GOP challenges rights of hundreds of voters

[cal04]

Republican claims in King County draw angry denial
Hundreds of worried and angry voters deluged the King County elections department Friday with calls questioning a Republican-backed effort challenging their right to vote in Tuesday's election, elections officials said. Several voters said that King County GOP Vice Chairman Lori Sotelo was dead wrong in her claim that their voter registration addresses are not those of legitimate residences. And Democratic politicians denounced the Republican initiative as a blatant attempt to intimidate voters.

State GOP Chairman Chris Vance acknowledged some challenges were brought in error and would be withdrawn. But he vigorously defended the undertaking overall and promised more of the same. The spark for the political firestorm was the delivery of certified letters Thursday from the county elections department to voters on the GOP hit list, which totaled 1,774 names after duplicates were eliminated. The letters informed the voters of the challenge and cited the state law requiring voters to register at a valid residence address.

"I'm extremely disappointed and angry at the audacity of this woman and the party she represents," said Demene Hall, who got one of the letters. Hall has lived for 16 years at the Watermarke apartment building at 320 Cedar St. in Seattle, her registration address. Hall, who said she is "too African American" not to be a regular voter, said Friday she came of age in the civil rights era and watched her parents hand out political fliers outside polling places they were not allowed to enter. "We just buried Rosa Parks on Wednesday, I got the letter on Thursday and today is my 57th birthday," she said. "And they're challenging my validity?"


Democratic politicians Friday assailed the Republicans' challenge effort. "This is not election reform, this is voter intimidation and voter suppression," County Council Chairman Larry Phillips said in a news release. "Validly registered voters in King County should not be intimidated by this Republican dirty trick." And state Democratic Party Chairman Paul Berendt said in a release, "This shows how desperate the Republicans are and what lengths they will go to in order to win."

more
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/247249_voters05.html

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. here we go again

[Fovea]

2. Republicans-- They hate us for our freedoms.

Specifically, the freedom to vote.

[Liberal Veteran]

3. Someone should file a civil suit against Lori Sotelo.

For harassment through incompetence.

[sam sarrha]

6. i think tar and feathers is more appropriate..

[sam sarrha]

4. challenged their address then sent them a letter..??

[NanceGreggs]

9. "Dear Would-Be Voter ...

... We send this letter to inform you that you do not live at this address."

[Catfight]

5. I wonder if registered repugs get challenged? nt

[niyad]

8. this question was rhetorical, right?

[Catfight]

12. I'm not sure, was yours? LOL

[drm604]

13. Maybe they should be...

I'm not a resident of Washington and I've never met Lori Sotelo but I'm pretty sure that she couldn't possibly live at the address she's registered at...

Of course no one should do anything like that (I'm serious! It's illegal and wrong and could get you in trouble.) but boy it sure would feel satisfying wouldn't it?

[niyad]

7. these bastards are getting more arrogant by the minute.

[Gman]

10. Demene Hall's problem is that she is "too African American"

That's the problem. I'm sure she's also completely guilty of DWB too.

[shoelace414]

11. they did this in Wisconsin in 2004

[baron j]

14. Link to The Stranger article on this:

http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=24932

[baron j]

15. These rules are unfair to the homeless. Not everyone has a residential

address.