http://www.independent-media.tv/item.cfm?fmedia_id=9389&fcategory_desc=UnderOctober 13, 2004
By: Lynn Campbell
Des Moines Register, The
Hundreds of Iowans who registered to vote by mail were notified this week that their applications were rejected - a situation that threatens to disenfranchise voters less than three weeks before Election Day.
State officials say they are resolving the problem, which stems from the portion of Iowa's voter registration form that requires an identification number. The form allows voters to use the last four digits of their Social Security number if they don't have a driver's license or other state identification number.
But Iowa county auditors' access to the Social Security database to verify those numbers has been delayed - causing hundreds of voter registration applications to pile up without being processed. The situation affects the entire state, including about 400 applications in Johnson County and 500 in Polk County.
"I'm trying to make an effort to get this worked out," said Polk County Auditor Michael Mauro. "These voters have done nothing improper. They followed the procedure printed on the application."
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