The United States Department of Justice will be monitoring elections in Georgia. The U.S. Attorney's Middle District office in Macon will be staffed by an assistant U.S. attorney on Election Day, until the polls close. He will be responsible for handling any complaints by voters and election officials. The FBI will also have special agents available in field offices across the state to help handle allegations of fraud and voter suppression. The Northern and Southern Districts will have similar staff on hand.
Showing posts with label voter fraud. Show all posts
Showing posts with label voter fraud. Show all posts
Friday, October 24, 2008
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
GBI probes alleged voter fraud in Dodge County
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is looking into voting irregularities in Dodge County during the July 15th primary. According to a GBI official in Eastman, there have been complaints about fraudulent voting practices during last week's primary. The complaints were related to absentee voting and assisted voting. Georgia's Secretary of State's office confirms an investigation is underway, but would not provide further details.
This probe follows one from the mid 1990's when a huge voting scandal in Dodge County was uncovered. Then, 21 people were indicted of vote buying. Many pled guilty and a handful of residents went to jail. Since that scandal, Georgia's legislature has made it easier to vote absentee.
This probe follows one from the mid 1990's when a huge voting scandal in Dodge County was uncovered. Then, 21 people were indicted of vote buying. Many pled guilty and a handful of residents went to jail. Since that scandal, Georgia's legislature has made it easier to vote absentee.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Voter I-D challenge thrown out
The Georgia Supreme Court on Monday threw out a challenge to the state's voter I-D law on a technicality. The state Supreme Court decided that the plantiff in the voter I-D case did not have the legal standing to challenge the law. So no decision was made on the validity of the photo I-D requirement.
The ruling does overturn a decision last September by a Fulton County Superior Court judge, that said the law requiring a picture I-D at the polls was unconstitutional and an undue burden on voters. After that ruling the state election board decided not to require photo I-D cards for the November elections.
The battle over Georgia's voter I-D law has been going on for over a year in state and federal court. Opponents claim the law will disenfranchise minorities, the poor, and the elderly who don't have a driver's license or other government-issued photo I-D.
The law's supporters, including Governor Sonny Perdue, say it is needed to prevent voter fraud. No examples of in-person voter fraud have been presented in any of the court challenges. But supporters say the potential exists.
The ruling does overturn a decision last September by a Fulton County Superior Court judge, that said the law requiring a picture I-D at the polls was unconstitutional and an undue burden on voters. After that ruling the state election board decided not to require photo I-D cards for the November elections.
The battle over Georgia's voter I-D law has been going on for over a year in state and federal court. Opponents claim the law will disenfranchise minorities, the poor, and the elderly who don't have a driver's license or other government-issued photo I-D.
The law's supporters, including Governor Sonny Perdue, say it is needed to prevent voter fraud. No examples of in-person voter fraud have been presented in any of the court challenges. But supporters say the potential exists.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Perdue signs election laws
It's now official: Georgia voters will go to the polls on February 5, 2008 to select Republican and Democratic presidential nominees.
Gov. Sonny Perdue signed the law Tuesday making February 5 Georgia's primary election date. He says the earlier election will force presidential hopefuls to campaign harder and more often in Georgia.
He also says this could be the start of a national primary.
"I, for one, frankly have never felt that Iowa, nor New Hampshire, should be the determinants of who becomes the two nominees," Perdue says. "I think as the population moves to the South and Southwest, you’ll see more of these efforts."
Lawmakers in about two dozen other states also recently chose February fifth as their primary election date.
Perdue also signed a law making absentee voter fraud a felony. Until now, election fraud laws have focused on tightening photo identification requirements for voters who go to the polls. Those laws were struck down by the courts. They were also criticized, in part because almost all of the voter fraud cases in Georgia history have involved absentee ballots. There were no safeguards against that type of fraud in the laws.
Secretary of State Karen Handel, who was at the bill signing, says this new law addresses that problem.
"Any type of fraud is something we're not going to stand for here in Georgia," Handel says. "What this legislation does is make sure that penalties for absentee ballot fraud are consistent with in-person voter fraud."
People found guilty of absentee voter fraud could spend up to 10 years in prison, and pay up to $100,000 in fines.
Gov. Sonny Perdue signed the law Tuesday making February 5 Georgia's primary election date. He says the earlier election will force presidential hopefuls to campaign harder and more often in Georgia.
He also says this could be the start of a national primary.
"I, for one, frankly have never felt that Iowa, nor New Hampshire, should be the determinants of who becomes the two nominees," Perdue says. "I think as the population moves to the South and Southwest, you’ll see more of these efforts."
Lawmakers in about two dozen other states also recently chose February fifth as their primary election date.
Perdue also signed a law making absentee voter fraud a felony. Until now, election fraud laws have focused on tightening photo identification requirements for voters who go to the polls. Those laws were struck down by the courts. They were also criticized, in part because almost all of the voter fraud cases in Georgia history have involved absentee ballots. There were no safeguards against that type of fraud in the laws.
Secretary of State Karen Handel, who was at the bill signing, says this new law addresses that problem.
"Any type of fraud is something we're not going to stand for here in Georgia," Handel says. "What this legislation does is make sure that penalties for absentee ballot fraud are consistent with in-person voter fraud."
People found guilty of absentee voter fraud could spend up to 10 years in prison, and pay up to $100,000 in fines.
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