Constitutional Law

Obstacles To Voting May Loom Nationwide

Local Michigan Republican officials are threatening to use a list of foreclosed homes to block people from voting, reports The Michigan Messenger. According to the Macomb County Republican chairman, GOP poll monitors intend to challenge the residency claims of inhabitants of foreclosed homes.

Under Michigan law, political parties may assign so-called “election challengers” to the polls, who have the ability to challenge a voter’s right to cast their ballot. These party officials must have “good reason to believe” that the voter is ineligible. They are not required, however, to show any documentation to support their challenge.

The Michigan GOP’s threat comes amidst mounting concerns nationwide about disenfranchisement in the coming November elections.   Earlier this week, senior Justice Department officials told civil rights organizations of their plan to deploy poll monitors to “deter fraud.”  Although the Justice Department insists on “vigorous enforcement of voting laws,” a recent Project Vote study found that incidents of voter fraud are extremely rare.

As a 2007 Brennan Center for Justice report asserted, the debate about voter fraud distracts attention from necessary reform measures that lessen the logistical barriers to the voting process, such as guaranteeing voters parking at polling sites. One such potential logistical obstacle may be the relocation of polling stations. Thousands of voters will have to navigate their way to new polling sites, which several observers fear will cause confusion on election day.

One group that may have to overcome serious impediments to the ballot box is the nation’s students.   Recently the ACS Blog reported on a controversy in Virginia over a county registrar’s dissemination of false information about voting rights to students. ACS has launched  a “Resources on Student Voting” page, which provides links to an array useful information about student voting rights, including state-specific guidelines on early voting, absentee voting and voter registration.

Full post as published by ACS Blog on September 12, 2008 (boomark / email).