On Tuesday, a judge in Pennsylvania put on hold that state's law requiring voters to show ID. The new rule in Pennsylvania is that you do not have to show ID in order to vote. Poll workers may ask you for ID, but you haven't got to show ID in order to vote.
On Wednesday, state elections officials said they were taking down a $5 million ad campaign -- contracted out to a Romney fundraiser -- designed to tell Pennsylvania voters they'll need ID in order to vote.
On Thursday, today, we got looped into a Twitter conversation between Pittsburgh guy @mrmcadams and the state elections folks at @VotesPA. McAdams sent out a screengrab (see below), from the official VotesPA website. "Wow, still so intimidating and misleading front page. Please change," he wrote, cc'ing us and some other folks. The state replied, "Thanks Mark -- We are working hard to quickly update our materials."
Click through after the jump to see how much progress Pennsylvania has made on this part of their campaign. Below, what's on the site NOW:
And screengrabbed below, what the site said before the judge put the voter ID law on hold. Can you spot the changes? THEN:
(Bonus points if you get the one producer Tricia noticed. I'll check in later with that answer. And more on the show tonight, found by producer Nazanin.) UPDATE: So as not to spoil the game for anyone else playing, I put the answer down below in the comments. As always, you folks impress throughout.
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Fight back-have democrat poll watchers stationed at the polls informing everyone that no photo ID is required and be ready to challenge any challenge.
All this type of bull is going to accomplish is getting people riled up enough to march against such obvious suppression and oppression. In the end it may get a lot more anti-republican voters registered and into the voting booth.
Here's hoping. Proud to see the MSNBC team is as outraged about the voter suppression as I have been, and so vocal about it. Bravo.
I agree with Paul and I suspect there will be many volunteers ready to be at stations across the nation
As for their website -- I'm having a 'beatch' kind of day and my first thought was I'd love to see Anon hack the site!! Would I feel sorry for the state site -- not a chance. He|| would freeze before I'd feel bad!!!
Hacking a state government website would the the most vile, subversive form of vandalism there is, and I endorse it wholeheartedly. ;)
BIG CHANGES! but I really like how the hand is SO not the hand of Mr. Winkler, pictured, who must have spent a good fortune on manicures during his 65 years
RIGHT! I hope my hands look that good at 65. Not a wrinkle or age spot in sight!
Let's see...the word "Show" is in a different font is capitalized. The sentence that begins with the word, "Voters..." is in a different font and says something very different (read, "better"). And you can now, "Click here for more information on PA's new Voter ID Law."
That's all I got...
Oops! Other way around! It's no longer the NEW Voter ID Law! Wonder why that is...
Also the "it" has become darker blue (I think).
Hey youth is brief. It is now a middle aged Voter Law.
SHOW is now Show
"Voters will be asked but not required...on election day" Instead of when casting their ballot.
...and now the voter ID law is "NEW", even though it isn't actually a law right now, since the courts haven't approved it yet.
WOW big changes! I can see how that would clear things up for those who are confused.....NOT!
Ugg...that first and last one would should be the other way around.
Show is now SHOW
and
NEW is now not new but just a law, but still isn't a law YET.
Oh well, still have it more together then the official PA voters web site!
look how much BOLDER the word "SHOW" is in the new one!
not required "to show an acceptable photo ID"????? Hello?
"...asked, but not required..."
is the correct answer "go @!$%# yourself?"
In top image:
1. SHOW now in caps; also now in a somewhat bolder font;
2. "Voters will be asked..." copy in 3 lines not 2;
3. "Voters will be asked..." copy now in bolder font;
4. "Voters are required" now "Voters will be asked, but not required,";
5. "...before casting their ballot" is now "...on Election Day"
6. Reversed-out copy at bottom: "new" is dropped; and
7. the hand/license image has been slightly scaled up (license slightly wider; less distance between wrist and bottom; less of the arm in shot but distance between fingers and top of frame didn't change)
Well done! I suspect they had to move that hand to make room for the BIG BOLD FONT in SHOW! ;)
Also, in top image:
8. "Voters will be asked..." copy has a leading decrease; and
9. Slight change in layout -- index finger now centered under "S" in "SHOW".
The word Show is now bold and in capital letters and the timing of presenting your ID has changed from "before casting their ballots" to "on election day".
That the general populace (and I mean bottom of the barrel general populace) is not outraged at this horseshet is a testament to the astroturf origins of the "Tea Party"; a group of Koch-foxed monkeys, trained to upchuck and fly (with poorly spelled signs) by nefarious underwriters with other than civic motives in mind.. Our elections are corporate owned and operated and they aren't even kind enough not to display it in outright fashion (fascism?). Isn't Amercia* wonderful now?!
America...it sounds good in theory, but in practice has never lived up to its advertising.
I think it's at least as much something I've seen before. They don't think it applies to them.
I remember after 911 my secretary saying that the cops shouldn't need a warrant or be kept from beating up terrorists to get confessions, and when I said she was saying that the cops would be able to arrest and beat her, she was completely taken aback - "I'm not a terrorist!"
This is just about catching all those fraudulent voters. Since it isn't aimed at good solid Americans, it won't affect any. It's unhinged.
I'd call it the "It can't happen to me" syndrome. It's the "It can't happen here" mentality on an individual level.
"before casting their ballot" to "on election day"
Can any of the font experts comment on the "Show it"? Both versions look like Arial to me, except the weird i with block serifs and a round dot.
I think the judge should call them into court and make them explain themselves. This is clearly contempt.
"On Wednesday, state elections officials said they were taking down a $5 million ad campaign -- contracted out to a Romney fundraiser -- designed to tell Pennsylvania voters they'll need ID in order to vote."
Where is the voter outrage for things like this? Where is the local reporting on corruption in our system? I would like to think that after the election there will be more stories on all the money spent, all the time and effort spent, to disenfranchise voters. How one party in state after state spent government money - money that could have paid for more policemen, firemen, part of a school, teachers, a head start program, or even just paid down some state debt - on restricting citizens' right to vote. That in doing so there was rampant cronyism and waste.
Where are the political science or journalism thesis of up and coming doctorates that could study a long-time party-controlled states, controlled in the press as well, and how that reflects on the citizens. The economy papers that could dig into just one or a few states and really accomplish something AND serve the people. Where is real journalism these days? It is all about the big story of the moment and few if ever real investigative, dig deep pieces that serve the greater good.
Maybe after the election even such a national program as this could look into the costs nationwide spent on restricting the vote. Just a thought.
BTW the font and boldness is significantly different in the two ads. I guess they gotta do what they gotta do huh?
How many more instances of outright and blatant voter suppression tactics will the Republican Party and Mitt Romney need to demonstrate in order for prosecutions to be considered?" The premise of a last-second forced ID mandate that would have left a million Pennsylvania residents without a right to vote this November was bad enough. Lying about the need to show ID with false and misleading suppression campaign ads? This is illegal, immoral, despicable, and just the latest in the GOP's string of bully tactics designed to steal the election for Mitt and Paul Ryan. - progressive
I would agree completely. Unfortunately before voter suppression can be litigated (Including recently reported third Party RNC subcontractors w/ Illegal Registration forms and a history of loading dumpsters w/ Democratic completed forms) it will be too late for the November election. The best we can do is publicize links like the one here so people are better informed. http://www.ncsl.org/legislatures-elections/elections/voter-id.aspx
Let's defeat this transparent attempt to suppress voter rights!
Am I the only person who sees the skin color on the new picture is less washed out making the man look tan? The word New is missing from Voter Id. The font is bold but the thing that's the most obvious to me is the color on the image itself. I'm a photoshop artist and that stood out like a photoshoped thumb to me.
Now that you mentioned it, I do see a significant difference in the color contrast of the two images. Especially apparent on the bottom left side near the wrist. Well done!
Speaking of which, I'm kind of surprised they didn't use an African American model, since that's the obvious target of the Show It requirement.
Actually, I think the basic idea is that it's the elderly, white male who is the GOP's preferred voter, so that's who they show with the ID.
Most likely if you dont have Id you probaly not going to take the time to get a voter registration card.
A thought, maybe Obama let us listen to Romney lie and let us become outraged on our own. Obama does not need to tell us what we think, he needs to tell us what he thinks and he did that last night, while While Romney told us what he thinks we want to here, kind of like Fox news does for its listeners.
Editorial note for Laura: "but you haven't got to show ID in order to vote." Seriously, lady? Is this English? Why not go for "but you don't gots'ta show ID in order to vote."
I may be alone, but I trip over mangling of the language in an otherwise decent story.
That graphic is getting a lot of attention, but you might also want to check the website. When you click that image for more information, the page gives almost no emphasis to the fact an ID is NOT required ID and then goes into GREAT detail about what meets the requirements for an acceptable ID. WTH spell out what is acceptable when it is not required? http://www.votespa.com/portal/server.pt?open=514&objID=1174114&parentname=ObjMgr&parentid=4&mode=2
You got one site to change in PA (great!), but Montgomery County, the most affluent suburb outside of Philadelphia, still has a false statement on the website:
http://voterservices.montcopa.org/voterservices/site/default.asp
Also see the Voter ID flyer link. I'm a lawyer, and a colleague and I each separately called and said they wouldn't take it down because it was "still appealable" and it would stay up their until their (presumably Republican) solicitors told them to do so.
I asked, "So if it's a 90 day period to appeal, you'll keep it there until January?" The woman on the phone said, "Yes."
What the hell is going on? How is this not illegal? Rachel, please help!
Thanks, Steve. I'm going to take a look at that.
See current Penn FB page. (respond if not visible.)
Image not working so take a look by this link, at the current Penn Vote FB page.
https://www.facebook.com/PADepartmentofState
(Still don't want to let their citizens know the truth. Amazing!!! Citizens who pay taxes have to fight their own gov't to act as citizens in this nation.)
States that attempt to curtail the votes of "average working people" by initiating Voter ID Laws and Legislation (to favor a minority party of the elite)... is akin to what the Nazi Party in Germany tried (and succeeded with doing) regarding creating fears and doubts within the masses. Why go after the corrupt Taliban in Afghanistan (losing human lives) when there is plenty of corruption right here within the United States? Insanity is becoming the norm... so it seems!
Why does anyone fear voter ID? Just a reason to b**** some more. Everyone needs ID for almost everything you do. I have had to have ID at Wal mart for heaven's sake. They have random ID checks at the registers. I've seen the elderly have to have it. I bet if they can't buy at Wal Mart that they manage to get an ID. But for voting we can't require it? Something that should be guarded to the maximum degree to prevent fraud and illegal voting. I would much rather have the votes checked out than to let just anyone vote. What's wrong with you people? Dems want anyone and everyone and their dog to be able to vote. Legal or not.
Yeah but if you want to implement those policies doesn't it make sense to do so well in advance of a presidential election year? Anything less looks like trying to rig the election.