This is extremely troubling...

[CoffeeCat]

I just watched the CBS piece on the purging of voter rolls. Very chilling.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRfJtnfQDgg

What stood out to me was the list of states that have violated Federal Laws, which prevent voter rolls from
being purged 90 days before the election.

I noticed my state of Iowa is on the list of states that is engaging in this unlawful process.

This is troubling--because it answers the question that I've been wondering about for a while, "Why is John
McCain spending so much time in Iowa, when he is behind at least 8 points in the Iowa polls?"

McCain is behind by double digits in some polls, and the Des Moines Register had McCain down by 12 among
Iowa Independents. Obama has a devoted following and a stellar ground game in Iowa, due to his hard work
during the caucuses. McCain didn't bother to campaign in Iowa during the Republican primary. He skipped
Iowa.

McCain was in Iowa last week. He's here AGAIN this week--giving a speech in Des Moines on Monday, then
interviewing with the Des Moines Register Editorial Board and then giving another speech on Tuesday. He's
practically set up camp here!

Is the ability to suppress Iowa's vote--and potential cheating--the reason that McCain is spending so much
time in Iowa? The polls have indicated for weeks that he is far behind.

I think it is highly likely that he's spending time here, so he can justify an unlikely win.

This really upsets me.

[Blackhatjack]

1. It certainly does not seem to be a sound strategy for McCain to be following...

This close to the election it would seem that McCain would be spending time in states where the vote will be razor thin.

I think you have every reason to question McCain's decision to spend time and $$ in Iowa at this time.

[CoffeeCat]

3. What I don't understand is...

Who is the person, or what is the organization---in any state that can enable a state to violate Federal Law
by allowing the voter rolls to be purged 90 days prior to an election????

Our governor is a progressive Democrat and I assume he placed a like-minded individual in the Secretary of
State position.

Who pulls the trigger on deciding that a state will illegally purge the voter rolls????

Here is a list of states that are currently violating the National Voter Registration Act, which bans purging
of voter rolls this close to an election.

Here are the other states. Is there a pattern here?
Alabama
Colorado
Connecticut
Delware
Hawaii
Illinois
Iowa
Kansas
Maryland
Masachusetts
Nebraska
Nevada
New Jersey
New York
Ohio
Oklahoma
Rhode Island
Texas
Washington

[demodonkey]

2. It that CBS Report dated as to when it was broadcast? Did I miss the date? nt

[CoffeeCat]

5. The CBS report looks very recent...

...It was just posted on Youtube, on 9/30.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x203443

[Aloha Spirit]

10. It's based on a report published yesterday..

http://www.brennancenter.org/content/resource/voter_purges

[AndyTiedye]

4. McAint isn't Campaigning to Win, He's Campaigning to Steal It

He is counting on the wingnuts that have taken over so many local governments to steal the election for him.
How many localities in Iowa are run by Dominionists or their ilk?

[CoffeeCat]

7. There is a large contingent of Fundie nutjobs...

...here in our state.

We are an extremely progressive state. We delivered an Obama win in the Iowa caucuses, even
though Hillary was heavily favored nationally. We bucked the system and I'm proud of the
countless number of highly intelligent, politically savvy people.

However, there is a large faction of religious, fundie nutjobs here--all over the state.

The NW portion of the state, in particular, is just terrible. I don't know if you know
our R Congressman Steve King. He's the absolute worst. Total, fundie wackadoo. They
love him up there.

[AndyTiedye]

12. Assuming McAint Gets 100% of the Vote (and 100% Turnout) in NW Iowa, Can Obama Still Win Iowa?

Of course, nobody really gets 100% of the vote and 100% turnout, but Repiglickin'
vote counters have turned in even more improbable results before and gotten away with it.

Some precincts came up with more Bush votes than registered voters in 2004.

[CoffeeCat]

18. That's a really good question...

I'll give you my best guess, but it's just a guess.

NW Iowa is heavily red--and securing most of that vote is always a given for Republicans.

However, that part of the state isnt' as populated as some of the other areas that have larger
cities. Des Moines, and the surrounding suburbs, is a very progressive area--with 350,000 people.

NW Iowa is very, very rural.

Other larger cities in Iowa are pretty progressive. Cedar Rapids, 2nd most populous city (150,000)
should trend toward Obama, but there are a lot of blue-collar voters there who could be on the
fence.

Most of the cities in Iowa would probably trend Obama. I imagine that the more populated areas would
trend Obama, making it extremely difficult for the NW-fundie area to swing the state for McCain--even
if he nearly won 100 percent of it.

That's just my best guess. Other Iowans may have other insight.

[FatDave]

30. Iowa should go to Barack in a landslide.

There's no way the northwest corner can outweigh Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Ames, Iowa City and Davenport/Bettendorf. Hell, I live in Steve King's district (though not the north part), and Obama seems pretty popular out here.

[CoffeeCat]

31. Dave, don't you think it's a bit odd...

...that McCain is spending so much time in our state, considering the information you just mentioned?

Obama's ahead by nearly double digits. He has a well-oiled ground game that he established during
the primary.

McCain and Palin were here last week (Cedar Rapids) and McCain just spent TWO DAYS here in Iowa, Monday
and Tuesday in Des Moines.

I'm not saying that there's some major conspiracy, but it seems odd that McCain would spend so much
time in Iowa. We're only 8 electoral votes and he's losing by 8-10 points, according to most polls.

[FatDave]

33. I think it's absolutely fucking bizarre.

And I said so in another thread before I even read this one. I don't know what's up, but if he had any sense he'd be trying to defend North Carolina.

I'm not ready to jump to any conclusions about the fix being in in Iowa, I'm more likely to write it off as just another boneheaded move of a boneheaded campaign. If Iowa's votes go to McCain, I'll meet you in the streets of Des Moines.

[chiefofclarinet]

34. Yes, Obama can win even if NW Iowa is McCain land

NW Iowa is very low in population. The biggest city there is Sioux City, pop. 83,000. That is the fourth largest city and about 3% of population. And, Sioux City leans GOP, but is not scarlet red. The next biggest city after that is Spencer, population 11,000 and 31st largest city in the state. There are some heavy red spots in NW Iowa (Sioux County comes to mind), but it is more magenta than red.

SW Iowa isn't much better, but it's even less populated. Council Bluffs is about 60,000 people, and it's practically a suburb of Omaha, Nebraska. And the cities get tinier after that. Denison, the second biggest city there, has a whopping 7,200 people in it. It's about the size of Wasilla. And, again, it is magenta, not red.

The population is much more concentrated in Eastern Iowa. Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Waterloo, Iowa City, and Dubuque are all within the top 10 cities in Iowa and are in the Eastern third of Iowa. (Des Moines, Ames, and West Des Moines are all in the central third of the state.) And, these cities are primarily blue.

A good way to look at this is looking at our Congressional district. 5th District, represented by loony Steve King (R), covers Northwest and Southwest Iowa. 4th District is primarily North Central and South Central without Des Moines, and it is represented by Tom Latham (R). This is well over half of the state in size, yet barely 40% of the population. The other three districts, composed of Des Moines and Eastern Iowa, have Leonard Boswell (D), Bruce Braley (D), and Dave Loebsack (D). Even if 5th District goes scarlet red, which it won't, Eastern Iowa can carry it into Obama's hands.

[wowimthere]

6. This is the only way Republicans can win... it's the only way they know... Steal at

any cost then champion family values. It's not gonna work this time. You can tell... Obama doesn't even look worried. He has a formidable machine behind him... as well as a grassroots operation like none before it. The GOP look like bumbling fools at this point.

[gauguin57]

8. In Pennsylvania, we've got a court case going on over whether people can wear political shirts

and buttons into the polling place when they vote. I'm worried that, depending on how this plays out, some pollworkers will toss people out of the polls -- tell them to take off their buttons and change their shirts -- and prevent them from voting (if the person is on a tight time schedule and can't come back).

Other states have had problems over all the different deadlines for Americans overseas to get their ballots back to the U.S.

Why oh WHY can't they get this shit settled a few months before the election, so we all know what we're dealing with?

(And, of course, that last questions is rhetorical: the Rethugs want to make sure as few Democrats vote as possible).

[Aloha Spirit]

9. I just emailed my AG's office, asking what our state has done to prevent VRA violations. What else

can we do?

[Rosa Luxemburg]

11. do you know any friendly congressmen?

they are the guys who make the fed laws!

[AndyTiedye]

13. The Federal Laws are On The Books. They Are Being Ignored

Who is going to enforce them? The Repiglickin' Department of "Justice"? :rofl:

[Aloha Spirit]

14. I just left a voicemail at the USDOJ.. comment line is 202 353 1555

Office of the Attorney General - 202-353-1555

[Aloha Spirit]

16. Voting rights sub-office, 202-307-2767. real person.

[Aloha Spirit]

17. I'm on hold

[Yellow Horse]

15. Same guys who enforced HAVA, and gave so many states paperless elctronic vote eating machines. nt

[Rosa Luxemburg]

19. it might be worth getting some publicity?

[CoffeeCat]

20. I just called our Secretary of State's Election office...

...and I explained what was in the CBS story, and I outlined that CBS is
reporting that Iowa is one of 19 states that is violating the National Voter
Registration Act--by purging voter rolls less than 90 days before the election.

The guy who answered the phone did not have an answer, but he was very kind
and he took my name and number and he said someone would return my call.

I hope so. Unless he can convince me that CBS made a grave reporting error,
I'm sending the CBS story and my comments to every reporter in Iowa.

If we're violating National laws, the people and the voters of Iowa--have
a right to know.

[demodonkey]

22. Actually, your SoS Michael Mauro is a good guy. You are doing the right thing to talk to him.

Michael Mauro is a Democrat, and one of the better Secretaries of State, IMHO. He seems very open and concerned about fair and accurate elections. (I have met him, BTW.)

You also had a very active citizen's election integrity organization working on voting machine issues in IA, but the head of it got hired by one of the big national groups since you got the law passed for paper ballots. So I don't know what's going on with that group in IA anymore, but I would hope there are some citizen advocacy groups on to this as well.

Good luck -- please keep us posted.

[CoffeeCat]

24. That is what I assumed about Mauro...

...because he is an Obama supporter and a good friend to our Progressive Governor, Chet Culver.

I was curious about a snippet I read in "USA Today" about Mauro lobbying, in 2007, against a bill that was
in committee in Congress, that would require all states to have paper-trail voting.

Mauro did make an interesting point, that new laws would make the equipment useless in states that all ready
have paper voting. I can understand Mauro being concerned about Iowa spending more for equipment--when
we are a paper-trail state. However, I thought it was curious that he would lobby against making this law,
because he obviously understands how critical this issue is.

Also, I'm wondering--since we do have a decent SOS--why our state is violating these Federal Laws
that ban the voter rolls from being purged less than 90 days before the election. I want to know who
pulled the trigger on that illegal activity.

Thanks for your thoughts on Mauro.

[Aloha Spirit]

23. Thank you for doing this! Please let us know what you find out.

[kansan]

21. Tricky stuff in KS

http://www.mysek.net/showthread.php?tid=894

Look what locals are dealing with in Kansas.

[Aloha Spirit]

25. Do you think you could call them to let them know, and ask what they're doing about it?

If you can, definitely mention the CBS news report on "Voter Purges" as well, so this gets some interest.

KANSAS
Brad Bryant, Deputy Assistant for Elections
120 SW 10th Ave.
First Floor, Memorial Hall
Topeka, Kansas 66612-1594
[phone] FAX [phone]
http://www.kssos.org

[Aloha Spirit]

26. And here's the Missouri info

MISSOURI
Kay Dinolfo, Co-Director of Elections
Missouri Secretary of State's Office
PO Box 1767
Jefferson City, MO 65102
[phone] FAX [phone]

[kansan]

32. more

I helped a couple of close friends with their first time voter registration. Today I checked to see if they made the rolls, and found out they are both registered as Republican. I know that not to be true. Probably won't make a difference in the general election, but at a primary election you receive party specific ballots.

https://myvoteinfo.voteks.org/ Must have date of birth to view, but being close friends, I had that info.

[TexasObserver]

27. the voter purge is the Number One scheme of the GOP Crime Family.

[DeeDeeNY]

28. Email or call the Iowa AG's office and ask point blank

Also, it can't hurt to email the video to Barackobama.com

[Aloha Spirit]

29. If you know of any voting rights violations, the AG and your SOS want to hear from you...

Step One: US Attorney General's Office, Voting Division:

[phone]

They want to know details about specific jurisdictions so they can send representatives to monitor activities.

Step Two:

Go to this website and find your Secretary of State/Elections phone #:
http://www.nased.org/membership.htm

AND.. be sure to ask them what they are doing to make sure your voting rights are protected in the upcoming national election, as well as tell them you are concerned about Voter Purges based on a CBS news report.

Thanks guys!

[CoffeeCat]

35. Update--Iowa Sec of State Office called me back...

Ok, I talked with someone who was very kind, and he was helpful when he returned my call.

He didn't know anything about the CBS article, when I first called, but he read it and he
read the "Brennan Report" that was discussed in the CBS article--and then he returned my call.

He said that no one in their office was sure why Iowa as listed as one of the nineteen
states that was violating Federal Election laws, by doing voter-list purges less than
90 days before the election.

He said that no such purges were happening in Iowa.

He did say that there were random instances where people were being taken off the voter rolls--like
if someone was recently convicted of a felony. However, no systematic purges in Iowa were taking
place. He also said that there were some purges in January--well before the election, but these
were address changes, removal of people who had died. He also mentioned that Iowa notifies people
if they have been struck from the voter roll, so they can correct the problem if it is a mistake or
fill out a current address form.

So....according to our SOS office, CBS got it wrong.

We also talked about voting machines. Iowa does not use touch screens. We use Optical Scanning Equipment that
reads paper ballots. If there is a recount, the recount is done with the paper ballots, so there is a paper trail.

I know what Mike Mauro, our SOS, is a decent Democrat. At this point, this is the information that I have.

I think my next step might be to get in touch with the reporter who wrote the story, and to ask why Iowa
was included as one of the 19.

[Aloha Spirit]

36. Hey, nice work! I believe the 19 states are from the USPIRG report last week,

and their inclusion is based on conversations with personnel at the same office you spoke with.

Here's the report...
http://www.uspirg.org/newsroom/voting/voting-news/washington-d.c.-nineteen-states-not-enforcing-federal-laws-on-voter-lists

(full report is a pdf, link at the bottom of text in above link.)

[CoffeeCat]

37. Thank you for that info....

...on the uspirg study.

I looked it over and I see Iowa listed as one of the states.

Do you know if the Brennan Report used information from the
uspirg report, as part their story?

I'm trying to uncover why Iowa is included.

I didn't see Iowa mentioned at all in the Brennan Report.

However, I do see Iowa mentioned in this uspirg report.

Thanks for any info you may have. I'll continue researching...

[Enthusiast]

38. Without their cheating

it would be a landslide.