EXCLUSIVE Democratic Party's Biggest Outside Group Is Launching an Ambitious Ballot Research Project

[DonViejo]

Source: The Daily Beast



EXCLUSIVE

PROTECT THE BALLOT

The Democratic Party’s Biggest Outside Group Is Launching an Ambitious Ballot Research Project

Priorities USA Foundation wants to bolster voting rights efforts, such as lawsuits against suppressive legislation. It just needs the data first.

GIDEON RESNICK
08.27.18 8:59 PM ET

Priorities USA Foundation, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit of the Democratic Party’s largest super PAC, Priorities USA, is embarking on an ambitious plan to research and identify possible barriers that voters face via the ballot process in various states.

Priorities USA Foundation has begun to collect ballot information—such as instances when voters had to file provisional ballots, cases where votes were cast for only a portion of the ballot, and times where ballots were discarded—to detect patterns and spotlight discrepancies that may exist in counting procedures. The group is focusing on communities of color and young people and calling its initiative the “Voter Research Project.”

“The research will be looking into such potential issues as disparities in ballot counting procedures—especially among provisional ballots—and the impact of “under-voting” and discarded ballots in these communities,” a release from the organization said. “As a first step in this process, the Priorities USA Foundation contracted with an outside company to request anonymized ballot information from a representative sample of precincts throughout the state of Michigan.”

The initiatives are primarily focused so far on Midwestern states that were narrowly won by President Trump. The underlying purpose is not to contest official results of the 2016 presidential election but rather to inform and bolster future voter right protections. The group could use its research as an additional measure to lawsuits against voter suppression in a number of states nationwide, including Missouri, Iowa, Florida, New Hampshire, and North Carolina.




Read more: https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-democratic-partys-biggest-super-pac-is-launching-an-ambitious-ballot-research-project?ref=home

[NewJeffCT]

1. Great news

wish they had started sooner, but hopefully it will be a big help.

[bucolic_frolic]

2. Registration, suppression, voting, counting, tabulation

Many steps to arrive at the result. All must work flawlessly as possible to be an honest election.

[Lonestarblue]

3. I hope they can do their work before the 2020 election.

A lot is rdiing on the next presidential election, not only getting rid of Trump but also gaining majorities in more state houses. The 2020 census is looming, and I think we will not have a Supreme Court that cares one iota about Republican gerrymandering because the majority will be Republican supporters if Kavanaugh is confirmed, which seems virtually unstoppable. Even if the vote is pushed off a bit and Democrats somehow win a majority in the Senate in November, Republicans will push through with this confirmatiom before January 2019, especially since McCain’s replacement will be a reliable Republican vote.

[lagomorph777]

4. I'm glad to hear it and wish I had some funds to send them.

Unfortunately dealing with a life-altering crisis now which will have major financial consequences.

[mopinko]

5. F I N A L L Y !!!

jeebus. i have been going on ad nauseum about the evidence available from provisional ballots.
i even tried to explain it to the cook county clerk, and he couldnt get what i was saying. i should send him this.