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L. Coyote

(51,129 posts) Mon Jun 18, 2012, 10:59 PM Jun 2012

Alabama Departments Fail To Provide Voter Registration Materials When Required By Law

Source: ty Amanda Peterson Beadle on Jun 18, 2012 at 3:10

Conservative officials are disenfranchising voters across the country through voter ID laws that could prevent up to 3 million voters from casting a ballot and Florida’s voter purge that continues even though Justice Department officials say it is illegal. Now another state is stopping voters by not providing voter registration information.

According to national voting rights and civil rights groups, Alabama agencies are failing to follow a federal law requiring that state offices provide voter registration materials to residents who seek government assistance.The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 states that all applicants for public assistance must be given voter registration applications, but a coalition including Demos, the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and Project Vote said their investigation and interviews found that state Department of Human Resources (DHR) and Medicaid offices are not complying with this law.

A DHR spokeswoman said it was the department’s policy to provide voter registration, but in a letter to Alabama Secretary of State Beth Chapman (R), the coalition outlines how this policy is not being followed: ............

Read more: http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/06/18/501403/alabama-voter-registration/

Ninety days to comply is another 90 days of suppressing voters. Get pissed and register someone to vote!

17 replies

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Alabama Departments Fail To Provide Voter Registration Materials When Required By Law (Original Post) L. Coyote Jun 2012 OP

Gotta wonder if 2000 would have been different if the DOJ had enforced voting laws. McCamy Taylor Jun 2012 #1

Without the political criminals, it certainly would have been! n/t L. Coyote Jun 2012 #17

Surprise Surprise! elleng Jun 2012 #2

State agencies should follow the law Neue Regel Jun 2012 #3

It's not exactly arbitrary oNobodyo Jun 2012 #4

It seems to me that the Post Office would be better suited for this particular task Neue Regel Jun 2012 #6

What about those that don't have a home to leave? Thor_MN Jun 2012 #9

So I take it you're against motor-voter registration too? Gormy Cuss Jun 2012 #11

Voter registrations are done by states - the Post Office is a Federal agency csziggy Jun 2012 #12

I first registered to vote back in the early '80s. Igel Jun 2012 #13

Having forms available is not the same as actually registering voters csziggy Jun 2012 #14

no one interacts with usps daily L. Coyote Jun 2012 #15

It is called giving people more opportunities to get registered to vote. yellowcanine Jun 2012 #10

Thanks for this very important post. Action and integrity can curtail this plague. n/t HCE SuiGeneris Jun 2012 #5

K&R EFerrari Jun 2012 #7

Spam deleted by tjwmason (MIR Team) Matthew66 Jun 2012 #8

K & R !!! WillyT Jun 2012 #16

McCamy Taylor

(19,240 posts)

1. Gotta wonder if 2000 would have been different if the DOJ had enforced voting laws.

Reply to L. Coyote (Original post)

Mon Jun 18, 2012, 11:29 PM

Jun 2012

L. Coyote

(51,129 posts)

17. Without the political criminals, it certainly would have been! n/t

Reply to McCamy Taylor (Reply #1)

Wed Jun 20, 2012, 09:04 AM

Jun 2012

elleng

(130,907 posts)

2. Surprise Surprise!

Reply to L. Coyote (Original post)

Mon Jun 18, 2012, 11:49 PM

Jun 2012

Neue Regel

(221 posts)

3. State agencies should follow the law

Reply to L. Coyote (Original post)

Mon Jun 18, 2012, 11:55 PM

Jun 2012

But I have to wonder, what was the reasoning behind the requirement that state offices provide voter registration materials to residents who seek government assistance? That seems rather arbitrary.

oNobodyo

(96 posts)

4. It's not exactly arbitrary

Reply to Neue Regel (Reply #3)

Tue Jun 19, 2012, 12:45 AM

Jun 2012

If you consider the high likelihood that anyone needing those services would also have greater problems becoming registered to vote or that if anyone would be sensitive to the failures of a society and needed to be voting, that those people requiring assistance would be the people most aware of what can go wrong.

But then again, there are those that nearly deify those that win the birth lottery and disparage those that don't as some how less important voices to be heard.

Neue Regel

(221 posts)

6. It seems to me that the Post Office would be better suited for this particular task

Reply to oNobodyo (Reply #4)

Tue Jun 19, 2012, 01:26 AM

Jun 2012

Every person in the nation interacts with the post office on a near-daily basis, and we don't even have to leave our homes to do so. Okay, so we have to walk to the mailbox, or occasionally go to the post office, but still, it seems to fit under the umbrella of services the post office provides. When you go to the post office to pick up or mail a package or change your address, register to vote at your new address. Or have your mailman/mailwoman deliver voter ID info to your mailbox and pick up your completed form from you after you've finished it.

Thor_MN

(11,843 posts)

9. What about those that don't have a home to leave?

Reply to Neue Regel (Reply #6)

Tue Jun 19, 2012, 08:45 AM

Jun 2012

To interact with the Postal Service, you either have to have an address or go to a Post Office. Some people don't have a "permanent" address.

Add this to Postal Services and the Repugs are going to redouble their efforts to kill the US Postal Service.

Gormy Cuss

(30,884 posts)

11. So I take it you're against motor-voter registration too?

Reply to Neue Regel (Reply #6)

Tue Jun 19, 2012, 09:56 AM

Jun 2012

The idea of enabling voter registration as part of license and vehicle registration is based on the same principle, namely broadening the places where people can register.

csziggy

(34,136 posts)

12. Voter registrations are done by states - the Post Office is a Federal agency

Reply to Neue Regel (Reply #6)

Tue Jun 19, 2012, 10:08 AM

Jun 2012

So it is not appropriate for registering voters.

The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA), also known as The Motor Voter Act was initially designed to reduce costs of voting registration by accumulating individual data when applying for a drivers license and or receiving social assistance. The "motor voter" nickname came from the idea that most of the NVRA data was accumulated from applicants renewing or obtaining driver's licenses. Individuals who applied for "agency based" needs such as food stamps, disability services and other social services were to be offered voter registration, as well. The intention of the legislation was to encourage greater access to voter registration for the citizens who needed further assistance registering to vote. Also, NVRA allowed for more accessible voter registration through mail-in and individual voter registration drives.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Voter_Registration_Act_of_1993

Full text of TITLE 42 - THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE; CHAPTER 20 - ELECTIVE FRANCHISE;
SUBCHAPTER I-H - NATIONAL VOTER REGISTRATION
http://www.justice.gov/crt/about/vot/42usc/subch_ih.php

The Alabama Secretary of State officially agrees with this use of the act, even if they do not follow the letter of the law:

Agency-Based Voter Registration

Under the National Voter Registration Act, the State of Alabama has also made voter registration available at selected state and local government offices. You may apply to register to vote when you apply for services or recertify for services at any of these offices:

Driver's licensing office
County and select municipal public libraries
Department of Human Resources
WIC Program, Department of Public Health
Medicaid Agency
Department of Rehabilitation Services

Postcard Voter Registration

You also may apply voter registration through the mail. For your convenience, Alabama's new postcard voter registration form is available at the following locations:

County Board of Registrars
Public 4-year universities
Select private 4-year universities
Driver's licensing office
County and select municipal public libraries
Department of Human Resources
WIC Program, Department of Public Health
Medicaid Agency
Department of Rehabilitation Services

More: http://www.sos.alabama.gov/elections/natlvoterregact.aspx

So the state agency responsible for voter registration claims to meet the requirements of the NVRA but does not follow their own claims. Hmmm?

Igel

(35,309 posts)

13. I first registered to vote back in the early '80s.

Reply to csziggy (Reply #12)

Tue Jun 19, 2012, 11:15 AM

Jun 2012

I picked up the voter registration form at the local post office.

Yes, the USPS is a federal agency. Not everything inside the post office logically needs to be directly connected to its federalness or its primary role, delivering mail.

csziggy

(34,136 posts)

14. Having forms available is not the same as actually registering voters

Reply to Igel (Reply #13)

Tue Jun 19, 2012, 11:45 AM

Jun 2012

I don't know about these days, but you used to be able to pick up IRS forms at the Post Office - but the Post Office did not help you fill them out.

The provisions of the NVRA and the statements I quoted from the Alabama Secretary of State do not call for the USPS to be one of the locations for voter registration.