Guest guest Posted September 9, 2004 Report Share Posted September 9, 2004 > " j > Tue, 07 Sep 2004 16:15:31 -0000 > Voter Intimidation > > Fox News Interferes with Local Voter Registration > > Tucson voter registration target of harassment... > > August 31, students in the Women's Studies honorary > society at the University of Arizona--in conjunction > with the Feminist Majority Foundation--were engaging > in a bit of civic participation on the UA lawn: > registering voters. They called it " Suffrage 2004. " > In registering voters, they were engaging in an > activity in common with > the Young Republicans, the Young Democrats, and > student government here in recent weeks. > > But this time it was different. The local Fox News > affiliate pulled up and, cameras rolling, accused > feminist students of engaging in felony voter fraud. > The reporters claimed that Arizona law prohibits > students from out of state from registering here. > > Our students were formidable. They, of course, had > consulted with the local registrar of voters on the > law before they picked up voter registration forms, > and insisted that state law requires only that > someone live in Arizona for 29 days before the > election. They called the Secretary of State's > office, our local state rep, Raul Grijalva, the > Feminist Majority Foundation, and others. The > Secretary of State's office, shamefully, refused to > back them up. > > They're a little scared they really will be charged > with a felony. I find this hard to imagine [but then > I find this whole thing hard to imagine], as the law > really is on their side--the voter registration law > says clearly that you only have to reside here for > 29 days > before the election. There's even a Supreme Court > decision that says students have the right to vote > where they live (although, and this may be > apocryphal, one of our students reported that when > she raised that with the Secretary of State's > office, she was told--but that's > the Supreme Court. That doesn't apply here. This is > Arizona.) Anyway, they have lots of lawyers working > for them now. > > But last night, a piece ran on the local Fox > affiliate that was quite intimidating--it sounded > like students would be arrested if they voted. Kelly > Krauss, UA WS student, held the line in the piece > that this wasn't true, but was contradicted by the > secretary of state's office. (I'm trying to get > someone to upload the videotape, and can make copies > on request. Interestingly, Fox News/Channel 11 > doesn't have the story archived on their web site.) > > So this is scary as hell. The NAACP/People for the > American Way Report that came out last month argues > that intimidating people out of their voting rights > is a Republican Party strategy. So I'm trying to > understand what happened, and my mind reels. A memo? > From people > in the Republican Party to Fox News stations in > swing states like Arizona? Telling them to halt > voter registration drives by the Feminist Majority > Foundation? I can't even imagine. > > Yet we know from a recent NAACP/People for the > American Way report that student voter intimidation > has happened on other campuses--most notably, > Prairie View A & M, a predominantly African-American > campus that has been at the center of voting rights > controversies before. > This year, a district attorney there, in Waller > County, Texas, threatened in a letter to the local > newspaper to arrest any student who tried to vote > who did not have a " legal voting address. " > > Some other events from that report: > > Philadelphia, PA, 2003: Voters in African-American > neighborhoods were systematically challenged by men > carrying clipboards, driving a fleet of some 300 > sedans with magnetic signs designed to look like law > enforcement insignia. [NAACP/PFAW 2004]. > > Michigan, 2004: One of Bush's Michigan advisors, > State Rep. John Pappageorge (R-Troy) was quoted as > saying " If we do not suppress the Detroit vote, > we're going to have a tough time in this election. " > [Detroit Free Press, 7/16/04] > > Louisiana, 2003: Flyers were posted in public > housing projects which read " Vote!!! Bad Weather? No > problem!!! If the weather is uncomfortable on > Election Day (Saturday December 7th) Remember you > can wait and cast your ballot on Tuesday December > 10th. " [Times-Picayune (New Orleans), 12/12/02] > > For the whole report, go to: > http://www.naacp.org/news/releases/jimcrow.pdf > > So pass it on. Student voting rights are being > challenged, as are African-American, Latino, and > working-class voters'. If you advise student groups > that might do voter registration, prepare them. If > you don't, tell the story anyway. This can't go on > being how voters get treated in this country. > > Laura Briggs > Associate Professor > Women's Studies > University of Arizona > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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