Inside Job

by Steven Rosenfeld

  180. Same as 84: “The Supreme Court Could Make It Easier for States to Purge Voters: The Court has decided to hear a new case from Ohio, where Democrats were twice as likely as Republicans to be purged from the rolls in the state’s largest counties,” by Ari Berman, The Nation, May 30, 2017. This report notes that 7,500 voters were put back on Ohio rolls after the Sixth Circuit ruled in September 2016.

  181. “Upgrading Democracy: Improving America’s Elections by Modernizing States’ Voter Registration Systems,” by The Pew Center on The States/Election Initiatives, November 2010. This is the report of Pew’s Voter Registration Modernization Design Working Group. http://www.pewtrusts.org/~/media/legacy/uploadedfiles/pcs_assets/2010/upgradingdemocracyreportpdf.pdf.

  182. “Who We Are,” by EricStates.org/. About the Electronic Registration Information Center, which in 2016 had twenty states participating. http://ericstates.org/whoweare.

  183. Same as 103: “Why Republicans Can’t Find the Big Voter Fraud Conspiracy: If the last federal investigation is any guide, the answer is simple: It probably doesn’t exist,” by Lisa Rab, Politico Magazine, April 2, 2017. This report notes Trump incorrectly citing a Pew study at an October 2016 rally to make accusations of hordes of dead voters casting ballots. It includes responses by David Becker, who led Pew’s Voter Registration Modernization Design Working Group and oversaw a series of studies and reports to make the case for better registration data systems.

  184. “Sean Spicer wrongly uses Pew study to bolster claim that noncitizens vote in large numbers,” by Lauren Carroll, politifact.com, January 25, 2017. This report notes Spicer’s January 2017 comment mistakenly cites Pew’s data to make false claims about noncitizen voting. http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2017/jan/25/sean-spicer/sean-spicer-wrongly-uses-pew-study-bolster-claim-n/.

  Also see: “Inaccurate, Costly, and Inefficient: Evidence That America’s Voter Registration System Needs an Upgrade,” by The Pew Center on The States/Election Initiatives, 2012. This is the Pew report that Spicer referenced: http://www.pewtrusts.org/~/media/legacy/uploadedfiles/pcs_assets/2012/pewupgradingvoterregistrationpdf.pdf.

  185. “The Success of the Voter Fraud Myth,” by The Editorial Board, The New York Times, September 20, 2016. This editorial contains the 2102 quote by Jim Greer on voter fraud being a marketing ploy. This editorial cited a Washington Post/ABC News poll on voter fraud where only 1 percent of respondents correctly answered how often it occurs. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/20/opinion/the-success-of-the-voter-fraud-myth.html?mcubz=2.

  Also see: “Poll: Nearly half of Americans say voter fraud occurs often,” by Emily Guskin and Scott Clement, The Washington Post, September 15, 2016. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/09/15/poll-nearly-half-of-americans-say-voter-fraud-occurs-often/?utm_term=.cd1ceb14af2b.

  186. Same as 185: “The Success of the Voter Fraud Myth,” by The Editorial Board, The New York Times, September 20, 2016.

  187. “Ohio Voter Fraud Billboards Target Minorities,” by Lauren Feeney, BillMoyers.com, October 11, 2012. This report described voter intimidation in three swing state cities with large black populations: “Billboards warning that voter fraud is a felony punishable with up to 3-and-a-half years and a $10,000 fine have been popping up in predominantly black neighborhoods in Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Milwaukee. The ads are a blatant attempt at voter intimidation, say community leaders in Cleveland, where the signs were first noticed.” http://billmoyers.com/2012/10/11/ohio-voter-fraud-billboards-target-minorities/.

  188. “Voter Integrity Project boot camp teaches how to challenge voters,” by Jane Porter and Billy Ball, IndyWeek.com, September 18, 2013. This report contains an interview with DeLancy where he said he could not be affiliated with the Republican Party and work the voter caging operations that his organization was doing. The report also says DeLancy took his inspiration from True The Vote. http://www.indyweek.com/indyweek/voter-integrity-project-boot-camp-teaches-how-to-challenge-voters/Content?oid=3721401.

  189. “Judge: North Carolina counties must restore voters removed in ‘insane’ process,” by Tribune News Services/Associated Press, November 4, 2016. This AP report recounts North Carolina restoring 6,700 voter registrations after a NAACP suit, where the “Voter Integrity Project” tried to purge thousands of voters. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-north-carolina-voter-purge-ruling-20161104-story.html.

  190. North Carolina State Conference of the NAACP et al. v. North Carolina State Board of Elections et al, November 4, 2016 ruling by US District Court Judge Loretta C. Biggs ordering North Carolina counties to restore any voters purged within ninety days of the presidential election, noting that this violated the National Voter Registration Act of 1993.

  https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/3214462/Order.pdf.

  191. “Abbott signs voter ID, end of straight-party voting into law,” by Chuck Lindell, Austin American-Statesman, June 1, 2017. This report notes how GOP Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law a new slightly less restrictive voter ID bill and also eliminated the option of voting a straight party ticket starting in 2020. http://www.statesman.com/news/abbott-signs-voter-end-straight-party-voting-into-law/5vb95W3p0406a5mRgysEyL/.

  Also see: “Redistricting,” TexasTribune.org. This index of ongoing articles includes a May report that “Several Texas Republicans in Congress told the Tribune they want Gov. Greg Abbott to call a special session to redraw the state’s congressional map. Yet a court filing from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton Thursday made clear Abbott isn’t interested.” https://www.texastribune.org/tribpedia/redistricting/.

  192. North Carolina State Conference of the NAACP et al. v. Pat McCrory et al. This is the July 29, 2016 ruling by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, No. 16–1468, written by Judge Diana Gribbon Motz. The ruling struck down five anti-voter laws in North Carolina, saying they targeted black voters with “almost surgical” precision. https://www.ca4.uscourts.gov/Opinions/Published/161468.P.pdf.

  Also see: “Strict North Carolina Voter ID Law Thwarted After Supreme Court Rejects Case,” by Adam Liptak and Michael Wines, The New York Times, May 15, 2017. This report notes the US Supreme Court rejected the state’s appeal of the Fourth Circuit’s ruling, saying it would like to rule on voting issues raised but the state’s politics were too messy to take the case. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/15/us/politics/voter-id-laws-supreme-court-north-carolina.html?rref=collection%2Fbyline%2Fadam-liptak&action=click&contentCollection=undefined®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=2&pgtype=collection.

  193. Same as 192: North Carolina State Conference of the NAACP et al. v. Pat McCrory et al. This is the July 29, 2016 ruling by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, No. 16–1468, written by Judge Diana Gribbon Motz.

  194. “Some States Review Election Systems for Signs of Intrusion,” by Emery P. Dalesio and Geoff Mulvihill, Associated Press, June 8, 2017. The report notes a Florida company, VR Systems, whose voter registration database, which created precinct e-poll books in a handful of counties in eight states, was hacked by Russia. The AP wrote, “North Carolina state elections board director Kim Westbrook Strach said her office had not been contacted by any federal officials about whether any of the 21 county election offices that use VR software were targeted. Still, her office was contacting county boards about potential breaches. The news of a reported Russian hacking attempt surprised Bill Brian, elections board chairman in Durham County, which experienced problems with VR Systems’ electronic poll books on Election Day. The issue forced officials to abandon the system, issue paper ballots and extend voting hours, but officials there said that trouble did not appear to have been caused by hacking.” https://www.apnews.com/2dfaa4ca0053447d868eeb0dd4153c2a?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=AP_Politics.

  195. “Top-Secret NSA Report Details Russian Hacking Effort Days Before 2016 Election,” by Mathew Cole, Richard Esposito, Sam Biddle and Ryan Grimm, The
Intercept.com, June 5, 2017. The report presents a classified May 2017 National Security Agency document that recounts how Russia intelligence agencies targeted private contractors servicing voter registration systems before the 2016 election. It notes how in Durham County, North Carolina, e-poll books failed at precincts “causing chaos and long lines, which triggered election officials to switch to paper ballots and extend voting later into the evening.” George McCue, BOE deputy director, said, “There was some investigation there, essentially no evidence came out of it indicating there was any problem with the product,” he said. “It appears to be user errors at different points in the process, between the setup of the computers and the poll workers using them.” https://theintercept.com/2017/06/05/top-secret-nsa-report-details-russian-hacking-effort-days-before-2016-election/.

  CHAPTER 13: THE PLAYBOOK: DO EVERYTHING

  196. “Donald Trump is wrong. Rigging an election is almost impossible: This is how hard it would be to pull off widespread voter fraud,” by Ari Berman, The Washington Post, August 5, 2016. This report notes when Trump started raising voter-fraud claims in the campaign. https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2016/08/05/donald-trump-is-wrong-rigging-an-election-is-almost-impossible/?utm_term=.053d77ddbd53.

  197. “Republicans limit early voting in Marion County, letting it bloom in suburbs,” by Fatima Hussein, IndyStar.com, August 10, 2017. Excerpt: “Most telling, Hamilton County saw a 63 percent increase in absentee voting from 2008 to 2016, while Marion County saw a 26 percent decline. Absentee ballots are used at early voting stations.” http://www.indystar.com/story/news/2017/08/10/silencing-vote-data-shows-unequal-barrier-indiana-polls/435450001/.

  198. “New Voting Restrictions in Place for the 2016 Election,” by the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law, November 2, 2016. This report notes new restrictions were in place in fourteen states, including: Alabama, Arizona, New Hampshire, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin. https://www.brennancenter.org/sites/default/files/analysis/New_Restrictions_2016.pdf.

  199. “Will North Carolina Lead the Way to a New South? Progressives like Reverend Barber and candidates like Deborah Ross are hoping to assemble a multiracial coalition to defeat a conservative backlash,” by Joan Walsh, The Nation, November 7, 2016. This report notes black turnout in early voting had fallen by 16 percent because there were 158 fewer polling places in forty counties. https://www.thenation.com/article/will-north-carolina-lead-the-way-to-a-new-south/.

  200. “NCGOP Sees Encouraging Early Voting, Obama/Clinton Coalition Tired, Fail to Resonate in North Carolina,” North Carolina Republican Party, November 6, 2016. This press release said black voting was down and white voting was up, compared to 2012. http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=f3100bc5464cbba2f472ddf2c&id=e4b9a8fb19.

  201. Same as 192: North Carolina State Conference of the NAACP et al. v. Pat McCrory et al. This is the July 29, 2016 ruling by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, No. 16–1468, written by Judge Diana Gribbon Motz, striking down North Carolina’s omnibus anti-voter legislation following the US Supreme Court’s 2013 gutting of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

  202. League of United Latin American Citizens v. Perry 548 US 399 (2006). This is the US District Court ruling cited by the Fourth Circuit opinion over North Carolina’s 2013 anti-voter laws. The US Supreme Court affirmed the District Court’s conclusions. https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/548/399/opinion.html.

  203. Same as 192: North Carolina State Conference of the NAACP et al. v. Pat McCrory et al.

  204. Same as 192: North Carolina State Conference of the NAACP et al. v. Pat McCrory et al. See footnote 7, page 47.

  205. “Don Yelton, GOP Precinct Chair, Delivers Most Baldly Racist Daily Show Interview of All Time,” by Joe Coscarelli, New York magazine, October 24, 2013. This is the article cited in the footnote in the Fourth Circuit’s ruling against North Carolina with Don Yelton’s statement on “lazy blacks” and North Carolina’s 2013 voter ID law. http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2013/10/don-yelton-racist-daily-show-interview.html.

  206. Same as 192: North Carolina State Conference of the NAACP et al. v. Pat McCrory et al. See footnote 7, page 47.

  207. Same as 196: “Donald Trump is wrong. Rigging an election is almost impossible: This is how hard it would be to pull off widespread voter fraud,” by Ari Berman, The Washington Post, August 5, 2016. The report quotes US District Judge James Peterson’s Jury 2016 ruling that threw out Wisconsin’s stricter voter ID law. “A preoccupation with mostly phantom election fraud leads to real incidents of disenfranchisement, which undermine rather than enhance confidence in elections.”

  208. “Texas Agrees to Soften Voter ID Law After Court Order,” by Michael Wines, The New York Times, August 4, 2016. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/04/us/texas-agrees-to-soften-voter-id-law-after-court-order.html?mcubz=2&_r=0.

  209. Same as 199: “Will North Carolina Lead the Way to a New South? Progressives like Reverend Barber and candidates like Deborah Ross are hoping to assemble a multiracial coalition to defeat a conservative backlash,” by Joan Walsh, The Nation, November 7, 2016. This report cites the final 2016 campaign efforts by Democrats.

  210. Same as 93: The Deceit of Voter Fraud, by Bob Hall and Isela Gutierrez, Democracy North Carolina, April 2017. This report goes into great detail how Gov. Pat McCrory’s reelection campaign fabricated voter fraud charges against six hundred people in a failed attempt to overturn the results of his narrow loss in November 2016.

  211. Ruthelle Frank, et al., v. Scott Walker, Case no. 11-CV-01128, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) of Wisconsin, et al., v. Judge David Deininger, et al, Case no. 12-CV-00185, United States District Court Eastern District of Wisconsin, decision issued April 29, 2014. This ruling noted that Wisconsin’s restrictive voter ID law prevented three hundred thousand people from voting. https://www.scribd.com/document/221004483/WiscVoterID-195-Decision.

  Also see: “Texas, Wisconsin Photo ID Wins Could Help Nearly 1 Million Registered Voters,” by the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law, October 10, 2014. http://www.brennancenter.org/press-release/texas-wisconsin-photo-id-wins-could-help-nearly-1-million-registered-voters. But by 2016, Wisconsin had adopted a new voter ID law. See: “Voting Laws Roundup 2016,” by the Brennan Center, April 18, 2016. http://www.brennancenter.org/analysis/voting-laws-roundup-2016.

  212. Same as 13: Shattered: Inside Hillary Clinton’s Doomed Campaign, by Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes, Crown, 2016. http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/247611/shattered-by-jonathan-allen-and-amie-parnes/9780553447088/ See pages 396–98.

  SECTION III: THE RECOUNTS

  CHAPTER 14: WHAT HAPPENED?

  213. Same as 13: Shattered: Inside Hillary Clinton’s Doomed Campaign, by Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes, Crown, 2016. See pages 382–394.

  214. Same as 1: “It’s time to bust the myth: Most Trump voters were not working class,” by Nicholas Carnes and Noam Lupu, Washington Post, June 5, 2017. Excerpt: “Among people who said they voted for Trump in the general election, 35 percent had household incomes under $50,000 per year (the figure was also 35 percent among non-Hispanic whites), almost exactly the percentage in NBC’s March 2016 survey. Trump’s voters weren’t overwhelmingly poor. In the general election, like the primary, about two thirds of Trump supporters came from the better-off half of the economy.”

  215. “Elections: State Progress, Federal Train Wreck; State secretaries bask in smooth Election Day, joust in Washington’s battles,” by Miles Rapoport, The American Prospect, March 2, 2017. Rapoport is the former secretary of state in Connecticut, and president of both Dēmos and Common Cause. “The chaos and conflict at the polls that was feared by many did not materialize … Two issues, however, were too fraught with partisan conflict to achieve any consensus on the part of the assembled secretaries of state: Russian hacking and calculated interference in the election, and the president’s claim of massive voter frau
d.” http://prospect.org/article/elections-state-progress-federal-train-wreck.

  216. “Russian Cyber Hacks on US Electoral System Far Wider Than Previously Known,” by Michael Riley and Jordan Robertson, Bloomberg.com, June 13, 2017. Excerpt: “Russia’s cyberattack on the US electoral system before Donald Trump’s election was far more widespread than has been publicly revealed, including incursions into voter databases and software systems in almost twice as many states as previously reported … In all, the Russian hackers hit systems in a total of 39 states, one of them said.” https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-06-13/russian-breach-of-39-states-threatens-future-u-s-elections.

  217. “Exit Interview: Michigan Elections Director Christopher Thomas: Thomas looking forward to having time to actually think about elections,” ElectionLine Weekly, June 29, 2017, http://www.electionline.org/index.php/2017/2233-electionlineweekly-june-29-2017.

  218. “Donald Trump Warned Of A ‘Rigged’ Election, Was He Right?” by Jonathan D. Simon, MintPress News, January 24, 2017, https://www.mintpressnews.com/donald-trump-warned-of-a-rigged-election-was-he-right/224326/.

  219. Same as 218: “Donald Trump Warned Of A ‘Rigged’ Election, Was He Right?” by Jonathan D. Simon, MintPress News, January 24, 2017.

  220. “Hacking The Diebold Machine,” YouTube.com, August 2, 2007. In 2006, Princeton University’s Ed Felten testified before Congress and demonstrated the hack, saying it was possible to “silently transfer votes from one candidate to another,” and that “launching it requires access to a single voting machine for as little as one minute.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBqGzgxcfAk.