Electoral Dysfunction (2012) - full transcript

Keb' Mo': ♪ O BEAUTIFUL

FOR SPACIOUS SKIES,

FOR AMBER WAVES OF GRAIN ♪

♪ FOR PURPLE MOUNTAIN MAJESTIES

ABOVE THE FRUITED PLAIN... ♪

Mo Rocca: IT'S MORNING

IN WASHINGTON D.C., HOME OF

THE GREATEST EXPERIMENT

IN SELF-GOVERNANCE SINCE...

WELL, SINCE EVER.

IT'S A NATION WHERE EVERY



PERSON HAS A VOICE AND EVERY

VOICE IS HEARD.

IT'S ONE NATION, UNDER GOD,

INDIVISI...

WELL, YOU GET THE PICTURE.

Keb' Mo': ♪ FROM SEA

TO SHINING, SHINING SEA. ♪

BUT AMERICA IS AT WAR.

[MORTAR WHOOSHES, GUNS FIRING]

I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT A

SHOOTING WAR LIKE AFGHANISTAN.

[MACHINE GUN FIRING...]

I'M NOT EVEN TALKING

ABOUT THE WAR ON TERROR.



NOPE.

AMERICA IS ENGAGED IN A TOTALLY

DIFFERENT KIND OF WAR-- BEING

FOUGHT RIGHT HERE WITHIN OUR

BORDERS-- OVER ONE

OF DEMOCRACY'S MOST SACRED

ACTS: VOTING.

ON ONE SIDE, FORCES DEVOTED

TO STOPPING WHAT THEY SAY IS

POTENTIALLY MASSIVE

VOTER FRAUD.

TV Reporter: ACORN'S VOTER

REGISTRATION DRIVES ARE UNDER

INVESTIGATION IN SEVERAL STATES.

WE NEED TO KNOW THE FULL

EXTENT OF SENATOR OBAMA'S

RELATIONSHIP WITH ACORN,

WHO IS NOW ON THE VERGE OF MAYBE

PERPETRATING ONE OF THE GREATEST

FRAUDS IN VOTER HISTORY IN THIS

COUNTRY, MAYBE DESTROYING

THE FABRIC OF DEMOCRACY.

ON THE OTHER SIDE, A MOVEMENT

THAT BELIEVES INDIVIDUALS

ARE BEING SYSTEMATICALLY AND

DELIBERATELY DISENFRANCHISED.

Group: THE VOTE! THE VOTE!

PROTECT THE RIGHT TO VOTE!

Bill Clinton: THERE HAS NEVER

BEEN IN MY LIFETIME, SINCE WE

GOT RID OF THE JIM CROW BURDENS

ON VOTING, THE DETERMINED EFFORT

TO LIMIT THE FRANCHISE THAT

WE SEE TODAY.

Rocca: THOSE CAUGHT

IN THE CROSSFIRE?

MILLIONS OF AMERICAN VOTERS

JUST LIKE YOU AND ME.

AND NO, YOUR FLAT FEET ARE NOT

GONNA KEEP YOU OUT OF THIS ONE.

[♪...]

I'M MO ROCCA.

MY JOURNEY BEGAN FOUR YEARS

AGO, WHEN I HEADED TO THE FRONT

LINES OF THIS EPIC

AND ONGOING BATTLE.

I WANTED TO SEE FOR MYSELF HOW

VOTING WORKS IN AMERICA.

...ROCCA THE VOTE!

ROCCA THE VOTE!

...WHAT I FOUND WAS

SOMETIMES SHOCKING...

IT'S JUST A SIMPLE LITTLE

THING-- THEY DON'T WANT TO PUT

THEM BALLOTS THROUGH THAT

MACHINE ON ELECTION DAY.

SOMETIMES ENCOURAGING...

WE WANT THE BALLOTS TO TIP

TO OUR SIDE, OBVIOUSLY,

AS REPUBLICANS... BUT YOU HAVE

TO HAVE DEMOCRATS, TOO.

THEY'RE GONNA BE THERE.

SO I ROOT FOR THE GOOD ONES.

AND ALWAYS SURPRISING.

Man: REDNECKS FOR OBAMA!

Man 2: HELL YEAH, ABSOLUTELY!

THIS IS MY WAR DIARY.

[BRASS BAND PLAYS

"AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL"...]

[PAPER SHREDDING...]

[MUSIC ENDS]

O.K., SO WHO GETS TO VOTE

IN AMERICA?

WELL, YOU'RE ALLOWED TO VOTE

IF YOU'RE BORN HERE.

SIMPLE ENOUGH.

TELL ME WHAT THE TROUBLE IS.

I'M GOING TO HAVE A BABY.

Man: I HEREBY DECLARE

ON OATH...

All: I HEREBY DECLARE

ON OATH...

YOU ALSO GET TO VOTE

IF YOU BECOME A CITIZEN.

SO FAR, SO GOOD.

BUT HISTORY IS CHOCK-FULL

OF STORIES ABOUT EXCLUDED

GROUPS FIGHTING AND DYING TO

GET THE RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES

DUE AMERICAN CITIZENS.

WHICH BEGS THE QUESTION...

...IS VOTING A RIGHT

OR A PRIVILEGE?

A RIGHT.

IS VOTING A RIGHT

OR A PRIVILEGE?

I THINK IT'S, UH... BOTH.

YOU HAVE TO CHOOSE.

I HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN

A RIGHT AND A PRIVILEGE?

YEAH, THAT'S THE WAY THE GAME

IS PLAYED.

OH, I THINK IT'S A RIGHT.

WHAT DOES YOUR FRIEND THINK?

TYLER, DO YOU THINK VOTING

IS A RIGHT OR A PRIVILEGE?

HE THINKS IT'S A RIGHT, TOO.

VOTING IS A PRIVILEGE...

UM... WHICH IS WHAT I TELL

MY STUDENTS.

I THINK IF YOU'RE A CITIZEN,

THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE THE RIGHT

TO VOTE.

ALL RIGHT, THERE SEEMS TO BE

SOME CONFUSION HERE.

SO WHO BETTER TO SORT THIS OUT

FOR ME THAN SOME OF OUR

COUNTRY'S NEWLY MINTED

CITIZENS?

I MEAN, THEY JUST TOOK A TEST

ON THIS STUFF.

LUCKILY WE HAPPENED UPON A

GIANT COPY OF THE CONSTITUTION

AND WENT TO WORK.

...YOU'RE UP IN ARTICLE 1,

IS THERE ANYTHING THERE?

Woman: NOTHING.

THIS IS THE WRONG COPY, I THINK.

NO, THIS IS THE CONSTITUTION.

THIS IS THE CONSTITUTION...

I THINK IT IS THAT.

YEAH... NO, SAM, I THINK

YOU'RE OVER IN CONGRESS

RIGHT HERE.

ANY VOTING THERE?

I DON'T FIND ANYTHING.

Woman: THERE'S A LOT OF

STUFF IN THERE BUT NOTHING

ABOUT VOTING.

I HAVEN'T SEEN IT...

I HAVEN'T SEEN ANYTHING.

YEAH, I COULDN'T FIND

ANYTHING.

...BUT EVEN USING A HIGH-TECH

MAGNIFYING DEVICE,

WE WERE COMING UP EMPTY.

I DECIDED I NEEDED HELP

FROM AN EXPERT.

...I'VE BEEN LOOKING ALL OVER

THE CONSTITUTION FOR THE RIGHT

TO VOTE AND I CAN'T FIND IT.

I'M NOT SURPRISED.

THERE IS NO RIGHT TO VOTE

IN THE CONSTITUTION.

YOU'RE NOT KIDDING ME?

NO, I'M NOT KIDDING YOU.

UM... THE CONSTITUTION AT THE

NATION'S BIRTH MADE NO MENTION

OF VOTING RIGHTS WHATSOEVER.

DID THEY JUST FORGET TO?

NO, THEY DIDN'T FORGET TO.

THEY WERE UNSURE, IN FACT,

WHETHER VOTING WAS A RIGHT

OR A PRIVILEGE.

AND IF IT WAS A RIGHT,

THEY WEREN'T SURE WHO THE RIGHT

ACTUALLY BELONGED TO.

THIS CONSTITUTIONAL SILENCE

ON THE RIGHT TO VOTE PUTS THE

U.S. IN THE COMPANY OF NATIONS

LIKE LIBYA, IRAN AND INDONESIA.

IN TERMS OF THE CONSTITUTION,

WHAT WE HAVE IS A KIND OF RAGTAG

SERIES OF AD-HOC CONSTITUTIONAL

AMENDMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN ADDED

THROUGH POPULAR STRUGGLE TO SAY

YOU CAN'T DISCRIMINATE

ON THE BASIS OF RACE--

THE 15th AMENDMENT--

YOU CAN'T DISCRIMINATE

ON THE BASIS OF SEX--

THE 19th AMENDMENT--

PEOPLE IN THE SEAT OF GOVERNMENT

HAVE THE RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE

IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS--

THE 23rd.

BUT OTHER THAN THESE KIND OF

ANTI-DISCRIMINATION AMENDMENTS,

WE DON'T HAVE THE AFFIRMATIVE

UNIVERSAL RIGHT TO VOTE LIKE

YOU FIND IN THE SOUTH AFRICA

CONSTITUTION, WHICH JUST SIMPLY

SAYS, "EVERYBODY'S GOT A RIGHT

TO VOTE," THAT'S WHAT IT MEANS

TO HAVE A DEMOCRACY, THAT'S WHAT

"WE THE PEOPLE" REALLY MEANS.

JAMIE TOLD ME THAT THE

DRAFTERS OF THE CONSTITUTION

SIDESTEPPED THE CONFLICT BY

LEAVING THE DECISION ABOUT WHO

COULD OR COULD NOT VOTE

UP TO THE STATES.

IT ALL STARTED WHEN 13 COLONIES

DECIDED TO HOOK UP AND MAKE

A GO OF IT.

BUT AS IN ANY RELATIONSHIP,

THEY DIDN'T WANT TO GIVE UP

ALL THEIR INDEPENDENCE.

EACH COLONY WANTED THE POWER

TO MAKE ITS OWN RULES, BECAUSE,

YOU KNOW, THIS NEW COUNTRY

COULD BE SO SMOTHERING

AT TIMES.

EVENTUALLY, THE NEW NATION

DECIDED IT NEEDED TO START

SEEING OTHER STATES--

37 TO BE EXACT.

HEY, DON'T JUDGE--

IT WAS A DIFFERENT TIME.

AND EACH STATE BROUGHT ITS OWN

BAGGAGE, OF COURSE.

CITIES, TOWNS AND COUNTIES,

ALL OF WHICH WANTED THEIR OWN

SAY IN HOW TO CONDUCT

ELECTIONS.

AFTER MORE THAN 200 YEARS,

THIS LOOSEY-GOOSEY UNION HAS

GROWN VERY COMPLICATED.

13,000 SEPARATE ELECTORAL

DISTRICTS: EACH WITH ITS OWN

RULES ABOUT VOTING, BALLOT

DESIGN, POLL-WORKER TRAINING

AND RECOUNTS.

AND MOST OF THE BLAME GOES

TO THAT CONSTITUTION, WHICH

GAVE STATES CONTROL OVER

VOTING AND SET UP... [RUMBLING]

THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE.

[♪...]

...DO YOU KNOW WHERE I CAN FIND

THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE?

NO, I'M FROM TENNESSEE.

GO UP TWO BLOCKS

AND TURN LEFT.

IT'LL BE THE FIRST DOOR

ON YOUR RIGHT.

I NEVER HEARD OF IT.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND

THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE?

THAT'S AN EXCELLENT QUESTION.

I DON'T THINK ANYBODY CAN ANSWER

THAT, CAN THEY?

ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

YOU'RE VERY WELCOME,

HAVE A GOOD ONE.

Keyssar: THE ELECTORAL

COLLEGE WAS CREATED AFTER

A SUMMER THAT THE FOUNDING

FATHERS SPENT SCRATCHING THEIR

HEADS AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT

HOW TO CHOOSE A PRESIDENT.

ONE THOUGHT WAS TO HAVE CONGRESS

CHOOSE THE PRESIDENT.

THEN THEY THOUGHT, "NO, THAT

WOULD MAKE THE PRESIDENT

TOO DEPENDENT ON CONGRESS."

THERE WERE A FEW PEOPLE WHO

SAID, "LET'S HAVE A NATIONAL

ELECTION."

BUT THAT WAS OPPOSED PARTLY

BECAUSE IT WAS FELT THAT PEOPLE

DIDN'T KNOW, WOULDN'T KNOW

THE CANDIDATES.

YOU KNOW, IT'S A RURAL COUNTRY,

SPREAD OUT.

THE OTHER REASON AGAINST

A POPULAR ELECTION WAS THAT IT

WOULD'VE GIVEN LESS POWER

TO THE SOUTH, TO THE

SLAVE-HOLDING SOUTH.

THAT LED TO THE NOTORIOUS

THREE-FIFTHS COMPROMISE,

WHICH COUNTED EACH SLAVE

AS THREE-FIFTHS OF A PERSON.

THIS GAVE THE SOUTHERN STATES

EXTRA REPRESENTATIVES IN

CONGRESS AND EXTRA VOTES

IN THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE,

THEORETICALLY CREATING

A BALANCE BETWEEN NORTH

AND SOUTH.

OF COURSE, NEITHER SIDE

ACTUALLY ALLOWED ENSLAVED

PEOPLE TO VOTE.

SO THOSE TWO OPTIONS, AN

ACTUAL POPULAR VOTE OR CONGRESS

CHOOSING THE PRESIDENT, SEEMED

TO HAVE A LOT OF DISADVANTAGES,

AND THEY CAME UP WITH THIS IDEA,

WHICH WAS NOT SO UNCOMMON

AT THE TIME, OF HAVING AN

INDIRECT ELECTION WHERE YOU

CHOOSE ELECTORS AND THEN

THE ELECTORS... UH...

CHOOSE THE PRESIDENT.

SOUNDS GOOD IN THEORY,

BUT IN PRACTICE, WELL, EVEN

A THIRD-GRADER CAN SEE

THERE ARE PROBLEMS.

...WE'RE GONNA HAVE A LITTLE

ELECTION HERE AND I'M GOING

TO ASK YOU TO CHOOSE BETWEEN TWO

CANDIDATES: COLORED PENCILS

AND MARKERS.

WHO IS VOTING

FOR COLORED PENCILS?

OKAY, 10 VOTES

FOR COLORED PENCILS.

WHO IS VOTING FOR MARKERS?

14 FOR MARKERS.

MARKERS HAVE WON

THE POPULAR VOTE.

[CHILDREN WHOOP AND APPLAUD]

AND NOW WE'RE GONNA HAVE

THE REAL ELECTION.

[CHILDREN GROAN]

NATURALLY, THEY WERE

DISAPPOINTED.

THEY THOUGHT WE'D JUST HAD

THE ELECTION.

BUT NOW IT WAS TIME TO WARP

THESE YOUNG MINDS

BY INTRODUCING THEM

TO THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE.

SO WE BROKE THE CLASS

INTO FIVE TABLES, OR STATES.

THE MAJORITY AT EACH TABLE--

EITHER MARKERS OR COLORED

PENCILS-- WOULD GET THE TABLE'S

ONE ELECTORAL VOTE.

OF COURSE IN REAL LIFE, STATES

HAVE VARYING AMOUNTS

OF ELECTORAL VOTES DEPENDING

ON THE POPULATION.

...TABLE ONE'S ELECTOR,

HOW DO YOU CAST YOUR VOTE?

MARKERS.

TABLE TWO'S ELECTOR,

HOW DO YOU CAST YOUR VOTE?

MARKERS.

TABLE THREE'S ELECTOR?

COLORED PENCILS.

IN THE END, THE WHOLE

ELECTION CAME DOWN

TO ONE STATE.

...TABLE FIVE'S ELECTOR, ANGEL,

COME ON DOWN.

THIS IS IT, GUYS.

THIS WILL DECIDE

THE WHOLE THING.

ELECTOR, HOW DO YOU CAST

YOUR VOTE?

COLORED PENCILS.

[SOME CHILDREN CHEER]

Boy: THAT WAS SO CHEATING!

WHAT'S THAT?

THAT WAS SO CHEATING!

EVERYBODY SHOULD THINK IT'S

UNFAIR BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST

ABOUT THE ELECTORS' VOTES.

IT'S ABOUT EVERYBODY'S VOTES.

AUBREY, YOU ARE A

RABBLE-ROUSER, I MEAN CLEARLY

YOU'RE TRYING TO WHIP THEM UP

INTO A FRENZY.

IT HAS TO BE FAIR FOR

EVERYBODY WHO VOTED FOR MARKERS,

NOT JUST FOR COLORED PENCILS.

IT'S 14 TO 10.

IT SHOULD STAY THAT WAY.

THIS GUY IS A DANGEROUS

REFORMER.

...YOU KNOW IT'S NOT LIKE THIS

HAPPENED IN REAL LIFE.

OH... ACTUALLY, IT DID.

THEY SET UP THIS ELECTORAL

COLLEGE BUSINESS AND SINCE THEN,

NEARLY ONE IN 10 PRESIDENTS TOOK

THE WHITE HOUSE WITHOUT WINNING

THE POPULAR VOTE.

LIKE ME: JOHN QUINCY ADAMS.

I'M RUTHERFORD B. HAYES.

I LOST THE POPULAR VOTE AND

I ALMOST CAUSED A SECOND

CIVIL WAR.

WHOOPS, MY BAD.

BUT, DON'T BLAME ME.

BLAME THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE.

I'M GEORGE W. BUSH AND I LIKE

TO THINK OF MYSELF AS

THE EDUCATION PRESIDENT...

STARTING WITH MY FAVORITE

COLLEGE-- THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE.

HEH-HEH-- THAT'S IN FLORIDA,

RIGHT?

Raskin: THE KEY THING THAT

FRUSTRATES PEOPLE ABOUT THE

ELECTORAL COLLEGE TODAY IS THAT

IT SIDELINES AND MARGINALIZES

TWO-THIRDS TO THREE-QUARTERS

OF THE WHOLE COUNTRY.

MOST OF US LIVE IN RED STATES

OR BLUE STATES.

TAKE OUR FOUR BIGGEST STATES.

THREE OF THEM ARE SAFE STATES.

TEXAS, A RED STATE;

CALIFORNIA, A BLUE STATE;

NEW YORK, A BLUE STATE;

ONLY FLORIDA IS SOMETIMES

A SWING STATE.

THAT MEANS, IN THREE OF OUR FOUR

BIGGEST STATES, THERE'S

NO CAMPAIGNING, THE VOTER

TURNOUT RATE IS LIKE FIVE TO

10 POINTS LOWER THAN IT IS

IN THE SWING STATES,

WHERE ALL THE TV ADS ARE.

WHY SHOULD THE VAST MAJORITY

OF THE PUBLIC HAVE NO REAL ROLE

IN ELECTING THE PRESIDENT?

IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE.

DOES THIS MAKE ANY SENSE?

A CREAKY ELECTORAL COLLEGE.

A CONSTITUTION THAT DOESN'T

GUARANTEE US THE RIGHT TO VOTE.

AND YET EVERY YEAR,

THERE IS AN ELECTION OF SOME

KIND, SOMEWHERE.

IF I WAS GOING TO UNDERSTAND

HOW VOTING REALLY WORKS IN

AMERICA, I'D NEED TO JUMP

INTO THE THICK OF IT--

IN A SWING STATE, OF COURSE,

SINCE THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT

ACTUALLY DECIDE OUR ELECTIONS.

A PLACE WHERE THE PASSION FOR

POLITICS RUNS DEEP, RIGHT SMACK

IN THE MIDDLE OF AMERICA'S

HEARTLAND.

Kate Smith: ♪ BACK HOME AGAIN

IN INDIANA... ♪

THAT'S RIGHT-- INDIANA,

THE HOOSIER STATE,

HOME TO SOME OF THE TOUGHEST

ELECTION LAWS IN THE COUNTRY.

A SWING STATE FOR THE FIRST

TIME IN DECADES AND RECORD

HOLDER FOR THE CLOSEST

CONGRESSIONAL RACE IN U.S.

HISTORY, "THE BLOODY 8th".

[♪...]

IF I WAS LOOKING FOR THE FRONT

LINES IN THE BATTLE OVER

VOTING, I HAD COME

TO THE RIGHT PLACE.

[♪...]

♪ ...LONG FOR MY INDIANA

HOME! ♪

[SONG ENDS]

Man: I HAVE ONE JOB,

ONE JOB ONLY.

MY JOB IS TO TURN OUT EVERY

DEMOCRAT VOTER AND GET 'EM OUT

TO VOTE.

...UH YES, DID YOU CALL DEMOCRAT

HEADQUARTERS IN JENNINGS COUNTY?

...I'VE BEEN DOING THIS

FOR A LONG, LONG TIME.

...WHAT CAN I DO FOR YOU?

...STARTING OFF BACK WHEN I WAS

A TEENAGER.

SEVENTH GENERATION HERE

IN JENNINGS COUNTY.

FAMILY'S BEEN HERE

FOR A LONG TIME.

VERY STRONG DEMOCRATS.

MIKE MARSHALL, A FORMER STATE

REPRESENTATIVE, ISN'T ONLY

ENTHUSIASTIC,

HE'S ALSO EFFECTIVE.

IN 2004, REPUBLICANS WON EVERY

COUNTY OFFICE EXCEPT ONE.

IN 2006, AFTER MIKE STARTED HIS

GET-OUT-THE-VOTE EFFORT,

DEMOCRATS WON EVERY COUNTY

OFFICE EXCEPT ONE.

IMPRESSIVE BRAGGING RIGHTS

FOR A DYED-IN-THE-WOOL

POLITICAL INSIDER.

[FIFE-AND-DRUM BAND PLAYS...]

SO IS THE REPUBLICAN FLOAT

FIRST AND THEN YOU HAVE

THE REPUBLICANS AFTER?

IS THAT RIGHT?

I BELIEVE SO.

O.K., THAT'LL WORK.

THAT'S GOOD...

ACROSS THE AISLE AND DOWN

THE ROAD IN NEIGHBORING RIPLEY

COUNTY LIVES DEE DEE BENKIE.

HEY, LARRY!

DEE DEE ONCE WORKED AT THE

BUSH WHITE HOUSE WITH KARL ROVE

AND WAS RECENTLY ELECTED TO

THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL

COMMITTEE.

I FIRST GOT INVOLVED

IN POLITICS WHEN I WAS

IN HIGH SCHOOL.

I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO BE

ACTIVE, YOU KNOW, NOT SOMEONE

TO SIT ON THE SIDELINES.

SOMEONE TO, UH, TRY TO MAKE

A DIFFERENCE, AND I THINK MOST

PEOPLE INVOLVED IN POLITICS...

THEY WANT TO DO THAT.

[DRUMMING...]

Parade announcer: LADIES

AND GENTLEMEN, A BIG ROUND

OF APPLAUSE FOR THE BIG RED,

WHITE AND BLUE!

Benkie: I ENDED UP WORKING

WITH THE BUSH CAMPAIGN BECAUSE

I WAS IN A LEADERSHIP POSITION

WITH YOUNG REPUBLICANS.

OF COURSE, I WAS A VERY

LOW-LEVEL STAFFER BUT PRESIDENT

BUSH COULDN'T HAVE BEEN NICER.

[DRUMMING...]

AFTER I LEFT THE WHITE HOUSE,

I WANTED TO COME BACK HOME

TO INDIANA, BACK TO MY ROOTS AND

REALLY DO A LOT OF ON-THE-GROUND

POLITICAL WORK.

BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES WHEN

YOU'RE IN WASHINGTON, PEOPLE...

I THINK THEY LOSE TOUCH

WITH, UM, THE REAL WORLD,

AND I JUST WANTED TO GO HOME.

WHILE DEE DEE WORKED THE

CROWD AT THE PARADE, BACK IN

JENNINGS COUNTY, MIKE MARSHALL

FOCUSED ON GETTING OUT

THE VOTE.

I WENT TO HER HOUSE AT 11:00

LAST NIGHT AND I'D BEEN OUT

THERE THREE OTHER DIFFERENT DAYS

BECAUSE WE HAD TO GET HER SIGNED

UP BY THE DEADLINE LAST NIGHT

BY MIDNIGHT.

WE FOUND HER AT HOME AT 11:15;

SHE WAS ASLEEP.

I WOKE HER UP.

WE GOT HER SIGNED UP SO IT

WOULD ARRIVE AT THE ELECTION

OFFICE LAST NIGHT BY FAX BEFORE

THE MIDNIGHT DEADLINE.

[CLAPS]

AND I WAS VERY SATISFIED.

THAT'S A RUSH TO ME.

PART OF MIKE'S EFFECTIVENESS

COMES FROM HIS ABILITY

TO NEGOTIATE INDIANA'S

VOTING STATUTES,

ESPECIALLY SINCE PASSAGE

OF THE STATE'S PHOTO I.D. LAW.

IN THE 2004 ELECTION, INDIANA

WENT VERY REPUBLICAN AND THE

REPUBLICANS HAD CONTROL OF THE

STATE SENATE AND THEY CONTROLLED

THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

IN INDIANAPOLIS AND THEY HAD

A REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR.

AND THEY RAILROADED THIS, UH,

NEW PHOTO I.D. LAW THROUGH.

INDIANA'S PHOTO I.D. LAW,

THE FIRST IN THE NATION,

WAS QUICKLY CHALLENGED AND

EVENTUALLY WOUND UP IN THE U.S.

SUPREME COURT, WHERE IT WAS

RULED CONSTITUTIONAL, EVEN

THOUGH THERE HAD NEVER BEEN AN

INSTANCE OF VOTER IMPERSONATION

IN INDIANA, THE ONLY TYPE OF

VOTER FRAUD THE BILL ADDRESSES.

BUT HEY, YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT

KIND OF CRIMINAL ELEMENT YOU'RE

GONNA FIND AT THE POLLS.

WE WANT TO TELL YOU ABOUT

SOME 80- AND 90-YEAR-OLD NUNS IN

INDIANA AND APPARENTLY THEY HAD

HEARD THE NEW RULES THAT YOU

HAVE TO COME WITH I.D., BUT THEY

SHOWED UP WITH OUTDATED

PASSPORTS AND SUCH AND THEY

THOUGHT THAT THEY COULD STILL

VOTE-- AND YOU KNOW WHAT?

THEY WERE TURNED AWAY.

THEY WERE BARRED FROM VOTING.

THE NUNS WEREN'T ALONE.

ACCORDING TO ONE STUDY,

AN ESTIMATED 13% OF INDIANA'S

REGISTERED VOTERS DON'T HAVE

THE REQUIRED I.D.

THE NUMBERS ARE EVEN HIGHER

AMONG STUDENTS, THE ELDERLY,

AFRICAN-AMERICANS AND LATINOS.

ALL OF THIS CAUSED QUITE

A RUCKUS, SO I SOUGHT OUT

ONE OF THE LAW'S AUTHORS

IN THE INDIANA STATE SENATE.

...DID YOU KNOW HOW

CONTROVERSIAL THE LAW WOULD BE?

HOW MUCH OF A BACKLASH THERE

WOULD BE AGAINST IT?

WELL, I WOULD QUESTION

WHETHER THERE WAS THAT MUCH

OF A BACKLASH AGAINST IT.

WHEN I WENT BACK TO MY DISTRICT

AND TALKED TO MY OWN

CONSTITUENTS, FOR MANY OF THEM

IT SEEMED TO BE A NO-BRAINER.

THEY WERE USED TO SHOWING I.D.

FOR A VARIETY OF COMMON TASKS,

WHETHER IT WAS RENTING A MOVIE

OR, UH... WRITING A CHECK,

SO TO EXTEND THIS TO ENSURE

THE INTEGRITY OF OUR ELECTION

PROCESS FOR THE VAST MAJORITY

OF MY CONSTITUENTS SEEMED LIKE

SOMETHING THAT SHOULD HAVE

BEEN DONE A LONG TIME AGO.

DESPITE THE STATED INTENTIONS

OF THE LAW'S AUTHORS, MANY

CITIZENS-- SOME OF THEM

REGISTERED TO VOTE FOR

DECADES-- SUDDENLY FOUND

THEMSELVES NO LONGER ABLE

TO VOTE.

THEY WANTED TO SEE MY I.D.

AND I SHOWED 'EM MY PICTURE I.D.

AND THEY SAID, "WELL, THAT'S

NOT GOOD BECAUSE IT'S TOO OLD."

SO, UH, I DIDN'T GET TO VOTE.

YOU CAN'T ARGUE WITH 'EM

VERY MUCH.

WHATEVER POLITICS IS IN, THAT'S

THE ONES THAT RUN THE SHOW.

SO-- I MISSED A YEAR. [CHUCKLES]

AND YOU KNOW WHAT?

EVERYBODY IN THAT POLL

KNEW WHO YOU WERE. OH, YEAH.

LIKE YOU NEEDED AN I.D.?

THAT THEY DIDN'T KNOW

WHO YOU WERE?

EVERYBODY KNOWS WHO YOU ARE.

EVEN IN A SMALL TOWN, WHERE

EVERYBODY KNOWS EVERYBODY AND

EVERYBODY'S BUSINESS, NO I.D.

MEANS NO VOTE.

NOT SURPRISINGLY, MORE AND MORE

VOTERS ARE MISSING OUT.

Woman: WE HAVE THE STRICTEST

VOTER I.D. LAW IN THE COUNTRY.

SINCE I'VE BEEN CLERK, WHICH HAS

BEEN SIX YEARS NOW, WE HAVE

TURNED AWAY HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE

WHO HAVE NOT HAD THIS I.D.

THAT THEY NEED.

AND I WILL TELL YOU SOMETHING

ELSE: EVERY SINGLE DAY PEOPLE

WALK UP TO ME AND SAY, "I DON'T

HAVE MY I.D." OR "IT EXPIRED"

OR "MY KIDS TOLD ME I SHOULDN'T

DRIVE ANYMORE" OR "MY PURSE WAS

STOLEN YESTERDAY AND ELECTION

DAY IS TOMORROW.

WHAT CAN I DO?"

THIS IS THE KIND OF THING THAT

TRIPS PEOPLE UP.

IT SHOULD NOT BE SO HARD.

PEOPLE ARE FRUSTRATED.

WE HAVE TERRIBLE VOTING

IN INDIANA.

I KNOW YOU'VE TALKED TO OTHERS

WHO TALK ABOUT HOW WE ARE 48th

OF THE 50 STATES IN PEOPLE

WHO ARE REGISTERED TO VOTE.

IT'S EMBARRASSING.

IT'S SHAMEFUL.

AND PART OF THE REASON, I HEAR

EVERY DAY, "IT'S JUST TOO HARD."

WE'VE DONE EVERYTHING THAT

WE'VE BEEN ASKED TO DO IN TERMS

OF MAKING IT EASIER FOR PEOPLE

TO GET I.D.

THEY CAN GET IT FOR FREE.

WE'VE EXTENDED THE HOURS

AT OUR B.M.V.

WE'VE GIVEN AFFIDAVIT POWER

TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE RELIGIOUS

OBJECTIONS TO HAVING THEIR

PHOTO TAKEN.

WE'VE GIVEN THE RIGHT FOR

THE INDIGENT TO BE WAIVED

FROM GETTING AN I.D.

IT'S, UM, IT'S AN EFFORT, BUT WE

BELIEVE IT'S A MINIMAL AND

REASONABLE EFFORT AND THAT'S

WHAT THE COURTS HAVE FOUND

AS WELL.

WHAT DO YOU SAY TO PEOPLE WHO

SAY, "WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL?

IF YOU DON'T HAVE A DRIVER'S

LICENSE, GO TO THE D.M.V.

AND GET A GOVERNMENT-ISSUED

PHOTO I.D."

WELL, I SAY THAT'S ALL WELL

AND GOOD ON PAPER, BECAUSE THE

STATE DID PASS IN THEIR LAW THAT

IF YOU CANNOT AFFORD A DRIVER'S

LICENSE OR A STATE I.D., YOU CAN

GET ONE FOR FREE, UM,

FOR VOTING PURPOSES.

WHAT THEY DON'T-- WHAT ISN'T

CLEARLY ARTICULATED, THOUGH, IS

THAT IT'S NOT REALLY FREE UNLESS

YOU HAVE A HOST OF DOCUMENTATION

NEEDED TO ACQUIRE THAT.

SAY YOU'RE BORN IN MARION

COUNTY, WHERE INDIANAPOLIS

IS LOCATED.

YOU GO TO THE MARION COUNTY

HEALTH DEPARTMENT,

YOU FILL OUT THIS FORM.

UM, IT'S GOING TO COST YOU

AROUND $12 TO GET YOUR BIRTH

CERTIFICATE.

FOR MOST PEOPLE, $12 IS NOT

A BIG DEAL, BUT WHAT IF IT IS?

THAT'S A FINANCIAL BARRIER.

YOU THEN HAVE TO HAVE THIS FORM

SIGNED BY A NOTARY PUBLIC,

WHICH, AGAIN, IS GOING TO

COST YOU SOMETHING.

YOU GOTTA GO FIND ONE.

YOU GOTTA FIND ONE, YOU GOTTA

PAY FOR A NOTARY PUBLIC, SO,

AGAIN, IS THE I.D. REALLY FREE?

BUT THIS IS KIND OF THE KICKER

HERE: THE NOTARY PUBLIC HAS

TO MARK ONE OF THESE FOUR BOXES,

THAT YOU HAVE BROUGHT IN EITHER

A VALID DRIVER'S LICENSE,

A VALID STATE IDENTIFICATION

CARD, A VALID MILITARY CARD,

OR A VALID PASSPORT.

IF YOU HAD ANY OF THESE

THINGS, YOU WOULDN'T NEED

TO REQUEST YOUR--

YOUR BIRTH CERTIFICATE.

--BIRTH CERTIFICATE.

SO IT'S KIND OF

A CATCH-22? YES.

THE VOTER I.D. LAWS ARE

THE NEW, MODERN-DAY POLL TAX.

THEY'RE NOT PREVENTING FRAUD.

THEY'RE PREVENTING VOTING.

I WOULD MAKE THE I.D.

REQUIREMENT, UM, NO I.D. BECAUSE

WE DON'T NEED IT, BECAUSE

WE DON'T HAVE IMPERSONATION

HAPPENING IN THIS COUNTRY.

RIGHT NOW, WE ACTUALLY HAVE

A FEDERAL LAW THAT REQUIRES WHEN

YOU REGISTER, FOR THE FIRST TIME

THAT YOU VOTE, YOU HAVE

TO PROVIDE SOME KIND

OF IDENTIFICATION, BUT IT'S

MULTIPLE FORMS OF

IDENTIFICATION.

COULD BE YOUR EMPLOYEE I.D.,

IT COULD BE YOUR CREDIT CARD,

IT COULD BE A PAYCHECK, UM,

THAT SHOWS THAT YOU ARE

THE PERSON YOU ARE.

NOW, NO I.D. MAY SOUND

EXTREME, BUT IN FACT, MORE THAN

HALF OUR STATES HAVE NEVER

REQUIRED A PHOTO I.D.

[DOORBELL CHIMES]

I CAUGHT UP WITH DEE DEE AT

HER HOME IN RIPLEY COUNTY,

WHERE SHE AND A GROUP OF HIGH

SCHOOL STUDENTS WERE PREPARING

FOR A SARAH PALIN RALLY.

Benkie: O.K., EVERYBODY.

THIS IS MO ROCCA. HI,

HOW ARE YA? Students: HI!

DEE DEE SUPPORTS

THE PHOTO I.D. LAW.

WHAT ANGERS HER IS AN ITEM

CALLED THE ABSENTEE BALLOT,

A TOOL MIKE MARSHALL DEPENDS

ON, AND ONE THAT REQUIRES

NO PHOTO I.D. AT ALL.

YOU HAVE TO SHOW

YOUR PHOTO I.D. TO VOTE.

WELL, YOU SHOULD.

YOU HAVE TO SHOW YOUR PHOTO I.D.

TO BLOCKBUSTER, YOU KNOW?

I MEAN, O.K.

I MEAN, HOW MANY TIMES DO WE

HAVE TO WHIP OUT THE I.D.?

JUST ABOUT, YOU KNOW, FOR

EVERYTHING, SO THAT'S GOOD, BUT

FOR ABSENTEE BALLOTS THERE'S,

THERE'S SOME WIGGLE ROOM.

THAT'S NOT GOOD.

I THINK IT SHOULD BE

THE SAME LEVEL.

Rocca: SO IT CONCERNS YOU.

IT CONCERNS ME GREATLY.

I THINK IT IS A LONG-TERM

PROBLEM.

I THINK THAT WE NEED TO CHANGE

THE LAW AND MAKE IT JUST AS--

I DON'T WANT TO SAY HARD-- BUT

TO ENSURE THAT WHEN PEOPLE VOTE,

IT IS ACCURATE.

THERE'S JUST SOME FISHY THINGS

GOING ON EVEN... IN THE AREA.

WITH ABSENTEE BALLOTS?

YEAH.

BECAUSE WHEN YOU HAVE SO MANY

ABSENTEE BALLOTS THAT ARE BEING

CAST IN BIG STACKS, PEOPLE ARE

BRINGING THEM IN BIG STACKS...

UH, I DON'T KNOW.

I MEAN, IT AT LEAST GIVES

YOU PAUSE.

DEE DEE WAS CERTAINLY

PASSIONATE ABOUT THE ABSENTEE

BALLOT ISSUE, BUT I WONDERED

IF THE AVERAGE HOOSIER WAS

AS WORRIED AS SHE WAS.

...ARE YOU CONCERNED

ABOUT VOTER FRAUD?

UH... YES.

WHAT KIND?

UH... DEMOCRATS.

SIGNING THESE PEOPLE UP TO

VOTE WHEN THEY AIN'T SUPPOSED

TO VOTE, 73 TIMES FOR ONE GUY.

THAT'S A CROCK OF BULL.

YOU KNOW, THEY'RE SAYING,

PEOPLE, UH... MICKEY MOUSE

IS REGISTERED TO VOTE.

SO, YOU KNOW...

ARE YOU CONCERNED THAT MICKEY

MOUSE WOULD THEN SHOW UP

AT THE POLLS, OR...?

NO, BUT IF SOMEONE HAS AN

ABSENTEE AND... I DON'T KNOW,

IT COULD POSSIBLY HAPPEN.

I COULD SEE THAT IT COULD.

A LOT OF PEOPLE I TALKED

TO IN INDIANA ARE TERRIFIED.

THEY'VE HEARD THAT VOTER FRAUD

IS EVERYWHERE AND THAT THEIR

VOTES MAY NOT END UP COUNTING

AT ALL.

WELL, THAT'S A REAL SHAME

BECAUSE, UM, MOST PEOPLE DON'T

REALIZE THIS, BUT VOTER FRAUD

AND, BY WHICH I MEAN INELIGIBLE

PEOPLE SHOWING UP AT THE POLLS

AND VOTING, IMPERSONATING

ANOTHER VOTER, IS ACTUALLY

EXTRAORDINARILY RARE.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT ALMOST

NEVER HAPPENS, UM... IT IS...

AMERICANS ARE MORE LIKELY TO

BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING THAN THEY

ARE TO COMMIT VOTER FRAUD.

IT IS A SERIOUS CRIMINAL PENALTY

TO COMMIT THIS KIND

OF VOTER FRAUD.

IT CARRIES $10,000 IN FINES

AND FIVE YEARS IN PRISON AND

IT'S REASONABLY EASY TO GET

CAUGHT, AND BY CONTRAST, ALL YOU

GAIN IS ONE MARGINAL VOTE.

YOU CAN'T SWING AN ELECTION THAT

WAY AND YOU RISK A WHOLE LOT.

SO, UM, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR

FIRST RECOMMENDATION?

WELL, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE

A NUMBER OF PROBLEMS

WITH THE VOTING SYSTEM.

THE MOST SIGNIFICANT ONE IS

THE VOTER REGISTRATION SYSTEM.

THIS IS THE NUMBER-ONE CAUSE

OF VOTER DISENFRANCHISEMENT AND

IT'S THE NUMBER-ONE SOURCE

OF PRE-ELECTION DISPUTES

WITH POLITICAL PARTIES,

THE NUMBER-ONE AREA WHERE YOU

CAN REALLY MANIPULATE WHO GETS

TO VOTE AND TRY TO KNOCK OFF

THE OTHER SIDE'S VOTERS.

[♪...]

BACK IN INDIANA, DEE DEE AND

MIKE WERE HUSTLING TO GET ANY

UNREGISTERED FOLKS ONTO THE

VOTER ROLLS BEFORE THE STATE'S

DEADLINE, WHICH COMES 29 DAYS

BEFORE THE ELECTION.

RIGHT NEXT DOOR IN OHIO,

CITIZENS CAN REGISTER AND VOTE

ON THE SAME DAY-- A PERFECT

EXAMPLE OF THE EXTREME

INCONSISTENCY AMONG AMERICA'S

13,000 VOTING DISTRICTS.

O.K., WELL,

HERE ARE ABSENTEES.

O.K., AND THEY ARE A PART OF

THIS LITERATURE AND YOU DON'T

HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT IF YOU

DON'T WANT TO-- I MEAN,

IT'S GOOD THOUGH. [CHUCKLES]

TWO HERE, ONE THERE,

ANOTHER HERE.

YOU NEED TO REGISTER TO VOTE,

IS THAT RIGHT?

YES. ALL RIGHT!

COME GET REGISTERED!

Man passing on motorcycle:

OBAMA! OBAMA! WHOO!

HOW YOU DOING, MAN?

FOR MIKE AND THE DEMOCRATS,

GETTING OUT THE

AFRICAN-AMERICAN VOTE IS

AN IMPORTANT STRATEGY.

WE'RE GONNA GET HIM IN,

AREN'T WE?

I HEARD THAT.

WE'RE GONNA WIN INDIANA

FOR HIM, AREN'T WE? YEP!

ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU CONSIDER

THAT A DEMOCRAT HASN'T WON THE

STATE IN A PRESIDENTIAL

ELECTION SINCE L.B.J. IN 1964.

YOU NEED TO REGISTER?

[MIKE AND WOMAN LAUGH]

WE NEED YOUR VOTE FOR OBAMA.

[DOG BARKING]

YOU'RE A SWEET LITTLE PUPPY.

WHOO! THAT'S TAKES A LOT OF--

[♪...]

[SCRAPING BOOTS ON CONCRETE]

ARE YOU REGISTERED TO VOTE,

GIRL? NO.

CAN WE SIGN YOU UP

SO YOU CAN VOTE THIS YEAR?

I THOUGHT CONVICTED FELONS

COULDN'T VOTE.

[TIRES SCREECH]

O.K., HOLD THE PHONE!

PEOPLE WHO HAVE SERVED THEIR

TIME FOR A FELONY CAN'T VOTE?

NO, IN INDIANA YOU CAN.

OH, I CAN?

THE REPUBLICANS TELL

EVERYBODY IF THEY HAVE A FELONY,

THEY CAN'T VOTE, JUST 'CAUSE

THEY DON'T WANT YOU TO,

BUT IN INDIANA YOU CAN.

HERE'S ANOTHER EXAMPLE

OF WHAT MAKES ELECTION LAWS

SO CONFUSING.

IN INDIANA, FORMER FELONS ARE

ALLOWED TO VOTE, BUT DOWN IN

MISSISSIPPI, PEOPLE CONVICTED

OF CERTAIN FELONIES LOSE ALL

VOTING RIGHTS FOR LIFE...

[PRISON DOOR SLAMS]

UNLESS-- AND GET THIS-- THE

GOVERNOR PARDONS THEM OR

THE LEGISLATURE PASSES A

PERSONALIZED BILL RESTORING

THEIR VOTING RIGHTS.

A CANTON MAN CONVICTED

OF VOTER FRAUD IS GIVEN

THE MAXIMUM SENTENCE.

TERRANCE WATTS WILL SERVE

10 YEARS IN PRISON FOR VOTING

ILLEGALLY TWICE.

AFTER SERVING TIME FOR A

FELONY, WATTS-- WHO WAS STILL

ON THE REGISTRATION ROLLS--

BROKE THE LAW BY MERELY VOTING

IN TWO SEPARATE ELECTIONS.

HE'S SCHEDULED FOR RELEASE

IN 2020.

IT'S OUTRAGEOUS.

HERE IT IS, SOMEONE WHO HAS DONE

THEIR TIME, PAID THEIR DEBT

TO SOCIETY.

THEY COME OUT, THEY'RE GETTING

THEIR LIFE TOGETHER AND THEY

ACTUALLY WANT TO PARTICIPATE

IN DEMOCRACY AND THEN THEY FIND

THEMSELVES IN THIS POSITION

PROBABLY BECAUSE THEY GOT

MISINFORMATION ABOUT VOTING AND

THEN GET A 10-YEAR SENTENCE?

IT'S RIDICULOUS.

BUT WE HAVE THESE ARCHAIC LAWS

ON THE ROLLS, WHICH ACTUALLY...

LIKE VIRGINIA AND FLORIDA,

FOR EXAMPLE--

FLORIDA HAS ABOUT 900,000 PEOPLE

WITH FELONY CONVICTIONS

WHO CANNOT VOTE.

WE REALLY NEED TO BE IN A PLACE

WHERE YOU'VE DONE YOUR TIME,

YOU JUST GET YOUR RIGHTS BACK.

Marshall: GET SEVEN BUTTONS,

AND UH... HOW MANY YARD SIGNS

DO YOU GUYS WANT?

24 HOURS BEFORE THE

REGISTRATION DEADLINE AND BOTH

PARTIES ARE STILL AT IT.

ALL THE LEGWORK AND LONG HOURS

SEEM TO BE PAYING OFF: MORE

THAN 740,000 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN

ADDED TO INDIANA'S VOTER ROLLS.

BUT IS THIS PIECEMEAL APPROACH,

REGISTERING ONE NEW VOTER AT

A TIME, REALLY THE BEST WAY?

WE ARE ONE OF THE FEW

INDUSTRIALIZED DEMOCRACIES RIGHT

NOW THAT DOESN'T HAVE A SYSTEM

OF UNIVERSAL VOTER REGISTRATION,

WHERE THE GOVERNMENT

AUTOMATICALLY AND PERMANENTLY

ENSURES THAT EACH ELIGIBLE VOTER

IS ON THE ROLLS.

THERE ARE 50 MILLION AMERICANS

WHO ARE ELIGIBLE VOTERS WHO ARE

NOT ON THE VOTER ROLLS.

WE HAVE NOW A REAL OPPORTUNITY

TO MODERNIZE THE SYSTEM AND

REFORM IT AND TO ACTUALLY

AUTOMATICALLY AND PERMANENTLY

ENSURE THAT ALL ELIGIBLE

CITIZENS ARE ON THE VOTER ROLLS.

VIRTUALLY ALL AMERICANS HAVE

THEIR INFORMATION IN OTHER

GOVERNMENT LISTS: IN DRIVER'S

LICENSE LISTS, IN PUBLIC

ASSISTANCE AGENCY LISTS, IN TAX

LISTS, IN SCHOOL LISTS AND MOST

OF THOSE LISTS HAVE BEEN VERY

WELL VETTED AND VOTERS HAVE

PROVIDED A LOT OF INFORMATION TO

THOSE OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCIES.

SO THIS IS A VERY SECURE-- MUCH

MORE SECURE THAN OUR CURRENT

SYSTEM-- AND VERY ACCURATE WAY

OF GETTING MANY, MANY MORE

ELIGIBLE VOTERS ON THE ROLLS.

BUT WHILE PEOPLE LIKE WENDY

ARE ADVOCATING FOR GETTING MORE

VOTERS ON THE ROLLS,

OTHERS ARGUE FOR BEING

MORE SELECTIVE.

I'VE SAID, AND CRITICIZED

HEAVILY BECAUSE I SAID THIS,

BUT I BELIEVE THAT THERE SHOULD

BE A CIVICS TEST.

NOW, I KNOW WE CAN'T, I KNOW

THE, UH, VOTER ACT OF '65

CHANGED A LOT OF THINGS,

BUT I DON'T KNOW WHY WE DON'T

EXPECT A CITIZEN OF THIS

COUNTRY, BORN HERE, TO AT LEAST

BE AS INFORMED ABOUT THE

GOVERNMENT THAT HE OR SHE LIVES

UNDER AS WE EXPECT FROM AN

IMMIGRANT WHO COMES HERE,

AND HAS TO TAKE A TEST

IN ORDER TO BECOME A CITIZEN.

AND BELIEVE ME, LOTS OF BROWN

PEOPLE, LOTS OF BLACK PEOPLE,

LOTS OF MINORITIES PASS

THAT TEST. RIGHT.

...TOM TANCREDO'S TEST ISN'T

SO FAR-FETCHED.

UNTIL 1965, DOZENS OF STATES

REQUIRED CERTAIN VOTERS TO PASS

ONE TEST OR ANOTHER.

SO HISTORICALLY, WHO'S HAD THE

RIGHT TO VOTE AND WHO HASN'T?

WELL, WHITE GUYS WROTE THE

RULES, SO INITIALLY THEY WERE

THE ONLY ONES WHO GOT

THE PRIVILEGE.

HEY-HO...!

RICH, LAND-OWNING WHITE GUYS.

OH, MAN!

AFTER A WHILE THEY LET THE

POOR WHITE GUYS VOTE.

YEE-HAW!

AND ODDLY, BLACK GUYS

IN A FEW STATES.

THREE-FIFTHS OF MY BEST

FRIENDS ARE BLACK!

THAT ENDED PRETTY QUICKLY.

EVENTUALLY THE IRISH WERE

ALLOWED TO VOTE, AS WERE SOME

NON-CITIZENS, BUT ONLY IF THEY

WERE WHITE AND AS LONG AS THEY

COULD PAY THE POLL TAX.

A FEW WOMEN COULD VOTE FOR A

LITTLE WHILE UNTIL THEY

STOPPED THAT.

AND BLACK PEOPLE AGAIN ALSO FOR

A LITTLE WHILE UNTIL THEY

STOPPED THAT AGAIN.

WOMEN FINALLY GOT THE RIGHT TO

VOTE IN 1920, BUT THERE WERE

MAJOR ROADBLOCKS FOR AFRICAN

AMERICANS, LIKE LITERACY TESTS.

THE KIND WITH QUESTIONS LIKE,

"HOW MANY BUBBLES ARE IN A

BAR OF SOAP?"

I'M NOT KIDDING.

THAT PLAN WAS SO SUCCESSFUL

THAT ONLY 5% OF MISSISSIPPI'S

ELIGIBLE BLACK VOTERS HAD

MANAGED TO REGISTER AS OF 1960.

FINALLY, IN 1965, L.B.J.

SIGNED THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT--

WIPING OUT LITERACY TESTS.

IT WASN'T UNTIL 1971,

THANKS TO VIETNAM AND THE

DRAFT, THAT WE DECIDED TO LET

18-YEAR-OLDS VOTE.

AND THEN THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO

LIVE IN D.C. WHO DON'T HAVE

FULL VOTING RIGHTS OR

EVEN A SENATOR.

THEY HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE IN

THE HOUSE, EXCEPT SHE DOESN'T

GET TO VOTE.

AND THAT'S WHO GETS TO

VOTE IN AMERICA.

[♪...]

NO MATTER HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE

REGISTERED, THOUGH, NOT ALL

VOTERS ARE CREATED EQUAL.

I SET OUT TO MEET THOSE

EXCLUSIVE FEW WHO ACTUALLY GET

TO CAST THEIR VOTE FOR

PRESIDENT: THE PRESIDENTIAL

ELECTORS.

...WELL, THIS IS IT.

I'VE ARRIVED IN INDIANAPOLIS

AND I'M GOING TO GO MEET MY

FIRST ELECTOR.

...MEET BEN LEATHERBURY--

A FRESHMAN AT THE UNIVERSITY OF

INDIANA AND A DEMOCRATIC

ELECTOR FROM DEE DEE AND MIKE'S

CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT.

BEN'S FATHER WAS AN ELECTOR FOR

JOHN KERRY IN 2004.

THIS TIME AROUND HE'S HANDED

THE JOB OFF TO BEN, AGE 19.

...IT KIND OF KICKS ASS THAT

YOU'RE AN ELECTOR AND YOU'RE 19.

YEAH, I LIKE IT.

I MEAN, I GET TO GO TO THE STATE

CAPITOL AND CAST A HISTORIC VOTE

FOR BARACK OBAMA AND HOPEFULLY

HE'LL BE THE FIRST AFRICAN

AMERICAN PRESIDENT, SO...

AND IT'S AN HONOR FOR ME.

WHAT IF BETWEEN NOVEMBER 4th

AND DECEMBER 15th, BARACK OBAMA

DOES SOMETHING THAT REALLY TICKS

YOU OFF, LIKE SOMETHING CRAZY,

LIKE HE STEALS SOMEONE'S CAR...

O.K.

JUST FOR ARGUMENT'S SAKE?

I COULD VOTE FOR JOHN McCAIN

AND THEN THEY GET MY ELECTORAL

VOTE, BUT IN SOME STATES--

I DON'T KNOW ABOUT INDIANA--

YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO SIGN AN OATH

AND SAYING THAT YOU WOULD VOTE

FOR THE PERSON YOU DO,

BUT THERE'S NO LAW AGAINST IT,

SO... YOU MIGHT HAVE TO PAY,

LIKE, A PENALTY.

I'M NOT SURE HOW THAT WORKS.

SO, UM...

WHAT QUALIFICATIONS DOES

SOMEBODY HAVE TO HAVE TO BECOME

AN ELECTOR?

THERE'S NOT REALLY ANY

QUALIFICATIONS, IT'S MORE OF

WHAT YOU CAN'T DO.

YOU CAN'T REBEL AGAINST THE

GOVERNMENT.

IF YOU'VE DONE THAT BEFORE,

THAT'S, THEY DON'T WANT YOU TO

BECOME AN ELECTOR--

HAVE YOU DONE THAT?

NO, I HAVEN'T.

HAVE YOU COME CLOSE?

NOT TOO CLOSE.

AND THEN, UM, ANOTHER THING IS

THEY DON'T WANT YOU TO HAVE

A HIGH OFFICE IN STATE POLITICS,

I THINK THAT'S ABOUT IT.

SO, I HOPE YOU LEARNED A LITTLE

BIT MORE ABOUT THE

ELECTORAL COLLEGE.

I THINK I DID AND THIS

COLLEGE IS NOT TOO BAD EITHER.

YEAH, IT'S ALL RIGHT.

WELL, TAKE CARE.

ALL RIGHT, SEE YA LATER.

[DOORBELL DINGS]

HELLO.

HI, UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT A

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTOR LIVES HERE.

UH, THAT'S ME.

I'M DAVID BUSKILL.

OH, GREAT, I'M MO ROCCA.

HI, NICE TO MEET YOU!

BEN'S REPUBLICAN COUNTERPART,

DAVID BUSKILL, ALSO GREW UP

AROUND POLITICS.

HE'S STAYED INVOLVED AS A

CONGRESSIONAL STAFFER,

AMONG OTHER POSITIONS.

I GUESS MY FIRST QUESTION IS,

WHAT'S IT LIKE TO BE A

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTOR?

IT'S PRETTY-- I MEAN,

IT'S SOMETHING THAT I'VE ALWAYS

ACTUALLY WANTED TO DO WHEN I

LEARNED ABOUT WHAT AN

ELECTOR WAS.

I WAS PROBABLY 9, 10.

I GUESS THAT'S AROUND 6th GRADE,

AND UH, HOW I BECAME AN ELECTOR,

I JUST KIND OF ASKED ABOUT IT.

SO, ALL YOU HAD TO DO WAS

ASK? THAT'S BASICALLY HOW

I BECAME-- I KNOW IT MAY BE A

DIFFERENT PROCESS FOR EVERYBODY

ELSE, BUT I JUST ASKED.

DO YOU FEEL A LITTLE BIT

CLOSER TO THE SEAT OF POWER

HAVING SIRED SOMEBODY WHO

ACTUALLY GETS TO VOTE

FOR PRESIDENT?

IT'S BEEN EXCITING BEING--

WELL, DAVID AND BEN WERE

READY, WILLING AND ABLE TO CAST

THEIR ALL-IMPORTANT VOTES.

BUT BEFORE THE ELECTORS REPORT

FOR DUTY, YOU AND I HAVE TO

CAST OUR BALLOTS.

IT'S A COMPLICATED PROCESS.

DIRECTING THE OPERATION IN

RIPLEY COUNTY IS REPUBLICAN

GINGER BRADFORD.

LIKE ALL COUNTY CLERKS IN

INDIANA, SHE RUNS THE SHOW.

HOW DO YOU DO?

I'M FINE, THANK YOU.

YOU'RE THE WOMAN WHO MAKES IT

ALL HAPPEN HERE.

I TRY, YES.

WHAT IS SHE DOING?

SHE'S DOING ABSENTEE VOTING.

THIS WONDERFUL LADY,

ROSALIND McKITTRICK, HAS VOTED

AND NOW SHE'S BRINGING HER

BALLOT BACK IN HERE AND

SHE'S PROCESSING IT.

NOW, WAIT A MINUTE, DID SHE

SHOW AN I.D.?

YES, SHE DID.

SHE SHOWED HER I.D.

WHEN SHE CAME IN.

IN CASE YOU'RE WONDERING,

ABSENTEE VOTERS DO HAVE TO SHOW

I.D. IF THEY TURN IN THEIR

BALLOT IN PERSON.

IF THEY MAIL IT IN,

THEN THEY DON'T.

YEAH, I KNOW IT DOESN'T

MAKE SENSE.

NOW WHEN SHE GETS DONE HERE,

THEY'LL PUT THIS IN.

WE HAVE A BLACK BOX SITTING OVER

HERE AND IT WILL GO IN THIS

BLACK BOX.

AND THIS BOX IS UNDER LOCK

AND KEY-- SEE?

OH, I WANTED TO PUT IT IN.

[LAUGHS] NO, YOU

CAN'T TOUCH IT.

SHE WAS APPOINTED BY THE COUNTY

CHAIRMAN FOR THE DEMOCRATS AND

THIS WOMAN WAS APPOINTED BY THE

COUNTY CHAIRMAN OF THE

REPUBLICAN PARTY.

Rocca: SHE'S A DEMOCRAT.

IF IT TURNED OUT THAT YOU KNEW

THAT ALL OF THESE PEOPLE WERE

REPUBLICANS AND YOU GO DOWN TO

THE POST OFFICE TOGETHER AND SHE

SAYS, "WAIT A MINUTE, I GOTTA GO

USE THE LADIES' ROOM."

YOU COULD JUST GO [WHOOSH]

AND PUT THEM IN THE TRASH CAN.

OH NO, I'D GET PUT IN JAIL.

WHAT'S THAT?

SHE'D BE PUT IN JAIL.

OH, YOU'D BE PUT IN JAIL.

NO, THAT'S WHY WE GO

TOGETHER.

SO YOU STAY TOGETHER.

SO IT KEEPS YOU, IT'S LIKE A

BUDDY SYSTEM BUT IT'S ALSO,

LIKE, TO KEEP EACH OTHER HONEST.

...I DOUBTED THAT ANY OF THESE

NICE WOMEN HAD EVER EVEN STOLEN

A RECIPE, BUT I WAS IMPRESSED

WITH THEIR SECURITY.

NOW, WE'VE GOT A DEMOCRAT

LOCK ON ONE SIDE AND A

REPUBLICAN LOCK ON THE

OTHER SIDE.

THE WHOLE PROCESS IS

PRETTY COMPLEX.

AND THIS IS JUST ONE SMALL

OFFICE IN ONE SMALL COUNTY.

MULTIPLY IT BY 13,000 SIMILAR

OPERATIONS AND YOU HAVE AN IDEA

OF THE MASSIVE EFFORT IT TAKES

TO CAST AND COUNT BALLOTS

ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.

LATER THAT DAY, I HEADED OVER

TO THE COURTHOUSE WHERE GINGER

WAS GIVING A TRAINING CLASS FOR

POLL WORKERS.

WE'RE GOING TO SHOW YOU HOW

TO HANDLE AN IRATE VOTER WHO

WANTS TO VOTE WHO DOESN'T HAVE

THE RIGHT CREDENTIALS.

CAN I HAVE A VOLUNTEER?

OH GEE, MO, YOU WOULD BE GREAT.

[LAUGHTER]

NOW, MO, YOU'RE GONNA COME DOWN

HERE AND YOU'RE GONNA TRY

AND VOTE.

HI, I'M HERE TO VOTE.

ALL RIGHT, I NEED TO SEE YOUR

DRIVER'S LICENSE.

OH, UH... OH, NO, I DON'T

HAVE IT, NO.

WE NEED A DRIVER'S LICENSE.

OH, I'VE VOTED HERE

12 TIMES BEFORE.

WE STILL NEED THAT

DRIVER'S LICENSE.

I VOTED, UM, IN 1948 HERE

FOR PRESIDENT.

I STILL NEED THAT

DRIVER'S LICENSE.

UH, WELL, ALL RIGHT, LET ME,

UH, OH, WELL, HERE'S A

CREDIT CARD.

NO.

IT'S NOT WORKING.

O.K., WELL, THEN I'LL SHOW

YOU MY, UH, SOCIAL SECURITY

CARD.

NO, IT NEEDS TO HAVE A

PICTURE ON IT.

WELL, I MEAN, YOU KNOW THAT

I'M ME.

I MEAN, COME ON, DON'T YOU

REMEMBER?

SADIE HAWKINS DANCE,

YOU ASKED ME!

NO, I DON'T.

WELL, THIS IS PREPOSTEROUS.

I MEAN, WHAT ABOUT MY, I HAVE A

RIGHT TO VOTE.

IF YOU DON'T HAVE THAT

DRIVER'S LICENSE, I CAN GIVE YOU

A FORM AND YOU CAN GO TO THE

LICENSE BRANCH AND YOU CAN GET

A B.M.V. FREE I.D.

WELL, I MEAN, SO I HAVE TO

DRIVE DOWN THERE? YEAH.

BUT I'VE BEEN DRINKING!

[LAUGHTER]

SORRY.

WHAT ABOUT THIS? NO.

[LAUGHTER]

SORRY, BUT NICE PICTURE.

WOULD YOU LET ME VOTE IF I

SHOWED YOU THIS?

NO.

SEE?

IN THERE IT SAYS MO IS MY FIRST

NAME AND ROCCA.

Woman: O.K.

SO NOW CAN I VOTE?

I DON'T THINK SO.

I'D HAVE TO TALK TO THE

INSPECTOR AND LET HER MAKE

THAT DECISION.

SO THE INSPECTOR WOULD

BE HERE. RIGHT HERE.

OH, YOU'RE THE INSPECTOR,

WHAT DO YOU SAY?

NO. WHY?

I'M SORRY.

YOU DON'T LIKE THE PICTURE?

NO, IT'S A GREAT PICTURE,

BUT WE HAVE TO FOLLOW OUR RULES.

WELL, AT LEAST THEY SEEMED

APPRECIATIVE OF MY AMTRAK

MAGAZINE PHOTO SPREAD.

BUT LET'S SAY I DID HAVE MY

PICTURE I.D. WITH ME,

ALL SYSTEMS GO?

Woman: SIR, YOU ARE NOT ON

OUR RECORDS.

I'M SORRY, BUT THE ONLY WAY THAT

YOU CAN VOTE IS IF YOU VOTE A

PROVISIONAL BALLOT AND I MUST

TELL YOU THAT IF YOU DO, IT MAY

NOT BE COUNTED.

AY YI YI.

BECAUSE MY ELIGIBILITY HAD BEEN

QUESTIONED, I WAS ONLY ABLE TO

VOTE WITH A PROVISIONAL BALLOT,

BUT HERE'S THE CATCH:

NO PROVISIONAL BALLOTS ARE

RECORDED ON ELECTION DAY;

MANY ARE NEVER RECORDED AT ALL.

♪ WHEN I DREAM ABOUT

THE MOONLIGHT ON THE WABASH ♪

♪ THEN I LONG FOR

MY INDIANA HOME. ♪

SIR, THIS IS A PIECE OF PAPER

FOR DOCUMENTATION TO GET TO THE

COURTHOUSE BY 6 P.M. TODAY.

AM I BEING ARRESTED?

NO, THIS IS AN ORDER FOR YOUR

BALLOT TO BE COUNTED, IF THEY

DECIDE TO COUNT IT, AND

HERE'S YOUR DRIVER'S LICENSE,

AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE.

Ginger: EXCUSE ME, SIR?

YES? HAVE YOU BEEN

DRINKING? I, UH--

I'M SORRY BUT YOU CANNOT

ENTER OUR POLLS DRINKING.

YOU ARE UNDER ARREST.

IS THAT RIGHT? IS THAT TRUE?

THAT THAT WOULD HAPPEN?

YES, IT WOULD.

[APPLAUSE]

DESPITE THE FACT THAT GINGER

IS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL WITH

PARTY AFFILIATION, IT'S HARD TO

IMAGINE PARTISAN POLITICS

INFLUENCING AN ELECTION

IN HER COUNTY.

BUT AS A STATE, INDIANA CAN LAY

CLAIM TO ONE OF HISTORY'S MOST

BITTERLY CONTESTED

CONGRESSIONAL RACES,

IN A DISTRICT KNOWN

AS "THE BLOODY 8th."

YOU ARE A MEMBER OF THE

CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES.

[APPLAUSE, CHEERING]

A 1984 RACE IN THE BLOODY 8th

WAS SO CLOSE, CONGRESS STEPPED

IN TO DECIDE IT-- A CONGRESS

CONTROLLED BY DEMOCRATS.

I WON-- I CAN LOOK

ANYBODY IN THE EYE AND

SHOW THEM THAT I WON.

Newscaster: ON ELECTION NIGHT

DEMOCRAT McCLOSKEY LED

BY 72 VOTES.

AFTER A STATE RECOUNT,

REPUBLICAN RICK McINTYRE WAS

CERTIFIED THE WINNER BY

418 VOTES.

BUT BECAUSE OF DISPUTES OVER

BALLOTS, HOUSE DEMOCRATS ORDERED

A FEDERAL RECOUNT SUPERVISED

BY DEMOCRATS.

IT TURNED THE REPUBLICAN LEAD

INTO A FOUR-VOTE DEMOCRATIC WIN.

HOUSE REPUBLICANS ACCUSED THE

DEMOCRATS OF STEALING THE

ELECTION AND WORSE.

THEN, ALMOST ALL 182 REPUBLICANS

MARCHED OFF THE HOUSE FLOOR

AND OUTSIDE.

THE WALKOUT WAS UNPRECEDENTED.

WE ARE ALL SO FRUSTRATED BY

DEALING WITH AN ESSENTIALLY

CORRUPT AND TYRANNICAL MAJORITY,

A GROUP THAT HAS BROKEN INDIANA

LAW, THAT HAS, IN OUR JUDGMENT,

VIOLATED THE CONSTITUTION AND

THAT NOW USES ITS NUMBERS TO

STEAL A SEAT IN THE HOUSE,

THAT ALMOST ANYTHING

IS POSSIBLE.

THEN, OF COURSE, ANYTHING AND

EVERYTHING POSSIBLE DID HAPPEN

IN 2000.

IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS

IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA,

I HEREBY DECLARE GOVERNOR

GEORGE W. BUSH THE WINNER OF

FLORIDA'S 25 ELECTORAL VOTES

FOR THE PRESIDENT OF THE

UNITED STATES.

YOU KNOW, WHAT TOOK PLACE IN

2000 IN FLORIDA WAS A PERFECT

STORM OF EVERYTHING

DYSFUNCTIONAL ABOUT OUR

ELECTORAL SYSTEM.

Crowd: GET OUT OF

CHENEY'S HOUSE!

GET OUT OF CHENEY'S HOUSE!

Raskin: FOR PEOPLE WHO LIVED

THROUGH IT, THIS WAS LIKE,

YOU KNOW, BLEEDING KANSAS

OR THE BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG OR

SOMETHING-- I MEAN, THIS WAS A

TRAUMATIC MOMENT IN THE HISTORY

OF MODERN POLITICAL DEMOCRACY.

IT ALL STARTED REALLY WITH A

SERIES OF VERY RESTRICTIVE

ELECTION RULES AND PRACTICES

THAT WERE ENGINEERED BY THE

SECRETARY OF STATE OF FLORIDA,

KATHERINE HARRIS,

WHO MOONLIGHTED AS THE, UH,

CHAIR OF THE BUSH FOR PRESIDENT

CAMPAIGN IN FLORIDA.

HARRIS ORDERED A PRIVATE

CONTRACTOR THAT WAS PAID MORE

THAN A MILLION DOLLARS TO PURGE

THE VOTING LISTS OF

CONVICTED FELONS.

AND SO, THEY GOT BACK A MEMO,

WHICH SURFACED AFTER THE WHOLE

ELECTION WAS OVER, UH, SAYING TO

SECRETARY OF STATE HARRIS,

"WE'RE NOT POSITIVE ABOUT SOME

OF THESE NAMES," WHICH WERE IN

OVERWHELMINGLY AFRICAN-AMERICAN

COMMUNITIES, UH, "WHAT SHOULD

WE DO?"

AND SHE SAID, "CAST A WIDE NET."

IT WAS DETERMINED LATER THAT

THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WERE FALSELY

DISENFRANCHISED BECAUSE THEIR

NAMES RESEMBLED THOSE OF

CONVICTED FELONS.

Crowd: STOP THE COUNT!

STOP THE FRAUD!

STOP THE COUNT!

STOP THE FRAUD!

STOP THE COUNT!

STOP THE FRAUD!

Raskin: THEN THERE WERE A

WHOLE SERIES OF SCANDALS AND

MISHAPS RELATING TO THE COUNTING

OF THE BALLOTS.

THERE WAS A BLIZZARD OF

LAWSUITS, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE,

AND FOR THE FIRST TIME IN

AMERICAN HISTORY, THE SUPREME

COURT STEPPED INTO A STATE,

OVERRODE THE STATE SUPREME

COURT'S INTERPRETATION OF ITS

OWN LAWS TO SAY THAT IT MIGHT

VIOLATE EQUAL PROTECTION TO

COUNT PEOPLE'S BALLOTS.

AND SO, RATHER THAN HAVING,

YOU KNOW, THE PRESIDENT NAME

SUPREME COURT JUSTICES, HERE

WE HAD THE SUPREME COURT

JUSTICES EFFECTIVELY NAME THE

PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.

Woman: PEOPLE SAY THAT THAT

DECISION WAS NOT BASED ON

JUDICIAL PHILOSOPHY,

BUT ON POLITICS.

I SAY, NONSENSE.

WAS IT POLITICAL?

GEE, I REALLY DON'T WANNA GET

INTO-- I MEAN THIS IS-- GET

OVER IT! IT'S SO OLD BY NOW.

BUT IT WAS, IT ENDED UP BEING

A POLITICAL DECISION.

IT WAS AL GORE WHO MADE IT

A JUDICIAL QUESTION.

IT WAS HE WHO BROUGHT IT INTO

THE FLORIDA COURTS; WE DIDN'T

GO LOOKING FOR TROUBLE.

[♪...]

Robbie Fulks: ♪ I'M GOING

BACK TO INDIANA ♪

♪ BACK TO WHERE

I STARTED FROM ♪

♪ I'M GOING BACK TO INDIANA

♪ INDIANA, HERE I COME...

[YODELING]

IT'S NINE DAYS BEFORE THE

ELECTION AND THE DEMOCRATS

ARE UNDER FIRE.

JUST SIT RIGHT HERE.

THE REPUBLICAN 9th DISTRICT

CHAIRMAN HAS ASKED THE JENNINGS

COUNTY CLERK AND ELECTION BOARD

FOR COPIES OF ALL ABSENTEE

BALLOT APPLICATIONS FOR THE

UPCOMING VOTE.

AND THEY WANT THEM BEFORE

ELECTION DAY.

"ACCORDING TO THE STATUTE,

YOU HAVE 24 HOURS TO RESPOND

TO THIS REQUEST.

DUE TO THE NATURE OF THIS

REQUEST AND THE PENDING DATE FOR

THE ELECTION, I WOULD ASK THAT

YOU ASSIST ME IN HANDLING THIS

REQUEST IN AN

EXPEDITIOUS MANNER.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE ON

THIS MATTER."

LARRY SHICKLES, DISTRICT--

REPUBLICAN 9th DISTRICT

CHAIRMAN.

THE GROUP BELIEVES THE

REQUEST IS BEING MADE SO THAT

DEMOCRATIC VOTES CAN BE

ELIMINATED BASED ON SIGNATURE

IRREGULARITIES.

IT'S THE APPLICANT'S

SIGNATURE.

THEY'RE GONNA GO TO THAT

89-YEAR-OLD VOTER, WHATEVER,

AND THEY'RE GONNA ASK FOR A

SAMPLE SIGNATURE.

I DON'T SIGN MY NAME THE SAME

WAY I DID WHEN I REGISTERED

TO VOTE.

I TOTALLY SIGN IT DIFFERENTLY.

AND THEY WANT TO QUESTION IT,

THEY WANT-- THEY WANT TO

COMPARE, CHALLENGE IT.

THE SIGNATURES.

Woman: THEIR GOAL, IN MY

OPINION, IS TO GET THEM ALL IN

THE PROVISIONAL BALLOT.

Marshall: THAT'S RIGHT.

WE CANNOT LET THAT HAPPEN.

WHAT THEY CAN'T STAND IS THAT

WE, WE HAVE OUTWORKED 'EM.

WE HAVE THREE TO FOUR TO ONE,

ABSENTEE BALLOTS FOR EVERY

REPUBLICAN ABSENTEE BALLOT.

WE HAVE THREE TO FOUR TO ONE.

THEY DON'T WANT THESE VOTES

COUNTED, THAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE.

AND WE WORK REALLY HARD TO GET

PEOPLE TO VOTE AND THEY'RE

WORKING HARD TO MAKE SURE THOSE

VOTES DON'T COUNT.

Marshall: IT'S GONNA GET

NASTY-- GETTING REAL NASTY.

...WHAT'S CRITICAL ABOUT THIS,

OF THEM WANTING COPIES OF THE

APPLICATIONS IS IF THEY WANT

COPIES, THEY GOT TO PRINT THOSE

COPIES, RUN THEM THROUGH

MACHINES, HANDLE THEM.

IF THEY MESS ANYTHING UP...

WITH THE APPLICATION, THEN IT

WILL NOT, IT WILL INVALIDATE

THE BALLOT.

EVERY VOTE IS GONNA COUNT HERE.

THIS ISN'T FLORIDA.

THIS AIN'T THE SUNSHINE STATE.

THIS IS INDIANA AND HOOSIER

VALUES ARE GOING TO WORK RIGHT

HERE BECAUSE THAT DOG DOES HUNT.

I CAN TELL YOU THAT RIGHT NOW.

Robbie Fulks: ♪ I'M GOING

BACK TO INDIANA ♪

♪ INDIANA, HERE I COME

♪ I'M GOING BACK TO INDIANA

'CAUSE THAT IS WHERE

MY BABY'S FROM... ♪

IT'S OCTOBER 31st, HALLOWEEN.

THE COURTHOUSE GROUNDS WERE...

"DECORATED" BY PRANKSTERS

THE NIGHT BEFORE.

TODAY A JUDGE WILL HEAR FROM

BOTH SIDES OF THE BALLOT

DISPUTE AND AT LEAST ONE TEAM

IS FEELING PRETTY CONFIDENT.

Man: WELL, WE CERTAINLY

EXPECT IT'S GOING TO GO OUR WAY.

IT'S A VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD

STATUTORY ISSUE AND I THINK THAT

THE INTENT OF THE INDIANA

LEGISLATURE IN DRAFTING THIS

PUBLIC RECORDS LAW WAS TO ALLOW

PEOPLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO SEE

WHAT THEIR GOVERNMENT'S DOING,

AND IF THEY CAN'T DO THAT BEFORE

A FREE ELECTION, THEN WHEN CAN

THEY HAVE IT?

SO WE FEEL PRETTY GOOD ABOUT IT.

THIS IS THE BIGGEST SCAM FROM

THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, COMING IN

HERE FROM THE 9th DISTRICT

CHAIRMAN, COMING IN

JENNINGS COUNTY.

THE LOCAL REPUBLICANS, I CAN

TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, IN THIS

COUNTY, I CAN TELL YOU,

THEY DO NOT AGREE.

THEY DO NOT AGREE WITH THIS,

THIS GOING ON.

IT'S JUST A SIMPLE LITTLE THING:

THEY DON'T WANT TO PUT THEM

BALLOTS THROUGH THAT MACHINE

ON ELECTION DAY.

THE DEMOCRAT BALLOTS.

THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ABOUT.

MR. SHICKLES.

MR. MARSHALL OBVIOUSLY WAS A

LITTLE EMOTIONAL IN HIS

DESCRIPTION THAT THE INTEGRITY

OF THE ELECTION BOARD AND THE

CLERK WAS BEING QUESTIONED,

AND THAT IS NOT THE CASE AT ALL.

WHAT WE'RE LITERALLY QUESTIONING

TODAY WAS THE LAW SAYS WE HAVE

A RIGHT TO THOSE RECORDS.

WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE

THE RECORDS.

WITH ONLY FOUR DAYS TO GO

BEFORE THE ELECTION, THE JUDGE

WILL HAVE TO COME UP WITH A

DECISION PRETTY QUICKLY.

Man: PAID FOR BY THE LOCAL

DEMOCRATIC PARTY.

BECAUSE THE DAIRY COWS JUST

WON'T MILK RIGHT.

[MOOING]

A BREAK FROM THE TENSIONS OF

THE LAWSUIT COMES WHEN CLAYTON

AND MIKE RECORD A RADIO AD

SKEWERING THE GOVERNOR,

MITCH DANIELS.

HEY, DEMOCRAT.

HEY, INDEPENDENT.

DID YOU HEAR DAYLIGHT SAVINGS

TIME COMING THIS SATURDAY?

YES, SIR.

GOT TO CHANGE THE CLOCKS

AT 2 A.M. SUNDAY.

WELL, IF YOU FORGET, GONNA BE

LATE FOR CHURCH.

GONNA BE LATE FOR WORK,

KIDS GONNA BE LATE TO SCHOOL,

GONNA BE LATE FOR DINNER AT

GRANDMA'S HOUSE AFTER CHURCH.

COWS JUST WON'T MILK RIGHT.

I'LL TELL YOU ONE PLACE I

WON'T BE LATE TO: THE POLLS

ON TUESDAY.

HELL, YEAH!

I'M GONNA DITCH MITCH!

[ON RADIO]: He did that

Daylight Savings Time to us.

Made us change our clocks.

I'm gonna turn Ditch Mitch's

clock back on Tuesday

at the polls.

Clocks going back or

forwards?

Hell if I know.

Put us on the same time as

New York City, he said, to help

the Indiana economy.

New York City?

You with me, Independent?

Yessir! YESSIR!

Paid for by the local

Democratic Party.

Because the dairy cows...

Both: JUST WON'T MILK RIGHT.

[BOTH MOO, LAUGH]

I THINK THIS IS GOING TO

BE A GOOD ELECTION DAY.

WE'RE GONNA TURN THEM

DAMN DEMOCRATS OUT. OH, YEAH.

MM-HMM.

WELL, I DON'T KNOW, MOM,

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

YOU THINK McCAIN'S GONNA

PULL IT OFF?

WELL, WE HAVEN'T GIVEN UP.

OH, NO.

NEVER GIVE UP.

WELL, I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE THAT

SENATOR McCAIN WILL BE IN

INDIANA THE DAY BEFORE

THE ELECTION.

I CANNOT BELIEVE IT.

WHAT I WORRY ABOUT ARE THE

ABSENTEE VOTES THAT ARE

NOT LEGITIMATE.

THAT IS WHAT I WORRY ABOUT.

I JUST HOPE THAT DOESN'T MAKE

A DIFFERENCE.

IT REMINDS ME OF WHEN I WAS

GROWING UP AND PEOPLE SELLING

THEIR VOTES.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

THAT'S BEEN A LONG TIME AGO.

WHAT WOULD HAPPEN?

WELL, THERE WOULD BE PEOPLE

THAT WOULD TARGET FAMILIES THAT

NEEDED MONEY AND-- THE POOR

FAMILIES-- AND THEY WOULD GIVE

'EM WHATEVER THEY WOULD ACCEPT,

$10, $20, AND THEY WOULD BRING

THEIR BALLOTS OUT AND TO THE

PERSON THAT BOUGHT, YOU KNOW,

PAID THEM FOR THEIR VOTE.

I'VE ALWAYS HEARD THOSE

STORIES, BUT I JUST WANT

IT FAIR.

I JUST WANT THE PERSON WHO GETS

THE MOST VOTES LEGITIMATELY

TO WIN-- I DO.

I JUST DON'T WANT ANY CHEATING

GOING ON, BECAUSE THAT WOULD

JUST BE TERRIBLE.

THE VOTER FRAUD IS WHAT'S

WORRYING ME.

Man: I DON'T KNOW.

KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED.

OH, I'M PRAYING.

ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN.

PRAYING AND FINGERS CROSSED

AND RABBIT'S FOOT OR WHATEVER

IT TAKES.

FOR THE LAST FEW DAYS,

MIKE HAS ALSO BEEN KEEPING HIS

FINGERS CROSSED.

TODAY HE GETS NEWS ABOUT THE

ABSENTEE BALLOT LAWSUIT.

I'M OUT HERE AT TEA CREEK

BAPTIST CHURCH.

NOW GO AHEAD, TELL ME AGAIN,

START FROM THE BEGINNING.

Man: Ronnie Bloemer called

me and said that he had gotten

a call from the judge;

the plaintiff's petition

is denied.

That's what he said.

OH! [CHUCKLES]

SO CAN THEY APPEAL THAT,

OR CAN THEY--

Oh, sure.

Sure they can appeal it and

then, you know, they probably

will try and do that

tomorrow morning.

But the judge has ruled that it

was frivolous and they shall pay

defendants' attorney fees.

[LAUGHS]

There you go.

All right, listen,

I'll talk to you later.

ALL RIGHT, THANKS, MAN.

THANKS, BYE.

OH, MY GOD.

[PHONE BEEPS]

[CHUCKLES]

Woman: GENERAL ADMISSION

TO YOUR LEFT!

["EYE OF THE TIGER" PLAYING

ON LOUDSPEAKERS...]

[CROWD CHEERS, APPLAUDS]

[SONG CONTINUES]

McCain: INDIANA IS NOW A

BATTLEGROUND STATE, BUT IT'S A

BATTLE THAT WE'RE GONNA WIN!

WE'RE GONNA WIN THE BATTLE

IN INDIANA!

[CROWD CHEERS, APPLAUDS]

NOW, I'M ASKING YOU, IN THE NEXT

24 HOURS, VOLUNTEER, KNOCK ON

DOORS, GET YOUR NEIGHBORS

TO THE POLLS.

I NEED YOUR VOTE!

[CROWD CHEERS, APPLAUDS]

OH, THE RALLY WAS FABULOUS.

EVERYBODY WAS CHARGED UP AND I

THINK WHAT SENATOR McCAIN SAID

WAS PERFECT.

INDIANA, YOU KNOW, HAS BECOME A

BATTLEGROUND STATE BUT WE ARE

GONNA WIN THE BATTLE.

[CRICKETS CHIRPING...]

FINALLY, THE SUN SETS ON THE

MONTHS OF DOGGED LEGWORK,

SKIRMISHES AND SLEEPLESS

NIGHTS.

AND THEN, ELECTION DAY.

AT THE RIPLEY COUNTY

COURTHOUSE, GINGER BRADFORD,

THE COUNTY CLERK,

OPENS HER OFFICE.

THIS IS THE KEYS TO UNLOCK

THE, UH, YOUR BOXES OVER THERE

WITH THE ABSENTEE BALLOTS IN IT.

THERE IT IS.

SO WE'VE GOT... TWO...

LIKE A STAR WITNESS IN A MOB

TRIAL, THE BALLOTS ARE BROUGHT

OUT UNDER COVER OF DARKNESS.

THERE YOU GO.

O.K., I'LL SEE YOU IN

A LITTLE BIT.

ALL RIGHT.

Marshall: YEAH, WE WERE OUT

ALL NIGHT.

WE PUT UP A TON OF SIGNS.

I JUST STOPPED AT HOME TO CHANGE

CLOTHES AND BRUSH MY TEETH,

PUT SOME DEODORANT ON.

I SENT CLAYTON AND CAT BACK OUT.

THEY'RE OUT RIGHT NOW.

THE ABSENTEE BALLOTS ARRIVE

AT THE POLLING CENTER FOR

PROCESSING.

THE PRECINCT CAPTAIN BRINGS

THEM IN AND CONFIRMS THEY HAVE

THE SAME NUMBER THAT THE

CLERK'S OFFICE HAS ON RECORD.

THEN OUT COMES THE TOUCHSCREEN

VOTING MACHINE.

ELECTRONIC MACHINES LIKE THIS

WILL BE USED TODAY BY ALMOST

ONE-THIRD OF ALL AMERICAN

VOTERS.

...FOR AT LEAST A SHORT TIME

AFTER THE 2000 ELECTION MESS

IN PALM BEACH COUNTY,

ELECTRONIC VOTING WAS SEEN AS

THE SOLUTION.

DID IT LIVE UP TO ITS PROMISE?

THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF

ADVANCEMENTS AS A RESULT OF THE

MOVE TO ELECTRONIC VOTING.

IT'S MUCH MORE EFFICIENT IN

TERMS OF COLLECTING DATA AND

GETTING RESULTS QUICKLY

TO THE PUBLIC.

Man: LOADING ELECTION

LOGGING STARTUP.

IN ADDITION, THERE'S A LOT

LESS AMBIGUITY AND A LOT LESS

LOST VOTES.

ON THE OTHER HAND, THE BIG

PROBLEM WITH THE MOVE TO

ELECTRONIC VOTING WAS THAT IT

HAPPENED SO QUICKLY AND IT WAS

SEEN AS THIS PANACEA.

SO IN 2002, CONGRESS PASSED THE

"HELP AMERICA VOTE" ACT,

INVESTED BILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND

TOLD EVERYBODY YOU HAVE

BASICALLY FOUR YEARS TO

COMPLETELY CHANGE THE

MACHINERY THAT YOU'RE

USING FOR ELECTIONS.

UM, NO PROCESSES IN PLACE,

NO REAL TESTING STANDARDS FOR

THESE MACHINES, SO THEY WEREN'T

AS SECURE AND RELIABLE, I THINK,

AS MANY HAD HOPED.

WHEN I HEAR COMPUTER VOTING,

I THINK "UH-OH, COULD SOMEONE

HACK INTO THAT AND JUST THROW

THE RESULTS COMPLETELY?"

AND I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE

THINK THAT.

THE VAST MAJORITY OF VOTING

SYSTEMS IN THE UNITED STATES

TODAY HAVE SOME KIND OF PAPER

RECORD THAT CAN BE USED TO CHECK

THE VOTING MACHINES TO MAKE SURE

THAT THEY WERE RECORDING

ACCURATELY.

IF WE'RE DOING THAT, IT'S MUCH,

MUCH MORE DIFFICULT TO HACK INTO

A SYSTEM.

NOW, HAVING SAID THAT,

THERE'S STILL A LOT THAT WE

COULD BE DOING.

THERE ARE 11 STATES IN THE

U.S. WHERE THEIR VOTING SYSTEMS

HAVE NO PAPER RECORD.

THEY'RE TOUCHSCREEN MACHINES

WITHOUT ANY PAPER TRAIL.

I SEE THAT AS A SECURITY RISK.

O.K., IT SAYS "INSERT CARD

TO BEGIN VOTING."

SO THIS ONE'S READY TO GO.

CURRENTLY, MANY STATES FOLLOW

VOLUNTARY VOTING SYSTEM

GUIDELINES, BUT THERE'S STILL

NO FEDERAL STANDARDIZATION.

THE POLLS ARE NOW OPEN!

WITH THOSE WORDS, MORE THAN

900 PRECINCTS ACROSS INDIANA

OPENED THEIR DOORS.

BY 10 A.M., THE ELECTIONEERING

FOLKS WERE OUT MAKING THEIR

11th-HOUR SALES PITCHES.

DO YOU NEED MY I.D., TOO?

WE SURE DO.

ALL RIGHT.

I KNOW YOU KNOW ME.

YEAH, I KNOW YOU.

MRS. ATKINS SAW ME MISS THE

BUS ABOUT 800 TIMES WHEN I WAS

IN HIGH SCHOOL.

Rocca: WELL, YEAH, BUT YOU

COULD BE AN IMPERSONATOR.

THAT'S TRUE.

ALL RIGHT, DO YOU WANT PAPER

OR TOUCH?

PAPER, DEFINITELY.

DO YOU NOT TRUST THE

TOUCH SCREEN?

I JUST PREFER PAPER.

I WOULD MUCH-- I'D RATHER

EVERYONE HAVE A PAPER BALLOT.

DEE DEE FILLED IN A PAPER

BALLOT, WHICH WAS THEN FED INTO

AN OPTICAL SCANNER FOR

PROCESSING.

IT'S A BIG, BIG, BIG DEAL.

I'M EXCITED AND I HOPE IT ALL

WORKS OUT TODAY.

57% OF AMERICANS USED THIS

VOTING METHOD.

THERE IT GOES.

ALL RIGHT, WELL,

CONGRATULATIONS.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

NOW WE'VE GOT TO GO OUT

AND... [WHISPERS] CAMPAIGN.

WE CAN'T DO THAT IN HERE, BUT

WE'LL DO THAT THIS AFTERNOON.

ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT.

HOLD STILL. NO... [SMACK]

OH! ALMOST GOT HIM.

I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY.

[BOTH LAUGH]

IT WAS-- SERIOUSLY, I HAD IT

LIKE, IT WAS RIGHT THERE.

CENTRAL TO MIKE'S

ELECTION-DAY OPERATION IS THIS

POLLING BOOK-- A THICK TOME

LISTING EVERY DEMOCRATIC VOTER

IN JENNINGS COUNTY.

FIRST NAME?

WHEN A DEMOCRAT VOTES, HIS OR

HER NAME IS CHECKED OFF A LIST.

THEY'LL HAVE TO SEE YOUR

I.D. UP THERE.

THE NAME IS FORWARDED TO

HEADQUARTERS, WHERE A TEAM OF

HIGH SCHOOL KIDS KEEPS A TALLY.

THIS PROCESS OF ELIMINATION

ALLOWS MIKE'S TEAM TO QUICKLY

IDENTIFY WHICH JENNINGS COUNTY

DEMOCRATS HAVEN'T VOTED YET.

AND THAT'S HOW WE GO AFTER

VOTERS AND MAKE SURE WE GET THE

STRAGGLERS AND GET 'EM

TO THE POLLS.

AND THAT'S HOW WE WIN.

Marshall: THE NUMBERS ARE

HUGE. YEAH? HOW WE LOOKING?

WE HAVEN'T GOT 'EM ALL IN,

BUT EVERY PRECINCT THAT'S IN,

THEY'RE HUGE.

REALLY?

THIS IS JUST UNHEARD OF

AT 10:00 IN THE MORNING.

I HAVEN'T HAD A RUSH LIKE THIS

SINCE THE FIRST TIME I VOTED.

REALLY?

WHEN I WAS 18-- 1970.

SO YOU WERE WORKING THE POLLS

THE FIRST TIME YOU VOTED?

YEAH, I WAS WORKING

AS A POLLBOOK HOLDER.

INSIDE OR OUTSIDE?

OUTSIDE-- THEY MADE US STAND

OUTSIDE. WHO WAS THE FIRST

PERSON YOU VOTED FOR?

I VOTED STRAIGHT DEMOCRAT.

YEAH? YEAH.

I HEAR THAT GUY'S ALWAYS

ON THE BALLOT.

WITH EVERYONE WORKING SO HARD

TO GET OUT THE VOTE, I THOUGHT

I SHOULD PITCH IN A LITTLE.

HEY, FLO!

LET'S GO!

FREE RIDE TO THE POLLS!

...YOU REMEMBER FLO, THE FORMER

FELON WHO THOUGHT SHE'D BEEN

BANNED FROM VOTING.

...ARE YOU HAPPY TO BE HERE?

Flo: SURE.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF

THE BALLOT?

I THINK IT'S WEIRD-LOOKING.

DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT'S

MEANT BY THE STRAIGHT TICKET?

YOU COMPLETE THE ARROW ON

EITHER DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLICAN OR

LIBERTARIAN OR YOU CAN SPLIT

YOUR VOTE, SUCH AS BARACK OBAMA

AND THEN MITCH DANIELS.

BARACK IS A DEMOCRAT AND MITCH

DANIELS IS A REPUBLICAN.

THAT'S SPLITTING YOUR TICKET.

Rocca: I THINK SHE'S STILL

CONFUSED ABOUT THIS WHOLE

STRAIGHT-PARTY TICKET THING.

I THINK IT'S CONFUSING.

Man: IT'S A DESIGN MESS.

A GIANT DESIGN MESS.

THINKING THAT AMERICA'S

BALLOTS MIGHT BENEFIT FROM A

MAKEOVER, I ASKED NOTED

DESIGNER TODD OLDHAM TO

CRITIQUE AN ASSORTMENT FROM

AROUND THE COUNTRY.

"TO VOTE, COMPLETE THE ARROW

TO THE LEFT OF YOUR CHOICE

LIKE THIS.

TO CAST A WRITE-IN VOTE,

COMPLETE THE ARROW TO THE LEFT

OF THE BLANK..."

SEE, I'M ALREADY CONFUSED.

"FOR SPECIAL INFORMATION, REFER

TO THE CARD OF INSTRUC..."

[MUTTERING]

THIS IS A HUNK OF LIKE,

WORD GARBAGE RIGHT THERE.

AND HOW NOT INTUITIVE IS THIS?

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ASKED TO DRAW

A LINE BETWEEN TWO ARROWS?

Rocca: IT'S LIKE A WEIRD

DRUNK DRIVING TEST. [LAUGHS]

YEAH, IT IS. LIKE, CAN YOU

DRAW THE LINE STRAIGHT?

I'VE NEVER SEEN THIS EVER,

IN ANYTHING.

THIS IS JUST DOWNRIGHT BIZARRE.

AND I'LL TELL YOU WHAT THE

BIGGEST PROBLEM, APPARENTLY,

WAS THOSE VOTING FOR EITHER

DICK DURBIN OR JIM DURKIN--

DURBIN WON THE RACE--

COMPLETED THE ARROW TO

THE RIGHT. MM-HMM.

ARROWS SUGGEST FORWARD MOVEMENT

OR, YOU KNOW, SOME TRAJECTORY

BASED ON THE POINT OF THE ARROW,

SO, UH, IT'S POINTING ME

IN THAT DIRECTION. THAT'S

RIGHT, IT'S PUSHING MY EYE

TO THE RIGHT. YEAH, IT'S

TELLING YOU TO MAKE YOUR

DECISION AND MARK IT HERE.

IT'S NOT TELLING YOU TO REVERT

IN THE WAY THAT THE BOX WOULD.

IT'S JUST AWFUL COMMUNICATION.

IT REALLY MAKES YOU WONDER IF

THERE WAS NOT ANOTHER MOTIVE

BEHIND THIS.

AND THEN, THIS ONE I DON'T

EVEN NEED TO GIVE YOU ANY SORT

OF PREFACE TO...

YEAH-- GOOD OLD 2000.

THIS ONE KIND OF WRECKED THE

WORLD, DIDN'T IT?

CAN YOU BEGIN TO ENUMERATE

THE PROBLEMS WITH THIS?

WE'LL GO WITH JUST WHAT'S

NATURALLY COUNTER-INTUITIVE

HERE.

AND IT'S, WE TALKED ABOUT IT

EARLIER, WHICH IS LEFT--

ACTIVATING LEFT,

ACTIVATING RIGHT.

THIS IS NOT WITHIN OUR MINDSET

AT ALL.

THEN THESE THINGS SLID DOWN

BEHIND IT AND WERE PUNCTURED.

WELL, YOU CAN SEE IMMEDIATELY

THAT THEY DON'T PROPERLY

LINE UP.

THE SPACING BETWEEN THIS HAS

NOTHING TO DO WITH THE SPACING

BETWEEN THESE BANNERS HERE.

YOU CAN'T FIGURE IT OUT.

PLUS THIS IS 2000!

I WOULD BELIEVE THIS FROM 1942

OR SOMETHING.

IT'S LIKE AN ADVENT CALENDAR

OR SOMETHING, OR LIKE A--

AND I LOVE AN ADVENT CALENDAR,

BUT YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT

DECIDING WHO'S PRESIDENT.

AND IT SAYS, "VOTE FOR GROUP."

"GROUP" TELLS YOU TO

VOTE TWICE.

AND THERE'S NOTHING THERE THAT

SAYS TO PUNCH ONLY ONE HOLE.

WE NEED A THIRD SET OF

PARENTHESES. YOU'RE RIGHT.

...I GOT HIS POINT.

PALM BEACH COUNTY TOSSED OUT

MORE THAN 6600 DOUBLE-PUNCHES

FOR AL GORE AND ANOTHER

CANDIDATE.

AND THE ELECTION WAS DECIDED BY

537 VOTES STATEWIDE.

SO, I THINK WHAT'S SCARY IS

THE INCONSISTENCIES OF DESIGN

AND THE FACT THAT NO ONE SEEMS

TO BE IN CHARGE.

HOW COME THERE'S NOT A NATIONAL

CONSISTENCY FOR THESE THINGS?

I THINK BECAUSE A LOT OF

PEOPLE THINK IT SHOULD REMAIN

IN LOCAL CONTROL.

...NATIONAL CONSISTENCY MIGHT

SEEM UNATTAINABLE, AT LEAST

HERE IN THE U.S.

BUT THERE'S A PLACE NOT SO FAR

AWAY WHERE THEY'VE FIGURED OUT

A LOT OF THIS.

CANADA HAS HAD ONE NATIONAL

BALLOT DESIGN FOR ALMOST A

HUNDRED YEARS.

YOU MARK IT WITH AN X IN THE

WHITE DOT.

COAST TO COAST, NEWFOUNDLAND TO

VANCOUVER AND NORTH TO SOUTH.

GOOD AFTERNOON,

ELECTIONS CANADA, WILLOWDALE.

THEY'VE ALSO TAKEN THE

PARTISAN RANCOR OUT OF VOTING

BY ESTABLISHING AN INDEPENDENT

ORGANIZATION THAT OVERSEES

ALL ELECTIONS.

Man: YOU'VE GOT TO REACH OUT

TO THE PEOPLE AND MAKE SURE THAT

THE REASONS FOR WHICH THEY DON'T

VOTE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE

COMPLEXITY OF THE SYSTEM.

EITHER WAY? YES.

DOES IT SHRED THEM AS IT GOES

THROUGH? NO, MA'AM.

SO AT THE AGE OF 50,

FLO PERKINS JOINED 15 MILLION

OTHER AMERICANS WHO CAST

BALLOTS FOR THE FIRST TIME

ON THIS DAY.

NICE.

BEN?

YEAH, WHAT'S THE LATEST?

AS THE AFTERNOON WORE ON,

MIKE AND HIS CREW STAYED

VIGILANT, PUSHING JUST AS HARD

AT 4 P.M. AS THEY HAD BEEN

AT 10 A.M.

HOW MANY BALLOTS DID THEY TRY

TO THROW OUT?

HOW MANY DID THEY THROW OUT?

THREE?

DO YOU HAVE THE NAMES?

Marshall: WHAT PRECINCT?

SPENCER SOUTH.

BEN SAID, "I THOUGHT

YOU'D WANT TO KNOW." [LAUGHS]

Marshall: NO SIGNATURE,

THAT'S NOT A RED FLAG.

NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT.

O.K., LET ME-- CALL ME BACK

IF YOU GET ANYBODY ELSE.

O.K., THANKS, BEN, BYE.

BOY, THOSE KIDS.

I WANT THESE KIDS AS POLL

WATCHERS EVERY YEAR.

SAMUEL DID NOT HAVE A SIGNATURE,

THEY'RE SAYING NINA LOUISE

HAUSBERGER AND JACOB TRIMPE DID

NOT-- THEIR SIGNATURES DID

NOT MATCH.

SHE LIVES A QUARTER-MILE

SOUTH OF THE POLLS. LET'S GO.

Marshall: GET HER ON THE

PHONE, JUST CALL 'EM,

TELL 'EM TO GO TO THE POLLS.

DO WE HAVE ANY UPDATES FOR

THE CITIES? HERE'S 3B.

I NEED GENEVA ONE EAST.

WE JUST FOUND OUT THAT AT THE

POLLING PLACE, THEY THREW OUT

YOUR ABSENTEE BALLOT BECAUSE

THEY CLAIMED YOUR SIGNATURE

DIDN'T MATCH WITH THE

APPLICATION.

SO YOU HAVE UNTIL 6:00 TO

GO DOWN THERE AND GET IN LINE.

IF YOU'RE IN LINE AT 6:00,

YOU'LL BE ABLE TO VOTE

AND THAT VOTE WILL COUNT.

AND YOU MAKE SURE YOU TAKE YOUR

PHOTO I.D. WITH YOU, YOUR

DRIVER'S LICENSE WITH YOU, NINA.

THANK YOU-- BYE.

[LOUD SMACK]

YEAH...

BACK AT THE RIPLEY COUNTY

POLLING CENTER, DEE DEE WAS

SWEATING OUT THE LAST

FEW HOURS.

I AM HOT!

IT'S JUST HOT OUT HERE.

I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS.

HOW YOU DOIN' TODAY?

GOOD TO SEE YOU-- YOU'RE HERE

FOR THE McCAIN STUFF, RIGHT?

YUP, PICK IT UP AND

I'LL TAKE IT OVER TO MILAN.

GOOD DEAL.

O.K., LET'S SEE.

IS THAT ENOUGH, YOU THINK?

YEAH, THAT SHOULD BE ENOUGH.

IS THAT TOO MUCH?

NO, THAT'LL BE PLENTY.

YEAH, I THINK FOR MILAN

THAT'D BE A GOOD AMOUNT.

YEAH, I JUST CAME BACK FROM

OVER THERE AND THEY HAD A PRETTY

GOOD TURNOUT OVER THERE.

GOOD-- I THINK IT'S BEEN A

GOOD TURNOUT EVERYWHERE.

YEAH, IT IS, REALLY.

WELL, HEY, THANKS FOR PASSING

THAT OUT FOR SENATOR McCAIN AND

WE'LL KEEP OUR FINGERS CROSSED.

GO RED, INDIANA! YEP-- ALL

RIGHT, WE'LL TALK TO YOU LATER.

ALL RIGHT, TAKE CARE.

BYE-BYE. THANKS.

HE'S GOTTA WIN INDIANA.

IF WE DON'T WIN INDIANA, I THINK

THAT IS-- IT'S A BAD, BAD, BAD,

BAD SIGN.

OUTSIDE THE POLLING CENTER,

I CAUGHT UP WITH

LARRY SHICKLES, THE MAN WHO

SUED AND LOST OVER THE

JENNINGS COUNTY DEMOCRATIC

ABSENTEE BALLOTS.

THERE'S A CONCERN THAT

THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO MAY HAVE

VOTED WHO ARE NOT LEGITIMATELY

REGISTERED VOTERS.

I MEAN, WE'VE HEARD OF MICKEY

MOUSE BEING REGISTERED AND DUMBO

IN OTHER STATES-- I HOPE WE

DON'T HAVE THAT PROBLEM HERE.

THERE HAVE BEEN REPORTS IN THE

2006 ELECTION THAT IN JENNINGS

COUNTY THAT THERE PARTICULARLY

WAS A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO

COLLECTED THE BALLOTS, TOOK THEM

TO A CENTRAL LOCATION AND SAT

DOWN ONE NIGHT AND VOTED THEM,

PUT THEM IN AN ENVELOPE--

THE ACTUAL BALLOTS?

NOT THE APPLICATIONS?

THE ACTUAL BALLOTS.

VOTED THOSE BALLOTS,

DROPPED THEM IN THE MAIL.

BUT YOU CAN'T VERIFY THAT.

I MEAN, I'M TELLING YOU THINGS

THAT PEOPLE HAVE CALLED AND

SAID, BUT THE JUDGE PROHIBITED

US FROM VERIFYING THOSE UNTIL

THE ELECTION'S OVER.

AND LET ME SAY THAT JENNINGS

COUNTY IS GOING TO GO ON

FOR SIX OR SEVEN MONTHS.

WE'VE ONLY BEGUN.

5:40 P.M.

MIKE'S TEAM WAS FOCUSED ON

WRINGING OUT EVERY LAST

POSSIBLE VOTE FROM THOSE WHO

WERE REGISTERED.

[KNOCKING...]

IS THERE ANYBODY YOU KNOW

THAT HASN'T VOTED RIGHT NOW

THAT WE NEED TO DRAG OUT?

Marshall: YOU KNOW WHERE

LITTLE GEORGIE IS?

HE MOVED.

WHERE'D HE GO?

HE'S ALREADY VOTED.

ALL RIGHT, ANYBODY ELSE?

ANYBODY ELSE SITTING AT HOME

RIGHT NOW WE NEED TO DRAG OUT?

Marshall: JUSTIN HAD AN

ABSENTEE, BUT HE DIDN'T MAIL

IT BACK. I KNOW IT.

BUT IF WE COULD FIND HIM,

WE COULD GET HIM IN THERE BY 6.

HE'S ON STATE STREET, DOWN IN

THE LITTLE APARTMENT.

I'VE BEEN THERE SIX TIMES,

FOUR LAST NIGHT, AND--

WELL, ONE TODAY AND FIVE

LAST NIGHT.

WHAT'S THE LATEST HE CAN

VOTE TONIGHT? 6:00--

15, 20 MINUTES. OH NO.

YOU CAN'T GET A HOLD OF HIM?

CAN'T GET A HOLD OF HIM.

I DON'T KNOW WHERE HE'S AT.

WE NEED THAT VOTE!

I KNOW WE DO.

WE CAN'T FIND HIM.

[♪...]

AS THE CLOCK TICKED DOWN,

IT OCCURRED TO ME: DID THESE

VOTERS REALLY KNOW WHO THEY

WERE VOTING FOR?

CERTAINLY NOT THE PRESIDENT.

INSTEAD THEY'RE VOTING FOR

EITHER BEN LEATHERBURY OR DAVID

BUSKILL, OUR DEMOCRATIC AND

REPUBLICAN ELECTORS.

THIS WAS SOMETHING THE PEOPLE

OF INDIANA DESERVED TO KNOW.

...FOR THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE,

DID YOU CAST YOUR BALLOT

FOR DAVID OR FOR BEN?

FOR DAVID OR FOR BEN?

OH, GEE, I DIDN'T THINK ABOUT

DAVID OR BEN.

YOU'RE VOTING FOR SOMEBODY

TO ACTUALLY VOTE FOR YOUR

CANDIDATE, SO...

I DON'T KNOW.

AND YOU'RE AWARE THAT HE'S

ONE OF THE ELECTORS?

YEAH.

ACTUALLY, NO.

SO YOU ENDED UP CASTING YOUR

VOTE FOR...

FOR BEN.

AND 10 OTHER OBAMA ELECTORS?

YES.

SO THAT ON DECEMBER 15,

THEY CAN...

VOTE FOR BARACK OBAMA.

AND THAT MAKES SENSE?

YES. REALLY?

NO-- NOT AT ALL.

AS IT HAPPENS, MOST PEOPLE

DIDN'T KNOW WHO DAVID AND BEN

WERE OR OF THE ROLE THE

ELECTORAL COLLEGE PLAYS

IN SHAPING THE CANDIDATES'

STRATEGY.

THEY JUST WANTED TO VOTE.

[BELL CHIMES IN DISTANCE]

OH, HEAR THAT BELL?

All: HEAR YE! HEAR YE!

THE POLLS ARE NOW CLOSED!

[LAUGHING]

Woman: YES, THEY CAN START

TAKING SIGNS DOWN.

GARY CATNER, PATRICIA CATNER,

KENNETH COHEN, RIPLEY COOK...

[TAPPING ON DOOR]

Man: COME IN.

DANNY, IS THAT SOME OF OUR

WORKERS FROM THE CHURCH?

Man: I WAS JUST OVER AT

CROSS PLAINS AND THEY TOLD ME

I COULDN'T VOTE OVER THERE.

I HAD TO COME OVER HERE AND I

VOTED OVER THERE THE LAST

THREE TIMES.

YOU NEED TO CALM DOWN.

I'M MAD.

WHY CAN'T I VOTE RIGHT NOW,

RIGHT HERE?

YOU NEED TO CALM DOWN

AND QUIT YELLING.

I DON'T CARE.

IT AIN'T RIGHT!

IT'S NOT OUR FAULT!

WHY COULDN'T I VOTE

OVER THERE?

YOU WERE NOT REGISTERED

FOR THAT PRECINCT.

ALL I WANT TO DO IS VOTE.

THE POLLS ARE CLOSED NOW.

I'VE BEEN OVER THERE FOR THE

LAST THREE ELECTIONS AND NOW ALL

OF A SUDDEN, I'M OVER HERE.

EVIDENTLY YOU DID A CHANGE

OF REGISTRATION TO BE

VOTING UP HERE.

I DID NOT DO NO CHANGE

OF REGISTRATION. NOBODY

ELSE WOULD HAVE DONE IT.

Officer: HAVE A NICE EVENING.

YOU TOO-- BYE.

[DOOR SHUTS]

WELL, IT'S THE WEE, WEE LATE

HOUR OF 6 P.M. AND THE POLLS

ARE CLOSED ALL ACROSS INDIANA.

NOW IT'S TIME TO TABULATE

THE VOTES.

IN RIPLEY COUNTY, THE RESULTS

WERE IMMEDIATELY DISPLAYED TO

THE PUBLIC AS THEY WERE

CALCULATED.

O.K., LET'S SEE, LET'S SEE,

LET'S SEE, LET'S SEE.

100% YAY!

MORRIS, WHOO-HOO!

6,552 TO 5,465.

54-45.

WE'LL TAKE IT.

GOT TO LOVE IT, YES!

[WOMAN LAUGHS]

THE REPUBLICANS WERE DOING

WELL IN MANY LOCAL RACES.

BUT MEMBERS OF BOTH PARTIES

WERE HOLDING THEIR BREATH FOR

THE BIG ONE.

[PEOPLE CHEER, APPLAUD]

AT JENNINGS COUNTY DEMOCRATIC

HEADQUARTERS, A CROWD WAS

GATHERING TO WATCH THE FIRST

ELECTION RETURNS.

1A!

Rocca: SO WHAT'S THE

MOOD HERE?

Woman: WONDERFUL.

VERY HAPPY.

IT TAKES A LONG TIME FOR THE

THINGS TO COME IN, YEAH?

YEAH, YEAH, AND YOU KNOW,

IT'S AWFULLY HARD TO WAIT.

IT'S VERY HARD TO WAIT.

DO YOU WISH IT WERE

COMPUTERIZED?

THAT WOULD BE NICE.

IT WOULD.

OVER IN RIPLEY COUNTY,

THEY HAVE THAT.

OH, IS IT REALLY?

OH, THAT WOULD BE GREAT!

134 TO 115.

[CHEERING, APPLAUSE]

THE ROOM WOULD BE PACKED FOR

THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS AS

RESULTS CAME IN.

EVEN OUTSIDE IT WAS

STANDING-ROOM ONLY.

OBAMA JUST WON PENNSYLVANIA.

Woman: OBAMA WON

PENNSYLVANIA!

Woman 2: OBAMA WON

PENNSYLVANIA!

AND THE REST, AS THEY SAY,

IS HISTORY.

[DRAMATIC DRUMMING]

AND CNN CAN NOW PROJECT THAT

BARACK OBAMA, 47 YEARS OLD,

WILL BECOME THE PRESIDENT-ELECT

OF THE UNITED STATES.

[CHEERING, APPLAUSE]

HELLO, CHICAGO!

[LOUDER CHEERING]

[♪...]

SO IT CAME TO BE THAT NEARLY

67 MILLION AMERICANS CAST THEIR

BALLOTS FOR BARACK OBAMA.

THE PEOPLE, OR AT LEAST THOSE

WHO'D MANAGED TO REGISTER AND

VOTE, HAD SPOKEN.

AT 61% OF ELIGIBLE VOTERS,

IT WAS THE HIGHEST TURNOUT

SINCE 1964.

AND NOW IT WAS TIME FOR THE

REAL ELECTION.

...WELL, THE BIG DAY

HAS ARRIVED.

THE FIRST MONDAY AFTER THE

SECOND WEDNESDAY IN DECEMBER.

ELECTION DAY.

AND THAT'S WHY I'VE COME HERE,

TO THE INDIANA STATE CAPITOL.

Man: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

AS THEY COME FROM THE BACK OF

THE ROOM, PLEASE WELCOME

INDIANA'S ELECTORS AND THE

ALTERNATE ELECTORS.

[APPLAUSE]

I WAS HERE FOR THE CONVENING

OF INDIANA'S DELEGATION TO THE

ELECTORAL COLLEGE.

TODD, ARE WE GONNA NEED

A PHOTO I.D.?

[LAUGHTER]

Man: GOOD QUESTION.

[LAUGHTER, APPLAUSE, WHISTLES]

WITH ALL THE POMP,

CIRCUMSTANCE AND POINTED BARBS

ASIDE, 19-YEAR-OLD BEN

LEATHERBURY AND THE 10 OTHER

DEMOCRAT ELECTORS CAST THEIR

HISTORIC VOTES.

Man: IF I CAN HAVE YOUR

ATTENTION, PLEASE?

I AM INFORMED BY THE ELECTION

DIVISION THAT 11 VOTES HAVE BEEN

CAST AND TABULATED AND ALL 11

VOTES HAVE BEEN CAST FOR

BARACK OBAMA.

[APPLAUSE]

WITH NEARLY THREE MILLION

VOTES CAST IN INDIANA,

BARACK OBAMA WOUND UP WITH A

ONE PERCENT LEAD, ENTITLING HIM

TO ALL OF THE STATE'S

11 ELECTORAL VOTES.

WHILE IT WORKED OUT FOR HIM,

I WONDERED IF THIS ELECTORAL

COLLEGE APPROACH WAS THE BEST

WAY FOR THE WORLD'S GREATEST

DEMOCRACY TO CHOOSE ITS MOST

IMPORTANT ELECTED OFFICIAL.

Raskin: MOST AMERICANS LOVE

THE IDEA OF HAVING A POPULAR

VOTE FOR PRESIDENT AND THE

NATIONAL POPULAR VOTE

LEGISLATION IS THE SINGLE MOST

PROMISING AVENUE WE'VE GOT TO

BREAK FROM THE BIZARRENESS OF

THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE BECAUSE IT

WILL MEAN THAT THE WINNER OF THE

NATIONAL POPULAR VOTE WILL GET

ALL OF THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE

VOTES OR CERTAINLY ALL THE

ELECTORAL VOTES OF THE STATES

PARTICIPATING.

CURRENTLY, EVERY STATE EXCEPT

TWO AWARDS ALL ITS ELECTORAL

VOTES TO THE WINNER OF ITS

POPULAR VOTE, CREATING RED AND

BLUE STATES.

BUT WITH THE NEW LEGISLATION,

EACH STATE WILL AWARD ITS

ELECTORS TO THE WINNER OF THE

NATIONAL POPULAR VOTE.

THIS LEGISLATION WILL ONLY GO

INTO EFFECT WHEN THE TOTAL

NUMBER OF ELECTORS AVAILABLE

FROM PARTICIPATING STATES

REACHES 270: THE MAGIC NUMBER

NEEDED TO WIN THE PRESIDENCY.

WE ACTUALLY HAVE ENOUGH

ELECTORAL COLLEGE VOTES THAT

WE'RE HALFWAY THERE IN TERMS OF

THE 270 WE NEED IN ORDER TO GET

US TO NATIONAL POPULAR VOTE,

SO I THINK IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN

BEFORE THE 2016 ELECTION.

AND I THINK THAT THE NATIONAL

POPULAR VOTE CAMPAIGN IS THE

BRIDGE TO GETTING US TO A DIRECT

ELECTION OF THE PRESIDENT, WHICH

YOU KNOW, WILL JUST HAVE US

CATCHING UP WITH THE REST

OF THE WORLD.

THERE HAVE BEEN MORE BILLS IN

CONGRESS TO ABOLISH THE

ELECTORAL COLLEGE THAN ON

ANY OTHER ISSUE.

AND IT'S NOT A PARTISAN CAUSE.

REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT RICHARD

NIXON SUPPORTED A

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT

TO ABOLISH IT.

WHOEVER WINS THE POPULAR VOTE

SHOULD BE THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF

THE UNITED STATES.

TOM TANCREDO IS NO

PROGRESSIVE, REMEMBER.

HE'S THE GUY WHO WANTS US ALL

TO TAKE A TEST BEFORE WE VOTE.

WHY ARE YOU SUPPORTING THE

NATIONAL POPULAR VOTE

INITIATIVE?

WELL, I'VE SEEN WHAT HAS

HAPPENED TO OUR COUNTRY AS A

RESULT OF THE PRESENT SYSTEM.

I WAS IN CONGRESS WHEN THIS

FELLOW PUSHED SOMETHING CALLED

THE MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG

PLAN AND IT WAS THE WORST PIECE

OF LEGISLATION I HAVE EVER HAD

TO SIT THROUGH AND IT WAS THE

MOST HEAVILY LOBBIED I HAVE

EVER SEEN--

AND WHAT DID IT HAVE TO DO

WITH THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE?

YES, I'LL TELL YOU, IT WAS

ALL ABOUT THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE.

ALL ABOUT GETTING HIM THE

ELECTORAL VOTES OF THE STATE

OF FLORIDA.

EVERYBODY KNEW WHY WE WERE

DOING THIS.

THAT'S WHY THEY COULDN'T

GET THE VOTES.

I MEAN, MOST REPUBLICANS WEREN'T

GOING TO GO ALONG WITH IT,

NO MATTER WHAT.

BUT EVENTUALLY, HE GOT ENOUGH

PEOPLE AND THEY PASSED IT.

WE DID ALL OF THAT,

A TRILLION-DOLLAR BILL, FOR THE

ELECTORAL VOTES OF THE STATE

OF FLORIDA.

EVEN THOUGH I FOUND LIBERALS

AND SOME CONSERVATIVES AGREEING

THAT THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE IS

ANTIQUATED, OLD-FANGLED, I KNEW

ONE GROUP IN 2008 THAT WAS

HAPPY FOR THE WINNER OF

INDIANA'S 11 ELECTORAL VOTES.

WHO LOVES LIVING IN A

BLUE STATE?

[APPLAUSE]

Rocca: ALL RIGHT, BUT WAIT

A MINUTE-- WHAT DO YOU THINK

YOU ALL DID ON THE GROUND

THAT MADE A DIFFERENCE?

WHAT WAS WITHIN YOUR CONTROL?

I THINK THE ABSENTEES ARE OUR

MARGIN OF VICTORY FOR OUR

CANDIDATES.

OVER 55% OF THE WORKING

WORKFORCE IN JENNINGS COUNTY HAS

TO DRIVE OUTSIDE OF JENNINGS

COUNTY TO WORK AND THE AVERAGE

OF THOSE 55% WORK 10-HOUR

SHIFTS.

SO IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE FOR

THEM TO VOTE AND WE, IN THE LAST

THREE ELECTIONS ANYWAY,

HAVE EDUCATED THE PUBLIC THAT

YES, YOU CAN VOTE ABSENTEE.

'CAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T

EVEN REALIZE YOU CAN VOTE

BY MAIL. JUST TO PLAY DEVIL'S

ADVOCATE, YOU DIDN'T TO HAVE A

PHOTO I.D. FOR THE

ABSENTEE BALLOT?

I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE

REASONS FOR THE INCREASED

INTEREST IS THAT SO MANY OLDER

PEOPLE DON'T HAVE A DRIVER'S

LICENSE, THEY CAN'T FIND A BIRTH

CERTIFICATE, YOU KNOW,

THEY REALLY ARE LEFT WITH NO

OTHER CHOICE.

AND A LOT OF OUR ABSENTEES

ARE ELDERLY.

A LOT OF THEM ARE.

Marshall: AND THE REPUBLICANS

ALWAYS WANT TO SAY THERE'S

SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE

ABSENTEES BECAUSE THERE ARE JUST

SO MANY, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT?

THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH

VOTING ABSENTEE, IT'S A VOTE.

YOU ONLY GET TO VOTE ONCE.

YOU SCARED THEM.

I CAN SAY THAT FLAT OUT.

YOU HAVE SCARED THEM.

Woman: I AGREE. YEP.

AFTER THE 2008 ELECTION,

MIKE MARSHALL CONTINUED WORKING

ON CAMPAIGNS AND GETTING OUT

THE VOTE IN INDIANA.

I MEAN, YOU'RE JUST AWESOME.

I MEAN, YOU ARE JUST A SOLDIER

THERE, YOU KNOW, WATCHING

THE VOTER FRAUD--

DEE DEE BENKIE BEGAN A STINT

AT FOX NEWS, APPEARING AS A

COMMENTATOR ON SEVERAL

PROGRAMS.

THEN, IN 2011, THE CONTROVERSY

OVER ABSENTEE BALLOT

APPLICATIONS RESURFACED.

Newscaster: INDIANA STATE

POLICE SAY THE INVESTIGATION

INTO FORMER CAMPAIGN WORKER MIKE

MARSHALL BEGAN MONTHS AGO AND

STEMMED FROM ALLEGED VOTER FRAUD

ISSUES REGARDING ABSENTEE BALLOT

APPLICATIONS.

ON FRIDAY, MARSHALL WAS INDICTED

BY A JENNINGS COUNTY GRAND JURY

WHO ISSUED 66 INDICTMENTS.

MAYOR GALLIGAN SAYS IT'S HIS

UNDERSTANDING THE INDICTMENT

STEMS FROM THREE ABSENTEE BALLOT

APPLICATIONS.

I THINK THIS IS POLITICAL

RETRIBUTION AND IT'S JUST THE

WAY POLITICS IS IN THIS

DAY AND TIME.

[♪...]

MIKE WAS INDICTED ON 45

COUNTS OF FORGERY, PERJURY

AND VOTER FRAUD.

HIS TRIAL IS SET TO BEGIN

LATE IN 2012.

IF CONVICTED, HE FACES LIFE

IN PRISON.

[♪...]

BECAUSE OF THE PENDING

LITIGATION, MIKE WAS UNABLE TO

SPEAK WITH ME.

BUT AS BOTH SIDES PREPARED

THEIR CASES, I TALKED WITH SOME

OF HIS COLLEAGUES.

Woman: I THINK PEOPLE DO GET

VICIOUS ABOUT VOTING--

PEOPLE THAT YOU DON'T SEE THE

VICIOUS SIDE OF TALKING ABOUT

OTHER TOPICS, BUT YOU DO SEE A

WARLIKE ATTITUDE WHEN VOTER

RIGHTS AND VOTER SUPPRESSION

IS BEING DISCUSSED.

Man: SHE WAS SHOCKED;

I WAS NOT SHOCKED, BECAUSE...

YOU SAW IT COMING?

I KNEW-- IT'S LIKE I SAID,

HE'S SUCCESSFUL IN WHAT HE DOES,

HE WEARS A TARGET-- THEY'RE

GONNA TRY TO TAKE HIM DOWN.

AND THAT'S EXACTLY

WHAT HAPPENED.

SOMEONE ASKED THE QUESTION:

WHY ARE THERE SO MANY

INDICTMENTS? Rocca: RIGHT.

IT'S A LOT.

THEY SAID, "WE HAVE TO CHARGE

A LOT BECAUSE PROBABLY MOST OF

THEM WON'T STICK AND WE'RE

HOPING SOME OF THEM WILL

SLIDE BY."

THAT TELLS YOU RIGHT THERE,

"WE HAVE NOTHING."

IF THEY THINK THEY'RE GOING

TO GET AWAY WITH STEAMROLLING

PEOPLE, I WOULD SAY THAT ONE OF

THEIR FIRST LESSONS IS GONNA BE

MIKE MARSHALL AND HOW THIS

COMMUNITY STEPS UP

TO BACK HIM UP.

AND THEY'RE GONNA FIND OUT THAT

THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY DOESN'T

THINK THE WAY THEY DO.

THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY THINKS

EVERYBODY GETS A RIGHT TO VOTE

AND THAT THAT MATTERS, BECAUSE

WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?

WHEN SOMEBODY WHO HELPS OTHER

PEOPLE VOTE, ON A VOLUNTEER

BASIS, IS BEING ATTACKED BY

THEIR POLITICAL OPPOSITION?

DEFINITELY RETRIBUTION.

Rocca: IF MIKE MARSHALL IS

SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR THE

REST OF HIS LIFE, HOW WOULD

YOU FEEL?

Benkie: TERRIBLE.

TERRIBLE.

IT'D BE TRAGIC.

I HOPE THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN.

I'M EMPATHETIC TO FOLKS THAT,

YOU KNOW, MAKE MISTAKES.

AND I'M NOT SAYING MIKE DID.

I JUST FEEL BAD WHENEVER,

PERHAPS, LAWS ARE SO MURKY AND

THINGS ARE SO DIFFERENT THAT IT

CAN MAYBE GET MESSED UP,

WHETHER IT'S INTENTIONAL

OR UNINTENTIONAL.

THAT'S WHY I'M SO ADAMANT ABOUT

VOTER I.D. AND ABOUT ABSENTEE

BALLOTS BEING ACCURATE AND THAT

WE HAVE STANDARDIZED VOTER I.D.

LAWS AND THAT WE NEED TO

DEFINITELY GET OUR ACT TOGETHER

NATIONWIDE AND IT SHOULDN'T BE

THIS HODGEPODGE ALL OVER THE

PLACE-- IT'S TOO CONFUSING.

Browne-Dianis: INDIANA

STARTED THE BALL ROLLING

ON VOTER I.D. RESTRICTIONS.

THEY WERE ONE OF THE FIRST TO

PASS THE MOST RESTRICTIVE I.D.

LAWS AND NOW WE'RE SEEING IT

SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.

THE PHRASE "WAR ON VOTING,"

DO YOU THINK THAT'S HYPERBOLIC

OR DO YOU THINK IT'S

APPROPRIATE?

I THINK "WAR ON VOTING" IS A

TOTALLY APPROPRIATE PHRASE FOR

RIGHT NOW BECAUSE I THINK THERE

IS A MOVE IN THIS COUNTRY TO

MAKE SURE THAT NOT EVERYBODY

GETS TO VOTE, AND...

THAT THE RIGHT PEOPLE VOTE.

THAT THE RIGHT PEOPLE VOTE.

AND THE SO-CALLED WRONG PEOPLE

DON'T GET TO VOTE.

IT IS TIME TO ASK, WHAT KIND

OF NATION DO WE WANT TO BE?

ARE WE WILLING TO ALLOW THIS

ERA, OUR ERA, TO BE REMEMBERED

AS THE AGE WHEN OUR NATION'S

PROUD TRADITION OF EXPANDING

THE FRANCHISE ENDED?

ENSURING THAT EVERY VETERAN,

EVERY SENIOR, EVERY COLLEGE

STUDENT, EVERY ELIGIBLE CITIZEN

HAS THE RIGHT TO VOTE

MUST BECOME OUR COMMON CAUSE.

AND FOR ALL AMERICANS,

PROTECTING THIS RIGHT,

ENSURING MEANINGFUL ACCESS AND

COMBATING DISCRIMINATION

MUST BE VIEWED NOT ONLY

AS A LEGAL ISSUE, BUT AS

A MORAL IMPERATIVE.

[♪...]

IT'S SAD TO THINK THAT IN

THIS GREAT DEMOCRACY, WE STILL

FIND OURSELVES BATTLING

OVER VOTING.

DO WE REALLY NOT AGREE THAT ALL

LAW-ABIDING CITIZENS DESERVE

THE RIGHT TO VOTE?

THERE MUST BE SOME

COMMON GROUND.

...AMERICANS HATE BEING TOLD

WHAT TO DO.

SO WHY DO WE HAVE SO MANY

DIFFERENT SETS OF RULES WITH

DIFFERENT REGISTRATION

DEADLINES, BALLOT DESIGNS,

POLLING HOURS, MACHINES WE VOTE

ON, I.D. REQUIREMENTS?

WHEN IT COMES TO CHOOSING A

PRESIDENT, SHOULD THE CANDIDATE

WHO GETS THE MOST VOTES WIN,

AS IN EVERY OTHER ELECTION?

SHOULD THE CONSTITUTION BE

AMENDED TO INCLUDE A RIGHT

TO VOTE?

OH, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, DID MY

CLASSROOM DEMONSTRATION

PERMANENTLY SCAR THOSE CHILDREN?

[CHILDREN LAUGHING, YELLING]

WELL, I AM SURE ABOUT ONE THING:

VOTING MATTERS.

SO IF YOU THINK OUR ELECTORAL

SYSTEM IS BROKEN, THAT IT'S

OVERLY COMPLICATED, PRONE TO

MELTDOWNS, DON'T LOOK FOR A

LITTLE BLUE PILL TO SOLVE

THE PROBLEM.

THE KEY TO FIXING ELECTORAL

DYSFUNCTION... IS VOTING.

I LOVE IT WHEN A DOCUMENTARY

ENDS ON A NOTE OF IRONY.

Keb' Mo': ♪ FROM SEA

TO SHINING, SHINING SEA. ♪

[MUSIC ENDS]

[NEW SONG BEGINS]

[♪...]

Stacia Fernandez:♪ ELECTORAL

DYSFUNCTION ♪

♪ WHERE'S THE PILL

FOR THIS AFFLICTION? ♪

♪ ELECTORAL DYSFUNCTION

♪ WHERE'S THE NEXT ERUPTION?

♪ WHO'S THE BOSS, MR. TWEED?

♪ STUFFING THOSE BALLOTS

IN THAT BOX ♪

♪ YOUR GANG MADE NEW YORK CITY

BLEED,

STRUTTIN' LIKE

A FLOCK OF PEACOCKS ♪

♪ ELECTORAL DYSFUNCTION

♪ WHERE'S THE PILL

FOR THIS AFFLICTION? ♪

♪ ELECTORAL DYSFUNCTION

♪ WHERE'S THE NEXT ERUPTION?

♪ KATHERINE HARRIS,

QUEEN OF THE CHADS,

YOU PURGED THOSE VOTER ROLLS ♪

♪ YOU AND THOSE SUPREME LADS

CRUSHED AL GORE'S RISE

AT THE POLLS ♪

[♪...]

♪ ELECTORAL DYSFUNCTION

♪ WHERE'S THE PILL

FOR THIS AFFLICTION? ♪

♪ WE NEED AN INJECTION

TO CURE THIS INFECTION ♪

♪ ELECTORAL DYSFUNCTION!

[♪...]

THAT'S NOT FAIR AT ALL!

SHH!