Challenging Voters Based on Race

• Now They're Registered, Now They're Not

Dirty tricks are a staple of campaigns, but election officials say this year's could achieve new highs in numbers and new lows in scope, especially in key battleground states such as Florida and Ohio, where special-interest groups have poured in to influence the neck-and-neck race between President Bush and Sen. John F. Kerry. "In my 16 years as an election administrator, I've never seen anything like this," said Ion Sancho, supervisor of elections in Leon County, Fla. "I see it as an expression of a political culture that has evolved in the United States of win at any cost. It's not partisan, but it's just lie, cheat and steal, and ethics be damned."  [more] The following activities are aimed at suppressing Democratic voters:

• Students' party affiliations were unknowingly changed to Republican after they signed unrelated petitions in Florida and Pennsylvania. Florida officials estimated that some 4,000 potential voters were affected.
• Fliers in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, instructed Democrats to vote on Wednesday, November 3.
• In Milwaukee, fliers labeled as coming from the "Milwaukee Black Voters League" (Pictured above) has incorrect statements about election law, such as "If you've already voted in any election this year, you can't vote in the presidential election," as well as intimidating warnings about possible jail time for violating non-existent laws. A Wisconsin Republican Party spokesman suggested that Democrats may be circulating the fliers in order to anger voters to increase turnout.
• Voters in Ohio received letters falsely informing them that if their registrations came from Democratic and NAACP voting drives that they were unable to vote. The Post wrote that some Ohio Republicans advanced "the double-dirty-trick explanation, saying the Democrats are out to make the GOP look bad."
• In Cleveland (where Democrats outnumber Republicans more than 3 to 1), voters have received calls informing them of incorrect polling place changes and people have reported that people have come to their homes and made the illegal offer to collect and return their absentee ballots.
• In South Carolina, voters have received letters, falsely claiming to be from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), that incorrectly inform voters they could be arrested at the polls if they have outstanding parking tickets or if they are overdue on child support.
• "Republican-leaning interest groups" have been accused of destroying or not turning in registration submitted by Democrats.
  
• In Michigan, in a recording of a call played for the AP, a young woman says: ``When you vote this Tuesday remember to legalize gay marriage by supporting John Kerry. We need John Kerry in order to make gay marriage legal for our city. Gay marriage is a right we all want. It's a basic Democrat principle. It's time to move forward and be progressive. Without John Kerry, George Bush will stop gay marriage. That's why we need Kerry. So Tuesday, stand up for gay marriage by supporting John Kerry.'' [more]
• In Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, this official-looking flyer advises Democratic voters to "create a peaceful voting environment" by voting on Wednesday, November 3 [SEE]
• And then there's this Jefferson County flyer, which cheerily tells voters "See you at the Poles![sic]"... on November 4. [SEE]
  

FOR WHAT REASON are the media and its brainwashed followers falsely reporting that Voter Suppression tactics and other Dirty tricks are being done by both political parties? Republicans are trying to prevent Blacks and Latinos from voting. BW knows of no stories in which Democrats or Blacks or Latinos are preventing Republicans or Whites from voting. The above information is taken from an article in the Washington Post. Media Matters.org observes that the Washington Post curved the news stating that Democrats are engaged in dirty tricks also. But  the WP article offered NO facts to substantiate their claim except the following:

• Authorities in several states also are investigating claims, by former employees of groups paid by both the Republican Party and Democratic-leaning interest groups, that they destroyed or did not turn in new registrations by voters of the opposite party. [more]