New Mexico GOP Sued For Voter Intimidation

ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) has sent out a press release about a lawsuit against the New Mexico GOP after reports that minority voters in the state are being intimidated by party officials. The press release:

Lawsuits were filed today in U.S. Federal District Court, charging New Mexico Republicans with criminal violations of the U.S. Voting Rights Act.

The lawsuits stem from a series of attacks on new, minority voters in Albuquerque--many of whom were assisted in registering to vote by ACORN--that began with a press conference on October 16, led by State Representative Justine Fox-Young, in which Fox-Young claimed to have solid proof that individuals had illegally voted in the June, 2008 Democratic primary election. At the press conference, the Republican Party broke state law by distributing the voters' personal information in its press packets.

The second attack came after ACORN visited 9 of the 10 smeared voters and proved them to be legitimate. On October 22, a private investigator visited at least 3 of the voters, leaving them shaken, one in tears.

The Associated Press reported the daughter of one voter indicated that the intimidating tactics had worked on her mother. ""She said that if she knew she was going to have to go through all this, she wouldn't have voted," said Guadalupe Bojorquez.

According to the VRA, it is a criminal offense to willfully intimidate or interfere with a person attempting to vote or to conspire to intimidate someone trying to vote. In ACORN's conversations with all of the voters visited by the investigator, all expressed fear at his aggressive, angry, and intrusive behavior.

"These are all minority voters. Many of them are young, and one is a new citizen," said ACORN leader Dana Gallegos. "ACORN has worked hard to get these types of new voters involved in the democratic process. We will not tolerate attempts by the Republican Party to suppress the Hispanic vote in New Mexico."

The investigator told one voter that his name was Al Romero and that he works for Pat Rogers, a Republican Party attorney who was also involved in the October 16 smears.

ACORN helped 80,000 New Mexicans register to vote this year.

A voting-rights group has also called for a federal probe of the matter.

Comments

[tech4u2hire]

Why does this whole issue turn into a party issue? Why can't we all say that voter fraud/inti­midation/d­isenfranch­isement needs to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law?
I mean seriously I do not care what party we are talking about here, messing with democracy is crap. I seriously think that if things get funky we will see people in force, something we really haven't seen in a generation. I guess that is one good thing that may come out of this election people have actually decided to get involved. I really think that there has been malfeasance on both sides of this election. I have not nor will I probably as I live in small town California (a deeply blue state). I am just happy to see that amongst the rock throwing there are some valid posts out there these days. Personally I think that the whole registration drives and pole watching are a bit over the top, they cause more problems then they solve.

[moonie1]

Can we start a "Outlaw the Republican Thugs" legislative act? These supposed proponents of American values seem the last to adhere to the rule of law and decency and toss the Constitution aside if it means trying to get elected. I wish all the bass-tards would get tossed in jail and left to rot for their anti-democratic behavior.

[jenrose]

No people are not being paid to go vote for Obama wrong again! I worked a call bank yesterday and volunteers are picking up some who do not have transportation to the voting poll station. No we are not paying anyone to vote.

This is repulsive to imply this and volunteers are working feverishly to help and that my unpaid time so get it right!

[Darsimaj]

I'm not sure the American people will allow a third election to be taken away by the gop. Since so many people are invested in this election, you may well see people in the streets demanding accountability and maybe even revenge.
This country prides itself on it's democratic voting process, what a joke. Tactics like these are what you might see in Africa and other countries dominated by a totalitarian regime. Crap like this just makes me sick. To what level must a political party crawl simply to win an election. I suppose we will need to have armed military guards surrounding the polling places and have voters dip their finger in purple ink so we can feel as democratic as Iraq.

How disappointed I am in the political process of this country.

[beniceorshutup]

Tactics by the Obama campaign. I have witnessed people being bought to vote for Obama. $20.00 a pop. Yes, I am sure there will be chaos, because the libs are not getting their way, lawsuits, recounts, whatever.....face it....more people are voting for McCain than the polls show. Deal with it, don't act like uncivilized animals, its bad enough to read the thuggery on here. The threats and nonsense shows the character flaws of the Democratic party, since when is bullying and threatening right? Do you hear the conservatives threatening to riot? or have revenge? For goodness sake get ahold of yourself (and your party of libs)

[Solja]

You are tipsy, right?

[JHKH]

I guess you are reading the numbers that the Republicans already have? I suspect that the vote is fixed (much as the evidence around the justification for invading Iraq) and the electronic machines have been pre-programmed to "count" a McCain victory. And, no, I don't think the American people will rise up en masse. We will meekly accept it after the corporate media expresses their genuine surprise, and then justifies the outcome as being due to . . . . blah, blah, blah. As for the being paid to transport voters, did someone tell you they were being paid $20 per? Or did someone tell you that they heard they were from someone who told them -- as they pointed to a random vehicle or group of people? Hearsay and rumor, I'd guess.

[Indubio]

These miserable SOBs need to be criminally prosecuted and if they are guilty they should have the book thrown at them. These tactics are what one might expect in a totalitarian banana republic... but oh, i forget, that's what the GOP would like to do; turn this nation's voting process into a rigged process they can control. If they can;t win with a responsible agenda then just cheat. After all, we all know the rules don;t apply to Republicans.

[BillMelater]

Yes, well put.

[ouroborous]

Given that the polls are consistently pointing towards an Obama landslide, if McCain somehow "magically" wins this election, I think you're going to see crowds on the street with torches and pitchforks.

I don't think that the GOP knows the witch's brew it's creating with these dirty vote suppression tactics. This is the kind of thing that leads to violence.

GOP, please, if you truly want to place "country first," stop trying to keep legitimate voters from voting, just because you don't like they way they'll vote.

[JHKH]

GOP, country first? No, it's GOP, ME first.

[Hare]

For those of us who normally vote "Straight Democratic", please pay close attention!!!!!

Confirmed this weekend by a group of Obama volunteers that when voting for the presidential candidate this November, you have to make sure you punch Barack's name first, then proceed to punch "Straight Democratic" or else the vote for the president won't count.

[judyc]

THIS IS INCORRECT INFORMATION GIVEN BY A TRO//.

Read the instructions where you vote.

[Hare]

He himself said that today in the speech in North Caroline you are the thro// so go away. I am not a democrat or republican but I'll vote for Obama.

[Kakistocrat]

It has been reported on the news that certain ballots DO NOT have Obama's name in the straight Democratic ticket. You have to vote for Obama specifically, or else you will not have voted for him at all. The report went on to claim that all voters were told of this before casting their votes. The report did not say whether the same restriction applied to the Republican ticket. The gist of this is that one must be very careful to protect his/her vote, especially when voting in Republican­-controlle­d states or when using a touchscreen.

[musicisourhigh]

To me these are more legitimate problems than worrying about Donald Duck or Mickey Mouse showing up to vote.

There will be far more voter suppression than voter fraud

[Fightnmad]

Woooo Hoooooo! It's about time the lawyers on the side of justice, started pushing back! This article does my heart good.

Next step- take on the companies who rigged their voting machines. We know they're rigged cuz they only flip votes from Democratic to Rethug, and not the other way around.

[luckylily88]

i'm a poll official this year in NM and i honestly think that our system is one of the best in the country. our GOP fought tooth and nail against the initiative to make paper ballots mandatory statewide, and this is their hissy fit because they lost. not to mention our state may soon be represented in the US congress exclusively by democrats...

but contrary to this article, it's actually very easy to vote in NM... stand up to these people, don't let them steal another election!

[Krackonis]

Without paper ballots you are not voting and there is no record. The United Nations has put out a warning about the US elections. That they are not 'legitimate' to world standards due to those machines and this article tells you ONE states problems. Each one is under attack by these GOP brownshirts.

[JHKH]

Will they send observers? Please?

[barriosbabe]

Obama needs to stay cool though on this lawsuit; most centrists leaning his way HATE the ACLU.

signed,

card carrying member
ready to walk to DC if those bugge rs steal thiselection

[barriosbabe]

"Let me state this. There isn't a person, organization or circumstance beyond death that will keep me from exercising my voting rights."

I agree. BTW, just curious, if I vote today but die Nov 3rd, does my vote count?

[tomjones44]

are you planning on dying on Nov 3rd?

[barriosbabe]

(Walter Mathau voice):

"Representative Justine Fox-Young, Worst Person in the World!"

[truthynesslover]

LET THE GAMES BEGIN!!!

[offred]

How come we're not hearing anything about Ann Coulter deliberately voting in the wrong precinct in the last election? How come we're not hearing about all though Limbaugh worshippers who bragged about voting "Democrat for One Day"?

[TLV]

They are as stupid as the people you wrote about. If one of them does this, it's just fine and dandy.

[Krackonis]

Coulter will do what she is told to do by her masters. To think people WILLINGLY become this inhumane and not become criminals is naive. She came out of no where and like many propagandists you need to see who 'trained' them. I would place money that she has a CIA controller or is otherwise on the payroll of a front company.

Heck, what do I know, I think the Pussycat Dolls are propagandists (Just look at their commercial­-materiali­st attitude and their blatant sexism and degradation of women.)