Twitter

Thursday, June 5, 2014

"Alabama Secretary of State Errs in Poll Watcher Guide: Photo Voter ID Law Disenfranchises Elderly Voters in June Primaries"

H/T Warm Southern Breeze
AL SOS Poll watcher ID help
The Alabama Secretary of State’s office produced this “Practical guide for Poll Watchers” for the 2014 statewide Primaries (held June 3, 2014), which mistakenly cites the OLD law, which allows numerous types of non-photographic voter identification, instead of the NEW law which MANDATES ALL VOTERS produce “valid” photographic identification. “Alabama Ballot Security Manual: A Practical Guide for Poll Watchers, Alabama Primary Election, June 3, 2014
In a document entitled “Alabama Photo Voter ID Guide” available on the Alabama Secretary of State’s websitehttp://www.alabamavoterid.com/downloads/AlabamaPhotoVoterIDGuide.pdf – it states in a letter from the Secretary of State Jim Bennett (a Republican), that “Beginning with the 2014 primary election, the State Legislature has mandated that a voter present photo ID prior to voting.”

As well, on page 6 in that document it further states that: “Beginning with the June 3, 2014 primary election, Act 2011-673 requires an Alabama voter to have a specific type of photo identification at the polls in order to vote. If a voter does not have one of the approved forms of photo ID as stated in the law, then he or she may receive a free Alabama photo voter ID card from various locations.”
That information is contradicted, however, in a separate document also prepared by the Alabama Secretary of State’s office (as seen herein) which is entitled “Alabama Ballot Security Manual: A practical guide for Poll Watchers, Alabama Primary Election, June 3, 2014
On page 19 (as seen herein above), it asserts to cite Code of Alabama 17-9-30 which, up to this year (2014) has allowed voters to produce various forms of non-photographic identification. However, it cites the OLD LAW, instead of the NEW LAW.
Why and how the Secretary of State could screw up in such grand fashion is unimaginable.
How and why indeed?

  Make it Viral
 My suggestion is that people start using a catchy hashtag, something like #nowimgonnavote, every time they see the Republicans do or say something outrageously stupid or insensitive. We need a viral campaign to turn people out to vote in November. If things play out the way they usually do, we're not going to be in a better place next year than we are in this year, and this year is pretty horrible.
People need to make the connection between stupid shit and the need to vote. If you see rampant hypocrisy or science-denial or racism or homophobia or a war on reproductive choice and contraception or a total lack of empathy for the poor or for a POW or for victims of crime and natural disasters, then note it with a #nowimgonnavote hashtag.
Maybe people will get the idea that the way to end this madness is to participate in the political process.
 #nowimgonnavote,

No comments: