More on those BUSHIES AT MY CAMPUS!! (It gets worse)

[friesianrider]

And it's even worse than I thought...

Since most people on campus know me as "the Democrat", after my friend called saying there were B-C signs plastered all over the caf, I posted here and then ran down to campus to find out what was happening. Of course by then they were gone, but on my way three or four students stopped me and said they asked to vote as Dems and were told THEY WERE ONLY REGISTERING REPUBLICANS. That's right. They were telling people they were refusing to register Democrats. I'm not an expert but I'm pretty sure this is illegal.

Further, a sympathetic professor told me that this group used the non-partisan name of the Poli Sci Club to do "only non-partisan registration" - this is at least what they told their professor "sponsor". So, they used the Poli Sci club as a means by which to spout their own blatantly biased and partisan rhetoric (and lied to a professor). Typical, huh?

Now, apparently this group didn't "actually" refuse to register Dems - if one was brave enough to hand them their registration form thyat is. This group bragged to a number of students and professors that they had registered 80 Republicans, 1 Democrat, and 1 "non-partisan".

I am absolutely livid. The Student Affairs guy wasn't there by the time I got there, but I'm on my way now and he is gonna HEAR it. I called the PA Kerry-Edwards headquarters, the district's Democrat for Congress office, and I'll call the media if I have to, and anyone else who will listen. This may or may not have just been an oversight by the SA person, but I've also found out that this guy's office isn't 20 feet from where this table was set up! This is the same SA guy who told me, when I asked if I could do a pro-Kerry Voter reg table two weeks ago, that he "didn't want it to be partisan, only generic" (unless I took four weeks to set up a "Kerry club" which would be fine but I don't have time for this with the Oct 4 deadline to register). This is a satellite campus of Penn State, so if I have to go to the Dean of the Main campus I will. I'm just nervous they will refuse to tell the B-C people that they have to leave.

I'm going to demand that this group be told to leave if they show up again and I also want the exact same number of days of uninterrupted, pro-Kerry time that the B-C people had. And I don't want those assholes standing upstairs in the caf handing out Bush lit at the same time, either.

Anyway wish me luck. Any other advice other than calling the ACLU? I'll see what kind of cooperation (or lack thereof) from the SA people - they may be as left in the dark as me or they may just not care about the whole thing. If they give me a hard time then I'm not feeling sorry and will call everyone I have to.

[fudge stripe cookays]

1. Make an appointment with the university chancellor....

and explain the situation.

If he refuses to hear your complaints, or won't give you the same courtesies that the B/C people got, tell him you're going to the media, and you'll yell your head off about discrimination. Definitely call the ACLU, and call Air America and let them know. Talk to any sympathetic media source you can find.

These people need to keep their alumni dollars coming in, and they need to keep new students attending at a good clip. Rumors of bias and nastiness like this can only hurt them.

Good luck!
FSC

[PA Democrat]

2. Which campus of Penn State?

Did you hear anything from the Kerry Edwards campaign?

Penn State receives government funding, and I would think that therefore they should not be party to any political partisanship. I would contact the Dean of Students and file a formal complaint. Tell them that you are considering taking this story to the media. That should light a fire under them.

[indigobusiness]

3. Call your local news affiliates.

Print and tv and radio.

[bunkerbuster1]

7. If these dummies are foolish enough to brag publicly

about their partisanship, either get it on audiotape or have a credible eye/earwitness with you who can vouch for what they've said.

THEN go to the media.

[indigobusiness]

8. Get it to the media NOW

Let THEM do the investigation.

[bunkerbuster1]

15. I hope you're right.

Perhaps expediency is of the essence here. But I have a hard time imagining that local print / broadcast media is going to give a good crap about a small-time campus voter registration drive, particularly when it's just one student's word.

[librechik]

13. get on the phone and start calling the media--that's a public university,

right? Don't let those hooligans get away with stealing our 2 party system! Ignoramuses...

This is illegal and wrong and no time to be shy about complaining.

Start with the local tv stations and newspapers--they're always looking for news. In fact, PM me with details and I'll see what I can do myself.

[Demit]

4. YOU GO! Shake things up in ole Happy Valley

Make a stink and don't let up. How about pointing a camera at them while they're engaged in their "nonpartisan" activities? And trying to interest the school paper in the story? Nothing like a little sudden light shed to make people back off their scurrious activities.

Let us know how you made out.

[Joanne98]

5. Beating them up would be a better idea.

[librechik]

14. let's not sink to their level--yet

2 wrongs don't make a right

:loveya:

[SheepyMcSheepster]

6. keep up the good work!

thanks.

[Corgigal]

9. Don't forget to tape those guys

in the act. They are doing this out in public and you want to document who was there. It might actually make them a bit more nervous which would just be fun.

Keep up the good work and grap a video camera.

[pansypoo53219]

10. they can register relemmingcan

but they don't have to VOTE that way.
how many moles did they register?

[mermaid]

11. I Don't Know About PA's Laws

with regards to voter registration, but I am a Deputy Registrar in Texas.

In texas, one does not declare party at time of registration, they declare it by voting in one primary or the other.

Now, obviously, what motivated ME to be a Deputy Registrar is attempting to register as many DEMOCRATS as I could, and as few Repukes as possible. I won't gild the lily on this point, I DO NOT WANT TO HELP REPUKES VOTE!!

Therefore, I set up in places where I am far more likely to get Democrats than Repukes. I have set up at gay bars, for example...and local Goodwill stores. I have gone to coffee houses on poetry nights, and to dog parks. These are places most often frequented by lower-income people, and thus, are far more likely to be Democrats.

HOWEVER...It would be a FELONY for me to refuse to register a Republican if they asked me to register them. someone could come up in my face, sing W's praises, spit in my face, tell me he's gonna vote for asshole, and then request me to register him....AND I HAVE TO REGISTER HIM!!!

This is the law in Texas, anyway. and I do have to be non-partisan in my efforts, per law, I cannot wear campaign gear when registering voters. I have to hide all my "W sucks" gear.

I can say, of the 98 I have so far singlehandedly registers, I suspect that at least 85 were Democrats, and another 10 possibly 3rd party. I don't believe I have registered many, if any, Repukes...and this is BY DESIGN...as I'm hanging out in places not likely to be frequented by Repukes. What I am doing IS LEGAL. and the Repukes got their Deputy Registrars hanging out at their places, too...don't kid yourselves on this point...the Travis County Democratic Party Coordinated Campaign made this very clear to me when I volunteered as a Deputy Registrar.

What would be illegal for me would be to flat-out refuse to register ANYONE who asked me to register them...so long as they were legally allowed to register. I can, for example, refuse to register a non-citizen, or an underage person. but I cannot refuse to register someone because I think they will vote for asshole. THAT would be a felony.

Likewise, it would be a felony for me to fail to turn in the Voter Registration form of anyone I felt was likely to vote for asshole. I have to turn them in. Failure to do so, especially based on partisan grounds, would be a felony...and could get me in a hell of a lot of trouble. This is called voter disenfranchisement, and is not tolerated. The Voting Rights Act still stands, and I believe the laws in Texas are not unique to Texas, and you ought to explore what the laws in PA are.

I'm no lawyer, and nothing I am saying should be taken as bona-fide legal advice, but I would definitely engage an attorney or the ACLU and look into these activities. YOU GO!!! Hammer them B/C mothafuckas!!

[TahitiNut]

16. Pennsylvania requires a party registration. (Closed primary state.)

Some states have open primaries; some have closed primaries; some are strange 'compromises.'

Pennsylvania's registration process requires declaration of party affiliation as a prerequisite to voting in that party's primary.

"Box 9. Political Party: Select a political party or no affiliation. You must register with a party if you want to take part in that party’s primary."

http://www.dos.state.pa.us/bcel/lib/bcel/voter_registration/01_staticpage/voterregistrationapp.html

[cally]

17. You have to accept registrations from everyone in Cali

also. It's a crime. We mostly get Independent and Democratic registrations, but several Republicans.

I would try to document the crime and then send it to authorities.

[rniel]

12. Get some cameras involved

We need more Michael Moore type people to expose this kind of stuff. If you go to the media with this it is much better if you have some videotape or voice recording. Pose as a student trying to register to vote and get your friends to help. Catch some of the ridiculous stuff going on. Good luck.