Philadelphia Weekly reported as recently as Monday that some Pennsylvanians were still seeing the old misleading "Show It" ads on billboards and bus ads, the ones that say you have to show ID in order to vote next month. That hasn't been true since October 2, when a judge ruled that the voter ID requirement law be put on hold. We have also documented the sometimes slow changes the state's VotesPA campaign has made to their ads since the ruling.
Meanwhile over in Harrisburg, the state capital, TRMS viewer Robert Fitzpatrick sends the above photo of a Capital Area Transit bus on Interstate 81 between Harrisburg and Mechanicsburg. Robert says he took the photo at around 2:30 P.M. yesterday, Wednesday.
We reached out to the folks at Direct Media USA, who deal with advertising on CAT buses. They told us there must be a mistake, because the company removed any VotesPA ads that read "If you want to vote SHOW IT" back on October 4, in compliance with the judge's ruling. They told us they'd just put up new advertisements this past weekend -- 10 days or so after the ruling -- which look like this:
In any case, can you spot the difference between the old ad and new one?
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Why do they even have these ads at all? The law now says that you will be asked for ID, but if you don't have it, you can still vote. Is that not correct?
Correct -- you will be asked, and you can vote on a regular ballot even if you do not have ID.
Here's the thing though - the law was about a "photo" ID not ID in general.
For this election the court said they cannot enforce the "Photo ID" - I think that means they can still ask for an ID - the same ID we have always used that was good enough since the beginning of time and apparently eliminated in person voter fraud.
Thank you Jo6pack for the clarification. Photo ID was what I meant but didn't type. These ads are misleading and basically pointless. Well, no, not pointless ...
They are nothing short of voter intimidation and suppression.
Are they trying to warn us that we may not have an Election Day this year?
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Mooch the Vote 2012!
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The only way to know the difference is to keep up with the news. How many of the people this will affect do that???
The Republicans just refuse to play by the rules - from Romney at the Tuesday debate on down. And watch what they're going to do after November 6.
They. Are. The. Enemy.
Keeping up with the "news" is hard when 80% of ALL media is owned by 5 companies. One company Clear Channel owns almost all of the radio stations in Des Moines, IA. On the "Fraud" billboard that Rachel showed from Wisconsin. Clear Channel was at the top of the billboard. Clear Channel is owned by BAIN CAPITAL!
Gah, I'm so worried that the damage has already been done and a ton of people are super confused, and they'll stay home anyway. What a moronic change to the bus ad- even if you have ID, why do you have to show it? Republicans made such a danged mess out of the voting system over there, and though legally they can't implement their law for this election, they may have successfully done the serious damage they intended anyway. When you have to cheat and confuse in order to win an election, it's because your platform stinks like a rotten skunk carcass. Come on, PA folks, get the word out!
"Moronic" assumes a degree of good faith, i.e. assumes there's some well-intentioned mistake. Everything they've done justifies only the opposite assumption.
Damage has been done. The question is how much and whether it will tip the election. One thing that is certain is that Republicans view the democratic process as an obstacle to be overcome.
This is very clever on their part. I'm sure the PA GOP was rubbing their hands together and cackling as they thought of it.
Anyone who has seen the original ad will not actually read the new one--it looks identical and they think they've already read the fine print.
They see the SHOW IT sign and think the voter ID law is in full effect for this election.
If tou want to show them, Vote.
"you"
THe first one says you have to show it. The second says If you have it; show it. I'm not showing it even though I have it. I actually don't expect to get asked for it at my polling place, but other areas of the CIty is a whole other story!
I have also considered putting a digital voice recorder in my pocket cause I'm like that!
All the money being spent on this intimation should be going to schools, fire department etc.. Its unbelievable that Pennsylvania is alright with this kind of spending.
How many people think these folks are doing the right thing, though.
This is like advertising speak, you know, eat our cereal and you won't get cancer. How about
Some studies suggest that presenting an ID may in some cases contribute to helping some people to vote.
Here in the UK EVERYONE on the electoral role gets sent a 'ballot card' with their name, address and voter ID number a few weeks before any election (local or national). Come polling day, we take that card with us to the polling station and exchange it for our ballot paper. One card, one vote. No chance of fraud, and everyone gets their chance to vote
How's it done over there?
Just curious -- what happens if the dog eats the card between the time you receive it and the time you have to vote? Meaning, what happens if you lose the card before election day?
You can still vote without the card. You just get asked for your name and address and they cross you off the list - as long as you're on the electoral role you can still vote. I don't think you get asked for other ID. You can also (in advance) request a proxy vote, so that someone else can go and place your vote for you if you're not going to be able to attend in person, or a postal ballot. However, they don't yet allow you to email your vote in - my partner is American and voted this time by email (in Colorado). She still had to sign the ballot paper but then just scanned it in and emailed it back. Much more efficient than postal voting and no worrying that it would get lost in the mail!
republican frauds and thieves never end
I am attempting to launch a petition at SignOn.org to stop airing the ads that are still running on TV and radio. They absolutely give the impression that you need photo id, even though they squeeze in "but not required" during the ad, that is not stressed, and the ad violates the spirit of the judge's ruling.
It doesn't make a difference that the signs are up, when is the voter responsible to know A) what it takes to vote B) what the crap they are voting for. I don't want stupid people conservative or lib to vote that doesn't know how!!!
are you sure you don`t want stupid people to vote? over half of the republican party wouldnt be allowed to vote..most still believe that Obama isnt American, how idiotic is that?they are stupid enough to believe an entertainment channel(FOX ,ITS NOT NEWS) might as well get your news from a cartoon. Rick Santorum said that smart people vote Dem . so what does that say about you? by the way my iq is 132..
I'm wondering of folks are prepared with camera phones set to record at the polls? Maybe we should begin a "scare" campaign (that's what this is) that we will report people requesting I.D.s at the polls when it is NOT required.
I already mailed my ballot.
lets hope your ballot gets there and is counted.
Why aren't these considered a crime? Where is the prosecutor? Where's the DOJ?
I've been asking that for 4 yrs, Blue. Headlines I have seen are that they are furvently after pot growers. Time for other DOJ and Treasury chiefs!
Here's how to deal with these billboards that are attempting to intimidate voters in Pennsylvania and Ohio: Tear them down! If you're in PA or Ohio, tear down those billboards! Don't wait for someone else to do it, if you pass one, pull over, and go tear the damn thing down! Take action for the right to vote!
MSNBC is doing a fine job of pointing out voter suppression in our country. But, it doesn't seem to stop. After reading a little of Greg Palast's book Billionaires and Ballot Thieves, I discovered that mail-in ballots are sometimes simply thrown away,s by the 10's of thousands. I wonder what happened to Michelle Obama's ballot ? This is so extreme, isn't it time for us to ask for United Nation monitors to come in and guard our voting system ? Isn't it that severe ?
Actually, I believe that they have, indeed, been called in.
http://veracitystew.com/2012/10/21/its-come-to-this-un-to-monitor-us-election-process/#.UIQ5UL3-Nhw.facebook
We need federal laws regulating federal/presidential elections, including
control of voting machines (with required paper trail and some way to protect from hacking -- or if that's not possible, then no voting machines!!!);
making it a crime to suppress and intimidate the vote by putting out misleading information like this (and the AZ card that tells Spanish-speakers the election is on Nov 8th; the people who plan to come to the polls and intimidate minorities; the billboards in PA telling people they need IDs when they don't; the state elec guy in OH who won't follow the judge's directions, etc); and
making it illegal to require people to PAY for state IDs to vote. It's a poll tax.
It's not ok for states to differ, and we obviously need to control the situation before it gets worse -- which it WILL unless we fix it before the next election!!!! Right up there w/ overturning Citizens United.
And the signs that say voter fraud is a crime is voter suppression?
I would call it voter intimidation.
Ricky Maddow thinks so, stupid lib! If you see the sign and it stops you from voting because you feel like you'll be arested for voting, than you're as stupid as Ricky and shouldn't be voting. If the sign on the bus stops you from voting than you're not an informed voter and you should be allowed to vote. You libs need to get over it!!!!
i guess you name calling makes you superior? wrong. it makes you a loser. its people like you who have to name call and lie about others that make yourself and others the laughing stalk of america, but then what else can you expect from republicans, true facts or a civil conversation.? you have a better chance of falling off your flat earth.
These TV ads have been running this past week. LOADS of imagery of forms of ID, but only one mention of 'not required' at the end of the ad. If you're half paying attention (to an ad? insane!), this is IMMENSELY misleading. Why not just stick it in even finer print at the end?
http://www.votespa.com/portal/server.pt/community/home/13514
if you're half paying attention to what you read or vote on you get Obama re-elected! Wake up and pay attention and if not don't vote you make the problem worse.
Funny I bet all these suppressed voters have an ID to get the government benefits and buy beer at the store.
lets take away your right to vote because you arent smart enough..lets have an iq test to vote. if you think obamas not american , you cant vote,the difference betweeen dems and repub. is that dems want everyone to vote and have civil liberties, republicans donot want you to vote and are against you having rights and liberties, look at their voting record. speaks for itself..
republicans have NO respect for the office of president and it seems as if they have NO respect for federal law.. and people actually support republicans? if they would stop watching FOX entertainment for their news and CNN (conservative news network)they my actually find out what the GOP stands for.. they are against your rights and liberties as Americans,, why else would they always try to take them away?
attention republicans..election day is dec 32nd.. be sure you only vote on that day.. you will be asked to take an iq test and a dna test to prove that you are who you say you are. but you have to pay for the tests , but its not a poll tax. so be sure that you tell all your republican friends,, election day is Dec. 32nd.
what is going to happen to all of the destroyed voter forms? all of the people who legally registered to vote are going to be denied because of illegal activity?
I don't have a problem with showing ID or proof of registration. I always take my registration card with me. That record of registration should be all that is required, and should trump any other ID requirement. If you are registered, you are in. End of story.
What I have a problem with is a discriminatory and potentially (or actually) disenfranchising ID requirement that is designed to exclude.
This year, for the first time in my life, I am a Polling Place Judge in Missouri. I will be very disappointed (but relieved) if I don't have something interesting happen.