Obama campaign working to counter new voter ID laws

[alp227]

Source: wash. post

President Obama’s reelection campaign launched a national drive Friday to counter new restrictive voter-access laws, which advisers said threaten his electoral chances in November.

Organizers will fan out in key swing states this weekend to teach volunteers and voters how to navigate a series of laws passed by Republican-controlled state legislatures imposing stricter identification requirements, limiting early voting and making it harder to organize voter-registration drives.

It is the beginning of a months-long effort, campaign officials said, to combat what they described as a Republican effort to stifle voting among young people and minorities, two groups that traditionally tend to vote Democratic.

Republicans say the new laws are needed to protect against voter fraud and help make elections fairer.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/obama-campaign-working-to-counter-new-voter-id-laws/2012/05/18/gIQAABVeZU_story.html

[calimary]

1. Awfully late start...

I'm glad they finally recognize it as a problem. They damn well better!

[MotorCityMan]

4. That was my first thought

I hope they're not too late.

The repubs are not even trying to hide it. They know low voter turnout works in their favor and are doing all they can.

EDITED TO ADD:

"Republicans say the new laws are needed to protect against voter fraud and help make elections fairer...."

[calimary]

11. The same twisted way they say "we're HELPING women!" When in reality,

they're just helping themselves to whatever women's rights they can curtail, or take away outright.

[arely staircase]

2. god bless this president nt

[PSPS]

3. Wouldn't be necessary if "Sleepy" Holder would stop goldbricking and start doing his job.

Before our current era of unchecked lawlessness, the justice department used to take things like voting rights seriously.

[JCMach1]

6. +1000... Has there been a more useless AG in recent memory?

[awoke_in_2003]

8. He is useful to someone...

Just not us

[0rganism]

5. I'm glad they see the problem and are doing something about it

Not a minute too soon, either -- many citizens are going to need a lot of help to overcome the hurdles placed in the path of exercising their right to participate in democracy.

[Cal33]

7. And not to forget those Diebold-built electronic voting machines, which have been around since

the 2000 elections.

[goclark]

9. Those machines that they are already

dusting off and ready to do their dirty work

[flamingdem]

10. muy importante! nt