Call to Action
Voter Registration and Provisional Ballots
Introduced by federal law in 2002 as part of the Help America Vote Act
(HAVA),
the federal government now requires that each state have a centralized
database
of registered voters.
At the same time, a provisional ballot requirement was instituted for
voters
whose registration was in question. HAVA provisional ballot law allows
election
officials to give provisional ballots to any persons who:
· show up at the polls on Election Day but find that, for whatever reason,
their names are not on the voter rolls; or
· have their right to vote challenged by an election official. (Note: In
many locations it’s not just election officials, but also partisan
observers who challenge voters).
Unlike regular ballots, provisional ballots are not required under HAVA
to be counted.
Rather, the decision whether or not to count provisional ballots is
determined by
the 50 individual Secretaries of State. Across the nation, large numbers
of provisional
ballots have been systematically rejected. During the 2004 election, a
total of
3,107,490 voters were moved into provisional ballots. The number of
ballots rejected
was a stunning 1,090,729.
ACTION: Check with www.CanIVote.org to see if you are registered. You
also need
to ensure your ID matches the voter registration name exactly. Voters
can be challenged
over minor things, such as a middle initial on their ID while the voter
roll has a full
middle name listed. Also, check to be sure your polling place has not moved.
New Voter Identification Laws
Many states have passed laws that require citizens to provide a photo
identification
piece proving that they are indeed citizens. A driver’s license and a
birth certificate
are inadequate because the former doesn’t prove citizenship and the
latter doesn’t
provide a photo. A passport does qualify. As the state supreme courts
review these new
laws, many have already been struck down as unconstitutional because
they are barriers to voting.
ACTION: All citizens should check with their
Secretary of State’s office to find out
what the current requirements are. If a photo ID is required, a protest
should be lodged as to the unconstitutionality of the law.
Join the Transparency Project
http://www.verifiedvotingfoundation.org/article.php?id=6389
Election News
For a daily update of election news in your state go to
this link and scroll down
(news articles are listed alphabetically by state).
