In the aftermath of the 2020 election, extremist candidates, state legislatures and disgruntled Trump supporters have come together to attack election workers. Among the fruits of their labor are a collection of new laws across the country that impose strict new penalties on election workers — in some cases for minor mistakes, or for carrying out their work in the way they have in past elections.
Iowa … made it a felony to disregard election guidance from the secretary of state.
WTF is that supposed to mean? It’s surely a statute open to manipulation and abuse by a disreputable secretary of state, not that any of those exist in red states.
It’s disgusting that so many in this country have declared open warfare on free and fair elections.
Guess I will need my birth certificate, passport, driver’s license and a blood sample to vote. … … … … … …
“Two such laws were passed in Arizona, a state that has become ground-zero for attacks on election administration: H.B. 2237 prohibits same-day voting registration while H.B. 2492 requires that election officials ensure that voters provide “satisfactory evidence of citizenship” to cast their ballot.”
So what is a “citizen” supposed to look like? Only White GOPers can vote now? Screw that shit. In a sensible world those who author laws like H. B. 2492 would get hounded out of the legislature by the members themselves. But Arizona has has a GOP majority in both state chambers since 1969.
The question I have, which you would think would not need answering, is does this law only affect Democratic poll workers? Considering the states involved, the question needs to be asked.
That’s the whole point of these actions – getting the good people out of the election process, so they can put criminal lawyers (and I mean that as lawyers who are criminals) to take the whole process over. I saw that happening way back in 2010 in Wisconsin. If you wanted to make voting a great experience (while also being run accurately and with integrity) the GQP wanted you out. They are Nazis of the first order.
Up until the pandemic when I went to mail in ballots I voted in the same place for 40 years. The election workers were my various neighbors. We easily knew who should and should not vote in our precinct. In all that time… only two Mexican folks tried to vote and they both were mortified when they realized their mistake. They were not evil people, they just misunderstood. There also have been a handful of qualified voters trying to vote in the wrong precinct which happens. Mrs darr did a temp gig for the 2020 election and so I know for a fact there was no BS about that election in Pima County. Also, the ballot counting and tabulation was all on line so anyone could watch and see for themselves that there was nothing fake or dishonest.
IANAL, bit it seems to me that criminalizing human error violates some basic principal of justice. After all, if stupidity were a crime, well you know.
I think I know what you are saying but deliberate stupidity is not really stupidity. And I am not talking about ignorance or misunderstanding of the law. For instance, if some applicant presents falsified but convincing proof of citizenship, is the election worker culpable? As a juror, I could not find such an individual guilty of anything.
Where was it that I read about Sidney Powell raising $16.8 million in donations for her non-profit org, and spent half of it on legal expenses (no doubt her own) – maybe TPM?
Sidney certainly didn’t use it to buy decent wearing apparel. She really epitomizes the term “deliberate stupidity.”
In many states, the 2022 midterms are a trial run of the voter intimidation and anti democratic behavior the GOP will deploy nationally in 2024. Unless they can find success this year in some states, the GOP’s anti democratic agenda may not work to steal the next election.
