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Coffee Break Ballot, June 8: Current Trends in Voting Rights

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We promised that this day would come — and it has. All signs seem to indicate that the digital uproar over the gubernatorial recall election Tuesday in Wisconsin has slowed down. That isn’t to say that all of the allegations and investigations in the election have been resolved. A recount in one of the Wisconsin Senate races still is possible.

But largely, comments and criticisms of that election largely have faded.

More on that after our latest reading list.

What We’ve Been Reading

“TN felons seek to have voting rights restored as election nears,” (Brian Haas, 06/08, The Tennessean)

“What’s the Deal With All These Voting Restrictions?” (Clare Malone, 06/08, The American Prospect)

“Reflections from a Poll Observer,” (Jeanette Senecal, 06/08, the League of Women Voters)

“Republicans clash with Attorney General Holder over voter ID laws, gun sting,” (Sari Horwitz, 06/07, Washington Post)

“Rep. Rooney to DOJ: Why are you allowing potential voter fraud?” (Marc Caputo, 06/07, Miami Herald)

Twitter Trends

Even though we’ve said the digital buzz from the Wisconsin recall is fading, some relevant tweets still are bouncing around the Twittersphere. In particular, a tweet from former GOP Representative / Presidential candidate / actor Fred Thompson seems to have real legs:

@FredThompson: Despite the blowout, some WI Democrats crying voter fraud. Apparently some Republicans had been going around locking cemetery gates.

It’s been tweeted and retweeted almost 500 times. (And while we’re on the subject on retweets, we should direct you toward this fascinating article in the New York Times last weekend on the staggering Twitter cachet of leaders in the Christian community.)

But another state seems to be dominating the digital conversation on voting rights — Florida. An admittedly non-scientific analysis of social media search engine Topsy.com‘s pages for voting rights, voter ID, voter fraud and voter suppression centers on the Sunshine State’s recent high-stakes battle with the U.S. Department of Justice.

That attention likely won’t end until November. Be sure to follow us @WhoCanVote for more voting rights news.

Coffee Break Ballot, June 7: Current Trends in Voting Rights

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We’d like to say the holdover in Wisconsin election buzz has died, but the contentious recall has tremendous staying power in certain fringes of the blogosphere.

In other news, Florida continues to punch its way upward in the national conversation of voting rights, rejecting the U.S. Department of Justice call to halt a controversial voter purge and setting the stage for a new front in the growing number of federal challenges to state voting regulations.

We dug a bit deeper today, finding columnists on both sides and a few lists of legal changes to voting rights across the many states.

What We’ve Been Reading

“No easy answer for issues of voting integrity,” (Editorial, 06/06, Iowa City Press Citizen)

“Photo ID, the Left, and Voter Fraud,” (Edward White, 06/07, Townhall Magazine)

“Frequently Asked Questions About Protecting Citizen Voter Rights in Florida,” (Gov. Rick Scott’s Office, 06/06,  FLGov.com)

“Restrictive voting laws tied up in court,” (Krissah Thompson, 06/06, Washington Post)

“Election Law Changes — June 2012 Update,” (The Atlas Project, 06/07, AtlasProject.net)

Twitter Trends

No matter your stance on contested voting rights issues — photo ID, voter fraud, voter suppression, et. al. — there’s definitely a few ‘hot links’ that bounce around the Twittersphere. Today, those links include a claim of ‘liberal hypocrisy’ for the federal government contesting voter ID laws while requiring photo ID at First Lady Michelle Obama’s book signings.

And Attorney General Eric Holder’s appearance on Capitol Hill spurred the usual flurry of anti- and pro-Holder tweets around #VoterID, #VoterFraud and other Department of Justice-related anger.

These and other links on allegations of voter suppression in Tuesday’s recall election in Wisconsin dominate searches for the terms “Voting Rights,” “Voter ID,” “Voter Fraud” and “Voter Suppression,” according to Twitter search engine Topsy.com. We’ll be the first to let you know about any change in those trends.

And remember to follow us @WhoCanVote for the latest links and updates in voting rights news.

CNN, NBC News project Gov. Scott Walker as recall winner

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CNN and NBC News have projected Gov. Scott Walker as the winner in the Wisconsin gubernatorial recall election.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett needed a strong showing in Madison and Milwaukee, but Walker outperformed Barrett in rural and suburban districts. Democrats made a final push to turn out the vote in urban centers, but could not compensate for Walker gains elsewhere.

For additional election night coverage and analysis, follow @AJVicens and @Khantasha, as well as @WhoCanVote.

Coffee Break Ballot, June 5: Current Trends in Voting Rights

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Here in the News21 newsroom, we’ve been closely watching the Wisconsin recall election this morning (see our post below).

But that doesn’t mean we haven’t been reading and tweeting about other voting rights issues.

Here’s a glimpse at what’s been on our radar today.

What We’ve Been Reading

“House seeks to soften voter ID bill as Tillis addresses concerns about GOP agenda,” (John Frank, 06/05, Raleigh News & Observer)

“New Voting Laws Could Take Out Barack Obama This Fall,” (Chuck Strouse, 06/05, Miami New Times)

“Milwaukee calls in extra poll workers amid heavy turnout,” (Larry Sandler and Nicole Levy, 06/05, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)

“In Wisconsin, reports of voter suppression efforts,” (Lucy Madison, 06/05, CBS News)

“Could voter fraud sway Wisconsin recall election?” (06/04, FOX News)

Twitter Trends

We might be following voting rights in other areas of the country, but Twitter is pretty fixated today on the Wisconsin recall election.

The hashtag #WIRecall is exploding. According to social media search engine Topsy.com, the term has been mentioned more than 51,000 times in the last 24 hours. The recall election has crept into other voting rights tweets, as users on both sides of the political divide have been posting about issues in voting rights, voter ID and voter fraud in Wisconsin.

For more on these and other issues, be sure to follow us @WhoCanVote, and keep an eye on our reporters in Wisconsin and South Dakota, @AJVicens, @KhanTasha, @AliaConley and @EMNohr.

Wisconsin Recall: Midway Update

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Voting in Wisconsin’s gubernatorial recall election is underway and the polls will remain open until 8 p.m. CDT, but here’s a quick look at trends at the polls this morning:

 

Tea Party stumps for candidates at polls in Houston, Texas

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Clear Lake resident Mary Vance campaigns for Tea Party candidates outside the Taylor Lake Village City Hall voting precinct in Houston, Texas.

Vance is a member of the Clear Lake Tea Party, whose efforts are similar to the King Street Patriots, known nationally for their poll-monitoring activities.

“We work side by side [with the King Street Patriots] when we can,” Vance said. “They would support us, but we kind of have different agendas.”

The Clear Lake Tea Party also founded chapters in the neighboring cities of Galveston, Alvin and Pearland.

By Lindsey Ruta and Ana Lastra, News21

Shooting near southern Texas polling place

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A San Juan, Texas, polling place remained open Tuesday after an individual was shot nearby, a local election official confirmed.

The incident occurred among individuals campaigning near a fire station that serves as a polling place in Hidalgo County, in southern Texas. Under Texas law, campaigning is banned within 100 feet of the entrance to a polling place.

Hidalgo County Elections Administrator Yvonne Ramon confirmed the shooting, and said the victim has received medical assistance.

By Annelise Russell, News21

Gonzalo Barrientos: Voter ID’s partisan divide

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Gonzalo Barrientos: Voter ID's partisan divideGonzalo Barrientos served in the Texas Senate from 1985 to 2007. He also was a member of the Texas House of Representatives from 1975-1985. Photo by Lizzie Chen/News21

“The Texas Voter ID bill is one of a number of pieces of legislation that Republicans and the fringe extremists are trying to pass in this country. All of it is meant to divide and make weaker the people who are likely to vote for the Democrats. It’s hard enough to get people out to vote, especially when there is a tradition in the low income groups and put forth (to) intimidate people to keep them from voting. … It has been stated again and again that there is little fraud to have shown to have happened in Texas, and they simply won’t pay attention to that.”

By Lizzie Chen, News21

Jose A. Velásquez: Registering voters in East Austin, Texas

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Jose A. Velásquez: Registering voters in East Austin, TexasJose A. Velásquez, president of Hermanos de East Austin, has registered more than 180 voters in the last three months to encourage political involvement in East Austin, Texas. Photo by Lizzie Chen/News21

“We want to get people politically and civically engaged,” Velásquez said. “We want them to start tearing down this wall, or idea, that politics is something foreign, or that East Austin doesn’t get involved, or abusing the idea that East Austin [residents] aren’t interested. Its just that no one comes to speak to them about it. ”


By Lizzie Chen, News21

 

Paul Saldana: A voice for Latino voters in Austin, Texas

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Paul Saldana: A voice for Latino voters in Austin, TexasPaul Saldana, a community activist who is a native of Austin, Texas, advocates for Latino voting rights. Photo by Lizzie Chen/News21

“Every month, on the national level, 50,000 Latinos become 18 and become eligible to vote, so that is 600,000 new eligible voters from the Latino communities. So clearly, they are worried about us. We have a tendency as a community to be more in line with the Democratic party, and I think Republicans are concerned about that. So we clearly represent the future, not with only the local community of this state but this nation, too … and they are concerned with our potential to affect the political landscape locally and statewide and on a national level.”

By Lizzie Chen, News21