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Posted on 07/19/2009 3:12:25 PM PDT by NorwegianViking
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.
The 2008 elections were the largest in Georgia’s history, featuring record turnout among minority voters with the citizenship verification program in place. The figures below represent voter turnout statistics among Hispanic/Latino, African-American and White voters from the 2004 and 2008 General Elections.
Voter Demographic 2004 Total Number of Votes Cast 2008 Total Number of Votes Cast Percentage Increase in Votes Cast
Hispanic/Latino 18,000 43,000 140%
African-American 834,000 1.2 million 42%
White 2.3 million 2.5 million 8%
Karen Handel was sworn in as Secretary of State in January 2007. The Secretary of State's office offers important services to our citizens and our business community. Among the office’s wide-ranging responsibilities, the Secretary of State is charged with conducting efficient and secure elections, the registration of corporations, and the regulation of securities and professional license holders. The office also oversees the Georgia Archives and the Capitol Museum.
we thought the last election was bad with voter fraud, voting more than once, illegals etc.
Just wait till the next election
is this being reported in GA and all it’s media there?
I say the state needs to enforce the laws anyway,
and thwart any attempts by the feds to deny their
right to do so.
Sign it, for cryin’ out loud!
BUMP
Attacking conservatives at the polls are a bad idea. Conservatives are more likely to be gun-owners. We’ll get our friends, get our guns and come back and vote - over the speed bump’s dead body if necessary.
As for the Palestinians, well bozo is bring over 150,000 to SO Cal so they can just turn up in person.
Worked so well bringing them 200,000 Somali’s didn’t it, they really took to America and adopted this country’s tradition and became accepting.
NOT
still bozo did say we are not a Christian country I think what he meant was it will not be by the time I finish in 4 years.
Wonder where his next batch of immigrants will come from, maybe
White south Africans who are living in fear, nah
Maybe those under Mugabe who are living in fear, nah
Maybe those Christians in pakistan and elsewhere who live in fear, nah
Course not they do not fit the demographics for him or his bitter anti white wife.
Our Kenyan leader...
Just like his Father, he’s here to screw Americans.
I do not know if it is being widely reported. I’m from Texas, but I will see what I can find out. Can anyone from Georgia answer the question if this DOJ decision is being covered? Thank you for your response and thank you for your patriotism. I do know that a person in Georgia has contacted their Congressman and he seems to think that some sort of action can be done “to stay” the decision.
I sent the link off to friends out in Leesburg GA(just north of Albany ) and awaiting their reply about the media
Manc: KTM rider posted this link earlier. Please pass this on to your friends in Georgia.
This is where to report this abuse of our constitutional right to equal protection of our voting priveledges.
Please send an e-mail now !
Inspector General of the DOJ/Report Abuse
166 posted on Monday, July 20, 2009 12:39:26 AM by KTM rider ( revolution is the only thing that can save us now)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies | Report Abuse]
It would seem to me that if the people you’re voting for have to citizens, they the people doing the voting should be as well.
He’ll yea this should be appealed.
Thanks for the link to reporting voting abuse:
http://www.usdoj.gov/oig/FOIA/hotline2.htm
When I went to the site, I requested to be added to their e-mail list for future announcements. It is an excellent site giving links to government agencies such as the DEA, FBI, and others. Thanks for the link, Patriot!
If Georgia wants to nip this in the bud and tell the feds to take a fly leap then just copy Indiana’s new election laws word for word for voter identification.
It has already been in front of the USSC and passed, you have to have a valid photo ID to vote here, even an expired license will be refused. Screw them, its a quick end-around that will work by next election because it has been fought already, any lawsuits brought about have precedence already set.
This is criminal.
If you can sneak in, you can vote? A terrific strategy if you want to destroy the country...
I hope copying the Indiana Voter Law is the answer, Abathar. Thanks for your insight. Your post:
“If Georgia wants to nip this in the bud and tell the feds to take a fly leap then just copy Indiana’s new election laws word for word for voter identification.
It has already been in front of the USSC and passed, you have to have a valid photo ID to vote here, even an expired license will be refused. Screw them, its a quick end-around that will work by next election because it has been fought already, any lawsuits brought about have precedence already set.”
What can DoJ do about it, especially when the courts agree with GA. If I was the governor, I'd hold a press conference announcing my decision.
Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!
ping
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