Justice Department to Send Election Observers to Arizona as Concern Rises About Illegal Voters
Published October 30, 2010
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Attorney General Eric Holder speaks during a news conference at the Justice Department in Washington, Monday, Oct. 4, 2010. (AP)
The
Justice Department is sending a small pack of election observers to
Arizona as Hispanic groups sound the alarm over an anti-illegal
immigration group's mass e-mail seeking to recruit Election Day
volunteers to help block illegal immigrants from voting.
Hispanic voting rights groups say the e-mail is just an attempt to intimidate minority voters.
But election fraud monitors say that there are hundreds of examples of
duplicate registrations, wrong information and past unregistered voters
getting ballots.
Voter fraud allegations have emerged just
days before the midterm in many crucial battleground states across the
country, including Nevada, Pennsylvania and Florida.
The Justice Department announced Friday it
would deploy more than 400 federal observers to 30 jurisdictions in 18
states ahead of Tuesday's election. But Arizona officials say the department had already committed to sending observers to their state.
Justice Department officials had notified Maricopa County that they would send a "handful" of election observers, even before the e-mail was sent, Matthew Benson, a spokesman for Arizona's secretary of state, told FoxNews.com.
"We don't know why (the observers are)
coming," he said. "But we do not believe it's in response to the
e-mails making the rounds."
But William Gheen, executive director of Americans for Legal Immigration, said he knows why they're coming.
"They're sending them out because the Obama administration
is doing everything it can to make sure as many illegal aliens vote in
2010 although that is a violation of federal law," he told FoxNews.com.
Benson noted that the Justice Department
sends election observers to at least one Arizona county every election.
In 2006, the department sent around 30 election observers to Maricopa
County, he said.
Benson said the plan had nothing to do with the firestorm elicited by Ban Amnesty Now, or B.A.N., the group that sent an e-mail entitled "6 Days to STOP Illegals from Stealing the Election!"
The e-mail said "open-border criminals" in
the unions, the White House and Hispanic groups are "determined to
undermine" the election.
The e-mail originally included the
signature of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, an immigration
enforcement proponent and B.A.N. honorary co-chairman, but Arpaio's
name was later removed after Sean McCaffrey, the president of B.A.N.,
said he didn't mean to send out the e-mail
attributed to the sheriff.
That didn't deter one voting rights group,
Mi Familia Vota, from sending a letter to Justice Department officials
Thursday asking them to send election observers.
"We are very concerned when you have
Sheriff Joe Arpaio putting out this type of call to the community with
the fear and concern that illegals are going to take over the
election," said Ben Monterroso, president of the group. "It's not that
we're not concerned that the elections are secure, but the way that
it's been written – anyone who has the appearance of a foreign person,
i.e. being a Latino – then that can create intimidation and violate
their rights to vote."
McCaffrey said Friday that, despite the
erroneous attribution to Arpaio, he is looking for volunteers to
provide information to his group about voter fraud, "especially stories
concerning activities involving illegal aliens."
"We hope that by forwarding interested volunteers to state elections officials we may contribute to smooth, fair and legal elections
in all 50 U.S. states," he wrote in a blog on the group's website.
"Furthermore, we hope that those who seem so shocked and outraged that
Americans are concerned about stopping voter fraud will own up to their
actions and stop committing vote fraud."
McCaffrey told FoxNews.com in an interview that nearly 500 people have volunteered so far -- about 100 of them in Arizona.
Part of the concern for voter fraud
monitors is a result of a ruling this week by a federal appeals court
that stripped the state of its ability to request proof of citizenship
when residents register to vote.
State officials say the ruling could increase the likelihood of voter
fraud but not in next week's midterms because the deadline for
registration passed before the decision.
At Arizona polls, voters must show one
piece of identification that includes their name, address and
photograph, such as a driver's license. They also can provide two forms
of ID with their names and address, such as a utility bill or bank
statement. Voters can also provide one form a acceptable photo ID with
another form of non-photo ID that includes their name and address, such
as a passport and a utility bill.
Arpaio declined to comment, but McCaffrey
told FoxNews.com that he apologized to the sheriff Thursday for using
his name without his permission. Arpaio, he said, stepped down as
honorary co-chairman.
"He'll continue to support us but he didn't
want an official title with the group while he was being investigated
by everyone with a badge at the White House," he said, alluding to the
Justice Department's investigation into whether Arpaio's office was
discriminating against Hispanics with its crackdown on illegal
immigrants.
Monterroso said he's happy the Justice Department is sending poll watchers, even if it's not in response to his group's letter.
"I think it's the right thing to do," he
said. "It's better to be safe than sorry. If they have people out
there, we want to make sure people vote without fear of intimidation or
harassment by anyone else."
“Prop. 200”, “House Bill 2013″ and “SB1070″
ReplyDelete0 = Arizona
3 = USA/ Our Constitution/ We the People of the United States
We are a country that is ruled by the Constitution (with all Amendments), and the Declaration of Independence, not by the majority of the day. When the uneducated do not know the principles in these documents, therein lays the problem in losing, so no one should be surprised when the dullards lose in court after being smartly challenged.
Last month of October 2010, our Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned Arizona’s requirement that people show proof of citizenship to register to vote or the 2004, “Prop. 200”. In the month of July 2010, our U.S. Federal courts have found the so called State of Arizona hate filled legislation namely “House Bill 2013″ and “SB1070″ Un-constitution (So much for the intellect of Jan Brewer, “Did you read the bills you signed?”). But we all know that they will go crying to the Supreme Court of the United States, please, please, please go. We will fight you in Arizona, any other state, and yes in Washington DC. We will not tire, we will not be silent and we will persevere, I promise you.
In my opinion the Republican Party has been taken over the most extreme of clans; the Baggers, Birthers and Blowhards (people who love to push their beliefs and hate on others while trying to take away the rights of those they just hate) and that’s who they need to extract from their party if they real want to win in November. Good Luck, because as they said in WACO, “We Ain’t Coming Out”.
I know the proponents of this law say that the majority approves of these laws, but the majority is not always right. Would women or non-whites have the vote if we listen to the majority of the day, would the non-whites have equal rights (and equal access to churches, housing, restaurants, hotels, retail stores, schools, colleges and yes water fountains) if we listen to the majority of the day? We all know the answer, a resounding, NO! You were all wrong then and you are wrong now!
I hope that every American, regardless of where he lives, will stop and examine his conscience about this and other related incidents. This Nation was founded by men of many nations and backgrounds. It was founded on the principle that all men are created equal, and that the rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened. All of us ought to have the right to be treated as he would wish to be treated, as one would wish his children to be treated, but this is not the case.
Today we are committed to a worldwide struggle to promote and protect the rights of all who wish to be free. In a time of domestic crisis men of good will and generosity should be able to unite regardless of party or politics and do what is right, not what is just popular with the majority. Some men comprehend discrimination by never have experiencing it in their lives, but the majority will only understand after it happens to them.