I was alarmed to read that the Minneapolis police union has called for retired police officers to serve as GOP poll challengers in next week's election, apparently seeking those who can handle themselves in "rough neighborhoods or intimidating situations" ("GOP wants ex-cops outside Mpls. polls," front page, Oct. 29).
After all, I will be serving as a poll challenger for the DFL in Minneapolis and I am definitely not intimidating. In fact, as a DFL poll challenger, I won't be challenging anyone. Instead, my goal will be to ensure that every eligible Minnesota voter, no matter who they support, gets to vote if they want to vote.
So, I suppose my concern stems from the message that the GOP and police union president is sending to Minnesota voters by seeking those spoiling for a fight, with "eyes and ears" aimed at nonexistent voter fraud. My concern is amplified when I read about GOP attempts to have ballots segregated and the recently defeated effort to recruit armed forces to "guard" our polling locations.
When I come home after the polls close on Tuesday, I will be proud to tell my children that I helped Minnesotans vote. I wonder what my counterpart GOP challenger will say about what they did during our election. Will they be proud, too?
David Waytz, Minneapolis
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At the behest of the Trump election campaign, the Minneapolis police union is asking for retired police officers to station themselves at polling stations in "rough neighborhoods" to "act as eyes and ears in the field and call our hotline to document fraud." Why? And what kinds of voter fraud do they expect to detect? Are they hoping to find Klingons in disguise or just people who happen to "look like foreigners"? And what kind of specific training do they have for detecting voter fraud in the first place?
Since when was voter fraud ever a crisis of national scope, before President Donald Trump started his self-serving campaign of lies, intimidation and obstruction? Yes, Republicans have played the "voter fraud" card many times before in different parts of our nation, but Trump has nationalized this despicable strategy to a level "like nothing you've ever seen."
When Trump's plan to incite private groups to station themselves at polling stations drew considerable backlash, Trump and his GOP quislings have now turned to soliciting police unions to support their underhanded, nondemocratic tactics. Trump likes to brag he is the "law and order president," when it is quite clear he really means he is the "police state president."
George K. Atkins, Minneapolis
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Having lived, worked and been an election judge in "rough" north Minneapolis for 20-plus years I can attest to the fact that Minneapolis elections are managed very well, fairly and efficiently; the citizens I have met are polite, respectful and dedicated to the honor, privilege and responsibility of voting. Police Federation President Bob Kroll's hoodlums can go elsewhere to intimidate, demean and disrupt the democratic process.