Millions (of felons) blocked from voting in U.S. Election

Yahoo! News ^

[MIT-Elephant]

"Millions Blocked from Voting in U.S. Election"

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Millions of U.S. citizens, including a disproportionate number of black voters, will be blocked from voting in the Nov. 2 presidential election because of legal barriers, faulty procedures or dirty tricks, according to civil rights and legal experts.

The largest category of those legally disenfranchised consists of almost 5 million former felons who have served prison sentences and been deprived of the right to vote under laws that have roots in the post-Civil War 19th century and were aimed at preventing black Americans from voting.

But millions of other votes in the 2000 presidential election were lost due to clerical and administrative errors while civil rights organizations have cataloged numerous tactics aimed at suppressing black voter turnout. Polls consistently find that black Americans overwhelmingly vote for Democrats.
...

[MIT-Elephant]

Funny how liberals don't mind a felon losing his gun rights, but losing his voting rights is a dirty Republican trick. Except those laws were most likely passed by wealthy Plantation Democrat elites to keep their plutocratic power structure intact.

This reporting makes me sick. Did the author just take last week's Kerry talking points and flesh it out? Anyone who is blocked from voting due to bureaucratic incompetence has a serious grievance. Same with threatening to arrest people at the polls (later in article). But what is that story about "mysterious people videotaping in line?" An army of voyeurs? Since when did a video camera qualify as intimidation?

As for driver's licenses, I think everyone should have to show a photo ID at a polling station. But read on - it all comes back to Florida for this reporter. No one in the press seems to fault the networks for calling the state for Gore before the panhandle had stopped voting, 'disenfranchising' thousands of voters who went home.

Oh well. I'm sure the illegal immigrant vote and New York-Florida double-voting will make up for it.

[theDentist]

File this under "Too Effin' Bad"

[Spackidagoosh]

You know when you are banking on the felon vote you are in trouble.

[2banana]

They also can't buy a gun, become a police officer, become a teacher, serve in our armed forces, get a security clearance, become a child care worker, become a FBI agent, etc.

[Americanwolf]

Felons lose their rights when they are covincted that is the plan and simple of it. after they have severed their time they can in certian case re apply of reinstatment of their rights, but I cannot belive that people wail and nash over this.

[John Jorsett]

Well on the bright side, they can still get elected to the DC City Council.

[FesterUSMC]

OH!!! now i understand..... only black people commit felonies.... I see....

[EagleUSA]

This more of the LIBERAL DOUBLE STANDARD being SPUN BY THE MEDIA --- God, haven't we had enough from CBS....

The truth is NEVER PRESENTED IN PROPER PERSPECTIVE. What this liberal kool-aid drinker is ranting about, is that because FELONS CAN'T VOTE LEGALLY the liberal Dems are losing votes. How unfortunate...and it is a real OBSTACLE that these voters actually HAVE TO OBEY THE LAW --- that is a violation of liberal rights !!!!!

Makes me want to puke also -- remember the liberals handing out cigarettes to the homeless, cardboard-box-dwellers when Gore was running?? -- to get them to vote Democrat.

[Lowell]

I guess it is our fault that 15% or more of the black population are convicted felons. White people convicted them so they are not responsable.
Your line: File this under "Too Effin' Bad"

[TexasCajun]

Sounds like just like any another liberal "Blame Whitey" story I've ever read.

[ProudVet77]

OK, of what value is Yahoo? I mean I'm an IT pro for 30+ years, but have never had a use to even access Yahoo except when a story like this leads me there.
What is their business model? They appear to be ultra left, so I'm looking for a way to cause them pain.

[Cicero]

In the last election the Democrats brought quite a few felons to the polls. The also visited the lunatic asylums and escorted inmates to the voting booths. Good to know who the Democrats think are their most reliable supporters. Not to speak of the most reliable Democrat voters of all--dead people.

[midwyf]

Ahhhh, shucks! And here the dems have been getting buses to haul these guys into the polls, I'll bet. They got street people in one state last time and gave them cigarettes to vote, remember? When you're a liberal, you need an edge.

[Old Sarge]

serve in our armed forces, get a security clearance

William the Impeached.

[gilor]

Don't do the crime if............

[Publius6961]

The largest category of those legally disenfranchised consists of almost 5 million former felons who have served prison sentences and been deprived of the right to vote under laws that have roots in the post-Civil War 19th century and were aimed at preventing black Americans from voting.

I am impressed by the ingenuity of Republicans. Way back in the 19th century they predicted that a disproportionate percentage of felons would be black. That's truly remarkable. The devil made them do it?

[MIT-Elephant]

I read a columnist who argued for restoring felon voting rights (a reasonable discussion with good arguments on either side)...but he had one point that was nuts - "if felons were allowed to vote, Gore would have won Florida by a few thousand votes."

Grrreat. That's an argument? That's not an argument! The ends justify the means? How is that supposed to convince anyone? Where did that guy go to school?

[Solson]

Alan elsner, the author of this article, is a big prison-rights guy. and a loon...

[shield]

bump

[oolatec]

Wow... I never thought Reuters would report any good news... I am shocked!