Have you ever been a victim of “Driving While Black?” You know, those times when you’re driving and minding your own business in your own car, not breaking any laws and you are followed for miles by the police while they run your plates? Or worse yet, they pull you over right away, shine the flashlight in your face and in your back seat. And when you reach over to get your registration, they immediately go into attack mode and tell you to keep your hands on the steering wheel! Most Black drivers have experienced it at some point in their lives. It creates a sinking and humiliating feeling even though you know you’ve done NOTHING wrong. Most of us have also experienced being followed around a store when you’ve done nothing wrong.
Now we all could be at risk of experiencing this when we go to vote on November 6th. An organization called True The Vote, a Tea Party affiliate, has vowed to train 1 million “poll watchers” to challenge or intimidate voters and make them feel like “they’re driving and being followed by the police.” We can expect to see these efforts in full swing, especially with the recent turn of events and poor choices that are casting a negative light on Mitt Romney’s campaign. In addition to BLACK CENTRAL™, there are many organizations that are dedicated to protecting your voting rights and keeping you informed so that you can be empowered this election season.
Common Cause and Demos, nonpartisan advocacy organizations that are part of the Election Protection Coalition, released a report titled Bullies at the Ballot Box which analyzed 10 states where races are expected to be competitive: Colorado, Florida, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia.
[box]“Ballot box bully” tactics include:
· Targeting registered voters in communities of color, student voters, and voters facing foreclosure to challenge their eligibility to vote and kick them off the voting rolls.
· “Hovering over” voters waiting to cast their ballots and otherwise intimidating voters at the polls.
· Encouraging states to engage in systematic purges of voter rolls, in violation of federal law.[/box]
What do we recommend?
- Take a moment to review the Executive Summary of Bullies at the Ballot Box and find out what’s happening in your state.
- Verify your voter registration record, as some eligible voters are being purged from the rolls without knowing it.
- Take advantage of early in-person voting, if it’s available in your area.
STAND UP AND FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHT TO VOTE.