Fraters Libertas

Please Move Along

Rather than living up to their name, the good folks at MoveOn.org appear to be doing all they can to get in the way of the electoral process here in the Twin Cities. I was fortunate enough to have a MoveOn free polling place this morning when I voted, but a number of callers to local talk radio shows were complaining about the activities of MoveOn members at polling places this morning.

At Plastic Hallway, Chumley notes:

I called the Secretary of State's office to see what we can do. I was told they've already received over 400 phone calls regarding complaints over this moveon.org activity. 400. At 10:00 in the morning. Oh boy. Anyway, she informed me to let people know that they should first call their county auditor's office. Then, if they feel that their rights have been violated they should call their local police. The basic fact of law in Minnesota is that these people can not be within 100 feet of a polling place, and they must be off the ground if they are on public property. If you see any organization (on either side) violating this law, call the auditor and call the police!!!

And Scott Johnson from Power Line reports:

I'm writing from the Bush-Cheney '04 command center in downtown Minneapolis, led by BC '04 Minnesota chairman Ben Whitney. The phones are manned by several of the most outstanding conservative attorneys in the state. We are fielding calls from Republican poll watchers around the state. The phones have been ringing hot and heavy since the polls opened at 7:00 a.m.. MoveOn.org is out in force and testing the limits of legal behavior at polling places around the Twin Cities. At least in Minnesota, the BC '04 team has organized a sophisticated defensive operation.

In an e-mail, Scott also told me that at the command center, "the phones did not stop ringing -- almost all with reports of improper MoveOn electioneering or loitering within a hundred feet."

King is also noting some suspicious MoveOn activity in St. Cloud and is promising further updates, including pictures shortly. And Mitch Berg has his own MoveOn story.

As Chumley advised, if you witness such illegal activity at your polling place, please call your county auditor's office. I'd also suggest that if you haven't voted yet, you bring a tape measure along with you to the polls. A long one.