Many of you have read and recced the various diaries outlining Kris Kobach’s attempt to hoover up voter registration info from every state, not just publicly accessible info but also private info that includes social security numbers, etc. You’ve been made aware that this will be used in service of suppressing the vote by disenfranchising people of color, the working poor and students through purges of voter rolls. We don’t have to guess at this, we’ve seen it in action in at least two dozen states using Crosscheck, Kris Kobach’s Frankenstein’s monster of voter suppression. Some of you may have taken DocDawg’s advice to write a letter that goes directly to the source of this abomination, as I did. So now you may be asking yourself “What else can I do to fight back against this bullshit?”
Here’s a starting point.
Contact the Secretary of State’s office in your state and let them know that you’re mad as hell and you’re not going to take it anymore. In my state, Missouri, the Secretary of State has many numbers and email addresses dealing with various items that fall under the umbrella of functions carried out by the Secretary of State, but an early dig for the appropriate info pointed me to this:
Elections
James C. Kirkpatrick State Information Center
PO Box 1767
Jefferson City, MO 65102-1767
(573) 751-2301 (Voice)
(800) NOW-VOTE (669-8683)
(573) 526-3242 (Fax)
elections@sos.mo.gov
(Note: this is for Missouri only. See below for advice on how to find the info for your state)
There’s lots of info to work with there, so this morning I did three things. I called this office directly and spoke to a very nice woman about my opposition to any info that isn’t publicly available being handed over to these monsters. Apparently it wasn’t the first call she’d received this morning, as she was ready to convey to me that only publicly available info would be given to anyone, there would be no sharing of anything that wasn’t publicly available. I reiterated my concerns and thanked her for her time. I next wrote an email to the email address, clearly stating my objections. Then I alerted my family, friends and local Dems to do the same, and how to go about it.
You can do this, too, and I highly recommend it. If you’re not familiar with the contact info of your state officials, try entering the following search terms in your favorite search engine: your state abbreviation + secretary of state + contact. This will give you a starting point for finding the elections section, which is what you’re after. Then have at it.
We can no longer sit back and hope that people in positions of power will do the right thing on our behalf, we have to let them know we’re watching and we will hold them accountable for their actions. Don’t go down without a fight. I know I won’t.
Saturday, Jul 1, 2017 · 12:42:31 AM +00:00 · Got a Grip
A Trio of Updates:
1. DocDawg has provided information for North Carolina residents, as the Secretary of State’s office doesn’t handle the information requested, it’s done through the State Board of Elections. See his comment here for a fuller description of how this works as well as a statement from that office.
2. Besame has provided a link to Goodwhich's excellent resource diary providing links to Secretary of State offices in every state. Please give it some love, then use those links.
3. For residents of my own state of Missouri, I just heard a representative from our Secretary of State office interviewed by our local NPR affiliate. She stated that they wouldn’t be able to answer the intrusive questions that go beyond what was already publicly provided because they don’t keep that kind of info even for themselves, and wouldn’t provide it even if they could.
There’s lots of pushback out there. Hell, Kobach won’t even provide this info to himself in his capacity as Secretary of State in Kansas. This is good news, but don’t let up. Let’s kill this particular enemy encroachment in its tracks. And remain vigilant, it’s only the first volley, it won’t be the last.
Saturday, Jul 1, 2017 · 3:38:30 AM +00:00
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Got a Grip
Addendum: Thanks to my first DKos love, Community Spotlight, for rescuing my little action diary as it dove down the recent list, and to all those that took it from there to the Rec List. Much appreciated.
I would also like to encourage everyone who hasn’t contacted the proper authorities yet to please do so, even if your state’s authorities have already made a statement on this issue. It’s just as important to praise those doing the right thing as it is to scold those that aren’t. Carrots and sticks, people, carrots and sticks.
But beyond that, by contacting the proper authorities, you’re shining a bright light on what Kobach and his minions are up to. For far too long they’ve been allowed to pull this crap in the dark in republican-held state legislatures, stripping folks of their rights and harming our democracy. They’ve been able to pull this Crosscheck shit in more than two dozen states because no one is watching. So let’s fling the door wide, throw open the windows and let the sunlight stream in. It’s the best disinfectant.