DNC's Voting Rights Institute to Teach 'Mechanics of Casting A Vote'

By Jimmy Moore
Talon News
July 6, 2004

The Democratic National Committee is recruiting volunteers to join their Voting Rights Institute to "ensure that every single vote counts" in the November election. Established following the 2000 presidential election, the Voting Rights Institute was created so votes "would be protected and counted in future elections."

"Americans deserve an election free of errors, intimidation, voter disenfranchisement, chads, and butterfly ballots on November 2," the Voting Rights Institute stated in an e-mail to supporters on Monday.

The Voting Rights Institute hopes to accomplish its goals through education, turnout, and voter protection on Election Day.

Complaining that there were many voters who "cast unintended votes because the ballots they were given were unclear" during the 2000 election, the Voting Rights Institute states it will explain the "mechanics of casting a vote" to people who are confused about how to vote.

In addition, the Voting Rights Institute says it will "help motivate voters with a message of hope and opportunity" in an effort to motivate more than 100 million people to vote in this year's presidential election.

"We will implement intensive early vote, absentee vote, and vote by mail programs," the Voting Rights Institute explained. "We'll also have a comprehensive phone banks, door-to-door canvassing, and rides to the polls programs for Election Day."

Explaining that "anywhere from 4 to 6 million votes were tossed out for one reason or another" during the 2000 presidential election, the Voting Rights Institute said it would protect against voting irregularities by having "10,000 lawyers across the country to protect your right to vote."

"[V]oters across the country were asked, contrary to law, to present several forms of identification in order to receive a ballot," the Voting Rights Institute recalled. "This year, we are going to make sure that every legitimate ballot that is cast is counted."

In a plea for volunteers, the Voting Rights Institute said they "need your help" to bring about "free and fair elections."

"Your efforts will ensure that everyone who is eligible to vote will have their vote count," the Voting Rights Institute declared.

As for the 10,000 attorneys who will be dispatched throughout the country, the Voting Rights Institute has set up several "Election Day Promote and Protect" training sessions for lawyers and those with legal backgrounds to take place at the upcoming Democratic National Convention in Boston later this month.

"The trainings will last two hours and cover everything from state election law to voter intimidation and suppression tactics masked as ballot security measures," the Voting Rights Institute revealed.