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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsRight-wing Vigilantes Sued for Intimidating Arizona Voters
Democracy DocketThis lawsuit comes after multiple instances of voter intimidation in Arizona were reported last week. When a voter was photographed and followed by a group of individuals while driving home to Phoenix after attempting to drop off their ballot at one of the two early voting drop box locations in Maricopa County, the Arizona secretary of states office referred this report of voter intimidation to the Arizona attorney general and U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). Later in the week, the Arizona secretary of states office referred two more reports of voter intimidation again at drop boxes in Maricopa County to the Arizona attorney general and DOJ.
The plaintiffs argue that Clean Elections USA was formed to intimidate voters in the wake of the debunked 2000 Mules propaganda movie that spread false claims of voter fraud by painting voters as mules a term arising from a debunked conspiracy theory in which a shadowy, sprawling political cabal collects or forges absentee ballots and deposits them in drop boxes. The plaintiffs note that Clean Elections USAs founder, Melody Jennings, has repeatedly and openly stated that the purpose of Clean Elections USA is to discourage the use of drop boxes. The plaintiffs allege that the purpose behind Jennings efforts to recruit[] a network of large groups deployed across Arizona at drop boxes is clearto prevent voters from approaching drop boxes and using those tools to vote. The plaintiffs argue that the defendants claim that they are deterring ballot mules is defunct: ballot mules are an invention of a debunked propaganda film; they do not exist. The people that Defendants are actually seeking to intimidate to prevent them from using ballot drop boxes are simply voters. The plaintiffs further note that Jennings has threatened to use the images and video captured by those crowds to dox people; that is posting online a persons personal information, opening them up to harassment by the general public.
In todays complaint, the voting rights groups detail several instances of alleged voter intimidation last week. The plaintiffs cite an incident from Oct. 17 where a voter filed a complaint with the state reporting that a group of individuals were filming and photographing voters as they approached the drop box outside of the Maricopa Countys Mesa Juvenile Court. These drop box monitors also accused these voters of being a mule. These monitors also took photographs of the voters license plate, of the voters, and followed the voters into the parking lot all while continuing to film. The plaintiffs cite another incident in which Maricopa County [sheriffs office] responded to complaints about two individuals stationed around the Mesa drop box in the evening with full disguises, tactical gear, and magazine clips. The Maricopa County sheriffs office later confirmed the cited individuals were armed.
Hiawatha Pete
(1,799 posts)MagickMuffin
(15,944 posts)One should consult with the presiding election judge. If they arent helpful, then do whatever it takes.
brooklynite
(94,624 posts)Talk to the Democratic Poll Watcher before elevating this to the FBI and DOJ.
GarColga
(124 posts)poll watchers are not allowed to interact with voters.
Hiawatha Pete
(1,799 posts)2) Then call outside the polling station. Simple.
3) As mentioned, the OP & my reply refer to drop boxes, not enclosed polling stations. So not sure if the cellphone law would apply in that case. If it did, then the masked ratfuckers filming voters should be arrested, locked up & the key thrown away.
MagickMuffin
(15,944 posts)Because that is not what they are. Poll Watchers are just that.
Those watching drop boxes are NOT poll watchers as drop boxes are not polling places.
Hiawatha Pete
(1,799 posts)And voting rights end at drop boxes. Got it.
Thank you for enlightening me, glad I don't live in Texas, or the US for that matter.
Rest assured that if anyone tried to impede me voting at a Canadian Federal, Provincial, regional, municipal ect election I would indeed exercise the nuclear option right away and call the RCMP.
And my lawyer.
AZLD4Candidate
(5,703 posts)But I vote through email as Arizona allows that if you are overseas as I am yet again.
TigressDem
(5,125 posts)Usually the people trying to impede voters stand outside polling locations and intimidate people away from their goal.
Often, technically 100 feet away from the polling location but right in the path basically.
Once inside, you can still call the FBI if someone is preventing you from voting.
yellowdogintexas
(22,267 posts)IF that doesn't work, we have a voter assistance legal group
Maraya1969
(22,486 posts)llashram
(6,265 posts)this goes somewhere in making these camo clowns and their intimidation tactics null and void. People! Democrats can answer if a weapon is drawn or a body touched. Don't fear their words or tactics.
LetMyPeopleVote
(145,374 posts)gratuitous
(82,849 posts)Or would my time be better spent hunting for Bigfoot riding a unicorn?
calimary
(81,350 posts)Do they even exist anymore?
Responsible Republicans? Principled Republicans? IS THERE any such thing anymore?
And why am I leaning toward no for an answer to that question?
Evolve Dammit
(16,747 posts)gab13by13
(21,363 posts)I wish that Kristen Clarke would come out and make a public statement about all of the voter intimidation.
moonscape
(4,673 posts)boyedav1969
(93 posts)I mean, I'm glad to see any kind of pushback on the intimidation, but I'd rather see people prosecuted.
LisaM
(27,815 posts)I suppose there isn't a legal mechanism for doing that but there should be.
A similar process should be applied to the orange one also. He will do HARM. Hes proved that already, again and again. Granting benefit-of-the-doubt is no longer a possibility.
Evolve Dammit
(16,747 posts)The Grand Illuminist
(1,334 posts)If the perps were within the boundaries the entire time.
stopdiggin
(11,320 posts)legitimate harassment (always a judgment call, but would probably have to amount to something approaching physical or threatening, and certainly of a nature much greater than heckling and catcalls like, "mooch", "loser", "stooge" .. "go back to.." or anything along those lines). Truth is - I can film you 6 ways to Sunday (including your license plate I would assume) on any sidewalk, street, park, parking lot, etc. in the country. With few specifically carved out exceptions regarding polling places, jails, clinics, etc. - beyond that, this is probably not against the law - and I suspect they have probably been coached to remain carefully within such boundaries.
(actually following somebody home - might enter the range of stalking - but those laws, if your state or jurisdiction has them - are also full of 'interpretation', and probably not rigorously enforced except in extraordinary circumstance.)
Warpy
(111,292 posts)from the drop box, something I'm sure ruined all their fun. If they go back, they will most likely be arrested. I hope.
They're also being sued over the name of their gang. Apparently it's close enough to a state agency to cause confusion.
If only these people believed in truth in advertising, "Fascist Bigots with Guns" might be a better name.
republianmushroom
(13,623 posts)I like it.
lunatica
(53,410 posts)orleans
(34,062 posts)Attorney General Merrick Garland vows Justice Department will not permit voters to be intimidated ahead of midterms
Attorney General Merrick Garland on Monday vowed that the US Justice Department will not permit voters to be intimidated during Novembers midterm elections.
The Justice Department has an obligation to guarantee a free and fair vote by everyone whos qualified to vote and will not permit voters to be intimidated, Garland said during a press briefing.
More than 7 million ballots have already been cast across 39 states as of Monday, according to data from election officials, Edison Research and Catalist. But with two weeks until November 8, law enforcement agencies and officials are turning their attention toward Election Day and the potential for violence amid threats to election workers and reports of voter intimidation.
In Arizona, the Secretary of States Office has already referred six reports of potential voter intimidation near ballot drop boxes to law enforcement, along with a report of election worker harassment.
In one instance, which has been referred to the Department of Justice and Arizona Attorney Generals Office, an unidentified voter reported that they were approached and followed by a group of individuals when trying to drop off their ballot at an early voting drop box. The group made accusations against the voter and their wife, as well as took photographs of them and their license plate and followed them out of the parking lot, according to the report.
moonshinegnomie
(2,457 posts)Intimidate a voter. Million dollar fine. Carry a weapon illegally. Million dollars. And keep going. Thats the only way they will learn. Start driving them into abject poverty
calimary
(81,350 posts)Theyll only sneer and scoff at it, and it wont correct or otherwise eliminate their bad behavior.
Alex Jones, anyone?
Lucinda
(31,170 posts)BrienDoesIt
(93 posts)I'm in AZ, and I will have ZERO issues telling these morons I vote straight ticket Dem. But he's a little more shy than I am. It's just be fun to drop 2 ballots in when he hands me one of them and they have their freak out. What are they gonna say? I dropped someone else's ballot in when he's right there and asked me to?
Fuck em all!