Michelle Malkin » Holder undermines Georgia’s voter verification rules; ACORN cheers

Holder undermines Georgia’s voter verification rules; ACORN cheers

By Michelle Malkin • June 2, 2009 11:16 AM

Photoshop credit: Leo Alberti

First, Attorney General Eric Holder and the DOJ protect the New Black Panther Party bullies who menaced a Philly voting station last fall.

Now, Holder and the DOJ are opening the voter fraud floodgates in Georgia. The Georgia secretary of state explains:

Obama Justice Department Decision Will Allow Non-Citizens to Register to Vote in Georgia
Decision Bars Georgia From Continuing Voter Verification Process

Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel issued the following statement following the U.S. Department of Justice’s denial of preclearance of Georgia’s voter verification process:

Atlanta – “The decision by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to deny preclearance of Georgia’s already implemented citizenship verification process shows a shocking disregard for the integrity of our elections. With this decision, DOJ has now barred Georgia from continuing the citizenship verification program that DOJ lawyers helped to craft. DOJ’s decision also nullifies the orders of two federal courts directing Georgia to implement the procedure for the 2008 general election. The decision comes seven months after Georgia requested an expedited review of the preclearance submission.

“DOJ has thrown open the door for activist organizations such as ACORN to register non-citizens to vote in Georgia’s elections, and the state has no ability to verify an applicant’s citizenship status or whether the individual even exists. DOJ completely disregarded Georgia’s obvious and direct interest in preventing non-citizens from voting, instead siding with the ACLU and MALDEF. Clearly, politics took priority over common sense and good public policy.

“This process is critical to protecting the integrity of our elections. We have evidence that non-citizens have voted in past Georgia elections and that more than 2,100 individuals have attempted to register, yet still have questions regarding their citizenship. Further, the Inspector General’s office is investigating more than 30 cases of non-citizens casting ballots in Georgia elections, including the case of a Henry County non-citizen who registered to vote and cast ballots in 2004 and 2006.

“It is important to underscore that not a single person has come forward to say he or she could not vote because of the verification process. Further, while DOJ argues that the process is somehow discriminatory, the historic voter turnout among Hispanic and African-American voters in the 2008 general elections clearly says otherwise.

“This decision provides a specific example of the inherently illogical and unfair nature of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. It is a sad day for the rights of our state and for the integrity of our elections. I remain committed to continuing the fight for citizenship verification. In the coming days, I will consider every option available to the state, including the possibility of legal action.”

Background:

As required by law and ordered by federal courts in October 2008, the eligibility of new applicants to register and vote is checked against the Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) and Social Security Administration databases to ensure that individuals registering to vote report similar information. If information in these databases does not match information reported on the voter registration form, the applicant is asked to clarify the information. Additionally, if the applicant previously reported to DDS that he or she is not a U.S. citizen, that person is asked by a registrar to provide proof of citizenship.

Prior to the November 2008 General Election, Secretary Handel sent letters to 4,771 voter registration applicants whose records at DDS indicated they were not U.S. citizens, asking them to provide documentation of their citizenship. As of March 2009, 2,148 of these applicants still have chosen not to resolve the question about their U.S. citizenship.

In the November 2008 General Election, county election officials reported that 599 individuals cast a challenged ballot because the voter had previously indicated to DDS that he or she was not a United States citizen and had not resolved their status with county officials at the time of the election. Of those, 369 ballots were accepted because the voter provided documentation of their citizenship after the election; and 230 were rejected because the individual chose not to confirm his or her citizenship status.

On October 10, 2008, activist organizations including the Mexican-American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF) and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit to attempt to prevent Georgia from verifying the eligibility of applicants to register and vote in the November General Election, including whether those individuals were citizens of the United States.

On October 16, 2008, U.S. District Court Judge Jack Camp denied the motion by MALDEF and ACLU; directed the State to continue the verification process; and acknowledged the State’s requirements to verify information under the Help America Vote Act. In his order, Judge Camp stated:

HAVA requires that Defendant Handel match information in the statewide voter registration database with information from the Georgia DDS and the SSA databases “to the extent necessary to enable each such official to verify the accuracy of the information provided on the applications for voter registration.”

Judge Camp also stated:

Since the possibility of fraudulent and inaccurate voting could significantly injure and diminish the public’s respect and confidence in the electoral process, the State’s ability to maintain reliable voter lists is paramount to a temporary and minor inconvenience to a few individuals.

On October 27, 2008, a U.S. District Court three-judge panel again directed the State to continue its voter registration verification process and challenge ballot procedures through the November General Election.

***

No illegal alien voter left behind: It’s all part of the plan.

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Posted in: ACORN Watch,Voter fraud

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#101

On June 3rd, 2009 at 11:42 am, conservative in europe said:

It’s the plain language of the VRA

Ok, so I went and read the VRA. Section two lays out the basics of the law and it’s purpose:

No voting qualification or prerequisite to voting, or standard, practice, or procedure shall be imposed or applied by any State or political subdivision to deny or abridge the right of any citizen of the United States to vote on account of race or color.

Nowhere in the VRA does it say that the law is to ensure mistakes aren’t made. Throughout the text, the law is clear that it’s purpose is to stop the discriminatory practices used by certain places to prevent minorities from voting. The word or variations of the word “possibility” is not used. You can read it ’till your eyes bleed, you won’t find that it covers or protects against a “possibility” of the type you argue.

The emphasis of the VRA is also on the fact that U.S. Citizens must not be discriminated against in being allowed to vote. How does one determine Citizenship without proof?

The VRA is clearly being used, in this instance, to step on States’ rights and, in my opinion, is also being used solely and blatantly in order to gain political advantage. The Federal government is using a 40 year old law to assist one party in winning elections where it couldn’t otherwise.

Since the District Court in DC had already given the preclearance required by the VRA and the lack of any further cause for action, the corruption here is obvious.

LGM,

Your argument is invalid.
#102

On June 3rd, 2009 at 11:56 am, DBNinKY said:

Yes, in Holder’s view, and in the view of many civil servants in the DOJ, the previous administration made agreements with state governments that violate the VRA.

Like what?
#103

On June 3rd, 2009 at 12:37 pm, Ragspierre said:

Let’s bottom-line this…

Any American who fails to provide their bona fides on election day is denied the ability to vote. Not the RIGHT to vote. There is NO SUCH UNCONDITIONAL right anywhere.

The statists have worked diligently in the recent decade to do two things–

1. make voter fraud measurably easier, extend the franchise to reliably Dimocrat voters (felons among others), and steal close elections by hook or crook; and

2. disenfranchise American military personnel serving overseas.

Holder’s DOJ may not simply say that a process designed to prevent illegal voting falls disparately on racial groups. He has to provide some EVIDENCE that is the case. Further, there is a “balancing test”, putting the legitimate interest of the state to have a valid, legal election against the supposed discriminatory effect of the measures the state erects.
#104

On June 5th, 2009 at 8:49 pm, bradley said:

All you need to prove the flood of illegals into Georgia is go to the local laundromat. 90% of the people in there don’t speak English, all the women are pregnant, dozens of kids running around, and TV sets tuned in to Telemundo quiz shows and mariachi music. It’s like doing your laundry in Tijuana, only using United States coins in the machines instead of pesos. NON-verfication of citizenship prior to voting is like shooting yourself. Has the same result, if you’re America.