Here is a story about various tricks trying to discourage people from voting.
Unless I misread something, every single trick in the story was orchestrated by republicans.
I am curious to know what similar kinds of things have been done (esp in the last 12 or 16 years or so) by Democrats.
-FrL-
Republicans do not even accuse Dems of voter-suppression tactics. That’s strictly a Pub game; higher voter turnout generally favors Dems. Pubs accuse Dems of “voter fraud” tactics, i.e., getting legally ineligible persons to vote, or persons eligible or ineligible to vote multiple times under different names or in different jurisdictions. That’s what this whole ACORN flap is about.
Sure, but targeted tactics should be able to help dems just as much as they could help republicans.
I’m really suprised if there really is this much of an assymetry.
-FrL-
Voter suppression tactics are built right into the system. Because polling places rely on local taxation for their budgets, the citizen of modest means always faces a “time tax”, it takes longer for him to vote, and its always more of a pain in the butt. This could be easily fixed, of course, but for some reason every scheme to fix it is found to have grave problems. Generally, these problems are invisible to us fuzzy thinking lefties, they usually are discovered by hard-headed and gimlet-eyed Republicans.
Now, lets not misunderstand! Its not that Republcians don’t want more poor people voting, Heavens no! That is their right, after all, and every effort must be made to protect that right. And there are privacy issues! Voter fraud! The War on Christmas! And voter fraud!
To protect the voting rights of all, voter fraud must be scourged, Trustworthy and sound persons must be stationed at voting arenas to challenge any possible fraud, to keep our voter polls pristine, and pure. True, such challenges tend to bog down the polling. They note with regret that the wealthier citizen may see his time committment jump from 30 minutes to 35, and the more humble citizen from 4 hours to 9, but this is a sacrifice they are willing to face, should stern duty demand.
I seem to recall something about dems trying to have absentee ballots from oversea servicemen thrown out in 2000. Did I imagine that?
While morally questionable, that’s somewhat different then what the OP linked to. If memory serves, the Dems tried to get some ballots sent in from military personnel stationed overseas thrown out on a legal technicality. That’s different then using fraud to try and keep those persons from voting in the first place.
Voter suppression does appear to be a mainly GOP game, I suspect simply because its easier to target Dem leaning demographics then it is GOP ones, and because in this election anyways, many new (and thus easier to confuse) voters are predicted to vote for Obama.
It was, as I recall, ballots that had no postmark, as it was apparently quite common for military post offices not to bother postmarking things. I don’t think the attempt went anywhere, as the Dems had pretty much staked their claim on the “count every vote” principle, and trying to reject military absentee ballots just made them look bad.
True, in 2000 democrats challenged them in strong republican districts. Less reported was that the pubs did the same thing in dem districts. Assumptions in play were that: 1) Pubs are stronger on defense and so gain more military votes; and 2) Young adults will have their parents views ingrained on them and follow the same pattern.
The military bitched and both sides dropped their objections. A previous comment about slipshod military postal activities is unfair. In reality, they are as efficient and caring as your local DMV.
Opinion on this election cycle (mine). Military vote may favor Obama. Casual conversations at work and in dinning halls here and Afghanistan question whether current administration has a plan (often expressed as “a clue”). Soldiers and families are more than a little pissed at the 15 month deal and their multiple deployments. On the family influence idea; the younger guys/gals have just spent their entire teenage years as the smartest people on earth cursed by the dumbest parents - why would someone expect them to follow their family lead? 
Polls (pdf) suggest pretty strongly that your impression is incorrect. The military continues to favor the GOP candidate at better then 2-1.
Slashlng tires! Wow! Sure makes that “corrupting the integrity of the Justice Dept.” stuff look pretty small by comparison!
Typo of the day? That one’s deep. Ass-symmetry is perfectly appropriate to the subject at hand.
I think BrainGlutton nailed it.
