Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Gun nuts videotaping petition signers at Maine polls today
Dunlap: Videotaping signature gatherers, signers at polls not illegalhttp://bangordailynews.com/2015/11/03/news/state/dunlap-videotaping-signature-gatherers-signers-at-polls-not-illegal/
PORTLAND, Maine — Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap said Tuesday morning he has received several reports of a group videotaping signature gatherers and signers at polling locations but said there is nothing illegal about it.
Dunlap said he has warned several people making the videos that they should be careful about showing details of people’s signatures because it could make them easier to forge, but he clarified that the act of recording at a polling place is protected under the First Amendment.
“It’s a very fine line between videotaping a petition gatherer and taping someone making their signature,” Dunlap said. “As far as the videotaping is concerned, there is no law that addresses that.”
Dunlap and a caller to the Bangor Daily News who voted in Portland said the group doing the recording identified itself as Project Dirigo and was concentrating its recording efforts on someone who was gathering signatures to try to force a referendum on requiring background checks for all gun sales in Maine.
<more>
16 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
http://www.pressherald.com/2015/11/03/group-videotaping-petition-gathering-process-at-polls/
A group that has been videotaping voters at polling places Tuesday morning has been criticized for intimidating people who are considering whether to sign petitions.
Members of the group, called Project Dirigo, who are participating in the videotaping have engaged voters and petition gatherers in debates about whether universal background checks for gun purchases is right for Maine, though other members have been passive as they used a small video camera to record the interactions.
One member of the group was standing next to a petition on background checks and videotaping people as they signed at Woodfords Congregational Church in Portland, an election worker said.
Shoshana Hoose, who was gathering signatures to force a 2016 referendum to require universal background checks for firearms purchases, said a member of the group started the morning by asking each petition gatherer for their name and address.
<more>
A group that has been videotaping voters at polling places Tuesday morning has been criticized for intimidating people who are considering whether to sign petitions.
Members of the group, called Project Dirigo, who are participating in the videotaping have engaged voters and petition gatherers in debates about whether universal background checks for gun purchases is right for Maine, though other members have been passive as they used a small video camera to record the interactions.
One member of the group was standing next to a petition on background checks and videotaping people as they signed at Woodfords Congregational Church in Portland, an election worker said.
Shoshana Hoose, who was gathering signatures to force a 2016 referendum to require universal background checks for firearms purchases, said a member of the group started the morning by asking each petition gatherer for their name and address.
<more>
Response to jpak (Original post)
