GOP Officials Trying To Disqualify Iowa Student Ballots

The Iowa GOP appears to be distancing itself from a Monday effort to challenge thousands of student ballots at Grinnell College.

Spokesman Nathan Treloar told the Huffington Post on Tuesday that while he has "seen reports coming out that its Republican lawyers" objecting to student ballots, he claimed "this could be a local thing" at the county level.

RELATED: Check Out HuffPo's Voting Problems Big News Page

Asked whether the state party has encouraged or endorsed the strategy, in which students who did not register to vote by affixing a PO box to their official university mailing address are being challenged, Treloar said "No, not that I have been made aware of." Treloar then suggested contacting the Republican chair in Poweshiek county, where Grinnell is located.

But if the Iowa Republican Party is not eager to be associated with the challenging the ballots of young voters, they have yet to communicate their displeasure to those who are responsible for the tactic.

Reached by phone, Poweshiek Republican county chair Harry Meek not only claimed responsibility for the strategy, but said he had no idea whether the state party backed his move. "Yeah, it was us," he admitted, sounding somewhat resigned. Asked if he knew how the state party viewed their legal challenge of young voters, Meek said, "I couldn't tell ya."

"We were told that Secretary of State in Iowa had made some concessions for students -- as long as they put down the [university] post office address along with a PO box, that was adequate. So the ones we challenged were those that didn't have a PO box. It's real simple, we're just going by the rules. It says so right on the challenge affidavit."

Alec Schierenbeck, Vice President of the College Democrats of America and a student at Grinnell College, sees it differently. "That is a technicality that they're using to try and disenfranchise students," he said, noting that while only 50 votes have been challenged out of 700 early ballots on campus, the result is mass confusion on campus today. "At the last minute, we've had to rearrange the way we are getting out the vote on campus. I fear some voters were disuaded by the idea they're going to go to polls today, and a lawyer is going to harrangue them and shake a book at them. It spreads a lot of disinformation."

Schierenbeck says that all students who cast challenged ballots have been contacted, and are signing statements in advance of a Thursday hearing on the issue. "Given the [last-minute] context of challenge, and the history of way we've registered, we're optimistic these votes are going to be upheld," he said.

"The is a last-minute tactic by a party that's adrift, and has little left to do but disenfranchise people," Schierenbeck added. "That's why the state party has cut them adrift. They don't want to take responsibility for it, either."

RELATED: Over 1,000 Students Lined Up To Vote At Penn State (VIDEO)

Comments

[dcjdjay]

Jesus, these people are despicable. They'll stop at nothing.

[IJKMNO]

Here is Harry Meek's home phone number and e-mail (obtained from Google). Feel free to let him know how you feel about him and his party trying to restrict democracy.

Harry Meek - 641-623-5288 netins.netins.net

[jood42]

Kind of makes you yearn for that ancient Japanese sense of shame. There'd be a lot of ritual suicides going on right now.

[Tulka2]

This is a story from your rabid Democratic Iowa-roots girl and it is in defence of the Republicans in Iowa. The story is a true story. It's about the nature of the people of Iowa... even their GOP:

Back in 2000, when the Republicans in Florida were thugs and the State Supreme Court of Florida said "yes" to a recount, the National Republicans turned their Mordor eye accross the country to try to find states where the Republicans might demand a recount of their own. Since Iowa went for Gore by a hair that year the National party called the state GOP in Iowa and urged them to ask for a recount. The state of Iowa GOP refused. They said that no matter they had lost, the state of Iowa had good, honest elections and to just buzz off.

But...it does not surprise me that the village of Grinnel's GOP are in a snit. They are always in a snit about the liberal university. The village GOP are the only rich people in the county.

[vgirl1]

Republicans are despicable. They initiate things and then try to walk away from any responsibility for them.

One thing is for sure. Republicans have angered an awakening Voting Giant that will rail against them for years!

Students, remember how the Republicans have treated you and your fellow students and keep that in mind everytime you go to the polls for the rest of your lives.

Their actions tell you what kind of Party they are, what kind of philosophy they support., whom they consider important/worthy, and whom they really represent.

[vegangoddess]

If you have HBO then you must watch Hacking Democracy, their documentary on the Diebold machines and computerized voting fraud. It's eye opening. Ohio will be a state to really watch because there and Florida is where alot of those machines are used!

[Melizzy]

I'm at work, but I'm curious. Is the MSM covering these shenanigans???

[Solja]

CNN has been reporting them all day.

[sticksnstones]

Welcome to The United Banana Republics of America. We need to seriously consider United Nations observers in our national elections.

[smkyle1]

The GOP has used voter suppression as a tactic for many years. This year, because of the unprecedented numbers turning out at the polls, may mark the first time this hideous practice gets the media attention it deserves.

http://www.laprogressive.com/2008/10/28/gop-voter-suppression-may-stop-joe-the-plumber-from-voting/

[Americanium]

These GOP skunks will do anything to win. They tried to prevent me from voting today also. Luckily an Obama vote watcher was on hand to provide me with some numbers to call and get them straightened out.

Criminals!!!

I know their faces and when I see them in the grocery store I will make them famous.

[GoodScout]

Election reform needs to be a keystone of the new Obama Administration and Democratic Congress.

[solid]

Country lasters at work. The usual Repuke tactics.

[jtmoney]

Come on, Republicans. No more balley-hoo!

[Tucson08]

Stop the intimidation of voters, since everybody's vote is important - especially young voters. All votes should be counted, and voter suppression should be illegal. Let's not have another Ohio or Florida occurrence, during this election. The GOP should be ashamed of themselves for orchestrating such deviousness.

[ron071]

Tucsono8 : The GOP has repeatedly proven that they have NO SHAME in any of their underhanded surpression tactics. Why did Ohio fall into Republican hands in 2004? Why did the US SUpreme Court stop the recount in Florida in 2000? This is and has been the Republican way.

ONLY a federally run election system to which all states must comply will solve this type off voter surpression which is a Republican staple. Even the allocation of voting machines is corrupted by Republicans in their areas with no equal standard applied. The facts speak to these issues. The mail-in ballots of Oregon is one good way to go nationally. This situation of artificially created poll chaos must be stopped. American democracy is SHAMED by the GOP tactics!

[MsLiz]

Seems pretty stupid to piss off the newly enfranchised voter. They have many elections ahead of them to remember this slight.

[enlighteninglad]

It wouldn't matter to them if they win and eventually install a dictatorship. Booosh already has given Congress the finger and I'm sure Mac and Cheese have the same idea in mind.