National syndicated radio host, Tom Joyner, appeared before the House Administration Committee on Wednesday, testifying on continuing voting problems as documented by his 1-866-MY-VOTE-1 hotline during the primary season.

The Washington Post described the hotline as "the center of an expansive effort – run largely by African Americans independent of political parties and election officials – to make sure every vote is counted in this year's elections." According to The Post, more than 1,000 lawyers have volunteered to staff polling places and call centers, and approximately 70,000 voters have reported problems, "including extraordinarily long waits, a shortage of ballots, difficulties finding polling locations and being dropped from registration rolls."

Joining Joyner on the Hill yesterday were representatives of the NAACP National Voter Fund, Voter Action and VoterLink Data Systems. They testified on the need for long-term reform – uniform election standards rather than the current hodgepodge of differing rules within thousands of jurisdictions. But with November just around the corner and record turnout expected, advocates recognized the urgency for action now as well. They pointed to the need for proper allocation of reliable voting machines so that votes aren't lost to long lines and flawed technologies. Poll workers have to be trained on voters' rights and the voting systems that will be used. And we need better protection of eligible voters so that valid ballots are counted and people aren't turned away from the polls.

The Democratic National Committee isn't waiting until November to address these problems either. As part of its Voting Rights Institute and 50-State Strategy, its field staff has conducted approximately 1200 interviews with local elections officials in order to investigate exactly how elections will be administered come November.

"While there are state and federal laws governing elections, local election officials have a lot of discretion," Anna Martínez, DNC Deputy Political Director for Voter Protection, told me. "So we've used local field staff to conduct these interviews, looking state-by-state and county-by-county. Even within a single state there are a lot of discrepancies as to how elections are run and how local election officials are interpreting the law."

Martínez came to the DNC after working as a senior analyst in the Voting Rights section of the Department of Justice from 2000-2004 – overlapping with the tenure of former Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General in the Civil Rights Division Hans von Spakovsky, and former Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Bradley Schlozman.

"The people in charge there, the political appointees over in the front office, not only lacked commitment to civil rights but actively worked against voting rights enforcement and over time created a demoralizing work environment for career professionals," Martínez said. "I went to the DNC before the 2004 election, so I could take my experience and apply it to actually working to promote and protect the right to vote."

Many troubling issues have already been uncovered by the DNC during its interview process, including: election officials saying they won't allow college students to vote in their hometowns even though that's not within their discretion; improper purging of voters from registration lists; lack of training for election officials; 25% of jurisdictions surveyed have no formula for allocation of voting machines; 34.7% have no written policy for removal of voters from voter registration lists; 16% have no written chain of custody procedure for equipment and election results; 66 jurisdictions have polling places that are inaccessible to people with disabilities (and those are just the ones that admit it); there is also much confusion over who has jurisdiction – state or county – over various aspects of election administration.

"When you start listing these things you realize how much there is that we need to be on top of," Martínez said.

The problems are now being addressed by the state parties and the DNC's National Lawyers Council (NLC), made up of thousands of Democratic volunteer lawyers and law students. Leadership in the state and county NLC chapters are working with a whole cadre of lawyers at the local level to help get that job done. Martínez said that many of these lawyers have relationships with local election officials, and for those that don't, establishing them now is critical.

"This project is allowing our local lawyers to meet with the local election officials now, so that we can work together addressing issues we identify," Martínez said. "Normally these issues don't get the attention they deserve until really late – like the last 6 weeks before an election – and then it's chaotic. But decisions about administering elections are being made year round, so we're trying to be vigilant in seeing what these decisions are, who's making them, and we're trying to flag issues and resolve problems well in advance of the election."

The lawyers are also working with state parties to draft tailored Voter Protection Plans. There is a particular focus on traditionally disenfranchised voters – young voters, African-Americans, Hispanics, Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders, and people with disabilities – and lawyers are drawn from these communities to help address the relevant issues. Law students assist in much of the research on precedent and establishing principled positions to protect the vote. College students and local activists devoted to the voting rights issue help with recruiting poll workers and also voter education, including demonstrations in public places on how to use new voting machines. States share information about solutions that they have found to common problems and what has proven "politically palatable."

"There's been some resistance," Martínez said. "But for the most part election officials want to do their jobs well and are happy to participate. Where there is resistance I'm concerned. It should be a transparent process."

Indeed it should be. But as we learned in 2000 and 2004, transparency isn't always the way things pan out. Between now and Election Day the DNC will track problems, state parties and lawyers will work to address them, and how and when they are resolved will be monitored. When Election Day rolls around the DNC hopes to use its own voter hotline quickly respond to problems, and lawyers and field workers will utilize new technology to locate troubled spots in real time and respond.

Comments (13)

1. Thing I'm curious about is...why is this being left to the DNC and Congress letting HR-5036 just languish?!?!?

   Posted by Mask at 04/11/2008 @ 4:48pm

2. Isn't there a better way to spend time and effort?----Posted by HAPPY2 04/11/2008 @ 5:35pm

   Seems you'd WANT the Democrats to waste their time and effort, HAPP?!?!??!?

   Posted by Mask at 04/11/2008 @ 7:07pm

3. I saw the headline and thought it was going to be another Michigan/Florida whine. I'm glad to be pleasantly surprised.

   It's interesting that the DNC sees this as a necessity, and more than likely it is. Though I see this also as an opportunity by the DNC to ensure the vote is fair as much as making sure everyone gets their vote. Can't really count on the criminals in the administration to guard this after all.

   Posted by yutsano at 04/11/2008 @ 9:08pm

4. Let's ask KVH if the people in Finland have the answer!

   Posted by sntauri at 04/11/2008 @ 10:52pm

5. This antiquated system of Delegates, Electorial College , Superdelegates can finally be put to rest. We have the Technology (paper and pen), WE have the ability to read (and watch) where these candiates stand. Stumping is no longer necessary- Nominting voting can be done onthe same day with All candidates avilaible in All states. It's Time we actually become the Democracy Our Founding Fathers were steering US towards. Both these archiac Parties must follow standardized democratic Rules and Regs in their nominating Process, and More 'Parties' mus tbe given th eOpportunity to be Heard. This Ol' Dem sees their is no difference between Red & Blue anymore- both are dominated By Corporationists, who should be required to infom US of their real doctrines. Campaigns should not be allowed to take any money from entities which are not able to walk into a voting booth any longer. Only cititzens can Vote therefore only Citizens can Contribute. The Consititution and Bill of rights was written for Citizens and th eDeclaration of Independence was a Declaration against entites which are mere Brick and mortar and Claims of Power over Humanity

   Posted by Purple girl at 04/12/2008 @ 07:26am

6. RIO BRAVO: You are ignorant and a Rovian sycophant. Voter fraud has never been documented and is a ruse to prevent minorities from voting. Ever heard of "caging"? I thought not.

   Posted by Stevebremne at 04/12/2008 @ 09:55am

7. I have heard the comment on Air America "If you don't vote, who are you electing?" An even more important idea is if you vote and they don't count your vote, do you live in a democracy? Clearly they don't count your vote, no matter where you vote in the U.S. uniformly in the same way, are they confusing the process so much that elections are media theater or circus? If yes, then the parties and people in charge are simply appointing who they want in office. That is not democracy or representative government and the people are and have been disenfranchised from the government.

   The Constitution protects individual rights, declares the people have power over their government through elections, so when we have been removed from the electoral process we have a Constitutional Crisis. There have been discrepancies, and problems that have led to millions of disenfranchised voters in every election in my life time, but recently, since 2000 elections have been, in your face blatant abuses of power and voter disenfranchisement.

   The dems and repugs have shared the power and done nothing to change the situation. HAVA is an excuse for the good ol' boys to continue doing what they have already done. No federal standards and practices for the most important Constitutional connection between the people and their government means our "elected representatives" do not represent us and they were not elected.

   The real fight for democracy is here in the U.S. and Iraq or war, since WWII and Korea, is theater for the Military Industrial Complex, that includes the oil companies, to control world resources and mass murder people to install their own political agendas and directives around the world.

   Posted by nmcasey at 04/12/2008 @ 12:48pm

8. I have heard the comment on Air America "If you don't vote, who are you electing?" An even more important idea is if you vote and they don't count your vote, do you live in a democracy? Clearly they don't count your vote, no matter where you vote in the U.S. uniformly in the same way, are they confusing the process so much that elections are media theater or circus? If your answer is yes, then the parties and people in charge are simply appointing who they want in office. That is not democracy or representative government and the people are and have been disenfranchised from the government.

   The Constitution protects individual rights, declares the people have power over their government through elections, so when we have been removed from the electoral process we have a Constitutional Crisis. There have been discrepancies, and problems that have led to millions of disenfranchised voters in every election in my life time, but recently, since 2000, elections have been "in your face" blatant abuses of power and voter disenfranchisement. They no longer care if the abuses and election fraud are known or public, because they have done them with the authority they have given themselves and you and I can not stop them.

   The dems and repugs have shared the power and done nothing to change the situation. HAVA is an excuse for the good ol' boys to continue doing what they have already done. No federal standards and practices for the most important Constitutional connection between the people and their government means our "elected representatives" do not represent us and they were not elected.

   The real fight for democracy is here in the U.S. and Iraq or war, since WWII and Korea, is theater for the Military Industrial Complex, that includes the oil companies, to control world resources and mass murder people to install their own political agendas and directives around the world.

   How could the existing current people in charge of our government acknowledge that we have no democracy here and that our elections have been a fraud or that we have an ongoing Constitutional Crisis? This could have been declared by Gore in 2000 or Kerry in 2004, but they did not want to be remembered as the historical leader who declared the U.S. is not a democracy and the corruption and lack of uniformity, transparency, and counting the votes or recounting the votes makes our elections a sham that disenfranchises the people from their government and their Constitutional role in our republic. It seems Gore and Kerry had to avoid a Constitutional Crisis to have a life, but they by their omission of declaring a violation to the election process and the validity of who was declared a winner have violated all our Constitutional rights.

   The time for uniform election laws and counting paper ballots by hand for president, congress, and governor is now and we should continue to have a second robust, independent, transparent system to canvass the vote on a national level. Anything less continues the Constitutional crisis and disenfranchisement of the people from their government in the U.S., especially in the age of digital hackers and digital election systems.

   Posted by nmcasey at 04/12/2008 @ 1:08pm

9. I would think if the left really believes that there is a critical problem with voting in this country, they might start with a constitutional amendement codifying the right to vote for president.

   Currently there is nothing in the constitution providing a right to vote for president. We could have elections where the ballot doesn't even show a choice for president and it would be perfectly in accordance with the constitution.

   But KVH and the left want this perpetual argument about voting disinfranchisement so they can have something to point to (in theory, or a Greg Palast special on Link or Free Speech TV), if they lose an election to a Republican.

   So what gives Katrina, why don't you ever take up the more serious question about a constitutional right to vote for president?

   Posted by lvliberty1 at 04/13/2008 @ 9:12pm

10. 'When I die I want to be buried in Chicago so I can continue to be politically active.' -- Mort Sahl

    CNN.com -- 31 March, 2008 -- Political 'godfather' boosted Obama's early career: '...The president of the Illinois Senate is sitting in his statehouse office, talking in gravelly tones about political strategies and counter-strategies. Out of nowhere, the theme from "The Godfather" begins playing. It turns out to be the ringtone on his cell phone -- an appropriate song for the man who amounts to Sen. Barack Obama's political godfather....Emil Jones, 72, is an unabashedly old-school politician. ...And when Obama wanted a promotion to the U.S. Senate, Jones provided critical support that gave the little-known legislator legitimacy, keeping him from being instantly trampled by the front-runners....A former sewer inspector for the city of Chicago, Jones has relatives on the state payroll, steers state grants to favorite organizations and uses his clout to punish enemies...'

    Posted by HonestLiberal at 04/14/2008 @ 3:39pm

11. If only the DNC had seen fit to address voter advocacy, John Kerry would have been elected President of the United States in 2004. But...

    Posted by tohubohu at 04/14/2008 @ 5:16pm

12. Seattle Times -- 30 October, 2007 -- Keith Ervin Seattle Times staff reporter

    'Three of seven defendants in the biggest voter-registration fraud scheme in Washington history have pleaded guilty and one has been sentenced, prosecutors said Monday. The defendants were all temporary employees of ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, when they allegedly filled out and submitted more than 1,800 fictitious voter-registration cards during a 2006 registration drive in King and Pierce counties. No votes were cast in the names of the phony voters. Prosecutors said the defendants committed fraud in order to keep their jobs without actually registering voters....'

    Posted by HonestLiberal at 04/15/2008 @ 1:18pm

13. Fighting for Franchise, but you are going along with your pick, Obama, on not allowing my vote to be counted (Michigan) or another opportunity to vote. Superdelegates should follow the "will of the people", but this person's will not been allowed by DNC which wants to punish the STATE. Instead, I am DISenfranchised. What say you talking head/media star Katrina? And, this is not basic fairness, frankly. PS I don't really care WHO wins, as long as it isn't McCain!

    Posted by AWJ at 04/15/2008 @ 2:09pm