Dr. Miller, I moved to Fort Myers, Florida last year and am volunteering with the Obama campaign. While the article about the GOP mailing is true, I think there is a way for Florida residents to check their voting status. I just went to <http://www.barackobama.com>www.barackobama.com. Under "Vote for Change," you can click on "Find out if you are registered." Enter your first and last name, then your address. If you are registered, the prompt will come up with your birth date (not the year, just the month and day). We have also been urging those unsure of their registration status to complete the voter registration application and submit it before Oct. 6th so they receive confirmation prior to the election of their voting status and precinct.
Through our phone banks, we have received reports that the GOP notices with "do not forward" instructions have also arrived in Lee County. Alison Ward On Thu, Sep 18, 2008 at 7:12 PM, Mark Crispin Miller <<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >From ToniJean: Florida does not have a link where voters can check their registration on-line. The election official told me voters have to complete a form and mail it in to election board and then you have to wait for something to come in the mail. In a message dated 9/18/2008 2:39:03 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Democrats, FL elections officials criticize GOP mailing By Steve Bousquet, Tallahassee Bureau Chief Published Tuesday, September 16, 2008 7:26 PM <http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/state/article814237.ece>http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/state/article814237.ece TALLAHASSEE - A new pitch for John McCain's presidential campaign aimed at older Democratic voters is causing complaints by Democrats and concern by elections officials. The piece, paid for by the Republican National Committee and authorized by McCain, tells voters it is seeking to double-check their "unconfirmed" party affiliations while asking for money. A letter signed by McCain tells the Democrats: "We have you registered as a Republican." "I was a little bit shocked and a little bit surprised," said recipient Bill Smith, 81, of Tampa, who calls himself a lifelong Democrat and has been registered at his current address since 2000. The retired plant engineer is one of about a dozen senior citizens that Democratic Party leaders identified as recipients, all of them longtime Democrats. The RNC declined to discuss the mailer, which Democrats said has landed in five counties: Duval, Hillsborough, Collier, Miami-Dade and Escambia. "This is simply a fundraising piece," said spokeswoman Amber Wilkerson, adding in an e-mail it was not "worth writing about." Two top Florida elections officials, both Republicans, faulted the GOP mailing, calling it "confusing" and "unfortunate" because of a potential to undermine voter confidence by making them question the accuracy of their registrations. "It is unfortunate, because it does put a lot of doubt in people's minds," said Secretary of State Kurt Browning, the state's top elections official. After his office received dozens of calls, Duval County Supervisor of Elections Jerry Holland issued a media alert that his office had nothing to do with it. "They were upset folks and they were very concerned," said Holland, a Republican. "They mainly said their party (listing) was different than it was." Some Democrats suspect a motive beyond raising money. The first-class GOP mailing has a "Do not forward" instruction on the envelope, meaning they will be returned to the GOP if a recipient has had mail forwarded, perhaps to a summer address, or has moved. Letters returned as undeliverable can be compiled into "challenge lists" of unverifiable addresses and can be used to challenge voters' eligibility during early voting or on Election Day. The vote suppression technique is known as "vote caging." "That postcard is a little disconcerting," said letter-recipient Steve Hemping of Naples, chairman of the Collier County Democratic Party and a state party official. "You don't know if they're going to use it to challenge somebody's right to vote." The letter asks recipients to note changes on an "RNC File Card" and return it to the party by Sept. 26. The card shows a nine-digit "voter ID" number, but the supervisor of elections in Jacksonville's Duval County said the numbers are wrong and do not match the state's voter database. Hillsborough Democratic Party Chairman Michael Steinberg said it makes no sense for Republicans to question the party affiliations of Democratic voters. "I don't understand their logic," he said. Allegations of Republican vote caging in predominantly black Jacksonville precincts in the 2004 presidential election surfaced last year in testimony before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. Steve Bousquet can be reached at <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>[EMAIL PROTECTED] or (850) 224-7263. © 2008 * All Rights Reserved * St. Petersburg Times 490 First Avenue South * St. Petersburg, FL 33701 * 727-893-8111 Contact Us | Join Us | Advertise with Us | Subscribe to the Times Privacy Policy | Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright Looking for simple solutions to your real-life financial challenges? <http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100000075x1209382257x1200540686/aol?redir=http://www.walletpop.com/?NCID=emlcntuswall00000001>Check out WalletPop for the latest news and information, tips and calculators. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to Mark Crispin Miller's "News From Underground" newsgroup. 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