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.
It should be ignored...let the DOJ take GA back to the same
Fed courts that implemented the plan.
That’s my thought...just ignorethe DOJ until they have a court order or something.
Obama don’t need no stinking constitution ...
his next step to being King Obama.
Georgia should both appeal the rulling and declare that it has no standing.
Georgia should secede. SCREW Hussein and the Communist Congress-critters.
“Georgia should both appeal the rulling and declare that it has no standing.”
BO Justice Dept is challenging Georgia’s states rights. Here’s a story from the archives of my local online news dated May 28, 2009.
Henry official applauds new voter legislation
By Valerie Baldowski
Legislation requiring proof of citizenship to vote is now state law, and some officials in Henry heartily endorse the new measure.
According to the Georgia General Assembly’s web site, Gov. Sonny Perdue signed Senate Bill 86 into law on May 5. The bill amends a section of Georgia Code to require individuals applying to register to vote, to provide proof of United States citizenship before their registration can be accepted.
The bill passed in the State Senate 34-20 on March 3, and passed in the House 104-67 on April 3. The legislation takes effect Jan. 1, 2010.
http://www.henryherald.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=2&ArticleID=28371
B.S. Non-citizens can't vote. This is totally associated with the Voting Rights Act ... which if the Jim Crow south hadn't abused the power of the majority to deny voting rights to the minority blacks ... there never would have been a need for Federal intervention. This has nothing to do with allowing non-citizens to vote (because they can't and the administration is trying to let them) ... this is slight of hand / smokescreen for the real issue which is how much longer is the "special dispensation" allowing the Federal government the authority to approve voter registration and voting rights laws in a select number of former Jim Crow states. A couple years back Congress already voted to extend the program another 25 years or something like that. Just because the Administration won't approve a change for GA procedures doesn't mean they are trying to let non-citizens vote. If the procedures stay as is ... non-citizens still can't vote. So to say that just because they won't approve a change doesn't mean they are trying to give non-citizen. The Supreme Court has already ruled that Indiana's driver's license / photo ID is constitutional, particularly since there are provisional voting procedures in place. This is just another example of a deliberately INFLAMMATORY remark that obscures the truth in other to mischaracterize and paint the other side as being for something that they aren't. So let's focus on the real issue which is that the special federal dispensation was admittedly appropriate in 1970's and 1980's ... but it's time to decide how much longer such federal intrusion should be allowed to continue. There's no doubt that the special dispensation was constitutional since the constitution is VERY EXPLICIT in Article IV Section 4: "The United States shall guarantee to every state in this union a republican form of government, and shall protect each of them against invasion." So the federal government certainly has the power under extraordinary circumstances when evidence reveals the state is not acting as a republican form of government.
It is kind of fun arguing with him, any good ideas are welcome.
Why should Republicans continue to play by the rules? Why don’t we start signing up our dogs, dead relatives and cartoon characters? Keep pushing us and see what happens.
I’m getting ready to sign up my good buddy Mr. Mossberg.
Good grief. When this gets appealed to the Supreme Court, I wonder how Sotomayor will vote < /sarcasm>
What can I say? He obviously is beyond learning anything since he already knows it all. But, best of luck and please keep trying. Everything you add will be like planting little seeds for thought. Eventually, those roots will start growing! Best wishes to you, Patriot!
Next: Pres has no term limits (illegally revoke the 22nd amendment under 'special circumstances'.)
Ask him if he supports non-verified voting.
Ask him if he can see ‘abuses of power’ on both side of that coin.
Ask him if he supports abuse of power, or if he supports equal treatment under the law.
Finally, ask him if a society can ever be compassionate that doesn’t follow some kind of rules, some kind of rule of law that we can all agree with/sign off on..
I love this the Rev. Manning,
Try
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5I6ho0Qjco
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Wow, that’s some strong, good stuff...and this guy has a PHD also, interesting...not necessarily anything on it’s own, but interesting nonetheless..
This needs to go straight to the Supreme Court. That institution hasn’t been taken over by the radical left yet.
Now things are getting scary.
They are already preparing to try to fix the 2010 elections.
They will try at their peril.
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Has there been any progress opposing the stupidity of putting the Census Bureau underneath the WH thumb?
After putting in some info, it takes you to a page asking for MORE infor and a donation.....and no msg on whether you signed the petition!
Poorly done IMO.
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Thank you for the information. I didn’t catch that when I posted it.
As per the American Constitution - who can legally stop them from their patriotic duty? It says legal American citizens only. Proof everyone, so no one can claim bias.
The people of Georgia need to hear about this loud and clear. The press won't report it enough to get the peoples attention.
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