Texas Threatens Jail for International Election Observers

[longknife]

by Owen

You have to love Texas sometimes.

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott further fueled the controversy on Tuesday when he sent a letter to the OSCE warning the organization that its representatives “are not authorized by Texas law to enter a polling place” and that it “may be a criminal offense for OSCE’s representatives to maintain a presence within 100 feet of a polling place’s entrance.”

{extended} Texas sparks international row with election observers - The Hill's Global Affairs

There is also another state - can't remember which - that is threatening the same!

 

[Dreamy]

Alabama too

Link

Alabama Lawmaker Wants To Ban U.N. Observers

October 24, 2012 by Bob Livingston


Want proof that America has sunk to the level of a third-world banana republic? Four words: United Nations election observers.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), a U.N.-affiliated agency, will be observing the Nov. 6 U.S. election for election fraud and voter suppression. It will be on hand at the request of the NAACP, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, and other liberal organizations. The observers come from such bastions of free and fair elections as Serbia, Belarus, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. OSCE has assessed elections in the United States since 2002. It somehow missed those Black Panthers guarding the doors in Pennsylvania in 2008.
The States of Missouri, South Dakota, North Dakota and New Mexico explicitly allow for international observers. Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard wants to make sure Alabama does not. Hubbard says he will push for future legislation to ban non-U.S. citizens from acting as poll watchers.

U.S. election laws already allow multiple parties — some affiliated with candidates and others who are part of interested groups — to observe the election process. One of those is True the Vote, a conservative, Tea Party-affiliated group. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, ACLU and Leadership Conference could monitor them as well. Of course, when you have a racist and highly partisan U.S. Attorney General like Eric Holder, it doesn’t matter how much fraud is uncovered. It’ll just get ignored when it doesn’t fit his agenda.

Foreign observers are redundant and unnecessary. The George W. Bush/Al Gore election of 2000 showed that the United States is perfectly capable of botching the election process on its own. It doesn’t need U.N. observers bringing their “botching” expertise into the mix.

 

[syrenn]

 

[Wry Catcher]

by Owen

You have to love Texas sometimes.

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott further fueled the controversy on Tuesday when he sent a letter to the OSCE warning the organization that its representatives “are not authorized by Texas law to enter a polling place” and that it “may be a criminal offense for OSCE’s representatives to maintain a presence within 100 feet of a polling place’s entrance.”

{extended} Texas sparks international row with election observers - The Hill's Global Affairs

There is also another state - can't remember which - that is threatening the same!

What is the Texas AG afraid of, what is he hiding?

 

[Dreamy]

by Owen

You have to love Texas sometimes.

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott further fueled the controversy on Tuesday when he sent a letter to the OSCE warning the organization that its representatives “are not authorized by Texas law to enter a polling place” and that it “may be a criminal offense for OSCE’s representatives to maintain a presence within 100 feet of a polling place’s entrance.”

{extended} Texas sparks international row with election observers - The Hill's Global Affairs

There is also another state - can't remember which - that is threatening the same!

What is the Texas AG afraid of, what is he hiding?

If one has to explain to you why our country should not have one of its greatest freedoms,voting in a free election, observed by people from 3rd world oppressed countries....well you know...there is no hope and changy thing.

 

[JakeStarkey]

Someone quote me the statute to support AG Abbott's opinion, please, because any officer who arrests such a passive observer will be subject to charges of official intimidation.

by Owen

You have to love Texas sometimes.

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott further fueled the controversy on Tuesday when he sent a letter to the OSCE warning the organization that its representatives “are not authorized by Texas law to enter a polling place” and that it “may be a criminal offense for OSCE’s representatives to maintain a presence within 100 feet of a polling place’s entrance.”

{extended} Texas sparks international row with election observers - The Hill's Global Affairs

There is also another state - can't remember which - that is threatening the same!

 

[Dont Taz Me Bro]

This is a gross overreaction to these observers. This is not a big deal.

 

[Joe Steel]

If one has to explain to you why our country should not have one of its greatest freedoms, voting in a free election, observed by people from 3rd world oppressed countries....well you know...there is no hope and changy thing.

If you think elections in the US shouldn't be observed by impartial observers, you have a very uninformed view of American elections.

 

[Dreamy]

This is a gross overreaction to these observers. This is not a big deal.

The UN should have no part of our elections and by sending in so called monitors requested by no surprise...

Liberal-leaning civil rights groups met with representatives from the OSCE this week to raise their fears about what they say are systematic efforts to suppress minority voters likely to vote for President Obama.

Link

Now on this very board I see lefties saying there is no need for voter IDs because the elections are so fair and honest and uncorrupt. Hypocrisy.

 

[Wry Catcher]

by Owen

You have to love Texas sometimes.

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott further fueled the controversy on Tuesday when he sent a letter to the OSCE warning the organization that its representatives “are not authorized by Texas law to enter a polling place” and that it “may be a criminal offense for OSCE’s representatives to maintain a presence within 100 feet of a polling place’s entrance.”

{extended} Texas sparks international row with election observers - The Hill's Global Affairs

There is also another state - can't remember which - that is threatening the same!

What is the Texas AG afraid of, what is he hiding?

If one has to explain to you why our country should not have one of its greatest freedoms,voting in a free election, observed by people from 3rd world oppressed countries....well you know...there is no hope and changy thing.

I agree, voting is a great freedom. But tell me, how would international observers restrict anyone's vote?

 

[Dreamy]

If one has to explain to you why our country should not have one of its greatest freedoms, voting in a free election, observed by people from 3rd world oppressed countries....well you know...there is no hope and changy thing.

If you think elections in the US shouldn't be observed by impartial observers, you have a very uninformed view of American elections.

Impartial from the UN? Monitors from oppressed third world countries are impartial in what manner exactly? What do they know about this country or how our systems work?

 

[Dreamy]

What is the Texas AG afraid of, what is he hiding?

If one has to explain to you why our country should not have one of its greatest freedoms,voting in a free election, observed by people from 3rd world oppressed countries....well you know...there is no hope and changy thing.

I agree, voting is a great freedom. But tell me, how would international observers restrict anyone's vote?

Never said they would restrict. I oppose the UN being involved in any fashion in our state run elections.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

The UN Observers should be in Chicago, Philly and Bridgeport CT where Dems have already bragged about perpetrating voter fraud

 

[Dick Tuck]

It sounds like Texas is too ashamed to let observers see how they suppress minority voters. Nothing new here.

 

[Dreamy]

It sounds like Texas is too ashamed to let observers see how they suppress minority voters. Nothing new here.

So you are saying that Texans are suppress minorities? You will of course be able to back up that charge with lots of credible evidence in large numbers? Or are you actually calling Texans racists?

 

[percysunshine]

Someone quote me the statute to support AG Abbott's opinion, please, because any officer who arrests such a passive observer will be subject to charges of official intimidation.

by Owen

You have to love Texas sometimes.

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott further fueled the controversy on Tuesday when he sent a letter to the OSCE warning the organization that its representatives “are not authorized by Texas law to enter a polling place” and that it “may be a criminal offense for OSCE’s representatives to maintain a presence within 100 feet of a polling place’s entrance.”

{extended} Texas sparks international row with election observers - The Hill's Global Affairs

There is also another state - can't remember which - that is threatening the same!

CHAPTER 33. WATCHERS :: Texas Election Code :: 2005 Texas Code :: Texas Code :: US Codes and Statutes :: US Law :: Justia


.

 

[Dreamy]

This is the letter that was sent to the UN:

Link

Accordingly, we urge the OSCE to deploy its limited election monitors in those states where restrictions on voting have been most extensive—Pennsylvania, Ohio, Florida, Texas and Wisconsin. Poll monitors should be particularly vigilant about requests for, and acceptance of, identification of those seeking to vote, particularly if certain groups, such as racial minorities and young voters, are being targeted. Reports that organizations like True the Vote and others are training poll monitors to go into low-income and minority communities to intimidate voters make such monitoring critically important.[2] Many of our organizations are working with local non-governmental organizations in these and other states and will be documenting instances of voter suppression. The presence of OSCE monitors would serve to underscore the importance of protecting voters in these key states.

So on the word of left leaning groups some of our states are once again being invaded by the UN. The states specifically mentioned in the letter are states where the Ds lost important elections.

I found out that some states have explicit laws that do not allow the presence of foreign observers at their polling places. Missouri, South Dakota, North Dakota and New Mexico.

This is absolutely crazy. Where were civil rights worries when Black Panthers were intimidating voters at polling locations. Yet, they are now concerned about voter suppression?

The UN places terrorist nations on the Human Rights Committee. They have no right to be here and no jurisdiction. I support voter ID laws as do most Americans yet these lefty groups do not but claim to worry about election intimidation? I call BS. The ID would solve much of their so called concerns.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

by Owen

You have to love Texas sometimes.

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott further fueled the controversy on Tuesday when he sent a letter to the OSCE warning the organization that its representatives “are not authorized by Texas law to enter a polling place” and that it “may be a criminal offense for OSCE’s representatives to maintain a presence within 100 feet of a polling place’s entrance.”

{extended} Texas sparks international row with election observers - The Hill's Global Affairs

There is also another state - can't remember which - that is threatening the same!

What is the Texas AG afraid of, what is he hiding?

His job is to enforce the law. They can do anything they want, as long as they don't break the law. Believe it or not, in this country, breaking the law gets you thrown in jail. In this country, it is illegal for any group to be within 100 feet of a polling place, including candidates and political parties.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

Someone quote me the statute to support AG Abbott's opinion, please, because any officer who arrests such a passive observer will be subject to charges of official intimidation.

by Owen

You have to love Texas sometimes.

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott further fueled the controversy on Tuesday when he sent a letter to the OSCE warning the organization that its representatives “are not authorized by Texas law to enter a polling place” and that it “may be a criminal offense for OSCE’s representatives to maintain a presence within 100 feet of a polling place’s entrance.”

{extended} Texas sparks international row with election observers - The Hill's Global Affairs

There is also another state - can't remember which - that is threatening the same!

You don't know which law prohibits people from interfering with voting by getting within 100 feet of a polling place on election day? Do you know that actual political candidates have been arrested for doing that? That the feds have actually arrested cops for violating that law?

 

[Liability]

by Owen

You have to love Texas sometimes.

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott further fueled the controversy on Tuesday when he sent a letter to the OSCE warning the organization that its representatives “are not authorized by Texas law to enter a polling place” and that it “may be a criminal offense for OSCE’s representatives to maintain a presence within 100 feet of a polling place’s entrance.”

{extended} Texas sparks international row with election observers - The Hill's Global Affairs

There is also another state - can't remember which - that is threatening the same!

What is the Texas AG afraid of, what is he hiding?

His job is to enforce the law. They can do anything they want, as long as they don't break the law. Believe it or not, in this country, breaking the law gets you thrown in jail. In this country, it is illegal for any group to be withing 100 feet of a polling place, including candidates and political parties.

The UN's desire to "watch" American voting is transparently manipulative.

But such "groups" are indeed NOT granted permission to unilaterally violate our laws.

It really is time to re-think the American participation in the UN. The SOLE justification I can see for it at this point is the veto in the Security Council.