voter suppression

12 Stories

Right-Wing Robocall Activists Face $1.25M Fine in NY

Calls claimed that details of mail-in voters in 2020 would be passed to police, credit card firms

(Newser) - Another state has punished two men behind a robocall campaign that sought to suppress mail-in voting in 2020. Right-wing activists Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman will pay fines of up to $1.25 million in a settlement agreement in New York, the Washington Post reports. The campaign contacted around 5,...

Activists Behind 'Despicable' Robocalls Hear Their Fate

Jack Burkman, Jacob Wohl tried to suppress Black votes in 2020

(Newser) - After a 2020 robocalling scheme that tried to dissuade tens of thousands of voters in multiple Midwestern states from casting their ballots by mail in that year's election, Jack Burkman and Jacob Wohl were hit with a $5 million fine from the Federal Communications Commission; in October, the far-right...

Major Voting Restrictions All But Certain in Texas

Raft of laws would alter how the country's biggest red state conducts elections

(Newser) - Texas Republicans dug in Saturday for a final weekend vote on some of the most restrictive new voting laws in the US, putting the last touches on a sweeping bill that would eliminate drive-thru voting, empower partisan poll watchers and limit voting on Sundays, when many Black churchgoers head to...

As Kemp Signed Bill She Knocked on His Door, Got Arrested

Rep. Park Cannon was protesting election legislation

(Newser) - A Black Democratic state lawmaker was arrested in Atlanta as she tried to witness Georgia's governor sign into law new voting restrictions in the state. Per the Atlanta Journal-Constitution , Rep. Park Cannon was at the state Capitol on Thursday, right outside the office where Gov. Brian Kemp was putting...

In Texas, Cries of Voter Suppression

Governor's order limits ballot drop-off sites to 1 per county

(Newser) - Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order Thursday limiting ballot drop-off locations to one per county in what one county clerk says is "a deliberate attempt to manipulate the election." Harris County, encompassing Houston and some 4.7 million residents, planned 12 drop-off sites following an executive...

Amid Spread of Misinformation, Whispers on FB's Next Move

Sources tell Bloomberg the social media platform is considering banning political ads before election

(Newser) - Facebook has been struggling lately over a massive advertiser boycott , partly driven by the company's refusal to address political ads spreading misinformation on the platform. Now, people familiar with Facebook's thinking say the company is considering banning political ads in the days leading up to the November election,...

Georgia's Election: 'Some Sneaky Trick'?
Georgia Election:
'Some Sneaky Trick'?
the rundown
Jun 11, 2020 4:04 PM CDT

Georgia Election: 'Some Sneaky Trick'?

Republicans and Democrats duel over who to blame

(Newser) - Democrats and black activists are saying Georgia's botched primary election was no mistake—it was by design, and someone needs to pay. "There's always some sneaky trick that's played," Democratic activist Bobby Fuse, 68, tells CNN . "This time, they had a whole bunch of...

New Wrinkle in Census Debate: a Dead Man's Hard Drives
Dead Man's Hard Drives
Add Surprise Census Wrinkle
the rundown
May 31, 2019 12:40 PM CDT

Dead Man's Hard Drives Add Surprise Census Wrinkle

Critics say GOP strategist's work shows citizenship question is about helping Republicans

(Newser) - The Supreme Court is expected to rule in a matter of weeks on whether the Trump administration can add a citizenship question to the 2020 census. Now, however, a new wrinkle has emerged on the whole issue in an unusual way—via the hard drives of a deceased Republican strategist....

Senator Took Phone of Student With Voter Suppression Question
'Give Me My
Phone Back,
Senator'
Oct 15, 2018 9:21 AM CDT

'Give Me My Phone Back, Senator'

David Perdue seemed to have not liked a query on voter suppression while visiting Georgia Tech

(Newser) - As controversy continues to swirl around the Brian Kemp-Stacey Abrams gubernatorial faceoff in Georgia, a senator campaigning for Kemp created one of his own. Kemp, who's currently Georgia's secretary of state, has been accused of trying to purge voter rolls ahead of the November election, and a Georgia...

States' Rebuff on Voter Info Is 'Fake News': Kobach
Voter-Fraud Commission 
May Have Broken Law
THE RUNDOWN
Jul 6, 2017 9:03 AM CDT

Voter-Fraud Commission May Have Broken Law

Letter to states asking for voter data apparently didn't go through proper channels

(Newser) - President Trump has long contended that "millions" of illegal voters marred the November election, despite no evidence to support that belief, and the commission he's approved to shake out voter fraud has been hitting some roadblocks. The latest obstacle: the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity may have...

Trump Launches Commission to Investigate Voter Fraud

He claims, without evidence, that millions voted illegally

(Newser) - President Trump signed an executive order Thursday launching a commission to review alleged voter fraud and voter suppression, building upon his unsubstantiated claims that millions of people voted illegally in the 2016 election, the AP reports. The White House said the president's "Advisory Commission on Election Integrity" would...

Maine Gov. Accused of Trying to Discourage Student Voters

ACLU wants LePage investigated for voter intimidation

(Newser) - Maine Gov. Paul LePage should be encouraging first-time voters in his state, not trying to scare them off, says the ACLU, which wants the Republican to be investigated for alleged voter intimidation. When LePage was asked Monday about fliers that appeared on a college campus over the weekend falsely claiming...

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