Infamous Southbridge Billboard Featured On Rachel Maddow Show

Ken O’Brien

Last night The Rachel Maddow Show broadcast a segment on voter intimidation. The opening image of the report was the billboard that appeared in Southbridge during the special election for State Representative implying that citizens had to present ID to vote.

Also featured was a photo of a table set up within a polling place in New Bedford giving the appearance that ID was needed to vote in that city. That incident led to action by the state.

The video of the report follows:

Court Strikes Down Texas Voter ID Law

Ken O’Brien

Texas' controversial voter-identification law was struck down unanimously today by a three judge panel. The court held that the law violates civil-rights protections by putting an unfair burden on poor and minority voters. This is a major setback for Republicans on a key legal fight leading up to November elections.

A number of states, including Texas, Georgia and Pennsylvania, have passed laws tightening identification requirements for in-person voting. The Texas law would require a government-issued photo ID, such as a driver's license, passport, or gun permit, but wouldn't allow a student ID for purposes of voting. 

Voter Suppression Phase Two (Or Is It Three?)

Ken O’Brien

The O’Zone has received a lot of pushback for the attention we have paid to the voter ID law movement sponsored by Republican legislatures across the country.

Court cases in Texas and Pennsylvania have amply demonstrated the total lack of incidents of voter fraud that have been the justification put forth for such laws.

As Jon Stewart has famously put it, it’s now time to move on to addressing the pressing matter of leash laws for unicorns. As for myself, I think we should first legislate and enforce an extraterrestrial registration act. 

Analysis of Pennsylvania Voter ID Law Shows Scope of Voter Suppression

Ken O’Brien

Ten days ago The O’Zone pointed out that the true goal of nationwide Republican efforts to enact voter ID laws were not what was claimed.

In that article we ran a video of the Pennsylvania House Majority Leader Mike Turzai (R-Allegheny) proudly proclaiming that the state’s new voter ID law would ensure a victory for Mitt Romney in Pennsylvania.

We immediately received pushback that these were “common sense” laws designed to prevent voter fraud. 

Republican Brags About Voter ID Law Winning the State of PA for Romney

Ken O’Brien

Despite several years of Republicans promoting voter fraud as the basis for new voter ID Laws around the country, the truth has leaked out. Numerous non-partisan groups including the League of Women Voters and The Brennan Center for Law and Justice have repeatedly shown that the incidences of actual voter fraud are insignificant.

Rather than being a response to voter fraud it is widely recognized by many that such laws are an effort at voter suppression designed to disenfranchise traditionally Democratic voter groups such as the elderly, students and minorities.