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New law could give illegals right to vote
WorldNetDaily.com ^ | Tuesday, September 30, 2003 | Jon Dougherty

Posted on 09/30/2003 1:23:14 AM PDT by JohnHuang2

Illegal aliens who soon will be able to obtain legal driver's licenses in California may also be able to vote in federal elections under terms of a new law set to take effect in January, analysts say.

Under the requirements of the "Help America Vote Act," passed in the wake of the 2000 presidential election recount debacle, states are now required to implement new standardized voting regulations, which include verifying voter identity, according to an analysis of the law by Public Citizen, a national non-partisan consumer-advocacy group.

One way the new law allows voters to be identified is via a driver's license, according to a Federal Election Commission summary of the law. If illegal aliens legally possess one, analysts speculate, they could also be allowed to cast ballots in U.S. elections.

For the first time, the law – which was signed by President Bush Oct. 29 – creates national voting and election standards "for the administration of all federal, state and local elections," the group said. Included in those standards are identification procedures.

One, dubbed a "ballot security measure," says all who register to vote "must provide a valid driver's license or … the last four digits of your Social Security number," Public Citizen said in its analysis.

"In many ways, the new law marks a significant step forward in improving the conduct of elections in the United States," Public Citizen said. "At the same time, however, the compromise sacrificed some additional steps that should have been taken to ensure that every vote counts and contains some of the ballot-security measures that are not useful to the democratic process."

As WorldNetDaily reported, California recently passed legislation allowing illegal aliens to obtain driver's licenses. Also, though they don't specifically permit it, 15 other states' licensing laws contain enough loopholes non-citizens can also obtain driver's licenses there, according to the Federation for American Immigration Reform, a group advocating tighter immigration restrictions.

"This may be an unintended consequence of the law," said Karen England of the Capitol Resources Institute, a conservative public-policy think tank in Sacramento.

One official with the FEC said "some safeguards" were in place to prevent illegals from voting in U.S. elections. But she admitted they may not be foolproof.

The Office of Elections Administration official, who asked not to be named, told WorldNetDaily her agency was examining the implications California law would have on elections, but that research wasn't yet complete.

"There's a way to alert people who are not citizens not to register to vote," the official said. "So there are some safeguards. Whether it's 100 percent accurate, I have no idea."

Immigrant-rights groups support licensing illegal aliens.

"We agree there is a serious immigration problem in this country. We've got a situation where our immigration laws really don't work," says Michele Waslin, senior immigration policy analyst at the National Council of La Raza. But, she added, "we believe everybody who drives a car should have a driver's license. It's better for all of us if all drivers are properly licensed and insured. It makes us all safer."

Opponents of the California law, which takes effect Jan. 1, are mounting a challenge to it. The Imperial Valley Press reports U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., is lending assistance to a statewide referendum to overturn the law.

Supporters of the proposition must get 366,000 signatures certified before the first of the year to delay implementation of the law until the November election.

The paper cited a field poll reported by the San Jose Mercury News stating 59 percent of Californians oppose licensing illegals, compared with 34 percent who support it.

Other states are considering allowing illegals to obtain driver's licenses, following Democrat Gov. Gray Davis' signing of California's legislation Sept. 5.

Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, also a Democrat, said earlier this month she too would sign a similar bill if one reached her desk, a position that put her at odds with leading Republicans in the state.


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: immigrantlist; immigration; jondougherty
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Tuesday, September 30, 2003

Quote of the Day by walford

1 posted on 09/30/2003 1:23:14 AM PDT by JohnHuang2
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To: JohnHuang2
We should add a requirement that males of draft age show their Selective Service registration.
2 posted on 09/30/2003 1:26:42 AM PDT by Flyer (Visit the Houston Chapter - http://houstonliberty.com/forums/ * (when it works)
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To: JohnHuang2
The article is just a bit misleading. While the drivers license may allow an illegal alien to vote, it does not make it legal for the illegal alien to vote much less a "right". It will take a constitutional amendment for that to happen. Is a driver’s license a bad idea for illegal aliens? Yes. But it does not serve the writer well to make such a rhetorical blunder of facts.
3 posted on 09/30/2003 1:29:26 AM PDT by Texasforever
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To: JohnHuang2
How about a mandatory 10 or 20 years in the slammer if an illegal alien gets caught voting? Enact and print that on drivers license applications...
4 posted on 09/30/2003 1:30:50 AM PDT by Solamente
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To: Flyer
We should add a requirement that males of draft age show their Selective Service registration.

Well, I did not know this. Illegal aliens are required to register.

Who Must Register

5 posted on 09/30/2003 1:32:19 AM PDT by Flyer (Visit the Houston Chapter - http://houstonliberty.com/forums/ * (when it works)
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To: JohnHuang2
Help stop this idiocy:

From SaveOurLicense.com

"Save Our License" is a grassroots campaign sponsored by the California Republican Assembly to place a referendum on the ballot to repeal SB 60, the law giving driver’s licenses to illegal aliens.

We only have until December 7th to collect roughly 375,000 valid signatures, and we’re mailing out petitions as fast as we can afford to. We need your financial support too!

Support the Referendum Effort

6 posted on 09/30/2003 1:36:35 AM PDT by calcowgirl (Right Wing Crazy #4052977)
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To: Texasforever
Bush signed a law that will effectively allow anyone with a valid driver's license to vote.

It's a bad law and Bush signed it.

Makes you wonder if Bush ever had a lick of common sense.

7 posted on 09/30/2003 2:44:08 AM PDT by 4Freedom (America is no longer the 'Land of Opportunity', it's the 'Land of Illegal Alien Opportunists'!!!)
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To: JohnHuang2
But then, I also read of a couple of states that flatly REFUSE to I.D. anyone voting??? (Demo/commiecrat state, I guess.
8 posted on 09/30/2003 3:44:47 AM PDT by Waco
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To: Solamente
I guess we could put a big, red "I" on their drivers license but that may make them feel, well, singled out as an ILLEGAL "immigrant.".
9 posted on 09/30/2003 3:51:24 AM PDT by freeangel (freeangel)
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To: JohnHuang2; Las Vegas Dave; dubyaismypresident; boxerblues; ResistorSister; dr.j'sfirst; ...
This is insane. Plus, they have to be registered to vote, not just show up on election day. In order to register, you must have a SSN. (unless we are giving those out to illegals too).

Once they are identified as illegal, why can't they be put on a bus, truck, taxi, plane etc and sent back to whatever God forsaken country they came from?

…..Semper Fi

10 posted on 09/30/2003 4:47:42 AM PDT by North Coast Conservative (just a patriot, seeking to keep America free)
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To: Flyer
We should add a requirement that males of draft age show their Selective Service registration.

What about females?

11 posted on 09/30/2003 4:54:01 AM PDT by wai-ming
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To: wai-ming
What about females?

They aren't required to register, but that's another thread in itself.

12 posted on 09/30/2003 4:55:51 AM PDT by Flyer (Visit the Houston Chapter - http://houstonliberty.com/forums/ * (when it works)
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To: freeangel; JohnHuang2; Waco; All
I have a historical question. Name other countries, where neighboring residents "relocated" to the new country, and were assimilated into the new country. Also, include any procedures undertaken to credential the new residents.
13 posted on 09/30/2003 5:01:27 AM PDT by RightOnGOP
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To: JohnHuang2
Illegal aliens who soon will be able to obtain legal driver's licenses in California may also be able to vote in federal elections under terms of a new law set to take effect in January

Hmm, a rat plan working to perfection, perhaps?

14 posted on 09/30/2003 5:05:09 AM PDT by Puppage (You may disagree with what I have to say, but I will defend to your death my right to say it)
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To: JohnHuang2
Sickening

The Party of Death vs. The Party of Slow Suicide

15 posted on 09/30/2003 5:31:09 AM PDT by truthandlife
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To: JohnHuang2
You want proof to allow anybody to vote?

Make everybody who shows up produce their U.S. Passport!

16 posted on 09/30/2003 5:35:15 AM PDT by Gritty
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To: gubamyster; HiJinx
ping
17 posted on 09/30/2003 5:39:54 AM PDT by Libertarianize the GOP (Ideas have consequences)
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To: 4Freedom
There's nothing wrong with the law signed by Bush, it requires a verification of identity other than the voter's registration prior to voting. There's a whole lot wrong with issuing legal driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, which is something you would normally be wailing about, bit the opportunity to side with the left in a bit of Bush bashing was just too tempting to pass up.

But, don't let the facts get in the way of your need to bash Bush...and BTW, if you spend your day listening to Dean, Kerry, Clark, and the rest, you'll pick up lots and lots of talking points to use.
18 posted on 09/30/2003 5:45:14 AM PDT by Luis Gonzalez ("As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide." - Abraham Lincoln)
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To: Luis Gonzalez
it requires a verification of identity other than the voter's registration prior to voting.

In California, the requirement to verify identity is handled by having the prospective voter sign his/her name. There is not other verification, all you need do is register. Actually showing proof of identity is a good idea. (Now should illegals be given such proof?) Well, taking their fingerprints and names and getting them registered will make it hard for them to vote more than onec, and may lead to their being easier to locate? The new California law may not net very many applicants as the illegals tend to avoid such things as leaving a fingerprint.

19 posted on 09/30/2003 5:56:59 AM PDT by KC_for_Freedom (Sailing the highways of America, and loving it.)
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To: Luis Gonzalez
"...requires a verification of identity..."

Sure it does, but with ID that is easy to get thanks to the continued pandering of Liberal Democrats and RINOs and misguided laws like this.

Or does this mean that Luis Gonzalez is on record as saying that no illegal aliens will be voting in future elections?

20 posted on 09/30/2003 6:03:32 AM PDT by 4Freedom (America is no longer the 'Land of Opportunity', it's the 'Land of Illegal Alien Opportunists'!!!)
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