Texas threatens prosecution against international poll watchers

[regulator 0]

Texas has a message for international election observers planning to watch over the Lone Star vote Nov. 6: "BRING IT."

Texas officials this week launched a prickly and very public dispute with the Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe, which plans to send monitors to polling sites across the U.S. on Election Day. The group has done this since 2002 -- but this year, Texas took exception to what officials perceived as a challenge to the latest wave of voter ID laws.

Attorney General Greg Abbott is now threatening to prosecute any observer who breaks state law by getting too close to any polling site.

"The OSCE may be entitled to its opinions about Voter ID laws, but your opinion is legally irrelevant in the United States," Abbott wrote in a letter this week to the OSCE.

He went on to remind representatives that they are not allowed to enter a polling place, and cautioned against going within 100 feet of the entrance. "Failure to comply with these requirements could subject the OSCE's representatives to criminal prosecution for violating state law," he wrote.

The letter touched off a flurry of testy tweets and correspondence that brought in Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to play ref. Janez Lenarcic, director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, fired off a letter to Clinton to complain -- which was followed by a letter from Abbott to Clinton reiterating his concerns.

"The threat of criminal sanctions against OSCE/ODIHR observers is unacceptable," Lenarcic said in a statement. "The United States, like all countries in the OSCE, has an obligation to invite ODIHR observers to observe its elections."

The United States is one of dozens of members of the Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe.

State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland on Thursday acknowledged Clinton had received letters from both sides and tried to offer assurances.

She said the plan to send observers "isn't any different" than in past years.

"We had, I think, about 15 states that they were going to go to," she said. "To my knowledge, (Texas is) the only state that came forward and said please reassure us that you're going to follow our state electoral law. And they have now been reassured."

On Twitter, Abbott didn't sound reassured.

He tweeted: "UN-related vote monitors warn Texas: Don't mess with us. My response: BRING IT."

Gov. Rick Perry also chimed in, saying "No UN monitors/inspectors will be part of any TX election process."

Perry praised a statement from Texas Secretary of State Hope Andrade addressing both sides. She said in a letter to the OSCE that she was concerned the monitoring program could be "politicized in a manner that could diminish or permanently damage" its credibility. She also said it's important for Texans to understand the group has no jurisdiction over state elections and is only there to learn.

Abbott had expressed concern that OSCE met with groups that have filed suit against voter laws in Texas -- including the ACORN-tied Project Vote. A number of left-leaning groups have challenged efforts to enact strict photo ID laws in Texas and other Republican-controlled states, claiming they're an effort to disenfranchise minority voters. Republican lawmakers say they're merely aimed at cracking down on voter fraud.

The Texas law is not yet in effect, having been blocked by a federal court. Abbott has taken his case to the Supreme Court.

The OSCE referenced such laws in an Oct. 19 report, saying "recent state-level legislative initiatives to limit early voting and introduce stricter voter identification have become highly polarized. Democrats are concerned that these would disenfranchise eligible voters, while Republicans believe they are necessary to protect the integrity of the vote."

South Carolina Election Commission spokesman Chris Whitmire said Friday that the OSCE observers are also expected to come to his state, where officials have pushed a similar voter ID law that is not yet in effect. But Whitmire said South Carolina does not share Texas' concerns.

"Whoever wants to come observe South Carolina elections, we welcome them," he told FoxNews.com. "We want our election to be as open as possible."



http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/10/26/texas-threatens-prosecution-against-international-poll-watchers/

[Channman 2]

Lock em Up

[rushmc 23]

Quote

Lock em Up

Exactly

Not even the UN is above any state law

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[jclalor 12]

[billvon 2,998]

>Lock em Up

Exactly. Texas cannot afford any more attention paid to their problems with voter fraud. Heck, if you look too closely, some very well-paid politicians might lose their jobs.

[rushmc 23]

Quote

>Lock em Up

Exactly. Texas cannot afford any more attention paid to their problems with voter fraud. Heck, if you look too closely, some very well-paid politicians might lose their jobs.

Sure

Let them ignore the law

It is what the libs and Obama like to do

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[billvon 2,998]

>Sure . . .Let them ignore the law

Exactly. Keep those poll watchers away from the polls! No fraud to worry about.

'Course, the right wingers are going to look like a bunch of lying hypocrites when they go back to whining about voter fraud again.

[rushmc 23]

Quote

>Sure . . .Let them ignore the law

Exactly. Keep those poll watchers away from the polls! No fraud to worry about.

'Course, the right wingers are going to look like a bunch of lying hypocrites when they go back to whining about voter fraud again.

Ya

Break any law that you feel should be broken

No worry that these "poll watchers" will bother anyone

let them break a law

What the hell

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[SkyDekker 1,465]

Quote

Break any law that you feel should be broken

No worry that these "poll watchers" will bother anyone

let them break a law

What the hell

Didn't that article state the law isn't in effect yet, since it is before the Supreme Court?

[rushmc 23]

No. That was referring to the voter id law

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[regulator 0]

Quote

>Sure . . .Let them ignore the law

Exactly. Keep those poll watchers away from the polls! No fraud to worry about.

'Course, the right wingers are going to look like a bunch of lying hypocrites when they go back to whining about voter fraud again.

-----------------------------------------------------
are you honestly that stupid to think ACORN wasnt responsible for voter fraud? Or are you just playing dumb. If so, nice play, you pulled it off brilliantly.

[BIGUN 1,317]

That's gonna go well with the Moderators.

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[Gravitymaster 0]

Quote

>Sure . . .Let them ignore the law

Exactly. Keep those poll watchers away from the polls! No fraud to worry about.

'Course, the right wingers are going to look like a bunch of lying hypocrites when they go back to whining about voter fraud again.

Huh?? I though voter fraud wasn't a problem? Dems have told us there wasn;t a problem. Talk about lying hypocrites

[rushmc 23]

Now Iowa joins the threat

Gotta say, I am proud of my state for a change

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1012/83108.html

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[wmw999 2,452]

I find it interesting that we think it's OK for American poll watchers to help evaluate the legitimacy of elections overseas, and find it offensive that others might want to watch us.

Are we scared of something, or just overly defensive? Frankly, I see no issue whatsoever with someone watching US voters quietly.

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[masterblaster72 0]

Quote

I find it interesting that we think it's OK for American poll watchers to help evaluate the legitimacy of elections overseas, and find it offensive that others might want to watch us.

Are we scared of something, or just overly defensive? Frankly, I see no issue whatsoever with someone watching US voters quietly.

Wendy P.

I agree that there shouldn't be an issue with others watching over the US election.

I don't think Americans are scared of something or defensive; rather, I think this is indicative of a post-WWII American superiority complex.

Be humble, ask questions, listen, learn, follow the golden rule, talk when necessary, and know when to shut the fuck up.

[rushmc 23]

Quote

I find it interesting that we think it's OK for American poll watchers to help evaluate the legitimacy of elections overseas, and find it offensive that others might want to watch us.

Are we scared of something, or just overly defensive? Frankly, I see no issue whatsoever with someone watching US voters quietly.

Wendy P.

If other countries want us to I am ok

If not, it is their laws elections so we are not welcome

State laws are what they are

Your point is a strawman

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[rushmc 23]

Quote

Quote

I find it interesting that we think it's OK for American poll watchers to help evaluate the legitimacy of elections overseas, and find it offensive that others might want to watch us.

Are we scared of something, or just overly defensive? Frankly, I see no issue whatsoever with someone watching US voters quietly.

Wendy P.

I agree that there shouldn't be an issue with others watching over the US election.

I don't think Americans are scared of something or defensive; rather, I think this is indicative of a post-WWII American superiority complex.

No, it is a point of law

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[lawrocket 3]

Quote

I find it interesting that we think it's OK for American poll watchers to help evaluate the legitimacy of elections overseas, and find it offensive that others might want to watch us.

Then there are those people, like me, who think that not only should others keep their noses out of our business, but that we ourselves should also keep our noses out of theirs.

It's more where people draw lines. Mitt Romney has come around to Obama's foreign policy. This after Obama came around to Bush's foreign policy on aggression overseas. Neither challenges the US Policy of foreign intervention.

Now the foreigners intervene with us. yay. yippee. woo hoo.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[wmw999 2,452]

Quote

Then there are those people, like me, who think that not only should others keep their noses out of our business, but that we ourselves should also keep our noses out of theirs.

***I don't have any problem with that viewpoint, as long as we continue with its logical conclusion that if they elect an asshole, he's their asshole (e.g. Castro, Chavez).

I think that with the improvements in communication, the countries are getting more and more interconnected, and it may be unrealistic to expect countries to stay out of each others' business. But maybe not. We just have to be willing to do it, too, regardless of what we think "our interests" are.

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[tkhayes 348]

I love it. change the voter ID laws. Then change the poll-watching laws so that no one can oversee anything. Then you claim it's OK to ban the overservers because it is 'illegal'.

Next step will be to make it illegal to object to the new laws.

One step closer to totalitarian police state.

[rushmc 23]

Quote

I love it. change the voter ID laws. Then change the poll-watching laws so that no one can oversee anything. Then you claim it's OK to ban the overservers because it is 'illegal'.

Next step will be to make it illegal to object to the new laws.

One step closer to totalitarian police state.

No laws have changed in my state anyway

Strawman

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[wolfriverjoe 1,523]

Quote

>Sure . . .Let them ignore the law

Exactly. Keep those poll watchers away from the polls! No fraud to worry about.

'Course, the right wingers are going to look like a bunch of lying hypocrites when they go back to whining about voter fraud again.

That's what I find amusing.

The righties scream that we need to purge the rolls of all the ineligible voters, and require ID of all voters because of rampant fraud.

But they don't want outside observers.

Hmmm...

"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo