Confusion Surrounding Robo-Calls in North Carolina

This week, more than 276,000 North Carolina residents received a voter registration application from Women's Voices, Women Vote. North Carolina is one of 24 states where we mailed a total of more than 3 million voter registration applications.

In addition to the mailing, calls were made to mail recipients for whom we have working phone numbers to alert the household they would be receiving a voter registration form and encouraging them to register to vote. In advance of the mail, a letter was sent and calls were made to Gary Bartlett in the North Carolina Board of Elections Office notifying them of the intent and content of our mailing effort. A copy of the letter and a press release sent to North Carolina media announcing the registration effort is attached.

We understand concerns have been raised about the source of phone calls placed by Women's Voices, Women Vote. These calls were our sincere attempt to encourage voter registration for those not registered for the general election this fall. We understand North Carolina's primary registration effort deadline was April 11, (other than those participating in early voting who may register and vote at the same time this week). We apologize for any confusion our calls may have caused. Our intent and purpose was solely to call attention to the registration applications we hope will be completed and returned to the Board of Elections office making thousands more North Carolinians participants in one of the most important elections of our lifetimes.

Women's Voices. Women Vote has been in contact with the North Carolina State Board of Elections to work together to resolve any confusion regarding our voter registration efforts. Women's Voices. Women vote is also working with its mail vendor and postal officials in North Carolina in an attempt to delay the delivery of the voter registration applications until after the primary.

Women's Voices. Women Vote is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to bringing the voices of unmarried women to our democracy. Our goal in this election cycle is to register 1 million of these women on their own, in turn helping to bring their concerns regarding making affordable health care, equal pay for equal work and a brighter future for themselves and the lives of their families, to the forefront of the election this fall.

Already this cycle, our voter registration efforts have generated more than 26,600 registration applications in North Carolina. Women's Voices. Women Vote first registered voters in North Carolina in 2004. Nationally, Women's Voices Women Vote registered over 100,000 new voters in both 2004 and 2006. Since July of 2007, almost 400,000 additional individuals have returned our applications in anticipation of participating in the 2008 general election.

Bryant (Ethel Bryant, Edgecombe County Board of Elections) agreed the method seems to be working. "They send out the voter's applications in a pre-packaged envelope with postage paid," she said. "Many are female and from rural areas, where it is harder to run out and get a stamp to post a letter. Since it doesn't need a stamp, they are able to drop it right in the mail."

"Voter Registration Cards Pour In," The Daily Southerner, February 29, 2008

"This is, by far, the largest we've seen," Johnnie Mclean (deputy director of the State Board of Elections) said. One reason for the state's uptick are prefilled voter registration applications from a Washington-based voting advocacy (WVWV) group that were mailed to thousands of private mailboxes in North Carolina. Recipients can verify their information and mail the cards to the state elections office.

"Young Voters: Sign Us Up", Greensboro News-Record, March 9, 2008

Comments

[JimmyCrackcorn]

Ok - riddle me this:

Who the hell is "Lamont Williams"

perhaps Maggie Williams brother, uncle, father, etc?

The very same Maggie Williams just happens to be on the Board of WVWV? and also just happens to be Clintons Campaign Manager?

Smells like fish to me. Hillary Clinton is behind this.

If WVWV hadn't been previously chastized for doing the same thing you might have an Out. But instead you make yourself and your Organisation look like Lying Liars.

Liar Liar SniperFire!

[DavePM]

Bullshit.

[Countdown09]

Sorry, not buying it. But here's a question why was the target of this confusion black voters?

[SouthFloridaDem]

Excellent question. I haven't heard of too many (if any) white voters being targeted by these calls.

[U4IA]

¿Cómo se dice, "Damage Control", Senora Clinton?

[walkswillhaunt]

Page,

If what you're saying is true, then you can provide us with a couple of things:

(1) The list of states you've targeted and the time frame for targeting each. (I think we'd like to see whether there are other coincidences when mailers and phone calls relating to a general election would have been received right before the primary.)

(2) Lists that are reflective of the voters you've been trying to reach. If I were Team Hillary, what kind of vehicle would I use to suppress votes? An organization aimed at encouraging women to vote, of course!, because how much less believable would accusations be -- after all, women votes are Hillary voters, right? Well, not if you're targeting young women and black women. Prove you're not.

[SouthFloridaDem]

I'd like to see proof that the people who work for this group have IQs over 50. The answers they give to the questions being asked about all this make that a perfectly reasonable request. Nobody can be as stupid as these people act.

[elioteo]

"... [S]ince last November, in at least 11 states nationwide, Women's Voices has developed a checkered reputation, drawing rebukes and complaints from thousands as a result of their secretive tactics, deceptive mailings and calls, and penchant for skirting or violating the law."

As the saying goes, "Once is happenstance, twice is coincidence, but three times it's enemy action."

What does it say about a group that makes these "mistakes" in ELEVEN state-wide campaigns?

Voter Disenfranchisement.

Who would do this? Who runs this group? Clinton people.

The people running WVWV are highly experienced at issues research and targeted direct mail for political campaigns. They don't make these kinds of "mistakes.­"

Founder:

Page Gardner has "twenty years experience as a political and communications manager and strategist" and "has worked at senior levels for the most competitive presidential, senatorial, gubernatorial, and congressional campaigns in all parts of the country."

The WVWV Leadership Team:

Maggie Williams, currently Hillary's '08 Campaign Manager, she was a former assistant chief of staff to President Clinton and the former first lady's Chief of Staff

Hal Malchow, President of MSHC Partners, "one of the seminal figures in persuasion mail marketing" he "pioneered the application of statistical modeling and data mining techniques in the political arena."

Pat Griffin, former Assistant to President Clinton for Legislative Affairs, specializes in "building organizational capacity, designing political positioning strategies"

Either WVWV knows what it's doing -- or they are doing a very, very bad job at something else.

[qwr]

Aren't there laws regarding these things? When are we going to start enforcing them? I think the entire board should be indicted.

[SouthFloridaDem]

I also saw these names listed:

1. John Podesta -- Chief of Staff to Bill Clinton 98-01.
2. Mimi Mager -- Member Clinton-Gore Transition team. Also senior advisor for Mondale-Ferraro campaign.
3. Michael Lux -- Clinton Gore Alumni Association ClintonGoreAlumni.orgg (CGA) is member-driven organization that seeks to maintain an ongoing network among those former political appointees of the Clinton-Gore Administration, the national '92 and '96 campaigns and Democratic Party activists around the country.
4. Joe Goode -- the Senior Analyst on company CEO Stan Greenberg's work for the Clinton for President campaign in 1992.
http://www.wvwv.org/about/board-and-bioss)

[patrice37]

Confusion! For that kind of confusion, you should be indicted.

[qwr]

I agree.

[bichn]

Nothing here explains "Lamont Williams" and why does the call suggest the targets of these calls are not registered­...not good enough.

[jarotra]

"Maggie "Lamont" Williams is just a name we use around the office when playing "Sanford and Son" - it's all perfectly innocent fun, and we happened to be playing that game when choosing a name for our campaign robot. To read anything else into this is sheer political paranoia."

[eladora]

Anyone know how many soldiers died today? Wonder if the candidates know.

[Siren]

oops forgot ALL THE OTHER CLINTON PEOPLE ON YOUR BOARD;

http://www.wvwv.org/activists-tools/organizations

at TPM, where commenter six13 points out:

"I do not claim to know who supports Women's Voices.Wom­en Vote, but please take a look at the group's Directors/­Leadership Team as posted on the WVWV website.

1. John Podesta -- Chief of Staff to Bill Clinton 98-01.

2. Mimi Mager -- Member Clinton-Gore Transition team.

3. Michael Lux -- Member of the Board of the Clinton Gore Alumni Association ClintonGoreAlumni.orgg (CGA) is member-driven organization that seeks to maintain an ongoing network among those former political appointees of the Clinton-Gore Administration, the national '92 and '96 campaigns and Democratic Party activists around the country.)

4. Joe Goode -- the Senior Analyst on company CEO Stan Greenberg's work for the Clinton for President campaign in 1992.

[MelDel7365]

Yeah, I'm sure - oops, because Hillary would NEVER encourage this kind of "win at any expense" cheating..­.

[Lon]

This really is looking like something truly repugnant which should put into perspective the nonsense over Obama's preacher.

The evidence so far suggests that there has been a pattern of targeting black voters with a message at a time when it is simply misleading as to what is involved in voting. Given that in a couple of states the messages have gone out after the registration period, it is hard to see the point as anything but suppressing black votes. The fact that they have gone out under a fictitious name while obscuring the actual source of the calls is additionally suspicious.

If there is any issue that democrats, whether Obama or Clinton supporters should agree about, it is that attempts to supress black votes is outside the pale. I would hope that Clinton takes this issue on directly.

[akt4pay]

"These calls were our sincere attempt to encourage voter registration for those not registered for the general election this fall."

And I'm sure you just *had* to do them one week before the Democratic primary, b/c ...well gee the general election is only 6 months away.

Face it -you were voter caging and you got caught. Sucks to be you.

[KPea]

The sad thing is, I bet you anything that the MSM will pretty much ignore this and that at most it might get a quick mention before going back to the "Reverend Wright Hour". If I hear anymore "analysts" talk about the crazy pastor, I am going to stick a fork in my eye.

[mikeydreslim]

If we push it, then the MSM would not ignore it. Get it out to as many news sources as possible. Call the Obama campaign, lets push this as hard as we can.