Tennessee transit service offers rides to patrons seeking photo ID

Posted on June 8, 2012 by annelise

The Transit Authority in Jackson, Tenn., is offering $1 roundtrip bus rides to the driver’s testing center for those who need a photo ID.

The bus route does not usually serve the testing center, transit general manager Johnny Gullett said, and the service will continue until Aug. 31.

“We heard that anybody who was going to vote in the upcoming election had to have a picture ID, a state issued or federally issued ID, and we thought that was very unfair,” Gullett said.

The service began in March, and Gullett estimates that about 25 people have ridden the bus, although he said he had hoped more would take advantage of the service.

By Kassondra Cloos, News21

John Osborne: Voting worth effort to obtain a photo ID

Posted on June 7, 2012 by annelise

John Osborne is the chairman of the Charleston, S.C., Chamber of Commerce. Photo by Caitlin O'Donnell/News21

John Osborne, chairman of the Charleston, S.C., Chamber of Commerce and chairman of the Charleston Young Professionals, said while the South Carolina voter ID measure does not often come up in his conversations, he has made the effort to educate himself about the issue.

Citing the steps necessary to obtain a photo ID, Osborne said he sees the process as relatively easy. He does not know anyone who doesn’t already have a photo ID card, he said.

“If you care about casting your ballot and exercising your right to vote, you’ll take the 30 minutes to get it done,” Osborne said.

By Caitlin O’Donnell, News21

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

Posted on June 7, 2012 by annelise

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.

Victoria Middleton: South Carolina law targets elderly, rural residents

Posted on June 7, 2012 by annelise

Victoria Middleton is the South Carolina ACLU executive director. Photo by Caitlin O'Donnell/News21

The state ACLU has intervened in the voter ID lawsuit South Carolina v. Holder, claiming that requiring photo ID places an unnecessary burden on voters, primarily African Americans, elderly and low-income residents.

Victoria Middleton, executive director of the South Carolina ACLU, described voter ID as a solution in search of a problem. Requiring an ID addresses the problem of voter impersonation, which Middleton said is a non-issue.

“Voter impersonation is not a problem in our state, and state election commissioners will tell you that,” she said. “Instead, we’re spending money and, more importantly, disenfranchising a lot of voters through this measure.”

State and federal judges might not be able to comprehend the plight of the rural, elderly voters who would be hurt most by this act, Middleton said.

By Caitlin O’Donnell, News21

Dawn Quarles: Confronting Florida’s registration law

Posted on June 6, 2012 by annelise

Dawn Quarles is a teacher at Pace High School in Pace, Fla. Photo Provided

Florida high school teacher Dawn Quarles received national attention when she was ensnared by the state’s new voter registration law. An injunction by a federal court last week could prevent further incidents.

In October, Quarles was registering her Pace High School students to vote, and she turned in the forms four or five days after they were completed. She was not aware that the law had changed to require that registration applications be returned in 48 hours.

“For me, kids probably aren’t going to drive themselves to the supervisor of elections office, so I felt I needed to help them,” Quarles said in January.

The state never actually enforced her $1,000 fine, Quarles said, and with the new registration timeframe on hold, she may avoid similar fines in the future.

By Ethan Magoc, News21

Florida registration drives to resume

Posted on June 6, 2012 by annelise

Anita Smith, 37, of Gainesville, Fla., updates her address at an Alachua County voter registration drive on April 21, 2012. Voter outreach departments at several county offices stepped up registration efforts after groups such as the League of Women Voters suspended their drives in 2011. Photo by Ethan Magoc/News21

After a 13-month hiatus, the League of Women Voters of Florida and Rock the Vote are again registering Florida voters.

In May 2011, the two groups stopped registration drives, which League President Deirdre Macnab said was the group’s most popular activity, because of the passage of HB 1355, a controversial elections bill that required voters to turn in completed registration forms within 48 hours.

In December, the groups filed federal suit in Tallahassee to block the 48-hour registration provision. A judge granted that injunction last Thursday, returning the registration form deadline to 10 days.

That prompted today’s announcement in Orlando.

“Now it’s time for our volunteers to work overtime to make up for lost ground,” Macnab said.

Proponents of the law, including Seminole County Supervisor of Elections Michael Ertel, have said the League’s decision to end registration drives was a publicity stunt.

“I said (to the League), ‘Please don’t cancel the drives. We will go to your drive, allow you to do the voter registration and handle it immediately,” he said Jan. 31 at a U.S. Senate Tampa hearing.

By Ethan Magoc, News21

Coffee Break Ballot, June 6: Current Trends In Voting Rights

Posted on June 6, 2012 by annelise

Much of the buzz in the digital conversation on voting rights this morning is a holdover from yesterday’s hotly contested Wisconsin recall election. Supporters and activists on both sides are alleging fraud, suppression and misinformation for voters in Wisconsin.

We’ll discuss some Twitter trends on those issues later, but first — a roundup of what we’ve been discussing in the News21 newsroom this morning.

What We’ve Been Reading

“League of Women Voters and Rock the Vote Announce Resumption of Voter Registration in Florida,” (LWV Florida / Rock the Vote Florida Press Release, 06/06)

“Voter thwarted in Waukesha for lack of ID,” (Laurel Walker, 06/06, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)

“Photo ID, please,” (Editorial, 06/06, New York Post)

“Voting Hot Report, 1996-2010,” (Special Report, U.S. Census)

“Statistics show voter fraud is a rare occurrence in Florida,” (Kathleen Haughney, 06/06, Orlando Sentinel)

Twitter Trends

We tweeted early and often last night, but there’s nothing like a busy day of elections to spike mentions of voting rights-related phrases on Twitter. Thanks in part to alleged improprieties in the Wisconsin recall election, users around the Web mentioned “voter fraud” more than 7,600 times and “voter ID” more than 3,500 times, according to Topsy.com.

This morning, users have been tweeting and retweeting accusations of voter suppression, voter fraud and improper demands for voter ID in the aftermath of the Wisconsin election. (Note: Part of the state’s controversial voter ID law is suspended, pending a court review.)

For more of what we’re reading and where we’re reporting, be sure to follow @WhoCanVote.

Peter Mundt: Milwaukee voter offers father assistance

Posted on June 6, 2012 by annelise

Peter Mundt joined his father at the polls in Milwaukee Tuesday. Photo by Tasha Khan/News21

Peter Mundt was helping his father complete a same-day registration form at Engleburg Elementary school in North Milwaukee when an election observer reported Mundt to the chief inspector.

The inspector asked why Mundt was helping his father; he explained that his father has difficulty reading and needed assistance.

The Wisconsin voter registration form allows assistance if those aiding voters provide a signature and address. Mundt signed the form, and his father was able to vote.

Mundt did not have a problem with the inspector’s question, he said.

“I was comfortable with it,” Mundt said. “I mean, they are there to do their job, to make sure the voting process is going correctly.”

By Tasha Khan, News21

Ruth Zubrensky: Wisconsin poll watcher finds no fraud

Posted on June 6, 2012 by annelise

Ruth Zubrensky was a poll watcher Tuesday at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Photo by Tasha Khan/News21

Ruth Zubrensky, 84, sat quietly Tuesday near the back of the polling place in Sandburg Hall at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where she watched voters cast their ballots.

Zubrensky has been an election observer a half-dozen times in Wisconsin, she said, and she has never seen any fraudulent activity at the polls.

“Fraud is such a minimum, such a minimum,” she said.

Zubrensky took voter protection training offered by the Democratic Party of Wisconsin.

Unlike in many other states, Wisconsin observers are not required to register with a political party or a candidate. Observers must sign in with the senior election official and provide their name, address and organization, according to the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board website.

By Tasha Khan, News21

Satra and Kenny Rembert: Milwaukee precinct mix up

Posted on June 6, 2012 by annelise

Satra and Kenny Rembert had trouble locating their Milwaukee precinct Tuesday. Photo by Tasha Khan/News21

Satra and Kenny Rembert intended to vote for Mayor Tom Barrett Tuesday at Engleburg Elementary school in North Milwaukee, but were unable to vote at the precinct because they were registered in another district three blocks away.

The Remberts said they were casting their vote for the city of Milwaukee and for their children.

“Our kids are suffering as well as poor people in the city,” Satra Rembert said.

By Tasha Khan, News21