While Hillary Clinton’s cry has been to let everyone vote who wants to vote, Democratic party officials threaten to block certain people from voting — long time GOP voters who might have had a change of heart and wish to vote for Democratic party candidates.

Will Democratic party officials try to suppress voting by people who want to vote for Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama?

Why would a party that always raises the specter of voter intimidation resort to voter intimidation to scare people away from the polls who may have changed their party? Will Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama voters be turned away under some sort of threats — maybe aggressive challenging at the polls?

Reports The Northwest Indiana Times’ Ken Kusmer:

Indiana’s state Democratic chairman says the party will challenge any longtime Republicans who try to use the state’s open primary to create “mischief.”

Chairman Dan Parker said Thursday he’s concerned that some Republicans might use the crossover interest in the presidential race between Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton as an opportunity to target other Democrats lower on the May 6 ballot.

“If there are Republicans sincere in their intent to support our candidates, then we welcome them into our party. If their motives are only to play mischief, we’re not going to sit back and let this happen,” Parker said. …

Parker said he hasn’t instructed local Democratic officials to challenge crossover Republicans in the primary, but he pointed out state election law allows parties to post official challengers at polling sites.

Indiana does not require voters to declare their party allegiances, but the law permits a challenge if “the voter is not affiliated with the party whose ballot the voter is requesting,” according to a 2008 handbook distributed to poll workers by the Indiana Election Division.

Challenged Democratic primary voters might be asked to swear that they voted mostly for Democrats in the last general election or whether they intend to vote mostly for Democrats in this year’s general election, said Brad King, the Republican co-director of the Election Division.

“That’s part of Indiana election law,” King said.

It’s always amazing that the Democrats will complain that voters are intimidated and blocked from voting, but end up usually being the party that challenges and tries to stop people from voting. Let’s hope that the Democratic voter intimidation that happened at Bethel College doesn’t happen again.

Voting is a Constitutional right!

Let no one block any voter from exercising his or her Constitutional right to have a say in selecting their government officials.

Technorati Tags: Democratic Party, Election 2008, Indiana primary, voter intimidation

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