrats. We took them to the Clark County Election Department and confirmed that they had not, in fact, been filed with the county as required by law.
So the people on those forms who think they will be able to vote on Election Day are sadly mistaken. We attempted to speak to Voters Outreach but found that its office has been rented out to someone else.
The landlord says Voters Outreach was evicted for non-payment of rent. Another source said the company has now moved on to Oregon where it is once again registering voters. It's unknown how many registrations may have been tossed out, but another ex-employee told Eyewitness News she had the same suspicions when she worked there.
It's going to take a while to sort all of this out, but the immediate concern for voters is to make sure you really are registered.
Call the Clark County Election Department at 455- VOTE or click here.
The company has been largely, if not entirely funded, by the Republican National Committee. Similar complaints have been received in Reno where the registrar has asked the FBI to investigate.
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ChrisLaughlin
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A good summary with links to multiple reports on the subject:
SPROUL & ASSOCIATES is directly financed by the RNC
http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/searc ... &txtState=% 28all+states%29&txtZip=&txtEmploy=&txtCand=&txt2004=Y&Order=N
Nathan Sproul is reported as the director of the Arizona Christian Coalitition.
The Charlston Gazette reported on 8/20 Sproul & Associates in West Virginia started a voter registration campaign where ONLY republicans were registered -- not Democrats -- apparently in violation of the West Virginia law. (The article is reported at http://www.dailykos.com/story/2004/10/13/32821/029 ).
There have been reports posted on the internet from Pennsylvania (on September 17) and Maryland (on September 16) of the the same organization -- Sproul & Associates -- pretending to be workers from the non-partisan America Votes, and registering ONLY Republicans. To obtain locations to set up shop, Sproul and Associates apparently lied to puiblic librarians about being non-partisan. (The internet postings, that took place on a librarian network, are reported at http://www.dailykos.com/story/2004/10/13/32821/029 )
On September 22, Sproul and Associates did the same thing in Oregon. (See http://www.democrats.com/preview.cfm?te ... ign%202004 ). This is a plain violation of Oregon law, according to Oregon Secretary of State Bill Bradbury in an interview with Northwest Cable News. (http://www.dailykos.com/story/2004/10/13/32821/029 ). It also appears that another Republican group engaged in "bait and switch registration", at least according to the Daily Vanguard today.
http://www.dailyvanguard.com/vnews/disp ... d28596c0c_
Yesterday evening, CBS reported that an organization in Nevada called Voters Outreach America was THROWING OUT registration forms filled out by people trying to register to vote as Democrats. (See http://www.klas-tv.com/Global/story.asp ... v=168XRvNe ). The American Prospect has reported that Voters Outreach America is under contract with Sproul & Associates. (http://www.prospect.org/web/page.ww?sec ... cleId=7954 ).
And then, of course, there is the widely-reported story from South Dakota, where the nephew of Thune, the Republican challenger to Tom Daschle, has been caught fraudulently obtaining absentee ballots for Republicans. A criminal investigation is pending. (http://www.argusleader.com/news/Saturdayarticle2.shtml ). Top Republicans have been forced to resign. (http://keloland.com/NewsDetail2817.cfm?Id=22,35221 ).
What it appears here is that there are reliable reports of GOP operatives in at least SIX states engaging in sytematic and repeated attempts at voter fraud. From only registering republicans, to falsifying absentee ballot requests, to destroying democratic voter applications, this appears to be a coordinated effort at all levels to swing the election illegally to the Republicans. In fact, things are so bad that former SD goveror Janklow has issued a public statement saying that the national GOP is encouraging voter fraud. http://www.keloland.com/NewsDetail2817.cfm?Id=22,35248
SPROUL & ASSOCIATES is directly financed by the RNC
http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/searc ... &txtState=% 28all+states%29&txtZip=&txtEmploy=&txtCand=&txt2004=Y&Order=N
Nathan Sproul is reported as the director of the Arizona Christian Coalitition.
The Charlston Gazette reported on 8/20 Sproul & Associates in West Virginia started a voter registration campaign where ONLY republicans were registered -- not Democrats -- apparently in violation of the West Virginia law. (The article is reported at http://www.dailykos.com/story/2004/10/13/32821/029 ).
There have been reports posted on the internet from Pennsylvania (on September 17) and Maryland (on September 16) of the the same organization -- Sproul & Associates -- pretending to be workers from the non-partisan America Votes, and registering ONLY Republicans. To obtain locations to set up shop, Sproul and Associates apparently lied to puiblic librarians about being non-partisan. (The internet postings, that took place on a librarian network, are reported at http://www.dailykos.com/story/2004/10/13/32821/029 )
On September 22, Sproul and Associates did the same thing in Oregon. (See http://www.democrats.com/preview.cfm?te ... ign%202004 ). This is a plain violation of Oregon law, according to Oregon Secretary of State Bill Bradbury in an interview with Northwest Cable News. (http://www.dailykos.com/story/2004/10/13/32821/029 ). It also appears that another Republican group engaged in "bait and switch registration", at least according to the Daily Vanguard today.
http://www.dailyvanguard.com/vnews/disp ... d28596c0c_
Yesterday evening, CBS reported that an organization in Nevada called Voters Outreach America was THROWING OUT registration forms filled out by people trying to register to vote as Democrats. (See http://www.klas-tv.com/Global/story.asp ... v=168XRvNe ). The American Prospect has reported that Voters Outreach America is under contract with Sproul & Associates. (http://www.prospect.org/web/page.ww?sec ... cleId=7954 ).
And then, of course, there is the widely-reported story from South Dakota, where the nephew of Thune, the Republican challenger to Tom Daschle, has been caught fraudulently obtaining absentee ballots for Republicans. A criminal investigation is pending. (http://www.argusleader.com/news/Saturdayarticle2.shtml ). Top Republicans have been forced to resign. (http://keloland.com/NewsDetail2817.cfm?Id=22,35221 ).
What it appears here is that there are reliable reports of GOP operatives in at least SIX states engaging in sytematic and repeated attempts at voter fraud. From only registering republicans, to falsifying absentee ballot requests, to destroying democratic voter applications, this appears to be a coordinated effort at all levels to swing the election illegally to the Republicans. In fact, things are so bad that former SD goveror Janklow has issued a public statement saying that the national GOP is encouraging voter fraud. http://www.keloland.com/NewsDetail2817.cfm?Id=22,35248
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Lorenzo
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Lawyers, provisional ballots, I.D. disputes could delay final vote tally
Ballot battles may create chaos
"We have an unfinished march in this nation!" Kerry told the congregation at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church. Obviously, he hopes to fire up the black vote by playing the disenfranchisement card. But just in case blacks are not stirred by his million-man march, the disenfranchisement charge will be put to a less heroic use - as the basis for election-busting lawsuits.
"If it's close in any state, there will probably be a legal challenge," says Sharpton. "After what happened in Florida, there's precedent for a recount." Sharpton and his fellow Democrats already are examining potential challenges in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan.
But the Republicans have lawyers, too. "If the GOP loses a close race, it will challenge where it legally can," predicts Fitton. Some of these lawsuits could be in states that do not have a large black population, such as Oregon, New Mexico, Minnesota, Iowa and New Hampshire. The GOP could turn any of them into this year's Florida, based solely on the run-of-the-mill irregularities that occur in every election.
But if the Republicans lose narrowly in big industrial states - Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Florida, perhaps New Jersey - they will wind up challenging the Democrats where Democrats get their votes - urban, often minority, districts. If there are problems (and there will be; it's the nature of elections), Republicans will, in effect, find themselves seeking to invalidate black votes. Which will spur more charges of discrimination.
This is a recipe for chaos. It could hopelessly delegitimize the results of the 2004 contest and have an incendiary effect on race relations. President Bush and John Kerry have a joint responsibility to prevent this from happening. Kerry needs to drop the disenfranchisement card and find other ways to energize African-American voters. And both candidates must agree to accept the results of the election, no matter how close. The stability of American democracy may depend on it.
Originally published on October 13, 2004
************
The Times (subscription) had a headline yesterday: Army of lawyers stand by for new election 'fiasco'
Both parties literally have thousands of lawyers lined up to challenge results that are close. It may be the difference between winning and losing. They learned from last time around.
Ballot battles may create chaos
"We have an unfinished march in this nation!" Kerry told the congregation at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church. Obviously, he hopes to fire up the black vote by playing the disenfranchisement card. But just in case blacks are not stirred by his million-man march, the disenfranchisement charge will be put to a less heroic use - as the basis for election-busting lawsuits.
"If it's close in any state, there will probably be a legal challenge," says Sharpton. "After what happened in Florida, there's precedent for a recount." Sharpton and his fellow Democrats already are examining potential challenges in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan.
But the Republicans have lawyers, too. "If the GOP loses a close race, it will challenge where it legally can," predicts Fitton. Some of these lawsuits could be in states that do not have a large black population, such as Oregon, New Mexico, Minnesota, Iowa and New Hampshire. The GOP could turn any of them into this year's Florida, based solely on the run-of-the-mill irregularities that occur in every election.
But if the Republicans lose narrowly in big industrial states - Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Florida, perhaps New Jersey - they will wind up challenging the Democrats where Democrats get their votes - urban, often minority, districts. If there are problems (and there will be; it's the nature of elections), Republicans will, in effect, find themselves seeking to invalidate black votes. Which will spur more charges of discrimination.
This is a recipe for chaos. It could hopelessly delegitimize the results of the 2004 contest and have an incendiary effect on race relations. President Bush and John Kerry have a joint responsibility to prevent this from happening. Kerry needs to drop the disenfranchisement card and find other ways to energize African-American voters. And both candidates must agree to accept the results of the election, no matter how close. The stability of American democracy may depend on it.
Originally published on October 13, 2004
************
The Times (subscription) had a headline yesterday: Army of lawyers stand by for new election 'fiasco'
Both parties literally have thousands of lawyers lined up to challenge results that are close. It may be the difference between winning and losing. They learned from last time around.
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Father Emmet
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Bloomfield
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ChrisLaughlin
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Absolutely. The huge majority of both Republicans and Democrats are absolutely outstanding, honest people. Unfortunately there are people who abuse the political system for their own selfish purposes. I don't think these selfish slimeballs should be able to call themselves members of any party as they disgrace the upstanding, truly American, democracy supporting citizens who make up 99% of both parties.
I also encourage folks to post to this thread accounts of Republican and Independant votes being suppressed as well. The right to vote in a free and fair election is THE cornerstone of our democracy and it needs to be protected. We should all be fighting for it, nomatter what political party we support. This is above political partisanship - this is about the very soul of democracy.
Chris
I also encourage folks to post to this thread accounts of Republican and Independant votes being suppressed as well. The right to vote in a free and fair election is THE cornerstone of our democracy and it needs to be protected. We should all be fighting for it, nomatter what political party we support. This is above political partisanship - this is about the very soul of democracy.
Chris
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ChrisLaughlin
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Tom and Blackhawk -
You are absolutely right, we do have a political thread, and with good reason.
You both ask, and justifiably so, whether this discussion should be kept in the political thread. Ultimately that choice will be Dales. I made the choice to post this in it's own thread because I know that most readers of this board never read the "political thread" and I believe that this subject is of the utmost importance. If voters, Republican, Democrat, Independant or anything else, are having their fundamental right to vote trampled on they absolutely need to know.
Since the political thread was started I have kept almost all my political posts in that thread, but I think the importance of this issue truly demands and justifies a new thread.
Best,
Chris
You are absolutely right, we do have a political thread, and with good reason.
You both ask, and justifiably so, whether this discussion should be kept in the political thread. Ultimately that choice will be Dales. I made the choice to post this in it's own thread because I know that most readers of this board never read the "political thread" and I believe that this subject is of the utmost importance. If voters, Republican, Democrat, Independant or anything else, are having their fundamental right to vote trampled on they absolutely need to know.
Since the political thread was started I have kept almost all my political posts in that thread, but I think the importance of this issue truly demands and justifies a new thread.
Best,
Chris