October 31, 2004

It Could Get Ugly, Really Ugly

Monday morning Kerry and Bush will have a showdown at competing rallies in downtown Milwaukee, but the real showdowns will take place across the city the next day. The Wisconsin GOP has as list of 37,000 addresses on the voter rolls they consider suspicous. The party is threatening to challenge each individual on the list if the city doesn't require them to provide identification on Election Day.

This is hardball. It's not hard to imagine a situation where a voter gets upset with a GOP poll watcher who either doesn't have ID on them or refuses to offer any (for whatever reason). Words will be exchanged and fists may even fly.

While the GOP maneuver will increase tensions as some Milwaukee polls it will not prevent anyone from voting. Ignore the screams from Democrats that this amounts to voter intimidation and supression. It doesn't. If a voter is challenged, all he or she would have to do is register at the poll, something allowed in Wisconsin. All that's needed is ID and proof-of-residence. So if Joe Schmoe of 123 W National Ave. is challenged, he could simply flip out his driver's license, fill out a new registration card, then flip off the GOP poll watcher and vote. The only people who will be prevented from voting are those who can't demonstrate they are who they claim they are, i.e. those trying to cheat.

In order for the Wisconsin GOP to pull off such an audacious action they must have hundreds of volunteers ready to cover Milwaukee. I worry the party is trading off poll workers for GOTV workers. But Owen's experience may mean the party knows what it's doing.

"GOP Demands IDs of 37,000 in City"

UPDATE: Michelle Malkin points out that Michael Moore-ians (or Moore-ons!), Michael Moore-ian watchers, "Republican crusaders," "European nosybodies," and who knows who else will be together in a observational circle jerk.