And, do you know what "According to the Alabama secretary of state, about 500,000 state residents in 2014 didn’t have a photo ID (that’s 20 percent of those registered to vote)." means, dick licker? Btw, guess which state is DEAD LAST for compliance with voter registration(after helpfully bumping the fees for driver's licenses by 50%)? Do you need 3 guesses, Scumbag? I await the "analysis" of this action from you and all of the other morons who are trying to pretend this isn't a racially motivated move with breathless anticipation, Scumbag.
http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/i...ce_department_we_will_sue.html#incart_m-rpt-2
Justice Department: We will sue Alabama if it doesn't comply with voting law
Alabama, Department of Justice, and Voting Registration explained A look at why the state of Alabama is in trouble with the
By John Archibald | jarchibald@al.com Email the author | Follow on Twitter
on October 23, 2015 at 4:51 PM, updated October 23, 2015 at 6:25 PM
Vanita Gupta, principal deputy assistant attorney general, told Strange she has authorized a lawsuit because Alabama did not implement requirements of the 1993 law – known as the Motor Voter Act. The act was meant to allow people to easily register to vote at the same time they get or renew driver licenses, or when they visit offices that provide public assistance.
"Our investigation indicates widespread noncompliance with Section 5 in Alabama," Gupta wrote. "Throughout the state, it appears that applications for an Alabama driver's license or a non-driver identification card do not serve as applications for voter registration with respect to elections for federal office, and that change of address submissions for driver license purposes do not serve as notification of a change of address for voter registration purposes."
Section 5 requires both those things.
ALEA Secretary Spencer Collier and Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill Gupta went on to say many state offices do not accept and transmit voter registration forms to election authorities, as is also required by the law.
The letter and the threatened lawsuit are not related to the recent closures of driver license bureaus across the state, which have also been criticized for potentially throwing roadblocks up to voters. In fact the letter predates the closures, meaning state officials knew of these Justice concerns before choosing to close those offices.
The state has never been in compliance with this law, even though it was passed 22 years ago.
Strange and his office declined to comment on the letter, referring questions to Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill and Alabama Secretary of Law Enforcement Spencer Collier.
Merrill said today he and Collier began discussions on how to comply with the Motor Voter Act long before he was made aware of the Justice Department letter in September.
He said the two have agreed in principle to spend between $500,000 to $1 million – Merrill said he found the money to do it – to create software and applications to bring the state into compliance. The efforts would allow driver license offices to communicate virtually with voter registration offices.
Collier, in a statement, said his office began reviewing procedures of the former Department of Public Safety in January.
"As a result, we began discussions with the Secretary of State (SOS) in the spring and in April formulated a plan to better integrate the ability for citizens to register to vote when performing certain driver license functions," the statement said. "We were well under way when we were contacted by Department of Justice (DOJ). Since that time we have been working with the SOS and in consultation with DOJ in implementing our plan."
Various studies of late have put Alabama last among states for implementation of Motor Voter. The Center for American Progress Action Fund listed Alabama as 51[SUP]st[/SUP] of 51 in compliance, giving the state an "F" in voter accessibility.
Gupta, in his letter, said Justice hopes to resolve the matter amicably and without "protracted litigation." He said he would delay filing a complaint for a short time to try to settle the matter.
Merrill said he hopes the steps taken will speak to the Justice concerns.
If the lawsuit is filed, Alabama would become the 15[SUP]th[/SUP] state sued by Justice for failure to comply with the law. Florida, Louisiana and Rhode Island were the states most recently sued.. Tennessee and Mississippi have also been sued, as have states across the eastern U.S.
Attempts to reach Justice Department officials for comment were unsuccessful.
In discussing recent lawsuits Thomas E. Perez, assistant AG for the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, said "The voting process begins with registration. Therefore, it is essential that all citizens have unfettered access to voter registration opportunities."
Justice Department Letter to Alabama
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