cute

September 27, 2004 7:23 PM

Was your voter registration form thick enough? Ohio's republican secretary of state has issued an order (three days before the registration deadline) to throw out all voter registration forms printed on paper less then 80lb. Coincidence that dem-leaning areas have seen a 250% rise in voter registration, with tens of thousands of new voters in a race expected to be closer then FL 2000?

Oh yeah, the state sent out 40lb forms to those requesting them. Cute, huh.
posted by delmoi (82 comments total)

ugg, crap the correct link is here.
posted by delmoi at 7:25 PM on September 27, 2004

and more here, including contact info for the asshole.

They're really really scared... the NYT reported that in Democratic areas of Ohio - primarily low-income and minority neighborhoods - new registrations since January have risen 250 percent over the same period in 2000. In comparison, new registrations have increased just 25 percent in Republican areas.
posted by amberglow at 7:31 PM on September 27, 2004

As a neutral, is there a non-partisan, non-subscription link to this story yet? I'd like a reality check on how big a stink this actually is.
posted by cardboard at 7:38 PM on September 27, 2004

Wow, this is exactly what Congress had in mind when they made it illegal to deny the right of any individual to vote in any election because of an error or omission on any record or paper relating to any application, registration, or other act requisite to voting, if such error or omission is not material in determining whether such individual is qualified under State law to vote in such election.

It sounds like the planned discarding of provisional ballots is an equally (or more) serious danger.
posted by Zurishaddai at 7:39 PM on September 27, 2004

is there a non-partisan, non-subscription link to this story yet?

Here you go. (The URL says daytonforkerry, but the linked PDF file is from the Dayton Daily News.)
posted by Zurishaddai at 7:40 PM on September 27, 2004

AAAAAAAAAAAA!

Can somebody please show me an instance where the republican party thinks it's good that everybody votes? Because I'm having a hard time reaching across the divide here.

And yeah, the naacp might be able to win a court date on this once, but guess what that would be to late for? Or am I wrong in thinking this?
posted by lumpenprole at 7:54 PM on September 27, 2004

If somebody can get away with pristine violation of law imagine what one could do with electronic voting machines.
posted by elpapacito at 7:56 PM on September 27, 2004

Republican immoral relativism oozes up from the pit.
posted by troutfishing at 7:59 PM on September 27, 2004

Where did you see that the state mailed out forms on 40 lb stock?

(By the way, bugmenot works fine)
posted by CunningLinguist at 7:59 PM on September 27, 2004

It was comment on dkos. Who knows, I suppose it could be completly false.
posted by delmoi at 8:06 PM on September 27, 2004

I found this as well.
posted by CunningLinguist at 8:13 PM on September 27, 2004

And the polls purport that Bush's lead is going, as he's turned the Iraq war into a campaign positive using techniques that can only be described as the ham-fisted and awkward. You guys sure know how to fuck up a good thing.
posted by The God Complex at 8:24 PM on September 27, 2004

I'm from Ohio, this prick is from Cincinnati, the ohio state bastion of close minded conservatism.

There is a reason I live just north of there and not in that county itself.

I'm calling in the morning.
posted by Dome-O-Rama at 8:24 PM on September 27, 2004

Paper, heh. That may be the least of the problems. Guess what state Wallace "Wally" O'Dell, CEO of Diebold lives in? He is keeping a self-imposed low profile now after being criticized for his promise to deliver the states electoral votes to Bush. Scary times.
posted by madamjujujive at 8:24 PM on September 27, 2004

this prick is from Cincinnati

prick, nothing. Unless he has some pretty damn compelling reason for this, he's a traitor and should be treated like one.

What is it with republicans and voter disenfranchisement?
posted by namespan at 8:36 PM on September 27, 2004

more voters=more democratic votes. They have to stop that at all costs, and keep trying to.
posted by amberglow at 8:39 PM on September 27, 2004

Information from the Federal Election Commission regarding the statute Zurishaddai mentioned above (Denying the Right of Individuals to Vote Because of Errors or Omissions on their Voter Registration Application (42 U.S.C. 1971(a)(2)(B)))
posted by zsazsa at 8:52 PM on September 27, 2004

Ohio. Cincinnati. Bastion. Yup, yup, yup. How well I remember.

Glad I'm outa there. Hope they don't succeed in screwing the rest of the country like they've been screwing themselves.
posted by soyjoy at 8:54 PM on September 27, 2004

You have got to be fucking kidding me here. This is a joke, right? THIS HAS GOT TO BE A FUCKING JOKE.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 8:56 PM on September 27, 2004

"It is unconscionable to perpetuate fraudulent or biased electoral practices in any nation," he added.
--Jimmy Carter, speaking on Florida's voting "problems". Can we get him to pay attention to Ohio too?
posted by amberglow at 9:00 PM on September 27, 2004

Bad words! Bad words I'm not allowed to say!

While I really want to rant about how that totally annuls my Labor Day weekend registering voters in the 'nati all I can really do is feel completely miserable for all the folks who are being proven right when they told us that they weren't going to register because they knew their votes would never be counted.
posted by Fezboy! at 9:04 PM on September 27, 2004

This is appalling. Some bastion of liberty we turned out to be, eh? What does this teach us boys and girls? We're heading to hell on roller-skates, fire and brimstone curtesy of our friendly neighborhood despot-in-training. Who needs truth or justice? Bah! Three cheers for corporate and political subversion of the values we grew up pretending to pay attention to in school.. weeeeee! [smacks into a wall] Alright, my apologies for this gibberish. It's late and I grow increasingly frustrated with the underhandedness of the political puppeteers. Someone please pinch me and tell me that this has all just been an awful nightmare. Tell me that we, the people, still have power in this wretched system of ours.
posted by Raze2k at 9:10 PM on September 27, 2004

Where are the riots? People take to the streets with napalm when a black guy gets beat up by the police. This is your goddamned liberty here, people. WHERE ARE THE GODDAMNED RIOTS?
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 9:17 PM on September 27, 2004

CD: The rioters are busy watching the Apprentice and Oprah. Try again during a commercial break.
posted by Raze2k at 9:19 PM on September 27, 2004

We have to fight this shit. We have to come out and vote in numbers too great to fuck with, understanding that there will be fucking with. We have to challenge questionable results that don't match the increased registrations and interest all over.

If we know that Ohio is registering new voters at a rate far greater for Democrats than for Republicans, if the results are the opposite, we have to sue, and demand recounts, etc. And the national media (including those members of Mefi who are part of it) will have to be annoyed and pestered until they cover this shit, hopefully before the election. Kerry too, and all other Democrats in power have to raise this issue also--the debates would be a good place to start, even tho it's late already, and maybe too late for Florida.

/manifesto : >
posted by amberglow at 9:20 PM on September 27, 2004

this is one hell of an october surprise, albeit a few days early. here i was expecting some staged terror spectacular, and it's just plain and simple disefranchisement and dirty tricks, the occam's razor of political skulldudgery.
posted by moonbird at 9:29 PM on September 27, 2004

CD: Its a very good question. If not riots, where is the rage at all? Folks I talk to dont think anything of it, saying 'yeah, politics is ugly'.

Part of the problem is that we have become so confident in our democratic process that anyone suggesting that it might not be all we learned in civics class is dismissed as some sort of JeffRense/Timecube nutcase.
posted by H. Roark at 9:34 PM on September 27, 2004

Can somebody please show me an instance where the republican party thinks it's good that everybody votes? Because I'm having a hard time reaching across the divide here.

Well, here in Bloomington, IN, there was a little scandal for the local election involving Repubicans handing out absentee ballot applications to some campus units with all the blanks filled in but "name" and "signature." (Possibly a no-no by state election law.)
posted by KirkJobSluder at 9:57 PM on September 27, 2004

Here in New Mexico Republican lawmakers are trying to prevent people from voting if their driver's license address doesn't match their voter registration card one....
posted by hyperizer at 10:07 PM on September 27, 2004

Wow, what gets me is that they do it knowing people will notice, knowing that they could get raked through the media and beaten like the corrupt dogs they are. And they do it anyway. They've got balls, they're dumbfuck morons but they've got balls.

This kind of garbage is unbelievable, yet it is happening more and more every day.

I don't remember ever feeling such true distaste for a political party than I do during this election cycle. The Republican ugly tricks committee has truly outdone themselves.

An overwhelming response from the nation is really the only way that they will understand that its time they took their misbegotten loot and went home.
posted by fenriq at 10:18 PM on September 27, 2004

Out of curiousity, has anyone come out with a defense of why the paper weight is important?

This comment suggests that Blackwell will not change his mind, however, the Cuyahoga county election board has apparently already stated it will ignore Blackwell, and that those opposing this action might do well to contact the other election boards.

Also, here's the editorial contacts for metro area newspapers in Ohio:

Cincinatti Enquirer and Post
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Columbus Dispatch

If Blackwell hasn't explained the reasoning behind his action, perhaps some reporters would be willing to ask him.
posted by weston at 10:29 PM on September 27, 2004

Whoops. Just saw the reasoning on the Kos site:

The ostensible reason for this order is to insure that the applications can make it through the postal system without being damaged. The Secretary didn't point to any examples of voters who were stupid enough to mail regular weight paper as a postcard, nor did he cite examples of complaints from the Postal Service that this has been a problem. Never mind also that the applications he wants thrown out have already been delivered to the election boards safely.

posted by weston at 10:32 PM on September 27, 2004

Re: Riots. I'm in. It's a good thing the assault rifle ban was lifted, they'll also come in handy for the forthcoming delay/cancellation of the election scheduled for later in the month by Karl "democracy is a prankster's paradise" Rove.
posted by Skygazer at 10:36 PM on September 27, 2004

Skygazer: careful. This is just all really just a plot by the NRA to get everybody on board with their agenda. And boy, if it doesn't work, what will?
posted by weston at 10:38 PM on September 27, 2004

Well, if I went to my polling place, and was told I couldn't vote, the motherfuckers would have no choice but to arrest me.

Seriously. My vote is going to be counted. Or I'll go to jail trying to make it so.

Of course, what the corrupt mofos do with my vote afterwords is anyone's guess. The system is not anywhere near transparent enough.
posted by geekhorde at 11:12 PM on September 27, 2004

This Blackwell, he's a busy fellow.
posted by nikzhowz at 11:44 PM on September 27, 2004

I was reading something about how if it's not a close election, with a few percentage points, this sort of crap doesn't matter. But if it's neck and neck, this is how you steal an election. Again.

Please get out there and vote. Make sure this isn't a close election.

If the US re-elects GWB they deserve him, but the rest of the world doesn't.
posted by krisjohn at 1:26 AM on September 28, 2004

USA has lost its democracy. Bush will win by any means necessary and his supporters will tolerate the disenfranchising of democracy [the same people that volunteered to lose rights to the Patriot Act].

He will continue to invade other countries and steal their stuff. He will continue to fuck the environment. He will continue to insist on tax breaks for the rich. They need 4 more years to clean out the cupboard, they can't afford to lose.

/pessimistic rant.
posted by meech at 3:23 AM on September 28, 2004

From nikhowz's link (for the lazy):

Blackwell, a Republican, sent county boards of elections a directive on Sept. 16 ordering them to deny provisional ballots to voters who show up at the wrong polling place. Instead, poll workers must call the board and find out the correct polling place and send the voter there. [...]

"I am appalled that 36 days before the election, a move is made to suppress the votes of Ohioans," [Columbus Mayor] Coleman said."

If he was appalled before, this is really going to piss him off.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 3:34 AM on September 28, 2004

this really pisses me off, as I am part of a group that has registered like 2500 new voters in columbus this year. Time to call /sue/etc.
posted by das_2099 at 4:40 AM on September 28, 2004

Way to show the world how it's done George!
posted by DrDoberman at 4:59 AM on September 28, 2004

USA has lost its democracy. Bush will win by any means necessary and his supporters will tolerate the disenfranchising of democracy [the same people that volunteered to lose rights to the Patriot Act]. He will continue to invade other countries and steal their stuff. He will continue to fuck the environment. He will continue to insist on tax breaks for the rich. They need 4 more years to clean out the cupboard, they can't afford to lose.

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Good one.
posted by Witty at 5:06 AM on September 28, 2004

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Good one.

What a convincing rebuttal! Where DID you learn your retorical skills?
posted by rough ashlar at 5:26 AM on September 28, 2004

Ok... you're right. Let me try again.

He will continue to invade other countries and steal their stuff. He will continue to fuck the environment.

Oh huh.
posted by Witty at 5:44 AM on September 28, 2004

Witty have you registered to vote ?
posted by elpapacito at 5:45 AM on September 28, 2004

That thing about provisional ballots worries me. Of course not all provisional ballots are SUPPOSED to count, but they are SUPPOSED to be checked and counted if they qualify. (I have worked as a poll judge. Thank God I am sitting this next one out for reasons which I will explain AFTER the election.)
posted by konolia at 5:45 AM on September 28, 2004

Witty, if the president and his cronies even once spoke out against any of this stuff, in Ohio, in Florida, in Baltimore, etc, your laughter may be warranted. Right now, it just sounds deranged.
posted by amberglow at 5:45 AM on September 28, 2004

I got my official Ohio Voter registration card in the mail the other day. I'll be damned if they stop me from voting.
posted by sciurus at 5:58 AM on September 28, 2004

Good news, sort of: Ohio Democrats sued Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell on Monday, saying his rules on provisional ballots make a "mockery" of federal election-reform efforts and jeopardize thousands of votes.
The lawsuit - filed in federal court the same day Blackwell rolled out a statewide voter-education campaign - seeks to block Blackwell's Sept. 16 instruction that provisional ballots will not be given to voters who appear at the wrong precinct on Election Day. --from the Plain Dealer (reg reqd)

But this isn't about the weight of the cards. This is another shit thing he's doing, i guess.
posted by amberglow at 6:01 AM on September 28, 2004

elpapacito - Yes. I be registered.

amberglow - Don't twist things around please. I quoted exactly what I was laughing at... which was not the what you'd like to suggest.
posted by Witty at 6:23 AM on September 28, 2004

Out of curiousity, has anyone come out with a defense of why the paper weight is important?

The 80lb paper requirement was put in place before computers were omnipresent, when everything was tracked on paper. The registration card went into a file and was pulled out year after year. That's how they kept their records. It also had something to do with making them able to survive the post office's sorting machines.
posted by jpoulos at 6:27 AM on September 28, 2004

I was a little concerned at first that the .pdf link might not be accurate (this would be pretty easy to fake), but I was able to find the actual article at the DDN website, which I don't think has been linked here yet. So, for the skeptics, here's a link to the original story (not .pdf, but reg required): http://www.daytondailynews.com/localnews/content/localnews/daily/0924registration.html

Montgomery County is the county that includes Dayton, OH, and seems to be the county that's going to suffer the most if Blackwell has his way with the 80lb card stock rule. There is a large African-American population in Montgomery County. Dayton currently has an African-American Democrat mayor. If Blackwell succeeds, it looks like as many as 4,000 newly registered voters in Montgomery coutny could be barred from voting.

As an Ohio resident who's been encouraging people to register to vote any way they can and as soon as possible, I have to say I find this pretty stunning. I'm calling Blackwell's office a little later this morning.
posted by dryad at 6:36 AM on September 28, 2004

The Dayton Daily News (coughbugmenotcough) has a new story today that I find confusing and incomplete.

In a related development, (blackwell flak) LoParo appeared to defuse a second voting controversy, this one involving Montgomery County and a requirement in state law that voter registration cards be printed on thick, 80-pound stock paper.

Secretary of state employees are not the "paper weight police," LoParo said. He said employees would not go to county boards of election to check the paper weight of voter registration forms arriving in the mail. ....

....In Montgomery County, elections officials are mailing new cards to voters if they get registrations on paper thinner than required. If they have a backlog by the Monday registration deadline, voters might not have a chance to get the correct paperwork in, Harsman has said.
posted by CunningLinguist at 6:42 AM on September 28, 2004

The Dayton Daily News has a new story today that I find confusing and incomplete.

I'm confused by this whole thing as well, and there aren't enough non-DailyKos sources to help me resolve it. I need more info before I can switch from vague, untargeted outrage to the specific, focused outrage I prefer. (Of course, I vote in Florida--we have our own problems, and these days I don't have much outrage to spare.)
posted by Prospero at 7:00 AM on September 28, 2004

Secretary of state employees are not the "paper weight police," LoParo said. He said employees would not go to county boards of election to check the paper weight of voter registration forms arriving in the mail. ....

Typical American media today. They said they wouldn't send out goon squads to tear up registration forms. That's all they said. They've didn't say they weren't enforcing the 80lb requirement. So now, all the county election boards have gotten the message that they can disqualify all the registrations they want, they just have to do it themselves--which actually makes it easier to accomplish, because it will be done under the radar. But the Dayton Daily News takes this spokesperson's soundbyte and declares the issue over.
posted by jpoulos at 7:31 AM on September 28, 2004

By hook or by crook, the GOP aims to stay in charge. I'd be appalled but what good would it do? Instead I'm going to try and disseminate the information as widely as I can.

Is anyone else sick of the dirty tricks?
posted by fenriq at 7:50 AM on September 28, 2004

The link from zsazsa, to the relevant voting rights statute on the FEC site, includes a phone number. I just gave those nice people a call to see if they're looking into the matter. Why not give them a call, too?
posted by twsf at 9:03 AM on September 28, 2004

The USA is soooo fucked.

Scary thing is that I don't see any way for it to get fixed. Armed revolution is the answer, but it ain't gonna happen. IMO, US democracy is dead.
posted by five fresh fish at 9:30 AM on September 28, 2004

amberglow - Don't twist things around please. I quoted exactly what I was laughing at... which was not the what you'd like to suggest.

Well, Witty, what do you think of the disenfranchisement of thousands of voters? That it's unworthy of comment?

The topic could not be more serious and you're going onto tangents and taking cheap shots. I never, ever agree with konolia, but at least she has the integrity to be horrified at these dirty tricks. I'm still waiting for any kind of indication that you have a moral core.

I still wouldn't vote Republican, but I'd be less angry at and resentful of the government I have if I got the sense that most conservatives would really be uncomfortable winning this way.
posted by Epenthesis at 9:38 AM on September 28, 2004

Five fresh fish, a revolution you say? Perhaps that is how John Titors war started.... "There is a civil war in the United States that starts in 2005. " (prev. mefi)
posted by dabitch at 9:52 AM on September 28, 2004

You may be right about democracy being dead here (due to apathy and ignorance mostly), but dont' be so sure about an armed revolution, FFF. Many members of the professional officer corps of the US military seem just as outraged as many of us do -- and an armed uprising can only succeed with at least part of the military rebelling along with the populace. And there seem to be plenty of disaffected veterans out there too, with training and in many cases actual combat time. Don't count us all out yet - there are a lot of us who remember what this country is all about and will indeed fight to defend it from the inside if necessary.

I think at this point, going by the historical trends and what's going on now, that a Second American Civil War is frighteningly probable within the next 30 years or so, especially if these sorts of shenanigans keep up. Americans will eventually realize that their control of the government has been removed, and hopefully they'll wake up and do something about it.

And lots of us have perfectly legal and quite definitely lethal firearms which we've owned responsibly and maintained with great care. :)

That being said, my personal opinion is that if Bush wins again, they will consolidate their power and we'll never be able to vote them out again. This sort of naked manipulation just says to me that the system's already been rigged from the inside and all the consternation we can muster is futile.

Remember people, if they win, there will be a draft. They will have no choice, because there aren't enough warm bodies in the military to even keep up the occupation of Iraq for 4 more years - some 2/3 of our combat units are there right now. To maintain the occupation they will need to rotate the entire US military through Iraq on something like an 18-month schedule. You can't keep sending the same guys back over and over again without completely destroying morale; the same goes for forcing people to stay in the military when their obligation is up. Troops without morale are ineffective at best and dangerous at worst. So they MUST institute a draft just to keep up the "objective" that Bush has stated publicly: "Stay The Course." Human soldiers are not tanks, you can't just send them in for an overhaul when they get worn out.

Imagine what will happen when - and I do mean WHEN - the President "regretfully" announces that a draft callup is necessary. I have 4 younger half-siblings within the draft-age window, and I'm certainly not alone in that respect. How do you think Americans will feel about that?

Anyway to angle back toward subject... I think this attempt at vote-squashing is appalling and contemptible, and I'd like to see folks who've registered that they try to deny the vote go back to the polling places en masse and force the issue if necessary.

But still, there's a week left to register, so everyone who thinks they might be affected should take the time to go to a post office or other registration location, and register again in person.
posted by zoogleplex at 10:17 AM on September 28, 2004

I just called. For others that may be calling, press 3 when you hear the menu to get through to the elections department. After sitting on hold for a while, the kind woman told me that due to the high volume of calls at this time they are just taking names and phone numbers and that the issue "will be addressed later."
posted by Otis at 10:31 AM on September 28, 2004

Otis -- did you call the FEC or the Ohio Sec. of State? Just curious as to where exactly you called, and who is going to address the issue "later".
posted by dryad at 11:01 AM on September 28, 2004

Sorry. Called Blackwell's office. Also called local TV here in Columbus (WBNS). They said they "had the information." We'll see if anything shows up.
posted by Otis at 11:09 AM on September 28, 2004

"I believe (voter suppression) is a consistent pattern and practice of the Republican Party in Michigan,"

"If we do not suppress the Detroit vote, we're going to have a tough time in this election."

There's a riot going on...
posted by euphorb at 12:59 PM on September 28, 2004

I've never owned a firearm, never really supported the NRA, yet I've never been closer to buying one.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 4:00 PM on September 28, 2004

Seems like the story has been picked up by the AP now: Counties ignoring order for voter registration on heavy paper.

Here's the text of the original directive.

The relevant part:

The form prescribed by the Secretary of State must be printed on white, uncoated paper of not less than 80 lb. text weight. Any Ohio form not printed on this minimum paperweight is considered to be an application for a registration form. Your board should mail the appropriate form to the person listed on the application.

posted by Otis at 4:23 PM on September 28, 2004

There won't be a revolution unless people get off their asses, and that ain't gonna happen for a looooong while yet. I mean, hell, the Iraqis had it way worse, and they never did revolt. Not a hope in hell a well-fed American, afraid for his job security and home, is going to put his ass on the line.
posted by five fresh fish at 5:48 PM on September 28, 2004

There won't be a revolution unless people get off their asses, and that ain't gonna happen for a looooong while yet.

About the time the draft gets reinstated.
posted by Tenuki at 6:23 PM on September 28, 2004

Yeah, there is a lot of outrage in OH, especially for the college kids (me among them) who first were jerked around about whether or not they could claim their college campus as their residence (they can) and now we find out our votes might not even count. Hell, I switched my vote to this state because it had a better chance of "counting" than in my redder-than-red home state.

Gawd, if this doesn't open the eyes of apthetic Americans, I don't know what will.
posted by somethingotherthan at 7:49 PM on September 28, 2004

What an interesting set of Google ads for this:
- ARS-Technologies
- Audience Response Polling
- ARS by TCM Communications
- Audience Response ARS

What do audience response systems have to do with this? The FPP has "registration" as the only keyword I can spot. Or is Google doing an analysis of this MeFi thread's entire set of responses? Or does it have to do with the linked article?
posted by five fresh fish at 8:32 PM on September 28, 2004

FWIW. I'm a cleveland resident and have been watching all the local news channels (on TV) looking for information on this. As is turns out, each county can make their own decision what to do with the 'bad' registrations. Without fail, every county they contacted basically said "Fuck off, we're counting everything we get".

I underestand that this is besides the point... but it's at least good to know that the counties in the northeast aren't even bothering with the directive.

Finally, the Secretary of State's office themselves actually sent out registration cards tucked in newspapers this past weekend that were in violation of their own edict. An exception is being made for these registrations.
posted by underdog at 8:57 PM on September 28, 2004

Ohio, Florida... can one find a "battleground state" where the fix doesn't already appear to be in?
posted by clevershark at 9:56 PM on September 28, 2004

You guys are pretty cute when you start talking about guns and revolution n' such.
posted by Witty at 1:29 AM on September 29, 2004

"Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing"

Right Witty.
posted by fullerine at 1:32 AM on September 29, 2004

Uhmm... right? Tell me, tell me!!
posted by Witty at 3:03 AM on September 29, 2004

Blackwell ends paper chase

From the Columbus Dispatch:

"Last night, a spokesman for Blackwell denied that the GOP officeholder was trying to prevent people from voting and said county boards should accept voter registration forms on paper of any weight as long as they are otherwise valid."

posted by Otis at 4:55 AM on September 29, 2004

Yeah, but it's still all messed up. From the Dispatch:

That was news to election officials in two counties, who said they have not been processing forms on underweight papers, per Blackwell’s directive.

In Pickaway County, Elections Director Johnda Perkins said her office already has sent letters and new forms to dozens of voters who registered on lightweight paper, asking them to return the heavier-weight forms.


In Madison County, Elections Director Gloria Herrel said her office has been sending a letter with an appropriate-weight registration card to would-be voters as their lightweight forms arrive. She could not estimate the number involved.
posted by CunningLinguist at 5:30 AM on September 29, 2004

In other news, Blackwell kicked Nader off the ballot.
posted by CunningLinguist at 5:32 AM on September 29, 2004

The Voting Section
Civil Rights Division
U.S. Department of Justice
P.O. Box 66128
Washington,DC 20035-6128
Tel: [phone]
FAX: [phone]

I called the number under the Voting Section, Civil Rights Division and got routed to a lawyer in the Justice Departments voice mail. She got back with me a few hours later and said they are just looking into this and had only been aware of it for about 48 hours. Her info is:

Anna Hendrickson
202.353.9300
posted by Wong Fei-hung at 12:34 PM on September 29, 2004

Now Colorado too.
posted by amberglow at 4:56 PM on September 29, 2004

Now a NYT editorial.
posted by Zurishaddai at 7:45 AM on September 30, 2004