News
Group: Philly’s Voter Rolls Are Abnormally and Suspiciously Large
By Victor Fiorello It seems like every time there is an election in Philadelphia, there are allegations of shenanigans soon to follow, with the good ol' saying "vote early and vote often" being a staple of our democratic process. But one group isn't waiting until after the April 26th primary to cry foul. They've already filed a lawsuit. The Virginia-based is the right wing's answer to the left's American Civil Liberties Union. Founded by late Reagan administration advisor Robert Carleson and with a board that includes anti-porn and anti-drug crusader Edwin Meese, the ACRU has gone to court against Obamacare and in favor of gun owners and the formerly anti-gay Boy Scouts. And now the ACRU has come to Philadelphia with some pointed questions about our voter registration numbers. ACRU filed a federal lawsuit against the City Commissioners Office, the municipal body in charge of our elections, claiming that it hasn't bothered to respond to a January letter that the organization sent demanding access to voter registration records here. The ACRU says the letter was sent by certified mail, and in failing to reply, ACRU maintains that the city is in violation of the National Voter Registration Act.
Supreme Court: Count Illegals in Legislative Districting
A unanimous Supreme Court ruled Monday that illegal immigrants and other noncitizens can be counted when states draw their legislative districts, shooting down a challenge by Texas residents who said their own voting power was being diluted. The ruling does not grant noncitizens the power to vote, but says the principle of one person, one vote doesn't require localities to only count those who are actually eligible to vote when they are deciding how many people to put inside of each district. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, writing for the court, said even though only eligible voters are supposed to cast ballots, elected officials represent all people within their districts, and it is that act of representation, not the election itself, that the boundaries are drawn to.
Florida Mayor, Two Others, Indicted for Vote Fraud
ORLANDO --The mayor of Eatonville and two others face a host of charges in connection with an election fraud investigation. News of the indictment came as the grand jury looking into the case concluded its service Monday. Mayor Anthony Grant is accused of offering bribes in exchange for absentee votes -- allegations the Florida Department of Law Enforcement has investigated. "These three people conspired together to essentially present votes as if they were legitimate," said State Attorney Jeff Ashton. "That is the allegation in a number of the counts." Grant turned himself into authorities Monday night and is in the custody of the Orange County Jail. The two others named in the indictment, James Randolph and Mia Nowells, are also in custody. Officials said Randolph and Nowells worked for or with Grant during the election. "This indictment is the culmination of a one-year investigation," Ashton said. In a news conference, Ashton said Grant, along with his two alleged co-conspirators, Nowells and Randolph, is accused of either telling people how to vote or intimidating people to influence how they voted on their absentee ballots in last year's election.
West Virginia May Permit Auto Voter Signup
CHARLESTON (AP) - A push to automatically sign up voters that began with new laws in Oregon and California will soon likely hit a third, notably less liberal state - West Virginia. The proposed change has taken a less-than-conventional route to the governor's desk. After condemning a Republican voter ID bill as the "voter suppression act," Democrats offered an amendment to include automatic registration when people get driver's licenses or IDs. The Republican-led Legislature accepted it without much resistance. The reception was much cooler on the West Coast - only one Republican in California and none in Oregon voted for similar automatic registration setups. And in New Jersey, Republican Gov. Chris Christie vetoed a similar proposal cleared by Democrats last year. But West Virginia's Republican Senate president had only positive things to say. "If managed properly, automatic registration is a great benefit to our citizens and will encourage more people to go to the polls," said Senate President Bill Cole, R-Mercer.
Court Date Set for Texas Voter ID Law
A May 24th court date has been set to re-hear the case surrounding the Texas Voter ID law. In August, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeal ruled the law violates part of the Voting Rights Acts. However a majority of the full, 15-member court wants to reconsider the case. The voter ID law requires millions of registered voters to show a picture ID at the polls.
ACLU Sues Kansas over Proof-of-Citizenship Voting Law
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Tens of thousands of people in Kansas are being deprived of their right to vote, the American Civil Liberties Union argued in a lawsuit filed on Feb. 18 that challenged a state law requiring residents to show proof of citizenship when they register to vote. The suit is the latest to take direct aim at a three-year-old measure ushered into law by Secretary of State Kris W. Kobach, who has lobbied heavily over the years for measures that he said were needed to prevent non-citizens from casting ballots. The ACLU, arguing that fraud claims were unfounded, brought the class-action suit in federal court on behalf of six Kansas residents who said they were left off the voter rolls after registering at the state's Department of Motor Vehicles. Passed by its Republican-dominated legislature five years ago, the law requires residents to show proof of citizenship when they register.
Court to Hear Appeal of Ruling Striking Down Texas Voter ID Law
AUSTIN -- The full 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will to hear arguments on the constitutionality of the Texas voter identification law, the court said late Wednesday. The move, in response to a request by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, is the latest step in a case that seems destined for the U.S. Supreme Court. Last year, a panel of three judges on the appeals court issued a complicated ruling that largely was applauded by the plaintiffs in the case -- which include several civil rights groups and U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Fort Worth -- when it said the state's voter ID law violates the U.S. Voting Rights Act through its discriminatory effects. The panel affirmed a portion of a ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos of Corpus Christi, rejected another piece of it and sent other portions back to the lower court for further review. Later that month, Paxton asked the whole court to rehear the case, Veasey v. Abbott. In its order Wednesday, the court didn't specify a date to hear the case. Paxton responded Wednesday by saying the order "is a strong step forward" in the state's defense of the law. "Safeguarding the integrity of our elections is a primary function of state government and is essential to preserving our democratic process," he said in a statement. "We look forward to presenting our case before the full Fifth Circuit." Chad Dunn, an attorney for the lead plaintiff, said he looks forward to presenting the case. "So far, seven federal judges have already struck down Texas' voter photo identification law because it is the most complicated, discriminatory and burdensome such law in the country," he said.
Voter ID Age Dawns in North Carolina
Raleigh -- After years of debate and lawsuits, showing photo identification at the polls is now a fact of life for North Carolina voters. Early voting for the March 15 primary started Thursday across the state, and every voter is being asked for a photo ID, even if they've voted at the same precinct for years and the poll workers know them. "The check-in official is going to be responsible for looking for reasonable resemblance, and the only thing they're looking at is the photo on the ID - does the photo reasonably resemble the person?" said Kim Strach, director of the State Board of Elections.
No Voters Denied Due to Photo ID Law, former Virginia Officials Testify
Several former state and local election officials testified in federal court that they were not aware of any eligible voter who has been denied the right to cast a ballot because of Virginia's photo voter ID requirement enacted in 2013. "None," said Cameron Quinn, a former state elections official who from 2011 until last year was the general registrar for Fairfax County, testifying on March 1 in the sixth day of a trial before U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson in a lawsuit filed by the Democratic Party of Virginia and two voters challenging the state law. Fairfax is the state's largest jurisdiction and has 700,000 registered voters. Justin Riemer, a former member of the Virginia State Board of Elections and Donald Palmer, the former secretary of the board, also testified that they were not aware of anyone unable to vote because of the photo requirement.
West Virginia Voter ID Bill Goes to Senate
The West Virginia Senate is taking up a bill that the House of Delegates passed that would require voters to present identification at the polls before voting. Lead sponsor Delegate Patrick Lane, R-Kanawha, said 33 states have some form of voter ID law on the books that vary in what form of identification voters are required to produce. West Virginia falls somewhere in the middle of the spectrum, with what Lane called a "non-strict photo ID" bill that would accept several different forms of identification as proof of identity. Under the bill, which passed the House on Feb. 17, a voter would be able to produce a state drivers license, drivers license from another state, non-driver's state ID card, passport, photo student ID card or a photo ID from an employer as proof of identity. The bill would also provide for voters to present a non-photo Social Security card, Medicare or Medicaid card. Lane said virtually any eligible voter in the state should be able to come up with one of the forms of identification included in the bill. But if they can't, they would still be able to vote a provisional ballot under the proposed legislation. Lane also said a voter would be able to bring someone who has known him or her for at least six months to the polls to vouch that the voter is who he or she purports to be. House Democrats, however, spoke out against the bill, which they claimed is an attempt to suppress minority voters.