The Party of Jesse Helms is still the Party of Jesse Helms -- Even in Maine

[paft.livejournal.com]

From Times Record, 9/22/11:

After a two-month investigation into possible voter fraud by college students and noncitizens, Maine Secretary of State Charlie Summers said Wednesday his evidence showed that none of the students committed fraud and only one noncitizen voted in Maine.

The Maine Republican Party’s attempt to disenfranchise a couple of hundred out of state students didn’t work, so now they’ve trotted out a tactic used by NC Sentator Jesse Helms back when his senate seat was threatened by Democratic candidate Harvy Gantt. They’ve sent deliberately intimidating letters to out of state students students so worded to imply that they would be breaking the law if they attempted to vote while having an out of state driver’s license.

From a letter sent to hundreds of college students by Maine's Secretary of State:

If you are currently using an out-of-state driver’s license or motor vehicle registration, I ask that you take appropriate action to comply with out motor vehicle laws within the next 30 days (i.e. by October 20, 2011). If, instead, you are no longer claiming to be a Maine resident, I ask that you complete the enclosed form to cancel your voter registration in Maine so that out our central voter registration system can be updated.

Back in 1990, just before the Senatorial election, the Helms campaign sent out letters to voters in black districts implying anyone who had moved within the past year would be arrested if they showed up at the polling places to vote. Lots of legally registered black voters living in highly mobile black neighborhoods got the message and stayed home on election day.

Apparently, the Republicans in Maine are hoping the same thing will happen with out-of-state students.

Crossposted from Thoughtcrimes

Comments

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

Naturally one of the most reactionary state Republican Parties would pull bullshit like this. >.<

[telemann.livejournal.com]

I wished he had that mucho gusto for out of state corporations voting with their ad money in local races.

[badlydrawnjeff.livejournal.com]

So is it legal to vote in Maine if you're not actually a legal resident of the state, or isn't it?

[kylinrouge.livejournal.com]

They're legal residents of the state.

[badlydrawnjeff.livejournal.com]

I guess I'm just trying to figure out the problem here. Either they're a resident or they're not.

[kylinrouge.livejournal.com]

The problem is having an out-of-state driver's license has nothing to do with being a resident or not. The letters are pointless.

[badlydrawnjeff.livejournal.com]

If you have an out-of-state license, aren't you supposed to vote in the state you're declaring residency in?

[kylinrouge.livejournal.com]

Regardless of their license status, they can only vote in the state where they've declared permanent residency, which for out-of-state students, is still their home state where they came from.

[badlydrawnjeff.livejournal.com]

Right, okay. That's what I thought. So this is, again, a tempest in a teapot.

[kylinrouge.livejournal.com]

Yes, the letters are misleading. Whether or not it's a deliberate attempt to stifle voting or something else is in the eye of the beholder, but considering the history of these things it's a safe bet to believe some malevolent intent. Again, you don't have to believe that this was deliberate, but the possibility is there based on the opportunity and the history of these things.

[mikeyxw.livejournal.com]

I took them as a way to collect more taxes through getting out of state people to register their cars in state. It strongest message was to comply with the licensing requirements.

Making someone vote in their home state doesn't seem like a real attempt to stifle voting, just to get things in order. If these had come out mid-October of 2012, it might be different.

[meus-ovatio.livejournal.com]

It's terrible really. Millions of military personnel all voting on bases not in their home states. Why do we let this happen?

[geezer-also.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure how it is now, and different states may be different. However, when I was in college, an out of state student could apply for a voting residency (or something like that, it was over 40 years ago, I don't remember what they called it)