Liberal networks cry 'voter suppression' after black activist suffers clerical error, fails to accurately fill out mail-in ballot application form
ABC, CNN, MSNBC, and others were hard at work this past week digging up examples of how Texas's new election security law may be impeding minority voters as they head to the polls for early voting in the state's primary election.
But despite the supposedly manifold examples, each of the networks settled on one specific case involving 74-year-old Texas resident Pam Gaskin, a longtime League of Women Voters activist who allegedly had to resubmit her mail-in ballot application twice over the course of 28 days before it was accepted.
What are the details?
Based on Gaskin's interviews with the networks, it appeared that she first had her application rejected over a simple clerical error: She had downloaded the wrong ballot application form from her local elections website because officials had initially uploaded the wrong form to the site.
She was reportedly told that her submission had been rejected through no fault of her own and officials proceeded to upload the correct form.
'How could this happen?': Texas resident sees mail-in ballot application rejected www.youtube.com
Then on her second attempt, Gaskin reportedly ran into another roadblock when her application was rejected for insufficient information. She failed to enter the last four digits of her social security number and instead entered her driver's license number as proof of identity. Since she didn't use her driver's license number when she registered to vote in Texas 46 years ago, the application was again rejected.
Finally, on her third attempt, she included both her driver's license number and the last four digits of her social security number. At last, she was approved.
The whole process allegedly required multiple phone calls and 28 days. Annoying? Sure. But purposeful voter disenfranchisement? That's a harder sell.
What did the networks say?
Nevertheless, the left-leaning networks did their best to depict the frustrating bureaucratic circumstances as a clear example of the Texas GOP's sinister voter suppression intent.
Newsbusters reported that CNN's Alisyn Camerota set up an interview with Gaskin by declaring "the controversial voting law passed in Texas last year is already creating problems for voters," adding, "the worst fears are already coming to pass."
"This is bureaucracy at its worst but it's also possible it's intentional impediments," she said.
In the interview, Gaskin argued, "The application is in-artfully and, I think, deliberately misleading."
Soon after, MSNBC anchor Lawrence O'Donnell out-and-out cried "voter suppression."
"They were counting on you giving up," he continued. "It feels like that's what the design of the law was."
'This Is Jim Crow, 2.0': Texas Voter Blasts GOP Voter Suppression www.youtube.com
Then on Monday, ABC joined the chorus, touting the same voter suppression narrative.
ABC News' Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott suggested Gaskin's application was rejected twice due to the proof of identity requirement, though Gaskin's noncompliance with that directive was only the reason for one of the rejections.
Gaskin was even more forceful in her denunciation of the Texas law: "[This is] Jim Crow 2.0. ... These laws were meant to stop certain classes and categories of people from voting."
She called the application process a "nightmare," adding, "It's like being in a maze. You don't know which way to turn."
The activist even suggested that the law was a "test run" for the midterm elections.