Lose your house, lose your vote -- the latest incursion against voters' rights

Posted Wed, 09/10/2008 - 08:39 by RayneToday
Thanks Rayne... this trend is definitely one to watch! -- if anyone is so inclined to buzz the original Michigan Messenger story, here's the buzz link. (originally posted 2008-09-10 02:23:09 -- cho)

Want to make sure this story gets broad coverage across the internet, because this could happen in other states and particularly swing states.

Michigan Republicans plan to foreclose African American voters The chairman of the Republican Party in Macomb County Michigan, a key swing county in a key swing state, is planning to use a list of foreclosed homes to block people from voting in the upcoming election as part of the state GOP’s effort to challenge some voters on Election Day. “We will have a list of foreclosed homes and will make sure people aren’t voting from those addresses,” party chairman James Carabelli told Michigan Messenger in a telephone interview earlier this week. He said the local party wanted to make sure that proper electoral procedures were followed.
You can read more at this link. We need to be looking for other places where this could happen; chances are strong that more foreclosures happened to members of minority urban communities, as they would have been targeted for the crappy loans that preyed on their desires for home ownership but without a down payment. Add this problem in Michigan to the state's voter ID law, for which the Secretary of state (and known Republican operative) has ordered a directive to demand a second photo ID of anyone who does not resemble their photo, and you have a massive opportunity for voter disenfranchisement. Spread the word, take a look in your own state. Don't let them do this to us again.

Comments

This is very important

by cho - 09/10/2008 - 06:07
for example, CTMAN1 has written that he was able to stay in his foreclosed home for almost 9 months while they tried to work out a deal to keep it, losing in the end and eventually moving to a rental. So theoretically -- were this happening now, if I am understanding this correctly, if during that nine month period, he showed up to vote, he would be challenged on his residency because his home showed up on a foresclosure list, even though he was still living there.
One expert questioned the legality of the tactic. “You can’t challenge people without a factual basis for doing so,” said J. Gerald Herbert, a former voting rights litigator for the U.S. Justice Department who now runs the Campaign Legal Center, a Washington D.C.-based public interest law firm. “I don’t think a foreclosure notice is sufficient basis for a challenge, because people often remain in their homes after foreclosure begins and sometimes are able to negotiate and refinance.” As for the practice of challenging the right to vote of foreclosed property owners, Herbert called it, “mean-spirited.”

Also..

by cho - 09/10/2008 - 06:09
I recently ran a search on foreclosures in my town. 24 residences showed up, and in all but one case, the families were still living there, even though the homes were in various stages of the foreclosure process.

Also times 2

by cho - 09/10/2008 - 07:23
This article Have You Moved Since You Registered To Vote? provides some key information for making sure that your registration is in order so that you have no problems when you go to vote. (hattip to kdawg1012 at buzzflash)
If you have moved since you last registered to vote you need to update and submit a new voter registration form. Also check out the voter identification requirements for your state and make sure that you have the proper identification necessary to vote.
Key sites for voter information are included at the link.

I have to figure that Louisiana's political face

by luaptifer - 09/10/2008 - 19:10
is quite different than it used to be, as grossly obvious as the example may be. But I wonder if there is not a demographic identified right there among the New Orleans diasporah, who may also be disenfranchised in whatever 'temporary' locale they landed. It's a long time now, I'm sure there are other more pertinent examples to consider.

"So your party is the only party that can save the country from the mess that your party created?" - attrib. Jon Stewart

Comment viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.