Obama campaign working to counter new voter ID laws

The Washington Post ^ | 19 may 2012 | Amy Gardner

[mandaladon]

President Obama’s reelection campaign launched a national drive Friday to counter new restrictive voter-access laws, which advisers said threaten his electoral chances in November.

Organizers will fan out in key swing states this weekend to teach volunteers and voters how to navigate a series of laws passed by Republican-controlled state legislatures imposing stricter identification requirements, limiting early voting and making it harder to organize voter-registration drives. It is the beginning of a months-long effort, campaign officials said, to combat what they described as a Republican effort to stifle voting among young people and minorities, two groups that traditionally tend to vote Democratic.

Republicans say the new laws are needed to protect against voter fraud and help make elections fairer.

The Obama campaign’s “weekend of action” is part of a field effort that in 2008 helped identify, register and turn out millions of new voters. Those new voters gave Obama wins in unlikely places, including North Carolina and Virginia, where young and minority voters helped make the difference. Turning out those voters again this year is key to the president’s reelection strategy, but it is also more challenging this year in part because of the new voting laws.

[kingu]

Those new voters gave Obama wins in unlikely places, including North Carolina and Virginia, where young and minority voters helped make the difference.

McCain made the difference in those areas. Just as Romney's nomination will do the same this time around.

[CriticalJ]

“Organizers will fan out in key swing states this weekend to teach volunteers and voters how to navigate a series of laws passed by Republican-controlled state legislatures imposing stricter identification requirements, limiting early voting and making it harder to organize voter-registration drives.”

What are the odds that the organizers will instruct potential voters to get legitimate state ID’s and use them the correct way?

[ScottinVA]

What will it take for American citizens to realize they are being led to slaughter?

When their favorite TV reality show goes off the air, or when they can't access apps for their electronic toys. Only then will events focus their minds.

[ScottinVA]

A certain smile...

and a cigarette afterwards...

[Wisconsinlady]

Early voting started today in the Scott Walker recall. Our local conservative radio personality, Mark Belling, said he went to vote in downtown Milwaukee. He gave up because vans were double parked with up to 20 people coming out of them. The dems are picking people up and bringing them to the polls. I think we need to learn from them quickly!