One for the files on poll-watching and vote-challenging in 2012, from an op-ed in the Tennessean in Nashville:
A leader of Tennessee True the Vote attended poll official training with the Davidson County Election Commission by invitation of the Republican administrator of elections. Along with fielding 1 million poll watchers, this group is clearly laying the groundwork to field poll officials. When you go vote in November, the person checking your ID and looking you up in a poll book or instructing you on the use of the voting machines may be affiliated with voter suppression.
True the Vote is a project of the King Street Patriots, a Tea Party chapter in Houston, Texas. One True the Vote leader tells volunteers their goal is to give voters a feeling “like driving and seeing the police following you.” In Tennessee, the former elections administrator who wrote the column says True the Vote gave local officials a list of homeless voters who addresses have changed, so those voters can be challenged.
On the flip side, the Protect the Vote Tennessee Coalition is organizing a counter effort at poll-watching, the idea being to help people vote. Hey…
(Bonus read: The Advancement Project’s new report (pdf) on new laws and challenge that could discourage Latino voters.)
