An increasingly desperate GOP is doing this because they know their policies are unpopular: racism, pollution, privatizing Medicare, ending Social Security, criminalizing abortion, etc
Thanks for pointing out the Ohio voter suppression. Grassroots groups are trying to fight back against Republican voter suppression such as moving polling locations at short notice like in Ohio and other dirty tricks. Here is how the National Womens Political Caucus is preparing to help voters in the upcoming Virginia election. https://thedemlabs.org/2023/08/10/improve-user-interface-design-to-empower-more-voters/
in fact, my Haitian friend here in Miami just told me as we listened,
that she received a notice that her polling place has changed . She stated that since her drivers license is still in Miami, she will go to her old place--people who do not know the trade, do not know the tricks.
As a self-proclaimed progressive living in a red State rural area, registered as an independent, I was surprised when the county voting department called me to verify my signature on my write in ballot. Apparently, you must also have a phone number or else you won't know if you've been purged. The signature on my driver's license was not clear enough to match the signature on my ballot. One group of people who have a hard time voting are the poor
people, they especially have a hard time voting because they move around so much, do to being evicted or incarcerated or homelessness or having a felony. We need to just call those poor people who want the rich people's money communist and demonize them also. Anything but being registered as a Republican is fair game for purging.
The Dems need to make sure of and get out the info for how their purging system works at state and county levels. Sending something to all their party members and registered independents would help.
I know what is happening where I live is that any driver's license or car tag update/renewal triggers something in the county clerk's office and you get a postcard. No doubt there are many more ways the county clerks offices are involved in some other states.
In places where the League of Women Voters have backed-off registration, they could educate the public on purging instead. They could make sure people know exactly how the purging works in their state. In fact, I am going to contact my local League and see if I can get them to work on this.
NY-17 had an open primary in 2020. There are well over 700,000 in the district. If you were here and experienced it, you might be similarly startled to see how Democrats tried to avoid publicity and tried to limit voting in the primary so that their own CIA- and private equity-backed candidates would win in a large field of candidates. There was literally no mailings or any information about the primary from the democratic party. Nothing!
Just look at the total votes by democrats in the primary - 78,000 - only about 10 percent of the electorate participated; thankfully that was enough to send the CIA and private-equity candidates packing although someone had deemed it a sufficiently worthy cause to put people like (former CIA officer) Evelyn Farkas on TV shows on MSNBC. I met Ms. Farkas during the primary and asked her a simple question of whether she supported the Amazon so-called HQ2 deal for Queens, which she could not or would not answer. In comparison, there are experienced politicians inside NY State who acted heroically to save NY from that deal. Senator Giannaris among the only politicians (or media) who would even acknowledge what that deal was about or what Amazon was really up to (his public statements actually described what Amazon would be doing there, while even the Guardian article below does not).
Then, of course, in 2022 Democrats lost that seat by only a couple of thousand votes, again by failing to create any publicity or any get out the vote effort AT ALL in this critical district that helped turned the House when NY state lost 5 seats in the House of Reps to republicans. Sean Maloney, who insisted on replacing Mondaire jones after redistricting, to my knowledge never even showed up here. We did get some TV ads of him paddling a canoe in the Hudson River though, instead, which was about as close as he came to the district. Mondaire was widely viewed as a great progressive and a future star, who won accolades from Pelosi although he was firmly in the progressive camp. He's running again this time.
Just for balance (because I do support the good journalism here about the red states and republicans) there needs to be a focus on all the things dems have done that have dug a deeper hole. Someone like Ralph Nader doesn't hesitate to report what Richard Trumka says - mainly because (according to Nader), Trumka gets into the offices of more democratic members of congress than anyone else. "They dont even want to win" was the assessment attributed to Trumka, as reported by Nader.
I hope President Biden, and every other candidate or concerned person with a voice, will step up and quote your last paragraph regularly, from now until November 5, 2024
The Republicans really are itching for a civil war with tactics like this. It's clear by now to most of us "ordinary" folks that the Republican Party is indeed a "domestic terrorists force" as Robert Hubbell has repeatedly pointed out, but they should be put on notice that purging voters and suppressing the will of the majority will not succeed in the long run. If the GOP keeps up with all the fascist bullying and intimidation, at some point the citizens will be voting with their pitchforks. The only right answer to this mess is to eliminate the Electoral College, impeach the illegitimate justices on the Supreme Court, hold Trump and his cronies accountable for their crimes, and arrest and prosecute the 139 members of Congress who are avowed insurrectionists and climate change deniers. We know who they are. People who carry on like the arrogant GOP "Trumlekins" are increasing the likelihood that the era of Trump will come to an ugly, violent end. With their voter purging campaigns, the GOP terrorists have taken their quest to destroy democracy way beyond the level of partisan politics. These deranged assholes have been pissing in our wells long enough!
The GOP's tactics don't shock me in the least: that's what they do, and they've been at it for decades. It doesn't even shock me -- at least all that much -- that the so-called mainstream media aren't devoting much time/space to it. What shocks me is that white-dominated Democratic parties, especially those in blue states (like mine: MA), don't seem all that concerned, even though they have a lot to lose. Thank heavens for Democracy Docket and those on the ground who are combatting these proliferating methods of voter suppression. P.S. Why the hell isn't it illegal??
I keep pointing out that there is no mandate for Republican candidates when they do dirty things like this and gerrymandering to get their wins. Thank you for giving us the data. Alito needs to be jailed for tax fraud and replaced on the Supreme Court. The first law I would make in Congress as regards the court is that no person convicted of a felony can sit on the Supreme Court. Both Alito and Thomas should be convicted for felony tax fraud for not declaring the gifts they have gotten. I think we should be looking at Barrett, and Roberts too.
We're in territory that's documented by Greg Palast, but despite watching the crimes in the movie he made, nothing happens. I get that the Indians didn't see Spanish ships because they were impossible in their world, but can that have carried over to 2023 where these suppressive dealings are so fundamentally undemocratic that they don't register? What else explains them continuing. to occur?
These people are lowest life form republicans , for whom there is no end to their corrupt and sleazy behavior.
They should be investigated as should the Supreme Court white bullies faction who have sanctioned this action on destroying the voting process and thereby denying millions of citizens their right to vote .
Trump was indicted for attempting to overthrow the votes as they were presented.
So that he could remain in power in spite of losing .
His behavior has been sanctioned to some degree by the Courts decisions which indicate an acceptance of curtailing the votes of Democrats.
Pitiful mess the 6 who have voted in favor of removing the rights of the majority.
How did all this happen over the last four decades? Lackluster democrats and that is saying it nicely. Has Chuck been the head of senate for dems the whole time? If only we had listened to Howard Dean about a 50 state strategy, yeah I know we have to move on from the past but if the GD dems don't learn from history the repugs are bound to repeat it. No accountability for last 60 years and more probably.. Sorry I am so sick and tired of hearing inflation is down, down, down but I don't see it in my grocery stores or gas stations or medical/dental needs or gas stations
I am a blue dot in the red state of Texas. Every year I try to vote out the Republican trash, to no avail. If a good man like Beto can’t win, Texans will get the trash they deserve. Now if Paxton is off the hook, there is no justice.
The Shocking Voter Purge Crisis of Democracy Revealed
Thanks for pointing out the Ohio voter suppression. Grassroots groups are trying to fight back against Republican voter suppression such as moving polling locations at short notice like in Ohio and other dirty tricks. Here is how the National Womens Political Caucus is preparing to help voters in the upcoming Virginia election. https://thedemlabs.org/2023/08/10/improve-user-interface-design-to-empower-more-voters/
in fact, my Haitian friend here in Miami just told me as we listened,
that she received a notice that her polling place has changed . She stated that since her drivers license is still in Miami, she will go to her old place--people who do not know the trade, do not know the tricks.
As a self-proclaimed progressive living in a red State rural area, registered as an independent, I was surprised when the county voting department called me to verify my signature on my write in ballot. Apparently, you must also have a phone number or else you won't know if you've been purged. The signature on my driver's license was not clear enough to match the signature on my ballot. One group of people who have a hard time voting are the poor
people, they especially have a hard time voting because they move around so much, do to being evicted or incarcerated or homelessness or having a felony. We need to just call those poor people who want the rich people's money communist and demonize them also. Anything but being registered as a Republican is fair game for purging.
The Dems need to make sure of and get out the info for how their purging system works at state and county levels. Sending something to all their party members and registered independents would help.
I know what is happening where I live is that any driver's license or car tag update/renewal triggers something in the county clerk's office and you get a postcard. No doubt there are many more ways the county clerks offices are involved in some other states.
In places where the League of Women Voters have backed-off registration, they could educate the public on purging instead. They could make sure people know exactly how the purging works in their state. In fact, I am going to contact my local League and see if I can get them to work on this.
Thanks Thom---very valuable Report as always.
NY-17 had an open primary in 2020. There are well over 700,000 in the district. If you were here and experienced it, you might be similarly startled to see how Democrats tried to avoid publicity and tried to limit voting in the primary so that their own CIA- and private equity-backed candidates would win in a large field of candidates. There was literally no mailings or any information about the primary from the democratic party. Nothing!
Just look at the total votes by democrats in the primary - 78,000 - only about 10 percent of the electorate participated; thankfully that was enough to send the CIA and private-equity candidates packing although someone had deemed it a sufficiently worthy cause to put people like (former CIA officer) Evelyn Farkas on TV shows on MSNBC. I met Ms. Farkas during the primary and asked her a simple question of whether she supported the Amazon so-called HQ2 deal for Queens, which she could not or would not answer. In comparison, there are experienced politicians inside NY State who acted heroically to save NY from that deal. Senator Giannaris among the only politicians (or media) who would even acknowledge what that deal was about or what Amazon was really up to (his public statements actually described what Amazon would be doing there, while even the Guardian article below does not).
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/feb/15/amazon-new-york-long-island-city-hq2-michael-gianaris
Then, of course, in 2022 Democrats lost that seat by only a couple of thousand votes, again by failing to create any publicity or any get out the vote effort AT ALL in this critical district that helped turned the House when NY state lost 5 seats in the House of Reps to republicans. Sean Maloney, who insisted on replacing Mondaire jones after redistricting, to my knowledge never even showed up here. We did get some TV ads of him paddling a canoe in the Hudson River though, instead, which was about as close as he came to the district. Mondaire was widely viewed as a great progressive and a future star, who won accolades from Pelosi although he was firmly in the progressive camp. He's running again this time.
https://ballotpedia.org/New_York%27s_17th_Congressional_District
Just for balance (because I do support the good journalism here about the red states and republicans) there needs to be a focus on all the things dems have done that have dug a deeper hole. Someone like Ralph Nader doesn't hesitate to report what Richard Trumka says - mainly because (according to Nader), Trumka gets into the offices of more democratic members of congress than anyone else. "They dont even want to win" was the assessment attributed to Trumka, as reported by Nader.
I hope President Biden, and every other candidate or concerned person with a voice, will step up and quote your last paragraph regularly, from now until November 5, 2024
The Republicans really are itching for a civil war with tactics like this. It's clear by now to most of us "ordinary" folks that the Republican Party is indeed a "domestic terrorists force" as Robert Hubbell has repeatedly pointed out, but they should be put on notice that purging voters and suppressing the will of the majority will not succeed in the long run. If the GOP keeps up with all the fascist bullying and intimidation, at some point the citizens will be voting with their pitchforks. The only right answer to this mess is to eliminate the Electoral College, impeach the illegitimate justices on the Supreme Court, hold Trump and his cronies accountable for their crimes, and arrest and prosecute the 139 members of Congress who are avowed insurrectionists and climate change deniers. We know who they are. People who carry on like the arrogant GOP "Trumlekins" are increasing the likelihood that the era of Trump will come to an ugly, violent end. With their voter purging campaigns, the GOP terrorists have taken their quest to destroy democracy way beyond the level of partisan politics. These deranged assholes have been pissing in our wells long enough!
The GOP's tactics don't shock me in the least: that's what they do, and they've been at it for decades. It doesn't even shock me -- at least all that much -- that the so-called mainstream media aren't devoting much time/space to it. What shocks me is that white-dominated Democratic parties, especially those in blue states (like mine: MA), don't seem all that concerned, even though they have a lot to lose. Thank heavens for Democracy Docket and those on the ground who are combatting these proliferating methods of voter suppression. P.S. Why the hell isn't it illegal??
I keep pointing out that there is no mandate for Republican candidates when they do dirty things like this and gerrymandering to get their wins. Thank you for giving us the data. Alito needs to be jailed for tax fraud and replaced on the Supreme Court. The first law I would make in Congress as regards the court is that no person convicted of a felony can sit on the Supreme Court. Both Alito and Thomas should be convicted for felony tax fraud for not declaring the gifts they have gotten. I think we should be looking at Barrett, and Roberts too.
We're in territory that's documented by Greg Palast, but despite watching the crimes in the movie he made, nothing happens. I get that the Indians didn't see Spanish ships because they were impossible in their world, but can that have carried over to 2023 where these suppressive dealings are so fundamentally undemocratic that they don't register? What else explains them continuing. to occur?
These people are lowest life form republicans , for whom there is no end to their corrupt and sleazy behavior.
They should be investigated as should the Supreme Court white bullies faction who have sanctioned this action on destroying the voting process and thereby denying millions of citizens their right to vote .
Trump was indicted for attempting to overthrow the votes as they were presented.
So that he could remain in power in spite of losing .
His behavior has been sanctioned to some degree by the Courts decisions which indicate an acceptance of curtailing the votes of Democrats.
Pitiful mess the 6 who have voted in favor of removing the rights of the majority.
How did all this happen over the last four decades? Lackluster democrats and that is saying it nicely. Has Chuck been the head of senate for dems the whole time? If only we had listened to Howard Dean about a 50 state strategy, yeah I know we have to move on from the past but if the GD dems don't learn from history the repugs are bound to repeat it. No accountability for last 60 years and more probably.. Sorry I am so sick and tired of hearing inflation is down, down, down but I don't see it in my grocery stores or gas stations or medical/dental needs or gas stations
I am a blue dot in the red state of Texas. Every year I try to vote out the Republican trash, to no avail. If a good man like Beto can’t win, Texans will get the trash they deserve. Now if Paxton is off the hook, there is no justice.