The Virus of Mass Voter Challenges Threatens Democracy and Is Spreading Fast

Patricio Da Silva · Apr 7, 2024

Bullseye said: ↑

Jabberwocky. San Diego Union - conservative? You must have a different paperboy than me. National Review? Ever turn the from cover? They're about as anti-Trump as you are. Somehow I get the feeling you haven't actually read any of those you listed, except maybe SDUT.
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they are all conservative publications.

Being pro-Trump has nothing to do with conservativism.

Patricio Da Silva · Apr 7, 2024

modernpaladin said: ↑

When you say 'ban private voter challenges', what are you saying? Are you saying private individuals should have no ability to meaningfully investigate elections?
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No, the laws being proposed give individuals the right to challenge the eligibility of individuals voting. Tne law is not designed to be aimed at specific individuals, but blocks of individuals. Before, it was the government who had the right to challenge eligibility, but the law transfers this right to non standing partisans who can easily abuse the process just because they don't like the outcome of the vote.

It's not challenging the vote count, and insofar as challenging the vote count, that requires standing, and the only person who has standing are the candidates.

Patricio Da Silva · Apr 7, 2024

garyd said: ↑

But what really gets your goat is that you know in your heart of hearts that the summation was deadly accurate.
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No, I know in my heart of hearts that my premise is correct.

however, if you can provide a solid path of reasoning, give examples, provide source/links to buttress your point of view, I'd be interested in reviewing it.

But, weasel words/ rant words, are not arguments. There is nothing there to counter.

So, what, you rant a snark line, and I rant a snark line back? What kind of debate is that?

Put some thought into your arguments, something I can work with, Is that too much to ask?

No one has to be correct, but we should at least do our best in our arguments.

Snarky one liners are intellectually lazy.

Bullseye · Apr 7, 2024

Patricio Da Silva said: ↑

they are all conservative publications.

Being pro-Trump has nothing to do with conservativism.
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And being a Democrat has nothing to do with democracy.
PS Have you read the UT lately? When was the last conservative position they took?

Bullseye · Apr 7, 2024

Patricio Da Silva said: ↑

Vacuous accusations are not merit worthy arguments.

A merit worthy argument, it doesn't have to be correct, but, at the minimum, it is one that one can counter with countering data, facts, better reasoning, etc., if any are available, (if not, I would concede your point) but you haven't provided any.

Arguments which do not rise about 'you are wrong' do not move the debate forward, they are attempts to kill the conversation, and, as such, are not merit worthy.

So, if you don't mind, please state your case, i.e, find a real counter argument.
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I did state my point: You have no clue what's going on on this issue.

fmw · Apr 7, 2024

Patricio Da Silva said: ↑

The spread of mass voter challenges, originating in Georgia, poses a threat to democracy nationwide. Republicans are using tactics like mass challenges and new laws to disenfranchise voters. Vigilante groups are targeting voters, and organizations like True the Vote are making it easier to challenge voters. To combat this, action is needed: urge Georgia's governor to veto the new law, ban private voter challenges in Democratic trifecta states, fight against suppression tactics in court, and ensure voter registration is up to date. The goal is to prevent the virus of mass challenges from undermining democracy in upcoming elections.

The problem with these new voter challenge laws is they can be abused and it gives voter denying folks, those who don't like the outcome of elections just because their guy or gal didn't win, to 'suspect' something was not on the up and up, without evidence, and they can challenge massive blocks of votes, tying up the process.

These voter challenge laws are an election deniers wet dream. This will be abused, and this is why these laws must be challenged and taken off the books in the states that have them. And don't give me this crap that it removed the voters right to challenge votes, that right belongs only to those who have standing, the candidates. What this law does is give voters 'standing'. Every misinformed Trump inspired election denier can muck up the process now, and it's going to be chaos.

The voter challenge law in Georgia, specifically outlined in the controversial SB 202, has been widely criticized and reported on for its potential to disenfranchise voters. Greg Palast, an investigative reporter known for his deep dives into voter suppression issues, has extensively covered how this law has been misused.

According to Palast's investigations, the law has been exploited by groups like True the Vote and individual Republican party officials to mount mass challenges against the eligibility of voters. In one notable instance, a local Republican party official personally challenged the eligibility of some 32,000 voters, relying on data provided by True the Vote without conducting any personal investigation into the voters' statuses. These challenges were not based on individualized suspicion but rather on broad, unfounded claims. Such actions were deemed an abuse by the ACLU of Georgia, pointing out that mass challenges like these dangerously skirt the bounds of legality and voter intimidation.

https://www.gregpalast.com/uncovered-illegal-attack-on-364000-georgia-voters/
https://www.gregpalast.com/364000-voters-disqualified-in-georgia/

In a more recent development, a federal court in Georgia ruled that the challenge to 360,000 Georgians' right to vote, which disproportionately targeted Black voters, did not violate the federal Voting Rights Act. This ruling was a significant blow to efforts to combat voter suppression and was criticized by Palast as giving a green light to expand these mass challenge tactics to other states. The case highlighted included a significant instance where an individual was challenged and required to prove his eligibility to vote despite being a legal voter, underscoring the intimidatory and disenfranchising effects of such challenges

https://www.gregpalast.com/court-ap...hallengesdevastating-threat-to-2024-election/

Palast's reports and films aim to shine a light on these practices, intending to protect voters' rights and ensure that democracy is upheld. His work emphasizes the need for vigilance and action to counteract these suppressive tactics and protect the fundamental right to vote.

The Virus of Mass Voter Challenges Threatens Democracy and Is Spreading Fast

https://www.democracydocket.com/opi...es-threatens-democracy-and-is-spreading-fast/

If the virus of mass voter challenges is an epidemic threatening to sweep across the nation and undermine our democracy, then Georgia is patient zero. It was there, in the 2020 Senate run-off elections that we saw 360,000 voters challenged — a number so large that it defies any post-Jim Crow era comparison.

After Republicans lost both Senate seats, it was Georgia that changed its law to make mass voter challenges easier to lodge and harder to defeat. Even as we saw Republicans file challenges in other states, in the midterm elections, Georgia again led the nation with more than 100,000 new challenges filed.

Like a rabies victim who, in their final stages of deliria, seeks to spread the virus, Georgia Republicans continue to make mass challenges easier and more dangerous. Just last week, the GOP-controlled Legislature enacted a new law that further enables mass challenges and weakens the ability of county officials to protect targeted voters.

Even before this newest law, we have already seen the virus of voter challenges spread. New Republican election vigilante groups are cropping up around the country to lodge mass challenges against unsuspecting voters — seeking to deprive them of the right to vote. With names like the Pigpen Project in Nevada and Soles to the Rolls in Michigan, these right-wing organizations are part of a web of anti-voting organizations preparing now to make it harder to vote by targeting voters for challenge.

Left unchecked, the virus of mass challenges threatens to reach all corners of the country and wreak havoc on free and fair elections.
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It fascinates me how consistently partisans blame the other party for what they themselves do.

modernpaladin · Apr 7, 2024

Patricio Da Silva said: ↑

No, the laws being proposed give individuals the right to challenge the eligibility of individuals voting. Tne law is not designed to be aimed at specific individuals, but blocks of individuals. Before, it was the government who had the right to challenge eligibility, but the law transfers this right to non standing partisans who can easily abuse the process just because they don't like the outcome of the vote.

It's not challenging the vote count, and insofar as challenging the vote count, that requires standing, and the only person who has standing are the candidates.
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I'd rather have messy obstructionism than monopolies on vote challenging. I say challenge away ...but it would be reasonable to hold the challenger to account for the investigative and legal fees if the challenge is found to fruitless.

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