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102 Complaints of Voter Intimidation Thus Far

Want a rundown on all the incidents of voter fraud and voter intimidation that have been reported thus far today? The New Republic’s Eliza Gray has set up shop

Jul 31, 2020285.2K Shares3.9M Views
Want a rundown on all the incidents of voter fraud and voter intimidation that have been reported thus far today? The New Republic’s Eliza Gray has set up shopat the command center of Election Protection, a nonpartisan coalition of legal groups that monitors voter complaints as they come in, and she’s been blogging about what’s been coming across the wire all day. So far, 102 reports of voter intimidation have come in, Gray reports, while the nature of the complaints the center has fielded have run the gamut from amusing to downright disturbing. On the ligher side:
In Pennsylvania, a computer misread one gentleman’s vote and a polling volunteer—who couldn’t get the damn thing to work—called out to the room full of voters: “Does anyone want to vote for this candidate? Because this guy wants to vote for someone else and we can’t get his ballot to work.” So much for privacy in the voting booth!
And the not-so-funny:
  • In Houston, Texas, presumed vote-stoppers are reverting to old-fashioned tactics. A flyerfrom a fake group called the Black Democratic Trust of Texas—which I have in hand (and by hand, I mean my inbox)—warns voters: “Republicans are trying to trick us! When you vote straight ticket Democratic, it is actually voting for Republicans, and your vote doesn’t count.” Featuring the president’s familiar campaign slogan “Yes We Can!” in bold letters, the flyer goes on to tell voters that the only way to vote for a Democratic ticket is to cast their ballot for gubernatorial candidate Bill White.
  • In Kansas, the attorney general’s office has reported robocalls telling voters that election day is tomorrow, and that they must bring a voter-registration card and proof of ownership to their polling places—things that are not required by Kansas election law, which only requires identification for first-time voters.
  • Volunteers have heard news of foul play from people—yet to be identified—who are trying to stop voters from getting to the polls altogether. Election Protection has confirmed that robocalls went out in New Hampshire and Maine yesterday, incorrectly telling voters that they could vote online. Similar calls reported in New Orleans have yet to be verified.
Follow her coverage here.
Rhyley Carney

Rhyley Carney

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