Ballot Security Task Force
The National Ballot Security Task Force (BSTF) was founded in 1981 in
The group's activities prompted the
The RNC tried to lift the consent decree several times over the next 25 years; these attempts were rejected by the federal courts. In 2009, the US District Court of New Jersey agreed to several modifications of the consent decree, including the addition of an expiration date.[2] That date was set for December 1, 2017. Democrats sought an extension of the consent decree based on allegations of new conduct, but the request was denied in January 2018 and the decree expired.[3]
Overview
The task force consisted of a group of armed, off-duty police officers wearing armbands, who were hired to patrol polling sites in
Initially, 45,000 letters were mailed (using an outdated voter registration list) to primarily Latino and African-American citizens.[5] Many of these letters were later returned as non-deliverable, and the 45,000 addresses were used to create a list of voters.[6] These voters were then challenged by the BSTF, a practice known as voter caging.[7]
In addition, 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these voters from the rolls, but the commissioners of registration refused when they discovered that the RNC had used outdated information.[8]
On New Jersey's election day in 1981, the BSTF posted large signs, without identification but with an official appearance, reading
Armed members of the Task Force "were drawn from the ranks of off-duty county deputy sheriffs and local police," who "prominently displayed revolvers, two-way radios, and BSTF armbands."[8] BSTF patrols "challenged and questioned voters at the polls and blocked the way of some prospective voters" in predominantly African-American and Hispanic areas.[8] Democrat James J. Florio lost the gubernatorial election to Republican Thomas H. Kean by 1,797 votes.[8]
1982 lawsuit and consent decree
A
The consent decree, entered on November 1, 1982,[14] prevented the Republican Party "from engaging in activities that suppress the vote, particularly when it comes to minority voters."[16] It also barred the wearing of armbands at polling places.[16] Under the consent decree "the Republican party organizations agreed to allow a federal court to review proposed 'ballot security' programs, including any proposed voter caging."[14] The consent decree was set to expire in December 2017.[17] A successor consent decree, applying to several states, was entered on July 27, 1987.[14]
Republican attempts to lift consent decree
Prior to the expiration of the decree in 2018, the Republican Party attempted several times, without success, to have it terminated. They argued that it was "antiquated" and unnecessary.
2016 motion
On October 26, 2016, the DNC filed a motion asking the
Expiration of consent decree
The consent decree restricting Republican Party conduct was set to expire on December 1, 2017, but Democrats sought an extension,[20][21] alleging that statements from Donald Trump campaign officials showed the RNC had engaged in activities in violation of the decree.[21] U.S. District Judge John Michael Vazquez allowed the Democratic Party to take the deposition of Sean Spicer before issuing a decision on whether the decree should be allowed to expire, but denied Democrats' motions for hearings on the issue.[21] On January 8, Judge John Vasquez ruled that the decree had expired on December 1, and would not be extended.[3]
The
See also
References
- ^ "REPUBLICANS AGREE IN LAWSUIT TO AVOID INTIMIDATING VOTERS". New York Times. November 7, 1982. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
- ^ UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT OF NEW JERSEY (December 1, 2009). "DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE, ET AL. v. REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE, ET AL" (PDF). GovInfo.gov. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
- ^ a b GERSTEIN, JOSH. "Judge ends consent decree limiting RNC 'ballot security' activities". POLITICO. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
- ^ Sullivan, Joseph F. (November 13, 1993). "Florio's Defeat Revives Memories of G.O.P. Activities in 1981". New York Times.
- ^ Toobin, Jeffrey (September 20, 2004). "Poll Position". The New Yorker.
- ISBN 0-471-66763-3. Retrieved October 7, 2008.
- ^ Levitt, Justin (June 29, 2007). "Reported Instances of Voter Caging". Brennan Center for Justice. New York University School of Law.
- ^ Government Printing Office, Serial No. J–108–98. p. 65.
- ISBN 0-8135-3799-1. Retrieved October 7, 2008.
- ^ Larsen, Erik (October 27, 2016). "NJ's 1981 vote: Armed men at the polls". Asbury Park Press. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e David G. Savage, Supreme Court denies RNC bid to end voter fraud consent decree, Los Angeles Times (January 14, 2013).
- ISBN 0-8070-0449-9. Retrieved October 7, 2008.
- ISBN 978-1-4165-5222-2. Retrieved October 7, 2008.
- ^ a b c d e f g "DNC v. RNC Consent Decree". Brennan Center for Justice. New York University School of Law. November 5, 2016.
- ^ "DNC v. RNC Consent Decree | Brennan Center for Justice". www.brennancenter.org. Retrieved November 5, 2022.
- ^ a b Katz, Matt (September 1, 2016). "Armed Men Once Patrolled the Polls. Will They Reappear in November?". WNYC News.
- ^ a b "Rachel Maddow Versus the Poll Watchers". The Advocate. October 25, 2016.
- ^ Democratic National Committee v. Republican National Committee, 673 F.3d 192 (3d Cir. 2012).
- ^ a b Matt Friedman (October 27, 2016). "Democrats: RNC violating anti-voter intimidation agreement". Politico.
- ^ Salant, Jonathan D. (December 29, 2017). "Here's what Sean Spicer said in N.J. voter intimidation case". NJ.com. NJ Advance Media.
- ^ a b c Friedman, Matt (December 29, 2017). "After questioning Spicer, Democrats want to depose Priebus about election night activities". Politico.
- ^ Gellman, Barton (November 2020). "The Election That Could Break America". The Atlantic. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
- ^ Pilkington, Ed (August 24, 2020). "In 1981 a 'task force' intimidated voters at the polls. Will Republicans revert to their old tactics?". The Guardian. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
- ^ Helderman, Rosalind S.; Dawsey, Josh; Zapotosky, Matt (August 22, 2020). "Trump's suggestion of deploying law enforcement officials to monitor polls raises specter of voting intimidation". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
- ^ Isenstadt, Alex; Korecki, Natasha (October 8, 2020). "Trump campaign ready to unleash thousands of poll watchers on Election Day". Politico. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
- ^ Florio, James J. (September 13, 2020). "Armed men at N.J.'s Black, Latino polling places? Ex-gov. warns it has happened before". NJ.com. Retrieved September 14, 2020.