What I'd LOVE to see Big Dem donors doing NOW for the 2018 Midterms (and beyond)...

[Grown2Hate]

What I think we really need, almost more than anything at this point, is money donated and dedicated to helping ANY and ALL voters in states that require voter ID (or anywhere where the threat of that is real, either based on local Republican control or various other factors) to get them transportation, money, and whatever other resources they need to go and get a proper photo ID.

In a lot of cases, especially for the elderly poor who don't already have such, this can be a HUGE imposition on them. It may require that they actually obtain a copy of their birth certificate (when then may be been born in a small county, 70 or 80 years ago, in a now distant state).

This is before getting into the cost (however modest $8.00 may seem to most of us, it's the difference between eating and not eating for some others). We need to build a campaign (and NOW; not six months out from the next election) to support them and get them whatever they need in order to get ID and get properly registered to vote.

Obviously, this wouldn't be just for the elderly, but the poor, working poor, and disenfranchised in general. Get them what they need NOW so that this won't be a concern in upcoming elections. If we can pour millions into recounts (which I wasn't against, BTW; just saying), then we should be doing this for something that will ACTUALLY move the needle going forward. ANYTHING we can do to stop the no-good bastards from preventing people to vote should be done early and often.

We should build an infrastructure that is able to offer this assistance regularly; transportation, child care, or WHATEVER someone needs to clear a hurdle to get their vote out on Election Day.

This isn't going to be a "magic bullet", but nothing is. It just seems to me like this is low-lying fruit; it's something that (as far as I can tell) doesn't require a change in legislation, and doesn't depend on Democratic control of the local government. It just requires effort, will, and a modest amount of money.

This all being said, I'm not much of a community organizer. Thoughts on execution and implementation?

[LisaM]

1. With all the disenfranchisement efforts taking place....

I've thought that rather than playing whack-a-mole chasing these bad actors around, we ought to work on efforts to enfranchise everyone - sort of take the opposite tack.

[Grown2Hate]

2. Are you saying that you agree, or that you have a different tactic in mind?

I feel like that's what I'm talking about, but curious about your take.

[LisaM]

5. I agree, but I think that mass registrations

would go a long way. Didn't Illinois just figure out a way to register an additional 2 million voters? Rather than only trying to restore voting rights, maybe we should also try to make registration automatic.

[Grown2Hate]

7. OK, I'm pickin' up what you're puttin' down. :) I wasn't so much talking about restoring voter

rights to start with anyhow; just helping poor people obtain photo ID and get registered if they couldn't otherwise take care of it without help. Some sort of infrastructure in place so that they could just call their local Democratic headquarters and ask for help.

All great ideas!

[LisaM]

10. It's harder to disenfranchise everyone!

Imagine a world where everyone understands that they have a right to vote, and don't have to jump through hoops and barrels. Imagine the reaction if they show up to exercise their right and find out some nabob has excised them from the rolls.

It's not that I don't think we should try to restore lost rights - I do believe that, fervently. But just think if everyone was automatically enrolled and showed up to vote and found they'd been cut? There would be a big blowback.

[Dems to Win]

3. Excellent idea

Soros and Buffett should use their billions to fund pro bono lawyers and paplegals to help each individual in America get ID and get registered to vote. If that requires getting an unfair conviction overturned, put a young lawyer to work on it with the potential voter. If that requires collecting affidavits to obtain a birth certificate for a person for the first time, put a young lawyer to work on it.

Valid ID can help a person in so many ways beyond voting. Getting a checking account, accessing health care, everything is easier with the proper ID. It would be a real service to people, and build good will.

Those billions should also be used to hire a bunch of pro bono lawyers and paralegals for immigrants. They don't get representation if they can't pay for it. Many have claims that are complicated, for example if a minor offense could be expunged in court then a deportation order could be overturned, but it's pretty hopeless for people without a good lawyer.

There are a lot a recent law school grads that have a hard time finding work. All of them could be hired to help real people with real problems, if only someone with the money would step up.

[Grown2Hate]

4. Thank you. Exactly. You could start small with just helping get people out of their homes

to actually obtain ID, and then work up to legal help to get their rights back. Just looking for a way to get this some attention and action (therein lies the rub, as they say).

[SickOfTheOnePct]

6. Couldn't agree more!

Until we can get the suppression laws overturned, it's vital that we work around them.

[Grown2Hate]

8. Right. Just seems like the obvious place to start. :)

[uponit7771]

9. YES YES YES !!! Without ending voter suppression we'll keep having stolen elections !!!

[Grown2Hate]

11. Thank you for your responses. Any idea on next (first) steps? This is something I'd

love to dedicate some time and energy towards, but I wouldn't have the foggiest idea where to start, how to fund it, or even to whom I should reach out. Any ideas?