Incompetence or intentional mischief

Another big hindrance to voting: This is the first big test of most state-wide voter registration databases. The first problem is there seems to be lots of glitches in setting up these databases, including the kinds of things that go wrong whenever a clerk reads from a hand-written form and enters data into a computer. The second problem is there are reportedly secret deals between states that allow them to purge voters that show up on more than one state's database. Officials are simply deleting voters rather than verifying whether the voter has actually moved. This article didn't mention the third problem -- centralized databases are easier to hack (an not necessarily by a kid wanting to prove he can do it). That raises the question of whether problems are incompetence or intentional.

Since this presidential election is likely to be as close as the previous two voter suppression could make the difference. Michigan news has reported how the GOP plans to use foreclosure lists to challenge voters. There are many other examples around the country. All tactics, such as telling college students they will lose their loans if they register with a campus address, depend on "asymmetrical information" so one way to combat that is to document each type of tactic, list the faulty information, and describe how to counter it. There is a new tool in the battle: A Voter Suppression Wiki. For those who aren't tech savvy, a wiki is a database developed by the general public with the best known example being Wikipedia. Users can contribute the information they have. In this case, a wiki can serve as a clearinghouse of voter suppression scams.

Another example of voter suppression: the Department of Veteran Affairs refusing to allow Veteran Administration facilities to be used for voter registration.