'Going to vote, should we carry guns?'

November 8, 2016 09:36

In several states, including Ohio, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Arizona, Democrats have sued Republicans for "intimidation" of voters.

Early voting ended in many states over the weekend, but concerns about voter intimidation are keeping many on edge.

Allison Riggs of the independent organization Southern Coalition for Social Justice told Zing.vn: "We have received phone calls from voters asking if we should carry guns when voting."

Such questions partly reflect voters' anxiety in a close election in which both sides use many tactics to make things difficult for the opponent.

Riggs's office in downtown Durham received more than 1,000 calls this morning about election issues. "There are some concerns about election intimidation, and we're continuing to monitor them," she said.

'Voting for Clinton is going to hell'

In some northern areas of North Carolina, such as Nash County, Trump supporters brought buses with banners reading "Vote for Clinton is going to hell" and placed them right in front of polling places before election forces intervened.

There have been reports in some places that election monitors (usually Republican) have brought dogs, scaring some voters away from voting.

In Ohio and states like Nevada, Pennsylvania and Arizona, Democrats have sued Republicans for voter "intimidation."

‘Di bo phieu, chung toi co nen mang sung?’ hinh anh 1
Voters cast their ballots early at the north library in Durham, North Carolina. Photo: Thanh Tuan.

Federal Judge James Gwin in Ohio on November 4 warned Donald Trump's campaign and activist Roger Stone against engaging in "voter intimidation" in Ohio after hearing a lawsuit filed by Democrats.

The Democratic Party wants to end the harassment and questioning of voters that makes many people not want to vote.

Judge Gwin's ruling prohibits acts such as "obstructing or preventing voters from reaching or leaving a polling place" or "monitoring voting activities," such as questioning or questioning voters about their eligibility to vote.

In Nash County in eastern North Carolina, a voter monitor posed as a voter monitor and took pictures of people's license plates, causing fear among many voters.

Ms. Riggs said election officials asked him to leave, but she said the disruption and complaints about the election were likely to increase in the coming days.

The early voting locations that Zing.vn visited in Durham or Raleigh in North Carolina, one of the key battleground states, were mostly peaceful, although in some places voters had to wait in line for hours before being able to vote.

At Durham's north library, where voters often have to wait in long lines, the voting rights supervisor said, "I'm here mainly to see if there are any problems."

Republican tactics

Democrats have an advantage with immigrants and minorities (partly because of their more open policies toward immigrants, partly because Donald Trump has a hateful policy, calling Mexicans "rapists", "criminals"...), so creating difficulties in elections is a common tactic of the Republicans. And this has happened in many recent election cycles.

Some Republican-dominated states like Arizona or Georgia have passed very strict laws requiring identification when voting, changing voting dates and times, and regulations on voter registration...

‘Di bo phieu, chung toi co nen mang sung?’ hinh anh 2
Creating difficulties in elections is a tactic often used by the Republicans. Photo: Thanh Tuan.

Ms. Jen Jones, spokesperson for Democracy North Carolina, which monitors voting issues, admitted to Zing.vn that in North Carolina itself, voting regulations have changed 3 or 4 times since March as the competition between the two sides has become increasingly fierce.

Both sides want to make changes that will best benefit their voters and limit the other side.

In Arizona, a state with a majority of Republican voters, Judge John J. Tuchi on November 5 dismissed the Democratic lawsuit.

Roger Stone, the man behind the widely seen voter intimidation campaigns Stop the Steal, tweeted shortly afterward: "VICTORY – Arizona court dismisses two bogus lawsuits aimed at stopping @StoptheSteal.org. 'You have no basis for your case,' judge tells Democrat thieves."

According to Zing

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