While many have seen Rove’s fingerprints in creating the elaborate tale of voter fraud as a pretext for voter suppression, Greg Gordon at the McClatchy Newspapers shows some of how the politicization of the Justice Department was accomplished. In a Sunday report, Gordon shows how former Department of Justice official . Hans von Spakovsky spent much of his four years there “in a crusade against voter fraud.” Under a pseudonym, von Spakovsky wrote a law journal article about the importance of photo ID to prevent voter fraud, further saying there was “no evidence” that such ID was a burden on minorities. He has also been linked to controversial voter ID cases in Georgia and Arizona. Von Spakovsky then allegedly sped up the approval process for controversial voter ID bills in Georgia and Arizona, citing his own law journal article as support for the laws. He did this,despite objections by career staff “who believed that Georgia's law would restrict voting by poor blacks and who felt that more analysis was needed on the Arizona law's impact on Native Americans and Latinos.” He also attempted to influence the federal Election Assistance Commission's research on voter fraud and voter ID laws: “A House panel revealed last month that the fraud study's central finding - that there was little evidence of widespread voter fraud - had been toned down to say that 'a great deal of debate' surrounded the subject,” wrote Gordon. Von Sparkovsky has been given a recess appointment to the Federal Elections Commission and has a confirmation hearing scheduled for June 13th.
In Other News:
Florida Governor Charlie Crist signed two significant bills Monday, “eliminating electronic voting machines in favor of paper ballots and making Florida's presidential primary among the earliest in the nation.” The new law requiring paper records won't be in effect for the new Jan. 29 presidential primary, but is expected to be implemented for the fall 2008 elections, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Florida League of Women Voters called the bill mandating paper-based voting systems “deeply flawed” in Thursday's Palm Beach Post. The bill was inundated with numerous “objectionable amendments” just days before the end of session, including provisions that “stifle” voter registration drives by “grassroots organizations,” an issue that is “similar to prior years' legislation that the League of Women Voters is challenging in court.”
Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner announced a new voter registration program to get young people to vote, according to the Columbus Dispatch. Under the pilot program that will reach 147 high schools in several counties, all graduates will receive a voter form and letter encouraging them to register. “The goal is to expand the program statewide next year, depending on the response, Brunner said,” hoping to register 10% or more graduates.
Wisconsin State Rep. Joe Parisi introduced legislation to fully restore voting rights of felons who have completed their sentence, a proposal Assembly Republican Scott Suder called “dead on arrival,” according to the Wisconsin Radio Network. Current law restores former felons' voting rights after completing probation or parole.
Erin Ferns is a Research and Policy Analyst with Project Vote’s Strategic Writing and Research Department (SWORD).
In Other News:
Florida Governor Charlie Crist signed two significant bills Monday, “eliminating electronic voting machines in favor of paper ballots and making Florida's presidential primary among the earliest in the nation.” The new law requiring paper records won't be in effect for the new Jan. 29 presidential primary, but is expected to be implemented for the fall 2008 elections, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Florida League of Women Voters called the bill mandating paper-based voting systems “deeply flawed” in Thursday's Palm Beach Post. The bill was inundated with numerous “objectionable amendments” just days before the end of session, including provisions that “stifle” voter registration drives by “grassroots organizations,” an issue that is “similar to prior years' legislation that the League of Women Voters is challenging in court.”
Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner announced a new voter registration program to get young people to vote, according to the Columbus Dispatch. Under the pilot program that will reach 147 high schools in several counties, all graduates will receive a voter form and letter encouraging them to register. “The goal is to expand the program statewide next year, depending on the response, Brunner said,” hoping to register 10% or more graduates.
Wisconsin State Rep. Joe Parisi introduced legislation to fully restore voting rights of felons who have completed their sentence, a proposal Assembly Republican Scott Suder called “dead on arrival,” according to the Wisconsin Radio Network. Current law restores former felons' voting rights after completing probation or parole.
Erin Ferns is a Research and Policy Analyst with Project Vote’s Strategic Writing and Research Department (SWORD).
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