Meanwhile, Out In Oregon...

[billroper]

Members of the SEIU, a union supporting Kerry, claim that Nader workers are engaging in petition fraud. Nader petition circulators claim that they are being intimidated by the pro-Kerry SEIU members.

Here's the AP article.

Comments

[filkerdave.livejournal.com]

Coming from NY, where the Reps and Dems have been suing each other to invalidate petition signatures for decades, this is old hat (and it wouldn't actually surprise me if some signatures were invalid).

I will, however, categorically state that anyone who is found guilty of intimidations should have their sorry asses hauled into court and get a hefty fine.

[billroper]

Invalid signatures wouldn't surprise me either. There are a certain number of people who will sign a petition as "Clark Kent", just because they think it's cute. And I'm sure that there are some petition gatherers who pass petitions in a circle around the room signing various names fraudulently, assuming that they'll not get caught.

But, yes, I'm not fond of intimidation, if it's occurring. (I'm not fond of it if it isn't occurring too, but then there's no problem. :) )

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

As a general rule I'll sign a petition to get anyone on the ballot, just because I think people should get on ballots. And like your previous commenter, I'm from New York. My father has always been involved in local politics, and I remember working with copies of petitions and copies of election rolls, checking and invalidating individual signatures. (This was all Democrat against Democrat; in New York City local politics, Republicans never win so the primary is what's important.)

I find this whole Nader thing distasteful. Republicans are funneling money into his campaign, and Democrats are fighting to keep his name off the ballots, because everyone knows that he siphons votes away from Kerry. But intimidation, yeah...that's not good.

(It would be nice to have a political system that allows for third parties, but I don't expect that to happen in the U.S. anytime soon.)

B