Posted on 10/11/2004 7:17:13 AM PDT by esryle
DENVER -- Some 6,000 prisoners and felons on parole are on the state's voter registration rolls, The Denver Post reported Sunday.
State law bars prisoners serving sentences or convicted felons who are on parole from voting.
The Post reported that Secretary of State Donetta Davidson plans to convene an emergency meeting this week of Colorado's 64 county clerks to stop prisoners and parolees from voting on Nov. 2. Some prisoners and parolees voted in the August primary.
"I had no idea we had that type of numbers," Davidson said.
"You have to wonder if they're malicious or inept in the secretary of state's office. Every ineligible elector that votes cancels the vote of an eligible elector," said Al Kowicz, executive director of Accurate Mail Election Election Results, an election watchdog group based in Boulder.
The Post said 40 percent of the 6,006 felons on voting lists are on parole or in community-supervision programs that would permit them to visit polling stations. Records through September showed 536 felons registered this year. Some were signed up during registration drives that have added tens of thousands of potential voters to the registration rolls since March.
One problem is that the state corrections department does not send a list of felons to the secretary of state's office.
"We can only act on the information provided us. This particular issue is a matter for corrections to address," said Bill Compton, state elections director.
"We send data sets to agencies that request the information," said Alison Morgan, spokeswoman for corrections.
For state offices only, Not for federal office.
I've been hearing this sales job for a while now, by people unfamiliar with the whole thing. My dad was a prison guard. I heard it 24/7.
The federal system has no parole, and is thus not part of the problem huh? If states want convicted felons to vote, then abolish parole and make them serve their full period of incarceration. That is what the liberals want huh? Is the only value of a felon in jail his potential vote and the jobs provided to the state prison system? Sheesh!
The person is in jail or on parole as an individual who has done serious harm to society. Now you want to heap on more harm? No, when he or she has served out their full term, then they can vote just like you or I. Parole is not a right.
I realize that this is more a "formality" than an actual question to ask, but how do we know all of these people were registered Dem? Most likely they were of course, but it's not in the article.
Media bias perhaps?
She's a Republican. IIRC, Common Cause is one of the groups registering these felons.
I was thinking, why send in massive new registrations?
For example, the woman who was registered 3 times, or the localities where registrations seem high for population numbers, or the dead people registrations.
Regardless, you can envision a few scenarios, some are already being played out with offices overwhelmed with thousands of new registrations.
1. Too many new registrations and not enough time to process and get cards out in time for Election Day prompts calls for provisional ballots.
Or
2. Too many registrations leads to sloppy checks and ineligible voters are able to vote, or some voters vote multiple times.
3. Voter turnout is vastly lower than registration numbers which prompts calls of voter disenfranchisement.
4. General mess caused by massive registrations prompts calls for relaxed or new rules to make it "easier" for people to vote.
My hunch is they'll play all these cards, and generally spread as much FUD about the election as possible.
Although thousands of bad registrations have been thrown out, you know many many of them will get through.
I can only hope that the ambivalent Dems, or the Dems that don't care for Kerry, just stay home. Because believe you me, unless Bush wins by a significant margin, all hell is gonna break loose.
They do that too. There's no reason they can't do both!
True, but I believe that Zogby factors in the illegible voters when he reports his polls. That is how he maintains his record of 'coming closest to the results' each cycle.
Dah..... Are they possibly 'Registered' as Democrats ?
Not so simple. Only a handful of states permanently bar felons from voting, so while you're convicting X number of felons a year, Y number of felons are at the same time regaining their voting rights.
Yeah, but you can bet that somebody will pull the lever for the rest of them.
That varies from state to state. In Texas for example, you have to serve your entire sentence, and then wait an additional two years before your voting rights are restored. In Alabama, they're never restored.
Dang Dems at it again!
And a number on the ballot; isn't Marion Berry running again in DC?
I believe that people get the government they deserve. There was a wake up call in 2000. Some heeded it, and some did not.
In many states they are allowed to regain their right to vote once they have successfully completed their sentence (including parole).
If I remember correctly, Oklahoma allows a former felon to register to vote 10 years after their complete sentence which includes parole has been completed.
I don't have a problem with allowing people who have successfully served their time and who haven't gotten into further trouble being allowed to vote.
Thanks for the ping - Kriminals for Kerry bump!
Next we'll hear about the illegals and the dead registered to vote courtesy of demoncRAT party.
Politically correct or not, this was absolutely right. In order to preserve the integrity of the political system, voters must be informed on the issues and have a stake in the system.
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