ARCHIVES OF LEAD STORIES

 

 

September 16, 2004

CBC to mobilize voters

Jeffrey McMurray

WASHINGTON (AP) — Black leaders in Congress and state legislatures talked strategy last week in an attempt to rally one of the most solid demographics for Democrats to turn out in November against President Bush.

Elijah E. Cummings, chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, hosted the discussion with lawmakers from both levels of government during the caucus’ annual legislative conference. Cummings, D-Md., has predicted a record turnout among blacks, so the meeting was intended to launch the next step — planning some of the specifics.

The session included numerous references to the 2000 Florida recount, which many black leaders claim disenfranchised thousands of minority voters.

“We’ve got to be very concerned of the election being stolen,” Cummings said. “It’s quite possible this election will not be won on election night. They are very determined that if Bush doesn’t win, they are going to the courts.”

Dozens of state lawmakers, many from the South and others from key battleground states such as Ohio and Michigan, are attending the legislative conference this week.

One Ohio state lawmaker suggested the Congressional Black Caucus send watchers to every polling place in the nation to make sure the rights of voters are protected. Another from Washington state expressed concern Republicans might try to turn the Internal Revenue Service against black church leaders who talk politics from the pulpit.

Georgia Rep. Calvin Smyre, vice president of the National Black Caucus of State Legislatures, said if such practices are occurring, it’s important to get the word out to constituents.

“You’ve got to do things that excite people,” Smyre said. “We don’t want to be asleep at the switch because I think there will be some efforts to suppress voting in the 2004 election.”

U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, said blacks should also be quick to use the legal system as a remedy if they’re unfairly treated on election day. She said voters in her district are pursuing action against new computerized voting machines that don’t produce printed receipts.

“If someone is told we’re denying them a right to vote, they’ll rush to the polls,” she said.

Pat Ford, campaign director for Unity ’04, said the organization is setting up a phone hotline that can handle up to 200,000 calls where disenfranchised voters can complain, and 5,000 attorneys who can provide election night legal advice.

In 90 days, Unity registered 50,000 new voters, and Ford said the South was a key focus even though few Southern states are considered competitive on the presidential level. Some of those districts could be critical to any chance Democrats might have at regaining control of the U.S. House.

Cummings pointed out that although Bush has shown gains in state and national polls since last week’s Republican National Convention, those gains generally aren’t coming from black voters. Blacks continue to support Democrat John Kerry by an eight-to-one margin.

Cummings said he expects to meet with Kerry over the weekend to talk strategy.

“One of the things I’ve asked him to do is to understand he won’t get elected without African-American people,” Cummings said.

 

 

Back to Lead Story Archives

Home Page