Following Friday’s ruling by a U.S. District Court judge requiring Ohio legislators to withdraw their lawsuit against a federal consent decree regarding provisional ballots, Secretary of State Husted “remains concerned about the conflict between state law and the federal order.” The federal consent decree, which established more lenient standards for processing provisional ballots than allowed by a 2006 state law, was entered into in 2010 by then-Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, a Democrat promoted by the Soros-funded Secretary of State Project. The lawsuit filed by Republican state legislators said the Secretary of State’s agreement to a consent decree that changes Ohio law “is contrary to the authority delegated to the Secretary of State under the Ohio Constitution and violates the fundamental principles of separation of power by allowing the Secretary to intrude into the legislative function.” Judge Marbley’s reasoning in ordering lawmakers to file further concerns about the order in federal court, not state court: “Conflicting orders to the Secretary from the Ohio Supreme Court would not only undermine the jurisdiction of this Court but would further confuse an already well-muddied electoral landscape in these critical months leading up to a presidential election.” Legislators say they are “considering our options” and “plan an appeal.” Full story here.
Monthly Archives: May 2012
Ohio Provisional Ballots to be Governed by State Law or Federal Decree?
Following Friday’s ruling by a U.S. District Court judge requiring Ohio legislators to withdraw their lawsuit against a federal consent decree regarding provisional ballots, Secretary of State Husted “remains concerned about the conflict between state law and the federal order.” The federal consent decree, which established more lenient standards for processing provisional ballots than allowed by a 2006 state law, was entered into in 2010 by then-Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, a Democrat promoted by the Soros-funded Secretary of State Project. The lawsuit filed by Republican state legislators said the Secretary of State’s agreement to a consent decree that changes Ohio law “is contrary to the authority delegated to the Secretary of State under the Ohio Constitution and violates the fundamental principles of separation of power by allowing the Secretary to intrude into the legislative function.” Judge Marbley’s reasoning in ordering lawmakers to file further concerns about the order in federal court, not state court: “Conflicting orders to the Secretary from the Ohio Supreme Court would not only undermine the jurisdiction of this Court but would further confuse an already well-muddied electoral landscape in these critical months leading up to a presidential election.” Legislators say they are “considering our options” and “plan an appeal.” Full story here.
In Florida, cleaning of rolls of non-citizen voters becomes a partisan issue with federal agencies dragging their feet
The Tampa Bay Times reports: Amid an increasingly partisan dogfight, Florida elections officials say
the number of potential noncitizens they’re examining on the state voter
rolls is 180,000, a figure far higher than what was initially reported.
The immediate concern is the large number of potential non-citizens on the rolls and the fact that the Obama Department of Homeland Security is dragging its feet in cooperation with the states.
…By the end of the process, the state could send counties as many as
22,000 names to check, one election source indicated, in a state with
more than 12 million total voters. Right now, local supervisors
have been sent nearly 2,700 names, about 2,000 of which are in
Miami-Dade, Florida’s most-populous and most-immigrant heavy county.
Some
Democrats accuse Republican-appointed Secretary of State Ken Detzner of
engaging in a type of “voter suppression.” But Detzner’s office said
he’s trying to make sure no unlawful votes are cast — and it indicated
that President Barack Obama’s administration is stonewalling the effort
by refusing to share Department of Homeland Security databases that
could more easily show who’s a citizen and who’s not.
But Democrats don’t want to cooperate.
U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Miami, said in a written statement that DHS shouldn’t cooperate. “The
Florida Republicans’ desire to use Department of Homeland Security
information — which is for the purpose of thwarting terrorists and not
to engage in yet another round of voter suppression — would set a
dangerous precedent,” she said, “by not only taking away citizens’
constitutional right to vote but by giving state governments free rein
to invade innocent Americans’ privacy.”
In Florida, cleaning of rolls of non-citizen voters becomes a partisan issue with federal agencies dragging their feet
The Tampa Bay Times reports: Amid an increasingly partisan dogfight, Florida elections officials say
the number of potential noncitizens they’re examining on the state voter
rolls is 180,000, a figure far higher than what was initially reported.
The immediate concern is the large number of potential non-citizens on the rolls and the fact that the Obama Department of Homeland Security is dragging its feet in cooperation with the states.
…By the end of the process, the state could send counties as many as
22,000 names to check, one election source indicated, in a state with
more than 12 million total voters. Right now, local supervisors
have been sent nearly 2,700 names, about 2,000 of which are in
Miami-Dade, Florida’s most-populous and most-immigrant heavy county.
Some
Democrats accuse Republican-appointed Secretary of State Ken Detzner of
engaging in a type of “voter suppression.” But Detzner’s office said
he’s trying to make sure no unlawful votes are cast — and it indicated
that President Barack Obama’s administration is stonewalling the effort
by refusing to share Department of Homeland Security databases that
could more easily show who’s a citizen and who’s not.
But Democrats don’t want to cooperate.
U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Miami, said in a written statement that DHS shouldn’t cooperate. “The
Florida Republicans’ desire to use Department of Homeland Security
information — which is for the purpose of thwarting terrorists and not
to engage in yet another round of voter suppression — would set a
dangerous precedent,” she said, “by not only taking away citizens’
constitutional right to vote but by giving state governments free rein
to invade innocent Americans’ privacy.”
Voter ID legislative manuevering continues in New Hampshire
The legislative dance continues in New Hampshire where the state House passed a law that would require voters to show photo ID at the polls to confirm their identity with an immediate start date to prepare for the 2012 Presidential Election. The House bill would also require voters without ID to have their picture taken and attached to an affidavit from the person swearing to their identity. The Senate would also require a photo ID but allow voters to vote with an affidavit if the voter did not bring the ID the polls. However, the bill does not appear to require that a photograph of the voter be taken and would not go into effect until 2013. Local election clerks and officials don’t believe implementation is possible for the 2012 election.
More details of the bill and the legislative maneuvering from the Concord Monitor can be found here.
Rep. Will Smith, a New Castle Republican, sponsored the changes that
passed yesterday. Smith said yesterday the subcommittee that put
together the changes believed there is voter fraud in New Hampshire that
needs serious and immediate attention.
There has long been a push
for stricter voter identification laws, but the issue came to the
forefront in January after undercover videos showed men obtaining
primary ballots using the names of deceased voters.
Prescott’s
bill, which passed the Senate 18-5 in March, required ballot clerks to
request photo identification from voters in 2012 but also let them vote
without it. If voters did not have a photo identification at the polls
the next year, they would be asked to sign an affidavit verifying their
identity.
Anyone who voted that way would receive a letter within
90 days from the secretary of state’s office asking them to return it
with written verification that the person at the address had voted. If
the letter was undeliverable or the response indicated the person didn’t
vote, the state attorney general’s office would investigate.
Under
the changes made yesterday, voters would be asked for photo
identification this year but permitted to vote without it if they signed
an affidavit verifying their identity. The moderator or a designee must
then take a photograph of the voter and attach a printout of the image
to the affidavit.
Smith estimated that it would cost about $75,000
to buy camera and printing equipment for all the state’s nearly 330
voting stations. He said his intention would be to get federal voter
enhancement money to cover the cost.
Voter ID legislative manuevering continues in New Hampshire
The legislative dance continues in New Hampshire where the state House passed a law that would require voters to show photo ID at the polls to confirm their identity with an immediate start date to prepare for the 2012 Presidential Election. The House bill would also require voters without ID to have their picture taken and attached to an affidavit from the person swearing to their identity. The Senate would also require a photo ID but allow voters to vote with an affidavit if the voter did not bring the ID the polls. However, the bill does not appear to require that a photograph of the voter be taken and would not go into effect until 2013. Local election clerks and officials don’t believe implementation is possible for the 2012 election.
More details of the bill and the legislative maneuvering from the Concord Monitor can be found here.
Rep. Will Smith, a New Castle Republican, sponsored the changes that
passed yesterday. Smith said yesterday the subcommittee that put
together the changes believed there is voter fraud in New Hampshire that
needs serious and immediate attention.
There has long been a push
for stricter voter identification laws, but the issue came to the
forefront in January after undercover videos showed men obtaining
primary ballots using the names of deceased voters.
Prescott’s
bill, which passed the Senate 18-5 in March, required ballot clerks to
request photo identification from voters in 2012 but also let them vote
without it. If voters did not have a photo identification at the polls
the next year, they would be asked to sign an affidavit verifying their
identity.
Anyone who voted that way would receive a letter within
90 days from the secretary of state’s office asking them to return it
with written verification that the person at the address had voted. If
the letter was undeliverable or the response indicated the person didn’t
vote, the state attorney general’s office would investigate.
Under
the changes made yesterday, voters would be asked for photo
identification this year but permitted to vote without it if they signed
an affidavit verifying their identity. The moderator or a designee must
then take a photograph of the voter and attach a printout of the image
to the affidavit.
Smith estimated that it would cost about $75,000
to buy camera and printing equipment for all the state’s nearly 330
voting stations. He said his intention would be to get federal voter
enhancement money to cover the cost.
Kansas citizen verification for registration to go into effect in 2013
Yes, that is after the 2012 election, contrary to the implementation date Secretary of State Kobach believed prudent before the General Presidential Election. The lead RINO (Republican In Name Only) in the Kansas Senate (Senate President Steve Morris) has killed a proposed earlier enactment in June 2012. Apparently, even Kobach has conceded that legislation pushing for earlier implementation is dead.
Kobach, a conservative Republican, disputes those claims and contends
that the rule will prevent illegal immigrants and other non-citizens
from registering to vote. He said there’s little sense in delaying the
proof-of-citizenship requirement until after the busiest registration
period every four years.“It’s outrageous,” Kobach told The
Associated Press. “Because of his action today, it is very likely that
dozens of aliens -illegal or not illegal – will get on the Kansas voter
rolls.”…Kobach said Morris and his allies want to avoid an election-year vote against a popular measure.
“His actions go against the state’s interests to protect a small number of liberal Republicans from their constituents,” Koback said.
Kansas citizen verification for registration to go into effect in 2013
Yes, that is after the 2012 election, contrary to the implementation date Secretary of State Kobach believed prudent before the General Presidential Election. The lead RINO (Republican In Name Only) in the Kansas Senate (Senate President Steve Morris) has killed a proposed earlier enactment in June 2012. Apparently, even Kobach has conceded that legislation pushing for earlier implementation is dead.
Kobach, a conservative Republican, disputes those claims and contends
that the rule will prevent illegal immigrants and other non-citizens
from registering to vote. He said there’s little sense in delaying the
proof-of-citizenship requirement until after the busiest registration
period every four years.“It’s outrageous,” Kobach told The
Associated Press. “Because of his action today, it is very likely that
dozens of aliens -illegal or not illegal – will get on the Kansas voter
rolls.”…Kobach said Morris and his allies want to avoid an election-year vote against a popular measure.
“His actions go against the state’s interests to protect a small number of liberal Republicans from their constituents,” Koback said.