Vote Caging Getting More Press

I am getting more an more into the issue of vote caging, particularly since of the press is coming from the area of Florida where I grew up, Jacksonville, Florida.

"Caging" is a longtime voter suppression practice by which political parties collect undeliverable or unreturned mail and use it to develop "challenge lists" on Election Day.

Allegedly, Duval County Republicans set up a caging operation that was not used to challenge voters in teh 2004 election. More details are coming to light in the course of a

U.S. Justice Department continues to consider a June 18 request from two U.S. senators for an investigation into potential illegal voter suppression tactics in Duval County three years ago. A department spokeswoman said last week that the request is still being reviewed.

snip

"Vote caging" has a long history in politics. In one such procedure, a campaign will send out postcards to a particular group of addresses with instructions to return the mail. The campaign then creates a database of addresses that did not return the postcards and challenges the right of anyone registered at those addresses who attempts to vote on Election Day. The effect often dissuades turnout. The tactic is legal, but not if voters are targeted by race.

There have been other charges of caging in other locations as well.