Voter Suppression Hits The Web
E-Mails Sow Disinformation As Voting Groups Prepare To Monitor Polls With Web Apps, Twitter And Mobile Video
by David Herbert
Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2008
Voter suppression is moving off the streets and onto the Internet, but political operatives seeking to spread confusion on Election Day are being countered by tech-savvy voting rights groups employing new Web applications to debunk myths and police the polls.
Efforts to suppress voter turnout are a time-honored tradition in American politics, but until now they have been decidedly low-tech, usually taking the form of anonymous fliers with misleading information about eligibility or election dates. But some tricksters are moving to the Web this campaign season to capitalize on new technologies and take advantage of an electorate that increasingly consumes political news online.
Earlier this month, an e-mail began circulating in Texas instructing voters casting a straight-ticket Democratic ballot to also punch Obama's name -- a move that would invalidate their votes on eSlate brand voting machines. Another e-mail in Florida -- this one alleging that voters whose IDs don't match state records won't be able to vote -- has been making the rounds since late September.
"We're at the tip of the iceberg," said Jon Pincus, founder of the Voter Suppression Wiki, which tracks deceptive campaign practices. "I still don't think online voter suppression is nearly as severe as offline voter suppression, but it's only going to grow."
more...
http://www.nationaljournal.com/njonline/no_20081027_9705.php
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
