Clever attempt at suppressing voter turn-out in Fort Worth...

Publius · 11-05-2007, 04:51 PM

Tarrant County investigates bogus election fliers 3:44 PM CT | Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | Latest News

An unknown number of fliers marked “official notice” were distributed in Fort Worth encouraging people to vote on Saturday, four days after Tuesday’s election.

Two investigators from the Tarrant County district attorney’s Economic Crimes Unit are looking into the bogus fliers, which feature the county seal and election department logo. Elections Administrator Steve Raborn said there’s no way to know how many fliers, which were in English and Spanish, were distributed.

“It’s discouraging if someone is trying to suppress the vote rather than encouraging people to vote,” Mr. Raborn said.

He said he was particularly disturbed that someone designed the flier to make them appear as if they came from his office. Mr. Raborn said the fliers were found in the heavily minority Rosemont and Worth Heights neighborhoods in Fort Worth. Those are in City Council District 9, which is up for election. Six candidates are seeking to replace incumbent Wendy Davis, who is leaving to run for state Senate.

Assistant District Attorney Marvin Collins said there could potentially be a couple of different election code violations, but he said there’s not enough information to say for certain. He described this as an inquiry and not yet a criminal investigation.

“We’ll take it wherever the evidence leads,” Mr. Collins said.

Mr. Raborn said the Fort Worth city secretary’s office is contacting homeowners associations and asking them to spread the word about Tuesday’s election. He said he also hopes that the media attention and candidates will also help ensure that the public knows that the polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Anyone with information about the fliers can call the district attorney’s office at 817-884-1661.

That's quite a clever way of trying to suppress the vote. I'm curious to know who did it.

7960 · 11-05-2007, 05:42 PM

Originally Posted by Publius

......Mr. Raborn said the fliers were found in the heavily minority Rosemont and Worth Heights neighborhoods in Fort Worth.

If they're too stupid to know when election day is, fuck 'em.

Ardentfrost · 11-05-2007, 05:58 PM

Originally Posted by 7960

If they're too stupid to know when election day is, fuck 'em.

Someone impersonates a government office for the purpose of misleading people, and that is what you have to say?

Where's the "shake my head in sad disbelief" smiley?

Publius · 11-05-2007, 05:59 PM

Originally Posted by 7960

If they're too stupid to know when election day is, fuck 'em.

Agreed, but at the same time intentionally attempting to mislead them as to the date of the election is a huge

7960 · 11-05-2007, 06:01 PM

Originally Posted by Ardentfrost

Someone impersonates a government office for the purpose of misleading people, and that is what you have to say?

Where's the "shake my head in sad disbelief" smiley?

they're getting their election day information from fliers left in the neighborhood and we're supposed to believe they're smart enough to pick the best candidate?

hsmith · 11-05-2007, 06:08 PM

Originally Posted by 7960

If they're too stupid to know when election day is, fuck 'em.

If they are too stupid to fail the election tests, fuck 'em

Ardentfrost · 11-05-2007, 06:19 PM

Originally Posted by 7960

they're getting their election day information from fliers left in the neighborhood and we're supposed to believe they're smart enough to pick the best candidate?

See, you make it about the voters when that's a silly argument since EVERYONE has the right to vote, it doesn't matter if YOU think they should or not. I'm aghast that someone would do such a thing to try to get fewer people (from that area) to the polls.

I hope the ploy fails, I hope the po-pos can find the person who did it, and I hope that person gets put in jail. It's a shitty thing to do.

Donkey® · 11-05-2007, 06:23 PM

Originally Posted by 7960

If they're too stupid to know when election day is, fuck 'em.

Completely ignorant statement. A RIGHT is a RIGHT. Doesn't matter the IQ of the person.

7960 · 11-05-2007, 07:20 PM

Originally Posted by hsmith

If they are too stupid to fail the election tests, fuck 'em

if the test they fail is "what day is the election?" then yes, fuck 'em.

7960 · 11-05-2007, 07:22 PM

Originally Posted by Donkey®

Completely ignorant statement. A RIGHT is a RIGHT. Doesn't matter the IQ of the person.

My statement has less to do with IQ and more to do with knowing which day is election day. If someone doesn't go to the polls because of a flier that was floating around the neighborhood I *hope* s/he doesn't vote.

David Octavius · 11-05-2007, 09:31 PM

Originally Posted by 7960

If they're too stupid to know when election day is, fuck 'em.

Yea they should bring back the poll tax too, if they can't afford it, fuck em..

Or better yet, lets make the polling stations so far that only people that have cars can vote, if they can't afford a car fuck em...

hsmith · 11-05-2007, 09:34 PM

Originally Posted by David Octavius

Yea they should bring back the poll tax too, if they can't afford it, fuck em..

Or better yet, lets make the polling stations so far that only people that have cars can vote, if they can afford a car fuck em...

We could pull some 2000 and 2004 tricks where you tell the people the poll is closed as they come up to vote

7960 · 11-05-2007, 11:19 PM

Originally Posted by David Octavius

Yea they should bring back the poll tax too, if they can't afford it, fuck em..

Or better yet, lets make the polling stations so far that only people that have cars can vote, if they can't afford a car fuck em...

You see, these are just stupid and don't equate with what I'm saying at all.

You're saying they have to pass a test or have enough money. I'm saying they need to know what day is election day, and if they don't then I don't want them voting. This has nothing to do with race or religion or even intelligence and everything to do with knowing on which day we vote. If in "all your research of the candidates" you haven't figure out which day to go pull the lever you shouldn't be picking leaders.

avsp · 11-06-2007, 09:24 AM

People who dont know which day to vote & thus miss the vote are f*cked anyway so theres no problem.

The question is who is trying to mislead people?

Is it possible/likely that it was incompetance by the elections office itself?
Or do they not produce such fliers at all?

AVengeance · 11-06-2007, 09:28 AM

Originally Posted by 7960

they're getting their election day information from fliers left in the neighborhood and we're supposed to believe they're smart enough to pick the best candidate?

wait, didn't you swing your sword at me for saying only landowners should vote? Not saying I necessarily disagree with you on the intelligence aspect, though...

AVengeance · 11-06-2007, 09:31 AM

Originally Posted by hsmith

We could pull some 2000 and 2004 tricks where you tell the people the poll is closed as they come up to vote

Or the opposite, like go to court and have the polls held open AFTER THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE CLOSED.
In St. Louis (large welfare population) those losers had all damn day to vote. That wasn't good enough, though, and the race-baiters went there and some other cities (don't remember all of them) and were having courts hold open the polls after closing time to get more liberal slaves to vote. It's disenfranchisement of those that were somewhere in the state of Missouri OTHER THAN St. Louis to do that, but they didn't care. They need special treatment for their "special" voting bloc.

AVengeance · 11-06-2007, 09:32 AM

Originally Posted by Donkey®

Completely ignorant statement. A RIGHT is a RIGHT. Doesn't matter the IQ of the person.

A right is a right, that's true, but you still have to know how to properly exercise that right.

SoFlaJDM · 11-06-2007, 09:56 AM

Originally Posted by 7960

If they're too stupid to know when election day is, fuck 'em.

so if you get kidnapped by a guy dressed up as a cop, i'll say "good... serves his ass right"

David Octavius · 11-06-2007, 09:58 AM

Originally Posted by 7960

You see, these are just stupid and don't equate with what I'm saying at all.

Stupid? Or is people who work hard at their jobs, have families to raise and other stresses so the day may understandably slip their mind? Especially during non presidential years when elections don't get as much mainstream attention.

You're saying they have to pass a test or have enough money. I'm saying they need to know what day is election day, and if they don't then I don't want them voting. This has nothing to do with race or religion or even intelligence and everything to do with knowing on which day we vote. If in "all your research of the candidates" you haven't figure out which day to go pull the lever you shouldn't be picking leaders.

Who are you to judge who should vote or not? Maybe I think people who don't believe in evolution should not vote, people who in the face of facts still can't let go of a belief they have no basis for should not vote for a candidate. But you know what? That would be just as wrong as what your saying.

The bigger issue is the people who are trying to suppress the vote - this is a bigger issue in this country than we realize.