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The '''National Ballot Security Task Force''' were a controversial group set up in the [[United States of America]] by the [[Republican National Committee]] in 1981, in [[New Jersey]] in a bid to win a [[Governor#United States|gubernatorial election]]. They were alleged to have carried out 'voter-suppression' and intimidation. |
The '''National Ballot Security Task Force''' were a controversial group set up in the [[United States of America]] by the [[Republican National Committee]] in 1981, in [[New Jersey]] in a bid to win a [[Governor#United States|gubernatorial election]]. They were alleged to have carried out 'voter-suppression' and intimidation. |
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The force consisted of a group of armed, off-duty [[police]] officers wearing armbands, |
The force consisted of a group of armed, off-duty [[police]] officers wearing armbands, who were hired to patrol [[election|polling sites]] in [[black]] and [[Hispanic]] neighborhoods of [[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]] and [[Trenton, New Jersey|Trenton]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CE6D91638F932A25752C1A965958260|title=Florio's Defeat Revives Memories of G.O.P. Activities in 1981|date=1993-11-13|accessdate=2008-10-07|last=Sullivan|first=Joseph F.|publisher=[[New York Times]]}}</ref> |
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Initially, letters were mailed out (using an outdated voter registration list) to largely [[Latino]] and [[African-American]] citizens.{{ |
Initially, letters were mailed out (using an outdated voter registration list) to largely [[Latino]] and [[African-American]] citizens.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/premium/0286/0286-13416397.html|title=Poll Position|date=2004-09-20|last=Dugger|first=Ronnie|accessdate=2008-10-07|publisher=[[The New Yorker]]}}</ref> 45,000 letters were returned as non-deliverable; these 45,000 addresses were converted into a list of voters.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=7TPEJNAIP4EC|title=The Politics of Deceit: Saving Freedom and Democracy from Extinction|last=Smith|first=Glenn W.|year=2004|publisher=John Wiley and Sons|accessdate=2008-10-07|isbn=0471667633|page=124}}</ref> These voters were challenged by the BSTF. The Republican National Committee filed a request for election supervisors to strike these voters from the [[electoral roll|rolls]], but the Commissioners of Registration refused when they discovered that the RNC had used outdated information.<ref name="max">{{cite web|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=0zwTAAAAIAAJ|title=Maximizing Voter Choice|author=[[United States Congress]]|publisher=[[Library of Congress]]|page=65|date=2004-10-05|accessdate=2008-10-07}}</ref> |
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On Election Day, the BSTF posted large signs, without identification and with an official appearance, reading: |
On Election Day, the BSTF posted large signs, without identification and with an official appearance, reading: |
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'''SECURITY TASK FORCE'''<br> |
'''SECURITY TASK FORCE'''<br> |
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'''IT IS A CRIME TO FALSIFY A BALLOT OR'''<br> |
'''IT IS A CRIME TO FALSIFY A BALLOT OR'''<br> |
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'''TO VIOLATE ELECTION LAWS'''<ref>{{cite book|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=OAyaxyIyGQAC&pg=PA184|title=Governor Tom Kean|page=184|last=Felzenberg|first=Alvin S.|isbn=0813537991|publisher=Rutgers University Press|year=2006|accessdate=2008-10-07}}</ref> |
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'''TO VIOLATE ELECTION LAWS'''{{fact}} |
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</center> |
</center> |
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The armed officers were drawn from the ranks of off-duty county deputy [[sheriff]]s and local [[police]], and prominently displayed [[revolver]]s, two-way [[radio]]s and BSTF armbands.{{fact}} BSTF patrols challenged and questioned voters at the polls and blocked the way of some prospective voters. |
The armed officers were drawn from the ranks of off-duty county deputy [[sheriff]]s and local [[police]], and prominently displayed [[revolver]]s, two-way [[radio]]s and BSTF armbands.{{fact}} BSTF patrols challenged and questioned voters at the polls and blocked the way of some prospective voters.<ref name="max"/> |
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A [[civil law (common law)|civil lawsuit]] was filed after the election, charging the RNC with illegal harassment and voter intimidation.{{ |
A [[civil law (common law)|civil lawsuit]] was filed after the election, charging the RNC with illegal harassment and voter intimidation.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=iChqseXU4RIC|title=Why Americans Still Don't Vote|author=Piven, Frances Fox; Cloward, Richard A.|isbn=0807004499|publisher=Beacon Press|accessdate=2008-10-07|year=2000|page=245}}</ref> The suit was settled in 1982, when the state and national [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] parties signed a pledge in [[U.S. District Court]] that they would not allow tactics that could intimidate [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] voters, though they did not admit any wrongdoing.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Rf7sDfBI5okC|title=How to Rig an Election|last=Raymond|first=Allen|year=2008|publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]]|accessdate=2008-10-07|page=17|isbn=1416552227}}</ref> |
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Democrat [[James Florio|James J. Florio]] lost to Republican [[Thomas Kean|Thomas H. Kean]] by 1,797 votes in the gubernatorial election. The court order that resulted was invoked in a number of similar incidents throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. The pattern of sending mailings and creating questionable challenge lists is a model that has also endured, and has been compared by Democrats to the Republican use (and alleged misuse) of the '[[Florida Central Voter File|scrub list]]' in [[Florida]] during the [[U.S. presidential election, 2000|Presidential election]] in 2000.{{ |
Democrat [[James Florio|James J. Florio]] lost to Republican [[Thomas Kean|Thomas H. Kean]] by 1,797 votes in the gubernatorial election. The court order that resulted was invoked in a number of similar incidents throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. The pattern of sending mailings and creating questionable challenge lists is a model that has also endured, and has been compared by Democrats to the Republican use (and alleged misuse) of the '[[Florida Central Voter File|scrub list]]' in [[Florida]] during the [[U.S. presidential election, 2000|Presidential election]] in 2000.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://site.pfaw.org/site/PageServer?pagename=report_the_long_shadow_of_jim_crow|title=The Long Shadow of Jim Crow: Voter Suppression in America|year=2004|accessdate=2008-10-07|author=[[People For the American Way]] / [[NAACP]]}}</ref> |
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==References== |
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{{reflist}} |
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[[Category:Corruption]] |
[[Category:Corruption]] |
Revision as of 13:03, 7 October 2008
The National Ballot Security Task Force were a controversial group set up in the United States of America by the Republican National Committee in 1981, in New Jersey in a bid to win a gubernatorial election. They were alleged to have carried out 'voter-suppression' and intimidation.
The force consisted of a group of armed, off-duty police officers wearing armbands, who were hired to patrol polling sites in black and Hispanic neighborhoods of Newark and Trenton.[1]
Initially, letters were mailed out (using an outdated voter registration list) to largely Latino and African-American citizens.[2] 45,000 letters were returned as non-deliverable; these 45,000 addresses were converted into a list of voters.[3] These voters were challenged by the BSTF. The Republican National Committee filed a request for election supervisors to strike these voters from the rolls, but the Commissioners of Registration refused when they discovered that the RNC had used outdated information.[4]
On Election Day, the BSTF posted large signs, without identification and with an official appearance, reading:
WARNING
THIS AREA IS BEING PATROLLED BY THE
NATIONAL BALLOT
SECURITY TASK FORCE
IT IS A CRIME TO FALSIFY A BALLOT OR
TO VIOLATE ELECTION LAWS[5]
The armed officers were drawn from the ranks of off-duty county deputy sheriffs and local police, and prominently displayed revolvers, two-way radios and BSTF armbands.[citation needed] BSTF patrols challenged and questioned voters at the polls and blocked the way of some prospective voters.[4]
A civil lawsuit was filed after the election, charging the RNC with illegal harassment and voter intimidation.[6] The suit was settled in 1982, when the state and national Republican parties signed a pledge in U.S. District Court that they would not allow tactics that could intimidate Democratic voters, though they did not admit any wrongdoing.[7]
Democrat James J. Florio lost to Republican Thomas H. Kean by 1,797 votes in the gubernatorial election. The court order that resulted was invoked in a number of similar incidents throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. The pattern of sending mailings and creating questionable challenge lists is a model that has also endured, and has been compared by Democrats to the Republican use (and alleged misuse) of the 'scrub list' in Florida during the Presidential election in 2000.[8]
References
- ^ Sullivan, Joseph F. (1993-11-13). "Florio's Defeat Revives Memories of G.O.P. Activities in 1981". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-10-07.
- ^ Dugger, Ronnie (2004-09-20). "Poll Position". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2008-10-07.
- ^ Smith, Glenn W. (2004). The Politics of Deceit: Saving Freedom and Democracy from Extinction. John Wiley and Sons. p. 124. ISBN 0471667633. Retrieved 2008-10-07.
- ^ a b United States Congress (2004-10-05). "Maximizing Voter Choice". Library of Congress. p. 65. Retrieved 2008-10-07.
- ^ Felzenberg, Alvin S. (2006). Governor Tom Kean. Rutgers University Press. p. 184. ISBN 0813537991. Retrieved 2008-10-07.
- ^ Piven, Frances Fox; Cloward, Richard A. (2000). Why Americans Still Don't Vote. Beacon Press. p. 245. ISBN 0807004499. Retrieved 2008-10-07.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Raymond, Allen (2008). "How to Rig an Election". Simon & Schuster. p. 17. ISBN 1416552227. Retrieved 2008-10-07.
- ^ People For the American Way / NAACP (2004). "The Long Shadow of Jim Crow: Voter Suppression in America". Retrieved 2008-10-07.