As the Republican Party works steadily to disenfranchise registered voters through voter photo I.D. legislation, Organizing for America – President Obama’s grassroots reelection campaign – works just as steadily to register eligible voters.
“The St. Louis region has enough unregistered Democrats that if we register them all, we could win the entire state of Missouri,” said Alex Sims, St. Louis Regional Field Director for Organizing for America–Missouri.
Organizing for America–Missouri began its efforts on April 28by participating in a nationwide weekend voter registration drive. It plans to host 15 to 20 weekend voter registration events before October 9, the deadline to register for the November 6 general election.
There also is a key component of voter education, especially as the city of St. Louis continues to lose population to surrounding counties.
“This is an important issue, because in 2008 in St. Louis alone we had over 24,000 more people on the voter rolls than we do today for this election,” said Lewis Reed, President of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen and an Organizing for America–Missouri volunteer.
Jan Meibaum has been going house to house for Organizing for America–Missouri, reminding voters of the basics.
“If you moved from this neighborhood to Kirkwood, you would need to have a new registration,” Meibaum said while registering and educating voters in South St. Louis.
“We want as many people as possible to be involved in the process.”
This message is the direct opposite of the message sent by the Republican Party, with voter photo I.D. laws being pushed in states nationwide through state legislation and ballot initiatives. The eligible voters who lack government-issued photo identification – minorities, the poor, the elderly, the disabled – tend to skew Democratic in their voting patterns.
Last year, Gov. Jay Nixon vetoed a voter photo ID bill passed the Republican-dominated Missouri Legislature. A ballot initiative intended for the November 2012 ballot was struck down by the courts as misleading voters.
Sims emphasized that Missouri currently permits a wide range of forms of identification at the polls, including government-issued I.D.; I.D. issued by a Missouri institution (public or private) of higher education; a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, government check; or another government document that contains the name and address of the voter.
Organizing for America–Missouri consists of 12 teams of volunteers based in Normandy, Affton, Kirkwood, Central West End, Clayton, University City, Downtown St. Louis, Creve Coeur, Maryland Heights, Florissant, North City and South City. A volunteer appreciation event was held on May 18 at the Moolah Theatre, where volunteers watched clips of President Obama’s speeches.
Sims said anyone interested in becoming a volunteer should visit the local Organizing for America–Missouri headquarters at 1925 Washington Ave., where a representative will look up the appropriate neighborhood team leader. Volunteers are trained on data entry, phone banking, canvassing, door knocking and how to conduct house parties. Volunteers must be trained before they can register voters.
Reed wants volunteers to think about names on the ballot other than Obama’s as well.
“The Tea Party is really going to be working to make sure that Obama doesn’t return to the White House. We need to make sure that we give Obama a good team to work with,” Reed said.
“So, part of the challenge here is making sure that we elect people locally and all the way throughout the ranks that will support some of the initiatives that Obama is pushing.”
U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill – one of Obama’s strongest supporters in the U.S. Senate – is on the November 6 ballot, facing what is expected to be a tough reelection.
Two of Obama’s closest allies in the House of Representatives – Congressman Wm. Lacy Clay and U.S. Rep. Russ Carnahan – are also on a ballot in 2012. Unfortunately, they face each other in the August 7 Democratic Primary for the 1st Congressional District.
The 3rd Congressional District that Carnahan represented was redrawn by the Missouri Legislature with a strong Republican majority following the 2010 Census, and Carnahan declined to run for the open 2nd District seat. The incumbent in the 2nd District, Todd Akin, is one of the Republicans vying for the nomination to oppose McCaskill in November.
Visit barackobama.com to find out more information about upcoming events. Call your Board of Elections at 314-615-1800 in St. Louis County or 314-622-4336 in St. Louis City if you have not received your voter registration card.