Tuesday, August 24, 2004
Shady Politics from Moore
From the 11/12/2002 edition of the Topeka Capital-Journal:
Flier questions
Also Tuesday, an aide to Kansas Secretary of State Ron Thornburgh said the office is investigating a campaign flier distributed by Democrats in Douglas County on Election Day.
The flier, which says "Paid for by Kansas Democratic Party," urges voters to re-elect Congressman Dennis Moore and to vote for gubernatorial candidate Kathleen Sebelius. On the reverse side, a map outlines polling places and a telephone number is provided for those needing a ride to vote. Beneath that, the flier says, "Not Registered? Not a problem. Register and vote today at your polling site."
However, under Kansas law, voters must be registered 15 days before an election. Thornburgh is writing to Kansas Democratic Party Chairman Tom Sawyer requesting an explanation, said Brad Bryant, state elections director for Thornburgh. Meanwhile, officials within that office are researching whether distributing the flier constituted a crime.
"It's at least confusing to the voters and misleading to the voters," Bryant said. "I don't know if it's illegal."
Sawyer said the flier represented a voter registration drive. He said many Kansans don't get excited about an election until the registration deadline passes.
But on "Election Day, they're excited," Sawyer told 580 WIBW radio. "That's when they're thinking about voting. So if that gets them to the polls and they register, then they're on the poll books and they can vote in the next election.
"Anybody can register to vote on Election Day, and a lot of people do. That happens a lot all across this state."
Bryant said poll workers do have cards for unregistered voters, but they are mostly used for voters casting a provisional ballot. While it isn't illegal to register to vote at a polling site, it is unusual, he said.
"Normally, polling places are not voter registration sites," Bryant said. "Polls are busy enough on Election Day without also being voter registration sites."
Kansas Republican Party Chairman Mark Parkinson said Tuesday he considered the flier misleading and disappointing.
"I think that it's OK to politicize most issues," he said. "It's not OK to politicize voting, which is the very heart of our democracy and that is what has me so concerned with that flier."
MooreWatch agrees with the sentiments of the article. It appears that the Moore and Sebelius camps exploited a gray area in the law. Who knows what they were trying to accomplish. However, we do know it is shady and a possible indicator of Moore's current campaign.
Flier questions
Also Tuesday, an aide to Kansas Secretary of State Ron Thornburgh said the office is investigating a campaign flier distributed by Democrats in Douglas County on Election Day.
The flier, which says "Paid for by Kansas Democratic Party," urges voters to re-elect Congressman Dennis Moore and to vote for gubernatorial candidate Kathleen Sebelius. On the reverse side, a map outlines polling places and a telephone number is provided for those needing a ride to vote. Beneath that, the flier says, "Not Registered? Not a problem. Register and vote today at your polling site."
However, under Kansas law, voters must be registered 15 days before an election. Thornburgh is writing to Kansas Democratic Party Chairman Tom Sawyer requesting an explanation, said Brad Bryant, state elections director for Thornburgh. Meanwhile, officials within that office are researching whether distributing the flier constituted a crime.
"It's at least confusing to the voters and misleading to the voters," Bryant said. "I don't know if it's illegal."
Sawyer said the flier represented a voter registration drive. He said many Kansans don't get excited about an election until the registration deadline passes.
But on "Election Day, they're excited," Sawyer told 580 WIBW radio. "That's when they're thinking about voting. So if that gets them to the polls and they register, then they're on the poll books and they can vote in the next election.
"Anybody can register to vote on Election Day, and a lot of people do. That happens a lot all across this state."
Bryant said poll workers do have cards for unregistered voters, but they are mostly used for voters casting a provisional ballot. While it isn't illegal to register to vote at a polling site, it is unusual, he said.
"Normally, polling places are not voter registration sites," Bryant said. "Polls are busy enough on Election Day without also being voter registration sites."
Kansas Republican Party Chairman Mark Parkinson said Tuesday he considered the flier misleading and disappointing.
"I think that it's OK to politicize most issues," he said. "It's not OK to politicize voting, which is the very heart of our democracy and that is what has me so concerned with that flier."
MooreWatch agrees with the sentiments of the article. It appears that the Moore and Sebelius camps exploited a gray area in the law. Who knows what they were trying to accomplish. However, we do know it is shady and a possible indicator of Moore's current campaign.
# posted by The Voice of Reason @ 7:58 PM 
