Posted on 10/24/2008 6:50:56 AM PDT by jessduntno
Fairfax County elections staff visited jail to register inmates By William C. Flook Examiner Staff Writer 10/8/08
Inmates at the Fairfax County jail were encouraged to register and vote last week by elections officials making what the county’s sheriff called the first visit of its kind in his 30 years with the county.
That voter turnout effort is now being defended by county officials, but blasted by Republicans who called it an attempt to influence what could be a close presidential election in the commonwealth.
Both Fairfax County General Registrar Rokey Suleman and Sheriff Stan Barry deny any wrongdoing in the decision that granted Office of Elections on-site access to the Adult Detention Center in downtown Fairfax. Barry did, however, say it was unprecedented in his 30-year career with the county.
“We’d never run into it before, honestly,” Barry said. “They contacted us last week and we were not willing to take any role in it, but basically they were just asking for access to the prisoners who were eligible to vote, and we gave them that.”
The visit came as presidential campaigns were making feverish attempts to sign up voters ahead of the Oct. 6 deadline. The state is considered critical to the White House aspirations of Barack Obama and John McCain.
Felons are not eligible to vote in Virginia without having their rights restored by the governor. Suleman said his office, at the request of criminal defense attorneys who approached his staff, delivered registration forms and absentee ballots to inmates with misdemeanor convictions and those awaiting felony trials. Suleman, who is listed as a founder of the Trumbull County (Ohio) Young Democrats, ran for office in the Buckeye State as a Democrat earlier this year.
(Excerpt) Read more at dcexaminer.com ...
More from the “cheat to win” crowd.
Isn’t this the same county that is throwing out the absentee votes of a number of our service men and women?
I acknowledge this is strange, but how is it stealing to sign up people who are eligible to vote? The sheriff says he gave out only the names of those not convicted of a felony.
Yet Military ballots are being rejected.
I have no words to describe our angry this makes me.
Fairfax general registrar Rokey Suleman said Thursday that he has had to reject some of the ballots because of a Virginia law passed in 2002. That law — then called Senate Bill 113, sponsored by then state Sen. Bill Bolling — requires that when an overseas citizen wants to request an absentee ballot and cast a vote with the same paperwork, it requires not only a witness signature but also the current address of the witness.
The McCain campaign said there’s not even a space for the witness to list an address. Suleman agreed; he said the federal document was changed in recent years and the space for the witness address was removed. But the Virginia law hasn’t changed.
How come his is the only county doing it and no one else?
Yeah, you’re right - prisoners ALWAYS vote Rep.
Rokey has a better idea:
Fairfax general registrar Rokey Suleman said Thursday that he has had to reject some of the ballots because of a Virginia law passed in 2002. That law — then called Senate Bill 113, sponsored by then state Sen. Bill Bolling — requires that when an overseas citizen wants to request an absentee ballot and cast a vote with the same paperwork, it requires not only a witness signature but also the current address of the witness.
The McCain campaign said there’s not even a space for the witness to list an address. Suleman agreed; he said the federal document was changed in recent years and the space for the witness address was removed. But the Virginia law hasn’t changed.
Federal document and rules take precedent over state rules...like to see those challenged in court!
The Registrar is a shameless Dem hack?
Fairfax general registrar Rokey Suleman said Thursday that he has had to reject some of the ballots because of a Virginia law passed in 2002.
The McCain campaign said there’s not even a space for the witness to list an address. Suleman agreed; he said the federal document was changed in recent years and the space for the witness address was removed. But the Virginia law hasn’t changed.
The Fairfax County registrar is following a 2002 law introduced by Republican Bill Bolling and passed by a Republican General Assembly. He thinks the law stinks. But it’s the law. Should he violate it?
“Yeah, you’re right - prisoners ALWAYS vote Rep.”
So you oppose letting people register if you think they won’t vote Republican?
Is Fairfax County the only county doing this or is it taking place in the entire state?
Just imagine how many of these are illegals as well as felons!
They're trying but unfortunately this ploy is legal. They can vote early while waiting for their felony trial (and probable conviction).
Jesse Jack@ss did the same thing in 2004 at the Cook County Jail. Gang bangers waiting for their murder trial got to register and VOTE (some sit there for three years waiting for the trial (delays are the lawyers trick), and 'innocent' all that time).
“Is Fairfax County the only county doing this or is it taking place in the entire state?”
I can’t tell you. The article I read said it might have happened in a couple of other places — very tiny numbers. Virginia has something like 135 separate localities and I don’t think even the McCain people have checked them all.
The law requires that when an overseas citizen wants to request an absentee ballot and cast a vote with the same paperwork, you need a witness signature AND the current address of the witness. I assume that this was envisioned by Bolling as some sort of anti-fraud measure.
But the federal ballot these soldiers sent in as a backup ballot because they were afraid they wouldn’t get their state ballot in time, doesn’t have a space for an address. I think in Fairfax there were about 250 of these, although not all were thrown out.
Yes, that’s the same crew.
Both Fairfax County General Registrar Rokey Suleman and Sheriff Stan Barry deny any wrongdoing in the decision that granted Office of Elections on-site access to the Adult Detention Center in downtown Fairfax.
“Barry did, however, say it was unprecedented in his 30-year career with the county.”
“Unprecedented” is not the same as illegal. I agree that it sounds strange and that maybe these aren’t the folks you want deciding an election, but IF they are citizens and not felons, they have a right to register. In fact, in most states, most felons automatically get their right to vote back. Not so in Virginia.
I feel very strongly that ANYBODY who is a legal voter should be allowed to register. Period.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.