Which state has the most African-American elected officials? Mississippi. In fact the Magnolia State and its Southern brethren lead the country in many categories of black voting prowess and electoral power. For instance, when the Census Bureau compared racial disparities in voting registration and turnout, the top 10 — i.e., the states where differences were the smallest — included Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia, with Louisiana, South Carolina and Texas not far behind. In fact, black voters in Mississippi and Alabama actually turn out in higher percentages than their white counterparts. . . The fact that Section 5 directs the federal government to treat some states differently raises serious constitutional concerns. Even more problematic is that Congress has not updated the Section 5 coverage formula since 1972. This formula is so out-of-date that if applied today it would only cover Hawaii. . . The criteria the court used to justify Section 5’s admittedly heavy burdens are weak at best. For instance, the court looked to the quantity of Department of Justice Section 5 actions — e.g., information requests and objections. It concluded that this activity demonstrated persistent problems in covered jurisdictions. A cynic might opine this activity derives from DOJ agents with political agendas seeking to justify their positions.
Author Archives: ELECTIONLAWCENTER.COM
Artur Davis Leaves Behind Alabama Democrats, Who Have “Lost Faith” with the People
WaPo reports: Davis has become a critic of his own party and broken with Democrats on a number of high-profile issues, including voter ID laws. The Republican Party, Davis said in his statement, “is fighting the drift in this country in a way that comes closest to my way of thinking: wearing a Democratic label no longer matches what I know about my country and its possibilities.” The Alabama Democratic Party in particular, he says, “has weakened and lost faith with more and more Alabamians every year.”
Tennessee Democrats questions purge of local voters
The Hamilton county Democratic Party wants a federal investigation into
the purging of some 8,000 voter names from the local roles.
…Charlotte Mullis Morgan\Elections Administrator “We purge when
someone does not vote in two consecutive presidential elections..two
November elections. If we have not heard from them..we have not had a
change of address or no communication with them what so ever, then they
are purged.” Ms.Mullis-Morgan says her office does not consider party affiliation when cleaning up the voter rolls.
“Voter ID is a matter of honor”
A Minnesota voter gives his perspective.
More from Hans von Spakovsky on the DOJ Voting Section
Here. “A source inside the Justice Department sent me an internal posting showing the ‘Administrative Review Teams’ in the Voting Section of the Civil Rights Division for Section 5 submissions under the Voting Rights Act. Section 5 is the tool that Justice used to object to the voter ID laws of Texas and South Carolina.“
And that’s just the beginning.
Sen. Marco Rubio to Latinos on Voter ID
“Obama’s DOJ Could Stop Swatting”
My latest at Breitbart.com:
“When a gang employs sophisticated physical attacks designed to cause a confrontation that may result in death, simply because their target is worshiping or speaking freely, the species of evil is the same. Whether the gang plots street mayhem to make political opponents and Jews tremble, or sparks midnight visits to political opponents by armed men with the warrant of expediency to kick in doors, the goal is the same.
Political terrorism has no place in America. It is time for our great legal institutions to respond. It’s time for the Justice Department to take the side of the law-abiding once again and prosecute the thugs, regardless of political allegiances.”
Voter ID: “What’s the Big Deal?”
California’s Daily Press. Backers of voter identification laws — which pretty much always center on identification cards with a photo of the bearer — are mostly conservatives. Those opposed? Liberals, of course. . . . We agree with the conservatives mostly, but we don’t think their arguments go far enough. When they point out how often photo identification is required for so many activities, they assume everyone knows why this is so. But apparently not everyone does. If you’re attempting to cash a check, say at a super market, it’s a dead solid certainty that you’ll be asked for photo identification before getting approval. Why is that? Because there are a certain number of people fully prepared to commit fraud so they can get the check cashed. The owner of the market is simply trying to cut down on the number of checks he cashes that come back marked “insufficient funds,” inflicting financial losses on his business.”
“Is there widespread voter fraud, here in California or across the country? No. Is there any voter fraud at all? Of course.
Election Integrity in Maryland
From American Thinker: “Recognizing that free and fair elections depend upon citizen involvement, Election Integrity Maryland, empowered by True the Vote in Texas, was formed to ensure that voter registration rolls are accurate and in compliance with federal and state election laws, to encourage citizens to be active participants in the electoral process by volunteering to be election judges and poll watchers, and to offer poll watcher training to registered voters.”
Sadly, the ignorant and the ideological will view this has a conspiracy to discourage the vote. To believe this, one facilitates illegality. The law permits, and in some cases encourages, law abiding citizens to help ensure elections are run free and fair. In many cases, opposition to election integrity measures are merely partisan anxieties dressed up in the garb of voting rights. The problem for these people is that most Americans believe in following the law, and as long as the law is on the side of groups like Election Integrity Maryland, 2012 is going to be a very different sort of election in places like Maryland, and around the nation.
More on Virginia Felons Voting in 2008
Felons should take note. If they vote in states where it is illegal for them to vote, they may be arrested. If they do it in Virginia, they will be arrested. Every felon who voted in 2008 in Virginia is going to be discovered and arrested. Hopefully it sends a message to felons in 2012 that they best not register to vote in November.
The only question is for whom they voted in 2008.