From the Open-Publishing Calendar
From the Open-Publishing Newswire
Indybay Feature
Tue Oct 28 2008
Voter Caging in Northern California?
RNC Sending Fake Voter Registration Cards to California Voters
The Republican National Committee has sent non-Republican voters in Northern California a letter identifying them as Republicans. The letters include a registration card with a fake voter ID number and a do-not-forward stamp on the outside of the envelope. Voting rights activists say the letters are part of a voter caging campaign and an attempt to undermine non-Republican voters in the November election.
The voter-caging envelopes bear the name of John McCain and a return address for the RNC's "Voter Identification Division," which according to RNC staffers does not officially exist. The letter also includes an RNC voter registration card with a voter identification number, which Lake County registrar Diane Fridley says has nothing to do with registration in Lake County.
Janie Sheppard, a Mendocino County attorney and voting rights advocate, says the letter is the first step of voter caging, a voter suppression tactic. "Let's say you are a Republican and you don't want Democrats to vote. You send out official-looking notices to the Democrats that you don't want to vote. On the envelope on the outside will say do not forward. So, if it gets returned, the Republicans will go to the polls, they'll have challengers there who will challenge that person's right to vote. Unless the person can prove they live where they are registered to vote, they will end up having to vote provisionally, which is a whole lot of paper work, and it's a matter of record that 50% of provisional votes are not counted."
Full story
The voter-caging envelopes bear the name of John McCain and a return address for the RNC's "Voter Identification Division," which according to RNC staffers does not officially exist. The letter also includes an RNC voter registration card with a voter identification number, which Lake County registrar Diane Fridley says has nothing to do with registration in Lake County.
Janie Sheppard, a Mendocino County attorney and voting rights advocate, says the letter is the first step of voter caging, a voter suppression tactic. "Let's say you are a Republican and you don't want Democrats to vote. You send out official-looking notices to the Democrats that you don't want to vote. On the envelope on the outside will say do not forward. So, if it gets returned, the Republicans will go to the polls, they'll have challengers there who will challenge that person's right to vote. Unless the person can prove they live where they are registered to vote, they will end up having to vote provisionally, which is a whole lot of paper work, and it's a matter of record that 50% of provisional votes are not counted."
Full story
2024-03-20
Victory! EFF Helps Indybay Resist San Francisco Police Warrant and Gag Order
Front Page
| Police State & Prisons
| Media Activism & Independent Media
| San Francisco2024-02-09
Catholic Anti-Choice Marchers Get an Earful from Abortion Rights Activists in San Francisco
Front Page
| Health, Housing & Public Services
| Womyn
| San Francisco
| South Bay
| U.S.2024-01-10
Wall of Shipping Containers Intended to Keep the Public Out of People's Park
Front Page
| Police State & Prisons
| Environment & Forest Defense
| Global Justice & Anti-Capitalism
| East Bay
| California2023-12-08
Largest Ever Pro-Palestine Marches in NorCal Demand End to US Aid for Israel's War on Gaza
Front Page
| Anti-War
| Central Valley
| San Francisco
| South Bay
| Peninsula
| U.S.
| International
| Palestine
| Santa Cruz Indymedia2023-10-31
Three Activists Detained at Climate Protest for Crossing Beale Air Force Base Gate
Front Page
| Environment & Forest Defense
| Anti-War
| Central Valley
| California
| U.S.2023-09-29
California Climate Justice Actions in Coordination with Massive New York City March
Front Page
| Environment & Forest Defense
| Central Valley
| California2023-08-19
Environmentalists Speak Out Against Airport Expansion as Climate Disasters Accelerate
Environment & Forest Defense
| East Bay2023-08-12
Starbucks Bus Tour Stops in San Francisco, Rallies with Allies to Support Unionization
Labor & Workers
| San Francisco
| Peninsula
| California
| U.S.2023-07-19
Halt to Fossil Fuel Funding Demanded as Wells Fargo Operations Shut Down
Environment & Forest Defense
| Global Justice & Anti-Capitalism
| San Francisco
| U.S.2023-07-13
Demonstrations Wrack France, Boiling Over After Police Murder of Youth
Police State & Prisons
| Health, Housing & Public Services
| Global Justice & Anti-Capitalism
| LGBTI / Queer
| International
| Government & Elections
| Immigrant Rights2023-07-02
A Call for Pride to Return to its Roots as a Riot in Defense of LGBTQ+ Rights
Health, Housing & Public Services
| LGBTI / Queer
| Womyn
| San Francisco
We are 100% volunteer and depend on your participation to sustain our efforts!
Get Involved
If you'd like to help with maintaining or developing the website, contact us.
Publish
Publish your stories and upcoming events on Indybay.
Topics
More
Search Indybay's Archives
Advanced Search
►
▼
IMC Network