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#DNC2012 Voting Rights Institute

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Convention days were filed with caucus and other Democratic group meetings, including a meeting of the DNC’s Voting Rights Institute on Sept. 6, 2012.  We are happy to feature a guest column by Susan Dosier, a communications specialist who attended the meeting.

 The Democratic Party and A Host of Voter Groups Needs Volunteers To Help Fight Against Attacks On Voter Rights

Donna Brazile kicks off Voting Rights Panel (photo credit – Steve Bunn)

A line-up of political rock stars, including actress America Ferrera, Donna Brazile, Congressman Steny Hoyer,  Georgia Representative John Lewis, MSNBC talk show host Melissa Harris Perry, and others gathered to focus on what many at the Convention still find incredulous: the narrowing of criteria that allow Americans to vote.

At issue: 25 percent of Americans don’t have a government-issued ID. (Several new laws require as multiple forms of identification in order for someone to register to vote.)  For example, in Texas, you can register to vote with an National Rifle Association permit, but the state will not accept a photo ID from a community college.

Melissa Harris Perry moderated a panel with leaders who are working in each of their constituent groups (African Americans, organized labor, youth, Latinos, and more) to help the audience understand what’s happening, what’s being done, and how they can help.  Many of the restrictive voting laws passed target African-Americans, Hispanics, young voters, seniors, and people with disabilities.

“I’ve never seen anything like this!” Donna Brazile told the group. The same sentiment was heard from many in the room.

Many organizations and groups are actively responding, including the NAACP, organized labor, and Americans With Disabilities.Read More »#DNC2012 Voting Rights Institute

DPVA Steering Committee Meets – 53 Days to Election

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DPVA Chair Brian Moran, Secretary Steve Bunn, Vice Chair Gaylene Kanoyton

The Democratic Party of Virginia held a very substantive Steering Committee meeting last night, focused primarily on the tasks necessary over the next 53 days to elect Barack Obama, Tim Kaine, and our Congressional candidates.  The Committee also voted to recommend to the full Central Committee that the Party chose its 2013 nominees for Governor, Lt. Governor, and Atty. General by primary, and oppose this fall’s constitutional amendment regarding eminent  domain.  The full Central Committee meeting this morning.  Some highlights of last night’s meeting.Read More »DPVA Steering Committee Meets – 53 Days to Election

Platform and Tuesday Schedule, #DNC2012

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Thanks to Matt at DemConWatch, here is the proposed platform and the Tuesday schedule.  There will be pre-convention caucus meetings in the morning and afternoon, (and a lunch or reception or two), but the session starts at 5 pm.  The first major business is adoption of Credentials, Rules, and Platform reports.  Then there will be a Jimmy Carter video and speeches.  Starting at 10 pm, the convention will hear from Md. Gov. Martin O’Malley, Keynoter San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, and First Lady Michelle Obama.  The Convention adjourns at 11, to be followed by a party or two.  Full schedule below  

  2012 Democratic National Platform (336.0 KiB, 1,075 hits)

 Read More »Platform and Tuesday Schedule, #DNC2012

New Study: Little Voter Fraud, Great Disenfranchisement

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 A recent “analysis of 2,068 alleged election-fraud cases since 2000 shows that while fraud has occurred, the rate is infinitesimal, and in-person voter impersonation on Election Day, which prompted 37 state legislatures to enact or consider tough voter ID laws, is virtually non-existent.”   The Study’s authors began “data-gathering effort in January 2012 by reviewing the more than 300 cases of alleged voter fraud collected by the Republican National Lawyers Association (RNLA).  For years, the RNLA has been urging strict voter-identification laws on the grounds of massive amounts of voter fraud, and in 2011 the organization released a survey of voter fraud cases in America.  However, the News21 analysis showed that the RNLA cases, now totaling about 375 cases, consisted mainly of newspaper articles about a range of election issues, with little supporting evidence of actual in-person voter fraud.”   In contrast to the few and far between fraud cases, new voter ID requirements could disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of voters.  “According to Pennsylvania’s Department of State and the Department of Transportation, as many as 758,000 people, about 9 percent of the state’s 8.2 million registered voters currently don’t have the identification that now will be required at the polling place.”  Read the article here.Read More »New Study: Little Voter Fraud, Great Disenfranchisement

Attending the #DNC2012 Nomination Night – Update

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Here is a DNC Press Release from today with more information on attending the Thursday night stadium nomination of President Obama:  Democratic National Convention Committee Invites Americans to Sign Up for Community Credentials and Witness History — Public Can Sign Up For the Opportunity To Attend President Obama and Vice President Biden’s Nomination Acceptance Speeches on Thursday, Sept. 6

Read More »Attending the #DNC2012 Nomination Night – Update