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Tell The Inquirer: Election Problems Go Deeper Than One Precinct
A federal law suit seeking redress against the Chester County Election Board for practices that resulted in unconscionably long lines and as much as a day-long wait to vote at a poll near Lincoln University back in the November 08 election has - thankfully - put election administration back in the spotlight for a minor media moment. The Inquirer recently ran a piece by columnist Mark Bowden on the incident entitled "Indefensible." Why not tell The Inquirer at inquirer.letters@phillynews.com that the issue is much bigger than one egregious precinct in Chester County?
Starting the U-turn on Corporate Political "Free Speech" Nationally and Moving Ahead with Campaign Finance Reform in Pennsylvania
Last week seems to have been "take-off" time for the movement for national campaign finance reform in the wake of the Supreme Court's Citizens United corporate "free speech" decision. Here's a quick run-down.
A Populist Moment for Campaign Finance Reform in PA
And they undoubtedly glanced over Pennsylvania's recent state budget fiasco. Last year the interests that blocked adequate revenue from reaching the state's coffers were many, but they all had one thing in common: big bucks "invested" politically. Want to tax the natural gas extracted from the Marcellus Shale? You say it's a no-brainer from a policy perspective. Sorry. Governor Rendell backed away and the legislature ran for cover – maybe next year. The gas industry recently showered state senate leaders with more than $200,000 in campaign contributions and the governor was rewarded, too (all before the fact) .
End the Mad Dash for Political Cash
Sign the Petition for Real Campaign Finance Reform
Want to fix government so it works for everybody? Short of a magic wand, here’s the closest thing available – and it cuts across every imaginable issue from health care to education to jobs and a decent budget: limiting the influence of big money on the political process. To learn more and sign on to a petition calling for essential campaign contribution limits based on an excellent bill now in the hopper in
With Sparse Turnout, Problems Persisted at the Polls Last Election Day
This past election day (Nov. 3, 09) voters avoided the polls in droves, yet there were the usual procedural problems and occasional confusion in an otherwise lackluster voting day.
Only 25 percent of eligible voters turned out in Montgomery County, but that compared favorably with Philadelphia’s abysmal turnout of 12 percent and the statewide figure of 20 percent. While the 2005 municipal election also generated a countywide turnout in Montco of 25 percent, that election lacked the high court races that were supposed to drive voter participation this time around.
How Did We Judge Them?
There went the judges. They were all over the ballot last Tuesday – Pennsylvania Supreme Court (one seat), Superior Court (four seats), Commonwealth Court (two seats), Court of Common Pleas (in Montco, seven races). Then there are the “retentions” (one for Superior Court and one for Commonwealth Court; the ballot for local judges varies, depending on your county). Picking judges is a pretty ho-hum affair, but not this year, when two juvenile court justices in Luzerne County put the workings of the judiciary on trial. Yet voter turnout was still barely visible at 20 percent statewide. Why? The problem goes way beyond an apathetic electorate.
Petition Our Pennsylvania State Legislators for Campaign Finance Reform
Background:
There is no single factor that undermines our democracy more than the influence of big money. Curbs should be put in place, not because our candidates and officials lack integrity, but because the race for campaign cash forces priorities and practices within our system of elections that collide with the very essence of democracy.
Citizen Testimony on Election Problems Meets Deaf Ears of Montco Officials
The Election Reform Network presented the dark side of Election Day administration at a meeting of the Montco Board of Commissioners on September 17. Appropriately enough, it was Constitution Day.
Five citizen advocates described a series of incidents and practices that occurred last November 4 at the polls across Montgomery County. We read a legal affidavit from a poll watcher/attorney describing intimidation at the polls and eyewitness testimony to a senseless incident of a legitimate vote being purposely canceled by a judge of elections. We presented eyewitness testimony of unlawful and unjust policies on provisional and emergency paper ballots and voter ID requirements.
ACLU Files ACORN Law Suit Challenging Constitutionality of Pennsylvania Voter-Registration Law
In a press release dated July 22, 2009, The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania made the following announcement:
PITTSBURGH - The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania and Project Vote filed a lawsuit today on behalf of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), a community organization comprising more than 20,000 working families in Pennsylvania that utilizes voter-engagement strategies, like voter-registration campaigns, as part of its work to strengthen low- and moderate-income communities. The lawsuit charges that a Pennsylvania law unconstitutionally restricts ACORN's right to conduct voter-registration drives by effectively prohibiting it from using paid canvassers.
National Study Mirrors Flaws in Montco Election Administration
For far too many voters, as their hotline calls attest, voting is a frustration-filled, even confrontational process where well-meaning, eligible citizens are being denied the legal right to vote.
“Yes, my name is Clinton [J.], and my wife, Madelyn [J.], here in Royersford, Pennsylvania is not registered. Now, she voted in the last presidential election in 2004 and, for some reason, her name did not appear on this list here in Royersford. So I’m just wondering exactly what the deal is. We did check online before the end of voter registration and she was registered, but now she’s not registered.” Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
