Liberal interest groups like People for the American Way are already putting out stories that evil, racist Republicans are trying to keep blacks from voting Democratic.

Millions of U.S. citizens, including a disproportionate number of black voters, will be blocked from voting in the Nov. 2 presidential election because of legal barriers, faulty procedures or dirty tricks, according to civil rights and legal experts.

...

Millions of other votes in the 2000 presidential election were lost due to clerical and administrative errors while civil rights organizations have cataloged numerous tactics aimed at suppressing black voter turnout.

"There are individuals and officials who are actively trying to stop people from voting who they think will vote against their party and that nearly always means stopping black people from voting Democratic," said Mary Frances Berry, head of the U.S. Commission on Human Rights.

Vicky Beasley, a field officer for People for the American Way, listed some of the ways voters have been "discouraged" from voting.

"In elections in Baltimore in 2002 and in Georgia last year, black voters were sent fliers saying anyone who hadn't paid utility bills or had outstanding parking tickets or were behind on their rent would be arrested at polling stations. It happens in every election cycle," she said.

In a mayoral election in Philadelphia last year, people pretending to be plainclothes police officers stood outside some polling stations asking people to identify themselves. There have also been reports of mysterious people videotaping people waiting in line to vote in black neighborhoods.

If you seriously believe that you'll be arrested at a polling place because you're late on your utility bill, then you're too stupid to vote. These charges are absolutely nuts and without any basis in fact. The "article" (read: propaganda piece) quotes the Commission on Civil Rights majority "report" that alleged blacks were discriminated against, but ignores the minority study (that was far more data-laden and analyzed) that shows there was little correlation between race and ballot spoilage in Florida.

Despite polls that show President Bush pulling ahead, this will be a close election -- close enough that the Florida 2000 legal debacle is going to look like a tea party. John Kerry may lose by 100 electoral votes, but many of the states will be close enough that Democrat lawyers will be looking to create more Kerry votes.

Don't expect to know who won the election on Nov. 3. Maybe Dec. 3 will be more like it.