In political parlance, they're called "dirty tricks" - ways some people try to get others to not vote. These voter-suppression tricks usually involve misinformation or intimidation tactics and play on voter ignorance of voting laws.With the help of Allen Raymond, author of "How to Rig an Election" we've compiled a list of five ways people may try to get you not to vote on Election Day. Raymond should know - he was a dirty trickster. As a Republican campaign adviser he helped stop a Democratic get-out-the-vote operation, a trick that landed him in jail when he plead guilty to one count of conspiring to make harassing phone calls.
As voter suppression horror stories are being reported, here's a list of sneaky tricks and hurdles to avoid on Tuesday:
1. A notice that says, "Only one political party votes on Tuesday. The other party votes on Wednesday."
There have already been reports of this one happening during early voting in Virginia. This version of the flyer said an "emergency regulation" was adopted by the Virginia General Assembly saying all Democratic supporters vote on Wednesday. Don't believe this flyer or anything like it. It's not true.2. A notice that says, "Due to the rain, the election is postponed until next week."
This is an easy one to believe, because who wants to stand in the rain to do anything? But don't fall for it. Even if it's snowing where you are at, the election is happening on Tuesday, November 4th.3. An official-looking guy stands outside the polling place saying, "You have to pay overdue parking tickets or you can't vote."
Not true. The Constitution is on your side here. Raymond points out that paying parking tickets in exchange for a ballot amounts to a poll tax - and that violates your rights as spelled out in the 24th amendment to the Constitution.4. Election officials tell college students they can't vote.
It doesn't matter where you grew up or if your parents claim you as a dependent. If you have established residency at your college and are registered to vote in that location, you have a right to vote there. (You can't vote at both home and school. That's illegal.) This type of voter misinformation has been documented twice already. In one case, the officials say they interpreted the law wrong. In the other, voter guidelines were clarified. At any rate, in 1979 the Supreme Court affirmed students have a right to vote where they live. If that's at college, go vote.5. You hear a rumor: "If your house was foreclosed on, you can't vote."
This also is not true - with a caveat. You needed to reregister to vote showing your new address. If you didn't reregister and you are still in the same neighborhood, you may be OK. At least, ask to cast a provisional ballot so election officials can verify you are still eligible in that precinct. However, if you moved from one state to the other and didn't reregister, Raymond says you are probably out of luck.

Comments (9)
I think it's safe to say that the Democrats have already stolen the election this year, between the voting dead people, animals, the hundreds to thousands of fraudulant ACORN registrations, people voting twice, stolen identities, etc. Any thoughts on how such voter fraud on the part of the Democrats should be guarded against, or is it just "Republican dirty tricks" we need to watch out for?
1. Posted by Kev | November 4, 2008 9:47 AM
Posted on November 4, 2008 09:47
The documented cases of actual voter fraud is less than tiny -- it's microscopic. Suggesting that there will be hundreds of thousands of fraudulent votes is just tin-foil nuttery - and America knows it.
Republicans will do everything they can to take away your right to vote, including creating faux controversies over voter registration forms completed by Mickey Mouse and Marilyn Monroe -- so they can impose restrictions that will reduce the number of true Americans who can exercise their right to vote in an election.
On the subject of 'dirty tricks' I wouldn't put it the dishonest Republicans from infiltrating ACORN in order to perpetuate registration fraud.
I don't hear Republicans calling for the prosecution of person who committed voter registration fraud -- they just use it as a club on democrats. The ACORN controversy has all the marks of yet another Republican dirty trick.
If the problem was real I'd be happy to address it, Kev, but until you can show that actual voter fraud is a rela problem -- not Mickey Mouse registering to vote but actual voter fraud that may in fact be another Republican dirty trick -- you're out of luck.
2. Posted by Lee Ward
| November 4, 2008 9:55 AM
Posted on November 4, 2008 09:55
'Suggesting that there will be hundreds of thousands of fraudulent votes is just tin-foil nuttery - and America knows it.'
B/S --- the problem is America does NOT know, nor understand, the depths of DNC election fraud and election theft, going back to 1960 and beyond.
The mainstream media is complicit in NOT reporting the TRUTH to the people.
3. Posted by Erick | November 4, 2008 10:09 AM
Posted on November 4, 2008 10:09
Kev, Erick, can you explain how electronic voting machines in two states, flipped the vote from Demo to GOP? I'm sure the wingnuts will use that as an excuse to blame the Demo's, right?
And if you would, show a workable link as to where voter fraud is, when it happened, what % of total votes=voter fraud. Then you may have a valid argument.
Also, how many court cases have the GOP lost in the last month when they tried to disenfranchise legal registered voters from the registration list? Until then, your talking points are meaningless, just more GOP BS.
4. Posted by Allen | November 4, 2008 10:29 AM
Posted on November 4, 2008 10:29
The ironic thing is that Raymond suggests in his book that the public is basically stupid to fall for a lot of the stuff that gets done. Hey, everyone has a right to vote, but if someone actually believes the tactics you cite above, well I am not crying if they miss voting. And I don't care if their vote was going to McCain or Obama. If they are that dumb they have probably made no effort to investigate the positions of the candidates anyway.
5. Posted by DaveD | November 4, 2008 10:46 AM
Posted on November 4, 2008 10:46
It's typically the elderly who fall prey to these kind of tricks.
And if the tricks weren't effective Republican fraudsters wouldn't risk jail time to pull these stunts.
Lying to strip away someone's right to vote is Un-American, but DaveD doesn't see a problem in that.
6. Posted by Lee Ward
| November 4, 2008 10:53 AM
Posted on November 4, 2008 10:53
It's very important that everyone vote, including the dead and the fictional. It's important to not make distinctions between the living-challenged and the rest of us, if your vote is cancelled out by a fictional character or someone who died in 1984 it should be a source of pride, not a concern.
America is a great country and there are literally millions of people who made her great that are now deceased. It just makes it better for all of us if they continue to vote even after their passing.
7. Posted by Darren | November 4, 2008 11:57 AM
Posted on November 4, 2008 11:57
Yeah, millions of dead people are voting in the election - nice try... glad to see you're not letting those "pesky "facts" get in to the way of GOP campaigning.
8. Posted by Lee Ward
| November 4, 2008 12:38 PM
Posted on November 4, 2008 12:38
Lee, you don't read much do you?
By the way, I clearly remember a leaked internal DNC memo back in 2004 saying everyone should claim voter suppression by the GOP, even if there isn't any reported.
That tells me all we need to know about the left and their lies.
Lee, nice try though!
9. Posted by Jo | November 4, 2008 4:18 PM
Posted on November 4, 2008 16:18