Voter Suppression Also Comes In The Form Of Long Lines

Since the 2010 midterm election, Republicans have deployed any and all tactics to suppress the vote for the 2012 election. Voter ID laws have gotten the front page coverage, but voter suppression also comes in the form of voter intimidation, voter registration purges and as we’ve seen this past week, long lines at the polls. Both Ohio and Florida, two critical swing states, have seen incredibly long lines during early voting with reports of some people in Florida waiting up to 7 hours to vote. This is not how democracy is supposed to work. It’s an outrage.

• • •

Judge Orders A Halt To Pennsylvania Voter ID Enforcement Before Election

Commonwealth Court Judge Robert Simpson ruled Tuesday that Pennsylvania cannot enforce it’s voter ID law before the election. The ruling can be appealed to the state Supreme Court but that appears to be unlikely since it was the highest court in PA that sent the law back to the lower court with instructions to do what it has now done. This is a big win for voting rights in Pennsylvania and the country. However, the law still exists and could be enforced at a later date. So there is still work to be done.

• • •

Voter Fraud: Republicans Still Haven’t Found What They Are Looking For

When it comes to voter fraud, Republicans are singing the U2 song “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.” But that won’t stop them. They will continue to waste time, money and resources going after a non-existent problem. After all, they need to prove their voter restrictions (i.e., voter suppression efforts) are sound, whether it be voter ID laws or voter registration purges.

• • •

PA Rep. Daryl Metcalfe: People are “Too Lazy” to get the “ID They Need”

Daryl Metcalfe (R) - Pennsylvania Rep.Pennsylvania Representative Daryl Metcalfe (R), sponsor of PA’s voter ID law, says a lot of people are “too lazy to get up and get out there and get the ID they need.” Just as they [Republicans] have no proof of widespread voter fraud, they also have no proof that “a lot of people” are lazy. It’s simply an invented narrative, and it is pervasive on the Right.

• • •