Breaking: A State With a Population of 6.3 Million Can't Have 5.4 Million Registered Voters

What is it with this site and election hysteria?

A diary that is rocketing to the top of the Rec list claims that over a million voters have been purged from Indiana's registered voter lists this year, dropping the state from 5.4 million registered voters to 4.3 million.

It's been recommended like mad.

It can't possibly be true (or if it is true, it is a good thing).

Follow me over the jump for a lesson on Indiana demographics.

According the the most recent 2006 estimates, the state of Indiana has an approximate population of 6.3 million people. Given that probably at least a good 20-25% of that population would be too young to vote, a voter registration of 5.4 million would represent more than 100% of the voting age population of Indiana.

4.3 million would still represent a better than 90% registration, which is truly impressive in American politics.

So if there were 5.4 million registered voters, it's a good thing some of them were purged from the rolls.

Now, should there be some checking into the exact details of the purging? Almost certainly. But is the purging some sort of de facto sign of Evil Things afoot in Indiana?

Hardly.

I'm not surprised. Poorly sourced, sensationalistic diaries fly to the top of the Rec list almost daily these days. Please, people, do your due diligence on diaries. Research and think before you rec something. Make sure the diary has proper links.

As a community, we lose a huge amount of our power if we become the little blog that cried wolf.

•  Tips

  for sanity

  by dedmonds on Mon May 05, 2008 at 11:22:52 AM PDT

  •  sadly, we have already

    lost credibility over many more similar things.

    But you are right - I asked why these registrations were "cancelled" and what exactly "cancelled" means.

    and even worse, I was going to write my own diary on a different spin on this whole suppression/war on voting rights thing.

    sigh.....

    by clammyc on Mon May 05, 2008 at 11:27:04 AM PDT

    •  The first diary pisses me off

      precisely because supression of voters rights is a huge issue, and it damages our cause to have bullshit like that flying around when there are real, concrete problems with voter supression that we should be talking about instead.

      by dedmonds on Mon May 05, 2008 at 11:28:32 AM PDT

      •  you are preaching to the choir on that one

        I wrote a real substantive one on Saturday and it went nowhere.  I linked to around 7 or 8 of my other very detailed and very objective diaries on real voting rights issues.

        That other diary cheapens everything.

        by clammyc on Mon May 05, 2008 at 11:31:43 AM PDT

        •  Just make shit up

          If it's exciting enough you can jump on the rec list for a few glorious minutes before being shot down in infamy.

          I've read some of your voting rights stuff and I appreciate it and I'm not the only one.  Screw the flash in the pan stuff and just keep doing good work.

          by Sun dog on Mon May 05, 2008 at 11:34:46 AM PDT

          •  yeah, all you need is

            a screen shot of your way too many hours of "fame".

            by clammyc on Mon May 05, 2008 at 11:37:52 AM PDT

            •  It gets the chicks that's for sure

              by Sun dog on Mon May 05, 2008 at 11:39:16 AM PDT

              •  "Breaking" and "Official"

                That's the key to the top of the rec. list!

                by MD patriot on Mon May 05, 2008 at 01:22:36 PM PDT

                •  Personally

                  The word "breaking" in the title of a diary automatically makes my antenna go up.

                  by Nancy in LA on Mon May 05, 2008 at 01:55:11 PM PDT

                  •  UPDATED x 3

                    [UPDATE] I agree!

                    [UPDATE 2] My cat agrees too!

                    [UPDATE 3] I agree with my cat!

                    by DemCurious on Mon May 05, 2008 at 04:52:30 PM PDT

                    •  UPDATE 4 - It's Unanimous!

                      by JVolvo on Mon May 05, 2008 at 05:46:48 PM PDT

                      •  ??? IN SoS says 4.3 million voters

                        It's not a good idea to throw stones when you live in a glass house.

                        The Indiana Primary Media Kit on the Secretary of State site in Indiana says there are currently 4.3 million voters.

                        http://www.in.gov/...

                        Just because you don't believe something doesn't make it automatically false!

                        by BetterTogether on Mon May 05, 2008 at 11:15:25 PM PDT

                        •  Reading comprehensions helps, too.

                          Nobody said 4.3 was impossible, merely impressive. 5.4 is impossible.

                          by Dvd Avins on Tue May 06, 2008 at 03:56:30 AM PDT

                •  "Breaking" and "Official" are not enough.

                  You need "And she eats live babies", too.

                  (Don't forget exactly what kind of diaries propel one to the heights of fame in our little pool.)

                  by homogenius on Mon May 05, 2008 at 08:31:36 PM PDT

          •  Just put "BREAKING" in your title...

            ....and you'll jump onto the Rec list for sure.

            by lams712 on Mon May 05, 2008 at 11:48:13 AM PDT

            •  Yes, Please refrain from 'BREAKING' for old news.

              For the one on Indiana 'purging' their old voter registration records, the Secretary of State indicated (on APRIL 10TH!) that this was to remove inaccurate, duplicate or otherwise incorrect data:

              Indiana Secretary of State

              The Statewide Voter Registration System (SVRS), an electronic database that simultaneously links all of Indiana’s 92 county’s voter registration records, was created in 2006 in coordination with Secretary Rokita’s office and all 92 counties.  County input, testing, and use has been critical in developing and enhancing a system which complies with federal mandates and provides accurate voter registration data.

              The system is also linked to the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles and the Social Security Administration databases to help verify voter registration records. Additional data provided to the system from the Indiana Department of Health and Department of Correction assist local election officials in their efforts to remove the records of deceased and incarcerated voters. With these additional tools, the SVRS provides a dramatic improvement over the counties old, individual systems by keeping the voter rolls current and accurate, at the time the individual voter's information is input into the system.  This approach has allowed the removal or inactivation of approximately 600,000 records from the rolls, which would otherwise clog up the system and lead to inaccurate results

              by ayjaymay on Mon May 05, 2008 at 12:47:24 PM PDT

              •  dead Democrats removed from the data base

                How will we ever win now?
                ;>

                by katz5 on Mon May 05, 2008 at 01:18:23 PM PDT

                •  depends on which "we"

                  you're talking about. Perhaps Hillary figures that her only hope of winning is a strong turnout from the graveyards. Or she's discovered that the undead one of the few identifiable constituencies that actually favors her and she's putting serious money behind Vampires for Hillary.  

                  by alizard on Mon May 05, 2008 at 02:49:26 PM PDT

                  •  That's just stupid.

                    You want to point people to "intelligent energy policy alternatives" and you spew stupid-ass shit like this?

                    Feh.

                    by homogenius on Mon May 05, 2008 at 08:34:28 PM PDT

                    •  I figured the snark content

                      was obvious enough for even Hillary fans to get.

                      by alizard on Mon May 05, 2008 at 08:50:08 PM PDT

            •  Breaking! Insider Advantage Clinton 48 Obama 44

              http://www.internetnewsagency.com/...

              New InsiderAdvantage Survey
              Obama Inching Closer in Indiana
              Compiled from InsiderAdvantage and Southern Political Report staff

              May 5, 2008 — Hillary Clinton is like one of those blow-up punching bags that keep popping back up when you slug them. For her to pop up and then pop back with a punch of her own, she must at least win Tuesday’s Indiana primary. Our latest poll shows that she has a good chance of doing that.  Here’s the latest results in Indiana:

              Hillary Clinton 48%
              Barack Obama 44%
              Undecided 8%

              The poll was conducted by InsiderAdvantage/Majority Opinion on May 4 among 502 likely voters in the May 6 Indiana Democratic presidential primary. The margin of error is plus or minus 4%. Data have been weighted for age, race, gender and political affiliation.

              Interestingly, most polls show Clinton winning handily in Indiana and losing big in North Carolina. Our InsiderAdvantage polls show both races tightening as Election Day now I just hours away. (InsiderAdvantage shows Clinton pulling to within 3% – within the poll’s margin of error – in North Carolina. See www.southernpoliticalreport.com).

              Obama’s problem in Indiana is as clear as black and white, literally. It appears he will pull in his customary 80%-plus of African-Americans, but blacks make up only about 10% of all voters in the Indiana Democratic Primary. Meanwhile, Clinton is leading 54% to 41% among whites.  Click here for crosstabs.

              by Triangulate on Mon May 05, 2008 at 01:19:22 PM PDT

              •  and this is relevant to the diary how?

                by reahti on Mon May 05, 2008 at 01:34:43 PM PDT

              •  That was kind of off topic

                And you shouldn't just copy and paste whole pieces like that.  Put it in blockquotes at least.

                by Sun dog on Mon May 05, 2008 at 06:18:23 PM PDT

              •  Congratulations.

                You just made the diarist's point through your asshat stupidity. Way to go.

                by homogenius on Mon May 05, 2008 at 08:36:22 PM PDT

        •  Just say...

          that someone's house was burned down and her car forced off the road after becoming a whistleblower against the Bush administration.  That seems to work.

          But then, maybe it worked because it was true.  :-\

          by BruinKid on Mon May 05, 2008 at 12:26:06 PM PDT

        •  From a reader's end of it, it's just as bad

          The Rec List is no longer a convenience. Your personal blog gets more hits from me these days than Daily Kos for the simple reason that it take me fewer clicks to find what I want.

          The Rec List either needs to be tweaked or done away with altogether. I spend more of my time fact-checking other people's diaries than the original source material.

          by autoegocrat on Mon May 05, 2008 at 01:53:39 PM PDT

          •  I can't quit you, rec list.

            It's become so inane, with about a 6 to 1 noise to signal ratio, that I wish I would just ignore it.  But it's where most of the live discussion is happening, which is what energizes me about this place.  As it is, I'm spending a lot more time on other sites.

            by geomoo on Mon May 05, 2008 at 02:45:50 PM PDT

        •  Good work

          You're now on my hotlist.  Thanks.

          by tle on Mon May 05, 2008 at 04:18:51 PM PDT

          •  cool....

            thank you!

            by clammyc on Mon May 05, 2008 at 05:43:18 PM PDT

      •  And, that diary is already filled with...

        all the sad excuses why the ID law is perfectly acceptable.

        by David Kroning on Mon May 05, 2008 at 11:34:40 AM PDT

        •  didn't we go through this

          on Saturday in my diary?

          by clammyc on Mon May 05, 2008 at 11:38:16 AM PDT

          •  Yep, and people don't seem to ever get it.

            Not enough people here have ever been poor, or homeless, or marginalized it seems.

            by David Kroning on Mon May 05, 2008 at 11:40:39 AM PDT

            •  my thought on the photo IDs

              probly won't go far, and its too late for the primary, but....

              Why not set up a fund to buy state IDs for those who cannot afford it?  They cost around $10 in most states, so $200,000 in a fund can get IDs for 20,000 voters.

              It might be a hardship for them, but if we find a way to fund it, it breaks the reason they want to do it in the first place.

              by ScrewySquirrel on Mon May 05, 2008 at 12:11:00 PM PDT

              •  It's not just payment

                It's getting to the place to have your picture taken and the ID made. Lots of working-class people don't have the luxury of taking time off work to go stand in line. Lots of elderly and disabled won't be able to drive to the ID centers. And so on.

                by Leap Year on Mon May 05, 2008 at 12:20:33 PM PDT

                •  logistics are part of it, yes...

                  but there are always ways around it...MOST working class people in the US do have cars (its like 1.1 cars per person now), and find a way to get to a drivers license office to renew.

                  getting a day, or morning, or afternoon off to get a photo ID shouldn't be absolutely impossible, as long as you say so far enough in advance.

                  Elderly people can be driven to the DMV.

                  by ScrewySquirrel on Mon May 05, 2008 at 12:25:44 PM PDT

                  •  Clearly you've never been really poor

                    or really alone... because both make those two options almost impossible.  

                    If you've barely got a job working 12 hour shifts and there's a line of people behind you waiting for your spot... it's unlikely you'll ask for that afternoon off no matter how far in advance.

                    And as for the elderly... unless you're planning on volunteering to drive those in your community, then I think you've got a weak argument.

                    by LucyMO on Mon May 05, 2008 at 01:16:10 PM PDT

                    •  True even if you're not poor

                      Every time I've had to go to the DMV it was a good month before I would finally get the time out of the day to do so.

                      It's not just a matter of whether you can make it; it's also a matter of priorities.  If you don't absolutely have to go, it's easy to put it off.

                      Plus, I've found that no matter how carefully I prepare, it somehow always requires two trips.  One way or another, you have to just resolve to lose your whole day.

                      by Caj on Mon May 05, 2008 at 04:03:20 PM PDT

                    •  An official ID

                      is required to: sign up for social security, WIC, food stamps, to cash a check, open a bank account, accept a job, purchase a gun, cigarettes, and alcohol as well as countless other reasons.  For me, since the age of 18, I have had to show my driver's license to vote twice a year.  I am low income, rural, and have had 1 or 2 jobs at any one time 12-14 hours.  I cannot see any reason anyone would have trouble getting an ID once every 4-10 years depending on when it expires. All it takes is some advance thought, and yes it does cost, but its good for several years.

                      by gaydar on Tue May 06, 2008 at 12:36:36 AM PDT

                      •  Once Every 4-10 Years...

                        ...won't cut it though. You have to d it at least once every time you move...and most poor move more often tan every 4-10 years.

                        by chaboard on Tue May 06, 2008 at 04:33:02 AM PDT

                  •  What LucyMO said

                    Your post sounds reasonable and common-sense... if you've never been poor or really alone.

                    The people who can't "find a way" are the people who the Republicans would like to disenfranchise.

                    by The Red Pen on Mon May 05, 2008 at 01:25:34 PM PDT

                  •  Clearly you have never been poor, rural or caring

                    for an handicapped/disabled/mentally ill parent or sibling while having to hold down a full-time job (or two) just to keep your family together and fed because the "bread-winner" died before the family was economically secure.

                    You should thank whatever diety is watching over you that your prosperity and luck continue into the future.

                    by Hellenic Pagan on Mon May 05, 2008 at 01:26:41 PM PDT

                  •  The point of the law is

                    to make getting the ID just inconvenient enough that many (working-class, poor, i.e. DEMOCRATIC) voters are unable or unwilling to do so. Oh, and don't get me started on the provision requiring that the ID's address always be current. Poor people, students, and other Democratic voters tend to move a lot. Who has time to get a brand new ID every time you move?

                    I'm not much comforted by the fact that it is technically possible for everyone to get a voter ID, if all the stars align the right way and someone drives them to the DMV office. This is a barrier to voting, period. The "problem" it is supposed to solve is non-existent - the Justice Department hasn't charged anyone with impersonating another voter.

                    by Leap Year on Mon May 05, 2008 at 01:54:47 PM PDT

                    •  In California

                      You can register to vote at the welfare office, too.

                      by gailwax on Mon May 05, 2008 at 03:24:45 PM PDT

                    •  older voters have a different set of problems

                      in many places, the requirements for "proof of residency" disenfranchise people who might not be the primary bill-payers at their residence.  for example, my mother lives with us, and nothing is in her name - no utility bills, no lease, no nothing that "proves" where she lives except non-legal documents.  She's had an incredibly difficult time getting the "proper documentation" together so she could switch her driver's license registration from her prior state, because she can't really prove that she lives here.  A state I.D. provides about equal hurdles in most places - it's like getting a driver's license, but without the driving.  So yeah, there are definitely people who will be disenfranchised.

                      by thisniss on Mon May 05, 2008 at 09:56:04 PM PDT

              •  Indiana photo IDs are free & provisional ballot

                can be cast tomorrow even if the voter does not yet have a photo ID, as long as the ID is obtained and presented to the county election board within 10 days. I'm reposting here additional info that I researched from the Indiana SOS site (originally posted in the other thread):

                (First post)
                Here's info for Indiana voters who may beaffected by the purge or by the voter ID requirement now in effect. This is a summary of info found on the SOS website (http://www.state.in.us/sos/elections/vote_reg.html) that applies to tomorrow's election.

                Photo ID required.
                ID must have expiration date, and either be current of have expired sometime after Nov. 7, 2006 (miliary ID with expiration "INDEF" are acceptable).
                ID must be issued by State of Indiana or US government (generally a Indiana driver license or photo ID card, military ID or US passport are sufficient)
                If you are unwilling or unable to present ID, you can cast a provisional ballot.
                If you cast a provisional ballot, you have until noon 10 days after the election to follow up with the county election board and either provide the necessary documentation, or affirm that one of the law's exemptions applies to you.
                Exemptions: indigent, religious objection to being photographed, individual living in state-licensed facilities where the precinct's polling place is also located.

                Valid photo ID can be obtained free of charge from any Bureau of Motor Vehicles branch that issues driver licenses and ID cards. See PhotoID.in.gov or call the BMV (317-233-6000).

                The pdf document in which this info was found is this: http://www.in.gov/...

                I'm going to keep poking around, looking for more info, but I hope that the candidate's teams on the ground in Indiana are all aware of this (I presume they saw it coming) and/or if not, that someone here at Kos who is in contact with the Indiana effort will forward the info to them.

                (Second post)
                More info for Indiana voters... (0 / 0)

                More specific info about the law in Indiana, and the requirements for photo ID, as well as other requirements and ways to comply with the law if challenged, can be found here (pdf): http://www.in.gov/... ... The linked file is the Indiana Voter's Bill of Rights for 2008.

                I'm not really a political activist. I can only presume that the campaigns are already well aware of all this info. If not, could someone post a diary with this information from the pdf files for any Indiana Kossacks who might be affected? I would, but I'm experimenting with a new pdf reader, which turns out not to have a text tool, so I would have to retype everything to be able to post it. Thanks.
                *************************************************

                Please note that I'm not agreeing with the premise of the earlier diary, but even so there are sure to be mistakes made with such a large purge.

                by Wordie on Mon May 05, 2008 at 12:54:59 PM PDT

                •  And, for the mildly developmently disabled...or

                  other illiterate people?  This information is useless to them.

                  by David Kroning on Mon May 05, 2008 at 01:33:31 PM PDT

                  •  Isn't that where the campaign workers come in?

                    I hope there are plenty of campaign people on the ground to assist those who need help with voting. The Indiana law also allows those with a disability to vote absentee, but it's too late to register for that now, so I don't know exactly what anyone with a disability who might have been purged from the voter records needs to do now. Is there a 800 number in Indiana for people to call if they have problems with voting tomorrow? That may be the critical thing for someone to locate and post.  

                    Whatever the problems may (or may not) have been with the original voter rolls, to purge the list so close to the actual primary election seems like it could be a potential problem.

                    by Wordie on Mon May 05, 2008 at 02:27:19 PM PDT

                •  Provisional ballot = second class status

                  A voter who casts a provisional ballot leaves the polls not knowing whether the vote will be counted or not

                  And if someone doesn't have a photo id in the first place, giving them ten more days to get one might not be such a big help.

                  I'd bet that the ten-day provision and the free state-provided ids only came in response to activists who questioned procedures in the first place.

                  by VoteAqui on Mon May 05, 2008 at 02:38:12 PM PDT

                  •  Maybe, but it's better than not voting at all.

                    I'm hardly arguing in support of the photo id, nor the purge of the voting rolls. I'm just trying to provide info for any Kossacks who may be from Indiana, so they can cope with the changes and have their vote count and/or assist others.

                    by Wordie on Mon May 05, 2008 at 05:19:30 PM PDT

              •  It is not merely the cost...

                of the ID itself, but the time and effort and cost that it takes to get to the requisite governmental agency to  obtain one. Some of these people have no transportation; no realistic way to acquire this, and not at such a late date. I find it rather interesting that so many posters are so quick to dismiss the questions raised regarding the voting rolls. I don't have any idea what the truth is, yet I would be interested in getting more evidence to examine. I don't tend to take governmental agencies 'answers' as truth without verification from other sources. Greg Palast and Robert Kennedy are looking into it, and could use a bit of support. A few bucks. Is your democracy, and faith in your vote, worth the effort?

                I went to a 'Computer Ate my Vote' rally and press conference that TrueMajority helped organize four years ago, to the day. I drove 60 miles, to catch the metro into DC...another 40 minute ride to join about 20 other fine folks of differing stripes. We donned our bright yellow t's that were provided by the True Majority organizers, and spread out as directed behind the speakers gathered so as to make it look like a larger group. CA Sec of State Kevin Shelley spoke, as did Bev Harris and one or two others. CNN was the only media to show up outside the EPA at 1200 Pennsylvania Ave that day. I am saddened to know that in 4 years, many things have come to light, yet getting rid of these hackable, ridiculous machines is moving at a glacial pace. My tiny little town, with it's 600+ voters, had a TX company install this crap with no paper trail two years ago. I was so startled by their appearance...and looked up to see a group of 'dignitaries' in shiny suits; one female with big hair and a lovely shade of lipstick in a sandwich of suits. I asked about the machines, their origin, and why they didn't have a paper trail. The TX lady with the perfect, high coif represented the company... and batted her eyelashes as she gave me her syrupy canned answer. I went home and sat by the creek...and pondered what was happening to my democracy.

                I don't know about all of the things that Bev Harris has done to raise the ire of so many. I followed many of the links laid out earlier, and see the points. I can only report on what I saw that day, on May 5, 2004. She was there. Working to get the message out. Like so many others, who have no doubt not gotten their due. So, I have a suggestion. For all of those who care about this issue-- join Greg Palast, and Robert Kennedy, in trying to find an answer to what is happening to OUR VOTES. Throw in a few bucks. You know what the MSM is not doing... nothing will change until we affect change.

                http://www.gregpalast.com/...

                by karaplanet on Mon May 05, 2008 at 08:53:42 PM PDT

      •  Lets unrecommend that diary.

        The button is there for just the reason you are pissed.:

        http://www.dailykos.com/...

        by Yoshimi on Mon May 05, 2008 at 11:44:38 AM PDT

        •  good point

          and I am proud to have not recommended it in the first place!

          by clammyc on Mon May 05, 2008 at 11:45:32 AM PDT

          •  me too

            got burned on Friday; boy was I stupid.

            by terrypinder on Mon May 05, 2008 at 11:46:09 AM PDT

            •  What did i miss on Friday?

              Do tell, please.

              by notquitedelilah on Mon May 05, 2008 at 11:59:24 AM PDT

              •  some anti-Clinton hysteria

                about a video clip from 1992.

                Thankfully, I spent a total of around 5 minutes here on Friday....

                by clammyc on Mon May 05, 2008 at 12:00:32 PM PDT

              •  i'm still too traumatized to talk about it

                but we got burned by a YouTube that appears to have been doctored to make the Clintons look bad, regarding Indiana.

                by terrypinder on Mon May 05, 2008 at 12:00:58 PM PDT

                •  As if you have to doctor a video ...

                  ... to make the Clintons look bad.

                  Just listen to one of them for a few minutes.

                  by Tony Seybert on Mon May 05, 2008 at 02:15:37 PM PDT

          •  I'm even prouder of TRing it.

            Typical Bev Harris fundraising stunt.

            by MajorFlaw on Mon May 05, 2008 at 12:21:39 PM PDT

            •  nice

              its funny - I got the email from BBV earlier today and didn't read it yet.  I must have signed up for the email list right after the 2004 elections.

              Glad I didn't bother to read this email....

              by clammyc on Mon May 05, 2008 at 12:25:16 PM PDT

      •  There'll always be bullshit flying around.

        That's life.

        The key is calmly pointing it out and not freaking out.

        Individual CTs and random nuts cannot destroy the credibility of a site unless everyone follows them.

        If dKos has a weakness in this regard it's certainly not a tendency to believe the bs (at least not for very long).  If anything the problem around here is a tendency to self-censor, lest we somehow look bad.

        We'd all be better off carefully evaluating stuff we read and worrying about whether or not it's true, rather than losing sleep over how it might or might not make us look.

        by GreenSooner on Mon May 05, 2008 at 02:04:05 PM PDT

      •  Your title is clever but misleading

        I don't see that Bev Harris of BBV is claiming that there ought to be over 5 million registered voters in Indiana.  No where does she say that.

        What she is saying is that Indiana (which has a Republican Secy of State - my observation) has recently, before a major election, purged over 1 million registrations.

        In some key areas, the number of registrations purged is greater than the number of registrations remaining.

        Many of the canceled registrations may have been correctly erased.  But given the documented tendency for mistakes to be made in these purges - how could this situation not leave any Democrat greatly concerned?

        by VoteAqui on Mon May 05, 2008 at 04:14:59 PM PDT

    •  Hey, at least we check ourselves

      It's a far cry from 'legitimate' news sources who pedal the same fallicies for years at a time without remorse.  Here if something runs up the flagpole that doesn't pass the smell test, its a matter of minutes or hours before there are a hundred hands pulling it down.

      Thanks to the diarist for the follow up.  I already knew this story was a red herring just based on the comments in the original diary.

      dk rocks

      by Sun dog on Mon May 05, 2008 at 11:30:40 AM PDT

      •  good point, but

        there was a time where it would happen before the d