Dirty Tricks: Republicans handing out bad voting info - PASS THIS ON!
It started about a month ago. I first saw it in an email from a friend who told me that "Obama volunteers" were handing out this information:
I was informed this weekend by a group of Obama volunteers that when voting for the presidential candidate this November, you have to make sure you punch Barack's name first, then proceed to punch "Straight Democratic" or else the vote for the president won't count. I'm not sure if any of you are aware of this, but we know they
won't tell us this at the poles (sic). Please make sure you inform others.
Now I KNOW this isn't true in most states. If you vote "straight ticket" AND mark votes for individual candidates, your ballot will probably be invalidated.
As it turns out, these instructions are correct in SOME states, but only a few.
So, I replied that I didn't think this is true and advised that you should always vote the individual races if you're not sure. About a week later, I received another email asking for advice. I gave the same answer and also forwarded to the Obama campaign.
As it turns out, at least one state, North Carolina, has some quirky rules. In that state, if you want to vote straight ticket, you MUST also register a vote for Obama. If you're voting in North Carolina, you can find the details here.
The Obama campaign has since sent out notices to its field people about the discrepancies, and they're recommending that everyone mark the individual races rather than take a chance.
But here's the kicker: The Republicans are PURPOSEFULLY taking advantage of the confusion. I haven't been able to confirm that the bogus emails originated from McCain people, but at least one of them has been caught handing out bogus info in Austin, Texas. KVUE TV there reports:
"This is a really big vote for the future," voter Billy McNealy said.
"It just feels like this is really an historic time," voter Alison Faber-Brock said.
Erica Prosser should have shared in the excitement. Instead, she's involved in a criminal investigation.
"It was very upsetting," Prosser said.
Prosser went to the polling place at Randall's near Ben White and Manchaca in South Austin. She says a nicely dressed man in his 30's, clipboard in hand, was stopping people on the way in asking if they support Barack Obama. He then gave erroneous voting instructions.
"He was clearly letting younger people walk by him and he was pulling aside older women," Prosser said.
Prosser says the man was telling people to select both a straight party ballot, and vote for Obama.
"The instructions he's giving them will cancel their vote for their candidate and he's deliberately giving misinformation," Travis County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir said.
After an election judge confronted him the man left in an older model red Chevy Impala that witnesses say was covered in republican stickers.
"These are state jail felonies the kinds of infractions he's done. It is serious and of course if I can figure out who it is we will take appropriate action," DeBeauvoir said.
So, not only are bogus emails going out, but there are apparently Republican operatives on the streets trying to get Obama people to invalidate their votes! You can read the entire article and see the video here.
Pass the word! Tell EVERYONE that if you're unsure, mark individual races. DO NOT vote straight ticket.
YES WE CAN.
Cross posted on KOS.
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