Tis the Season of Election Dirty Tricks: Scaring Student Voters (campaign, thought)

[DrJoey]

Flyer Warns of Undercover Police Presence at Polls on Election Day


By AVNI PATEL
Oct. 6, 2008

71 comments

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Election officials and watchdog groups are bracing for the wave of sneaky or suspicious phone calls, leaflets and emails that typically hit battleground states in the final 30 days of the presidential campaign.
Political experts say a warning flyer is a classic example of voter suppression and intimidation – a practice that involves scaring, angering, or confusing voters so that they stay at home on Election Day.
(ABC News Photo Illustration)
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Young voters at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Penn. have already been targeted, with students reporting that flyers have been posted around campus warning that undercover police will be at the polls on Election Day looking to make arrests.

The flyer reads like a friendly letter to fellow students relaying a warning from an "Obama supporter": "He informed me that on the day of the election there will be undercover officers to execute warrants on those who come to vote based on the anticipated turnout," writes the anonymous student in the letter which was later posted on the Drexel College Democrats website. "He advised me if I had any outstanding warrants or traffic offenses I should clear them up prior to voting."





continued @: ABC News: 'Tis the Season of Election Dirty Tricks: Scaring Student Voters



So is this fear mongering or are people with traffic violations under the age of 30 no longer allowed to vote in the US?

Absolutely pathetic attempt to silence legal voters in this country. Any conservative who defends free speech and the fundamental principles or our democracy should be ashamed of such attacks. If you hate America enough to block the votes of citizens you should renounce your citizenship and move to a communist country you dirty pinko slime.

[luzianne]

I agree that that shouldn't happen, but seems like that would intimidate voters from both parties, not just one, so what's the point? I know a lot of college age kids cause I have 3 college age kids of my own and I see their friends a lot. They all seem apathetic about voting. I'm surprised because I keep hearing how the youth are really into this election and are going to influence the vote. I had nine 18 and 19 year olds at my house Saturday and the discussion turned to politics and none of them have registered. Which I think is fine, because at 18-19 I remember being influenced more by what other people thought than knowing what *I* thought about things and where stood on the issues myself. I'm just surprised because I keep hearing about the young vote and I'm not seeing it. And these aren't loser kids, either, they are all freshmen in college and most of them extremely bright kids.