Current Events > Expanded access to early voting for Republicans, limited access for Democrats

(+) Yeah! (+)

That's what is happening in Indiana

http://www.indystar.com/story/news/2017/08/10/silencing-vote-data-shows-unequal-barrier-indiana-polls/435450001/

State and local Republicans have expanded early voting in GOP-dominated areas and restricted it in Democratic areas, an IndyStar investigation has found, prompting a significant change in Central Indiana voting patterns.

From 2008 to 2016, GOP officials expanded early voting stations in Republican dominated Hamilton County, IndyStar's analysis found, and decreased them in the state's biggest Democratic hotbed, Marion County.

That made voting more convenient in GOP areas for people with transportation issues or busy schedules. And the results were immediate.

Most telling, Hamilton County saw a 63 percent increase in absentee voting from 2008 to 2016, while Marion County saw a 26 percent decline. Absentee ballots are used at early voting stations.

Population growth and other factors may have played a role, but Hamilton County Clerk Kathy Richardson, a Republican, told IndyStar the rise in absentee voting in Hamilton County was largely a result of the addition of two early voting stations, which brought the total to three.

"It was a great concept to open those (voting stations)," Richardson said, adding that the turnout might have increased with the addition of even more voting machines.

Other Central Indiana Republican strongholds, including Boone, Johnson and Hendricks counties, also have added early voting sites — and enjoyed corresponding increases in absentee voter turnout.

But not Marion County, which tends to vote Democratic, and has a large African-American population.

During that same 2008-16 period, the number of early voting stations declined from three to one in Marion County, as Republican officials blocked expansion.

Some Republicans blame the dearth of early voting in Marion County on a lack of local funding. "I have never received any type of message that the individuals in charge of Marion County have any interest in spending the money (to expand satellite locations)," said Jim Merritt, chairman of the Marion County Republican Party.

But Indianapolis Mayor Joseph Hogsett, a Democrat, told IndyStar he is in favor of adding additional early voting stations to the county's 2018 budget. And four attempts to expand early voting in Marion County have been approved by Democrats, but blocked by the county's lone GOP representative on the elections board.

“It is a deliberate attempt by certain people in our government to make voting hard,” said former Marion County Clerk Beth White, a Democrat, who promoted those expansions.

Here's what that looks like in numbers: https://twitter.com/DrHedrick/status/895680896765919233
---

why dont the democrats just expand it for themselves
---

Kaname_Madoka posted...

why dont the democrats just expand it for themselves

But Indianapolis Mayor Joseph Hogsett, a Democrat, told IndyStar he is in favor of adding additional early voting stations to the county's 2018 budget. And four attempts to expand early voting in Marion County have been approved by Democrats, but blocked by the county's lone GOP representative on the elections board.

---

then why dont they just block the repblucans
---

We better get used to it
---

Kaname_Madoka posted...

then why dont they just block the repblucans

They lack the power to do so; other counties don't require unanimous approval from elections boards.

In 2013, the state legislature began implementing reforms with specific controls over Marion, Lake and Allen counties' early voting systems.

The legislature enacted IC 3-11.5-4, which applied to “counties with populations over 325,000," mandating that absentee ballots must be counted at a central site, "unless a county election board could unanimously agree to do so elsewhere."

White, who was clerk at the time, warned that the bill, Senate Bill 621, would make voting more expensive in those counties.

"Indiana’s other 89 counties still retain the flexibility to decide whether or not to send ballots to their precinct to be counted or count them at a central site," she argued in 2013. "In effect, county election officials will be operating under two sets of rules."

Again, in 2014 and 2016, Democrats attempted to expand early voting in Marion County, but were stopped by the Republican member of the election board. Most recently, Republican Maura Hoff, by proxy, cast a vote against expanded early voting sites. Hoff did not respond to emails, phone calls and written requests for comment.

The law was specifically created to allow Republicans to limit absentee voting in populous, largely Democratic counties.
---

how is that legal in america
---

fair, next
---

Voter fraud!

lol jk only dems can do that
---

Antifar posted...

The law was specifically created to allow Republicans to block the creation of early voting sites in populous, largely Democratic counties.

is there a method to recall ms. hoff from the election board? is each board required to have both democrats and republicans on them?
---

I mean... I don't really see what the issue is here? Sounds like local republicans put 2 more early voting stations in their counties, and democrats failed, just like they failed the rest of the Hillary campaign.
---

Voter suppression is okay if you're keeping Democrats from voting.
---

Darkman124 posted...

is each board required to have both democrats and republicans on them?

I believe so.

Since legislation passed in 2001, every county requires a unanimous vote of the three-member board to expand early voting. County elections boards are currently made up of a Democrat, a Republican and the county clerk. That legislation set the stage for the current disparity.

---

ok so the issue is the legislation that requires the vote be unanimous, yeah? that's something dems could undo if they ever win the IN legislature again

though with voter suppression efforts going on it may never happen
---

Darkman124 posted...

ok so the issue is the legislation that requires the vote be unanimous, yeah?

+specific legislation limiting the state's most populous counties.
---

Antifar posted...

Darkman124 posted...

ok so the issue is the legislation that requires the vote be unanimous, yeah?

+specific legislation limiting the state's most populous counties.

right

so if dems seize the state they could reverse that, and if they felt like being dicks, flip it around and apply it only to GOP areas and close all their early voting centers

these kind of games are pretty fundamentally anti-democratic
---

Phantom_Nook posted...

Voter suppression is okay if you're keeping Democrats from voting.

---

Absolutely disgusting.
---

Iodine posted...

Phantom_Nook posted...

Voter suppression is okay if you're keeping Democrats from voting.

---

Antifar posted...

Kaname_Madoka posted...

why dont the democrats just expand it for themselves

But Indianapolis Mayor Joseph Hogsett, a Democrat, told IndyStar he is in favor of adding additional early voting stations to the county's 2018 budget. And four attempts to expand early voting in Marion County have been approved by Democrats, but blocked by the county's lone GOP representative on the elections board.

Shady af

Republicans keep showing that that they're trying their hardest to spiral into all out fascism.
---

Solar_Crimson posted...

Iodine posted...

Phantom_Nook posted...

Voter suppression is okay if you're keeping Democrats from voting.

---

Good.