Anna Pycior, apycior@demos.org, (212) 389-1408

Mary Boyle, mboyle@commoncause.org, (202) 736-5716

Strong Enforcement Of Voter Protections Needed In Nevada To Stop “Bullies At The Ballot Box”

New study grades Nevada’s ability to counter partisan poll watchers and wrongful voter challenges

READ “BULLIES AT THE BALLOT BOX” HERE.

As the elections approach, strong enforcement of voter protections is needed to prevent attempts to block Nevada voters from casting their ballot, according to a report released today by voting rights groups Demos and Common Cause. The study, “Bullies at the Ballot Box: Protecting the Freedom to Vote from Wrongful Challenges and Intimidation” focuses on voter protection laws in Nevada and nine other states where elections are expected to be close, or where large challenger operations are expected or have taken place during recent elections.

The study concludes that Nevada generally has satisfactory laws on the books when it comes to voter protection, but that there is plenty of work yet to be done to protect voters from voter intimidation and attempts to kick registered voters off the rolls.

True the Vote and other Tea Party-affiliated groups are reportedly recruiting 1 million volunteers to object to the qualifications of voters in targeted communities on and before Election Day, according to the study. These volunteers are being rallied to block, in their own words, the “illegal alien vote” and “the food stamp army.” Their stated goal is to make the experience of voting “like driving and seeing the police behind you.”

“Voting must be free, fair and accessible to all, and voters should know their rights,” said Common Cause President Bob Edgar. “It is important to maintain the integrity of our election system, and that means that candidates, parties and political activists should be focused on persuading and turning out voters, not bullying them or trying to manipulate the law to freeze them out of our democracy.”

Nevada receives high marks for its laws that should protect voters from wrongful challenges to their right to vote before Election Day, though it is mixed for protections from wrongful challenges on Election Day. Nevada has very good protections for voters from intimidation by partisan poll watchers on Election Day inside and outside the polls:

– For challenges to a voter’s eligibility made before Election Day, Nevada requires voter challenges to be in writing and based on personal knowledge. Notice to the challenged voter is required, and challenges can be resolved by affirming eligibility at the polls. These provisions are helpful in protecting voting rights.

– For challenges to a voter’s eligibility on Election Day, challenges must be in writing and based on personal knowledge. However, the procedures for resolving a challenge are complicated, and Nevada should clarify that the challenger bears the burden of proof in showing a voter is not eligible to vote.

– Observers in Nevada are prohibited from photographing, recording, or talking to voters. It is prohibited to interfere with the conduct of voting, and there is authority to remove observers who do.

In Nevada it is a felony to interfere with the conduct of an election.

The ten states reviewed in “Bullies at the Ballot Box” are Colorado, Florida, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia. In addition to assessing the current state laws, the report provides recommendations to protect citizens from these large-scale, well-organized efforts to intimidate or block them from voting.

"Mahalagang maunawaan ng lahat ng kalahok ang mga patakaran at igalang ang karapatan ng lahat ng karapat-dapat na Amerikano na bumoto nang walang pananakot o sagabal. Nais naming bawasan ang panganib ng positibong pakikipag-ugnayan ng sibiko na lumilipat sa pagkagambala sa maayos na pagsasagawa ng mga halalan," sabi ni Liz Kennedy. “Ang mga hindi makatwirang hamon sa pagiging karapat-dapat ng mga botante ay maaaring humantong sa mga problema sa mga botohan para sa lahat na naghahangad na bumoto sa pamamagitan ng pag-ubos ng mga mapagkukunan, nakakagambala sa mga opisyal, at humahantong sa mas mahabang linya. Pinagbabantaan nila ang patas na pangangasiwa ng mga halalan at ang pangunahing kalayaang bumoto.”

"Ang pagboto ay isa sa aming pinakapangunahing karapatan," sabi ni Edgar ng Common Cause. "Walang karapat-dapat na botante ang dapat hadlangan mula sa pagboto, at ang buong komunidad ng mga karapatan sa pagboto ay pinakilos upang protektahan ang mga karapatan ng mga botante."

Ang Common Cause at Demos ay bahagi ng Election Protection coalition, ang pinakamalaking non-partisan voter protection coalition sa bansa. Ang Common Cause at mga kaalyado ng koalisyon ay nagre-recruit at nag-oorganisa ng mga nonpartisan na tagasubaybay sa Araw ng Halalan upang tulungan ang mga botante na maunawaan ang mga tuntunin sa pagboto sa kanilang estado at iulat ang anuman at lahat ng pagsisikap na pigilan o takutin ang mga botante. Sa pamamagitan ng 1-866-OUR-VOTE hotline at isang komprehensibong field deployment, ang Proteksyon sa Halalan ay tumutulong sa mga botante na malampasan ang mga hadlang sa ballot box habang nangongolekta ng data para sa makabuluhang reporma. Mahigit 100 organisasyon ang nagsanib-puwersa upang subaybayan ang mga lugar ng botohan sa buong bansa at magbigay ng tulong, kabilang ang legal na tulong, sa mga botante na nakakaharap ng mga hadlang sa pagboto.