Harry Reid: “Continuing to quote: Arkansas: Poll Watchers Engage in African-American Voter Intimidation On October 23, 2002, five…”

“Continuing to quote: Arkansas: Poll Watchers Engage in African-American Voter Intimidation On October 23, 2002, five Republican poll watchers, including two staff members of Senator Tim Hutchinson's office, were present at the courthouse in Pine Bluff, Arkansas--a heavily Democratic area--for the first day of early voting. They allegedly focused exclusively on African Americans, asking them for identification and taking photographs. They claimed to be ``targeting anybody who does not have an ID to prove who they say they are.'' Trey Ashcroft, chairperson of the Jefferson County Democratic Party and the Jefferson County Election Commission, said the tactics caused some frustrated black voters to not vote. They are trying to intimidate African-American voters into not voting.'' Guy Cecil, a Democrat coordinating national efforts with Arkansas campaigns, said. ``They were literally going up to them and saying, `Before you vote, I want to see your identification.' '' Cecil said that under Arkansas law poll watchers could not confront voters. Local law enforcement officials escorted the poll watchers out, but they later returned.”