Battle For The West: Colorado Voter Suppression Suit Settled; Provisional Ballots To Be Accepted

The Colorado Secretary of State's office has settled a lawsuit brought by voters' rights groups and the SEIU over what they claimed were illegal purges from the voter roles. The agreement allows the suspect voters to cast provisional ballots and essentially jump to the front of the line when verifying provisional ballots after the election.

"Voters on the list shall be presumed to be eligible and their ballots will be counted," the agreement says, according to the Denver Post. "Only upon a showing by clear and convincing evidence that a voter is not eligible shall a provisional ballot be rejected by the county."

The two parties reached the out-of-court agreement Wednesday, but it looked like the presiding judge was leaning toward the plaintiffs.

"I think there are places where the state went out of bounds on removal of these names," Senior U.S. District Judge John L. Kane, Jr., said, according to the Post.

The New York Times first reported on the purges in Colorado and other states earlier this month, and soon after election officials began disputing the claims in the story.

Before the agreement in Colorado was announced, alt-weekly Denver Westword featured an online interview with BBC journalist Greg Palast, who co-wrote a recent Rolling Stone article on Republican voter suppression tactics and has been appearing with voter protections advocate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr, in the weeks leading up to the election to put voters and poll watchers on high alert.

Palast claims former Secretary of State Donetta Davidson, a Republican, and her Democratic Republican successor Mike Coffman purged 19.4 percent of Colorado's registered voters since 2004.

"Are you really telling me that one in five voters are fraudulent, illegal voters who are trying to steal the election?" Palast said in Westword. "No, they're not. Is the state really rife with fraudulent voters? No, it's not. It's a complete, absolute con, and they know it. Davidson and Mike Coffman have been running a purge-and-block operation."

---
For more Battle for the West news, click here

Comments

[INTUITE]

Here in my home town in CT. I have had to show a photo I.D. for over twenty years and have no problem with it. I do have a serious problem with the Republican party using every dirty trick in and out of the book to suppress the Democratic vote. This is obviously due to the growth of Democratic voter registration over the years. This will be a continuing trend over the decades, and the Republicans had better adjust to it with a method other than voter suppression.

[LeftRight]

"Only upon a showing by clear and convincing evidence that a voter is not eligible shall a provisional ballot be rejected by the county."

This sentence should be the definition, not the exception!! If a person shows up to vote without ID, or proof of registration, then they should cast the provisional, and then it should be counted unless irrefutable proof shows up that they aren't eligible to vote!

[Eclipse-girl]

It is illegal to purge voters within 90 days of an election. That is what HAVA states (Help America Vote Act)

There are lots of things to do to improve the situation.

Have better enforcement of "Motor Voter registration".

It should be fairly easy to register to vote.

I don't have a quick and easy and way to discover/prove citizenship. There is where some of the problems exist. Most people do not carry around there birth certificate, or a passport for that matter.

Some older people in Indiana (I think) had a more difficult time getting their voter ID cards, because they did not have birth certificates, and it may have been impossible for them to get them. Records from 60/70 yrs ago (or more) are often lost or destroyed.

New Citizens (recently sworn in) should be encouraged (?required) to register at the time of their becoming a citizen.

[LeftRight]

It's also supposed to take to election cycles before you can purge someone from the rolls. In other words, it should be a minimum of four years between someone being challenged and being removed from the voter rolls....

[taddles]

A citizen should never have to PROVE he/she has the right to vote.

[Romulus]

Why not? Not all citizens have the right to vote. Those under 18, for instance.

Personally, I don't think there are a lot of people voting illegally but it COULD happen if there is not a uniform method for verifying citizenship and voting elegibilty.

[waynesmyer]

Hey there Remus, the real voter fraud problem is the GOP (Grand Old Perverts) use of the computer controlled voting machines. This was how the last two U.S. elections were stolen. The PAN and PRI parties of Mexico also used this method to steal their last three elections. Of course , it helps if you can denie the vote to Blacks, Hispanics and enlisted service personnel, but the main vote fraud is the voting machines! Here in Colorado, we
have Mike Coffman who determines who is allowed to vote! And as any fool can tell, people who lose their homes should not be allowed to vote, like, only rich people deserve the vote! Right? Right

[LeftRight]

I think that people should have to present ID at the time of registration, and then at the time of voting they should present the voter registration card. And you're right, there should be a uniform way to ensure that the person voting is valid.

On the other hand, one party trying to remove people from the lists should be COMPLETELY illegal! As should being in charge of elections AND being in charge of a political campaign for President.

[Icantbelieveher]

I'm hoping that while the democrats have power they address this voting fraud crap! We should all contact our new democratic representatives and urge them to put in safeguards against an election theft!

[PatrickforO]

Yes! Now, the next step, after this election is won, is to put Davidson, Coffman and others like them in the dock for illegal suppression of votes. I do not ever want to see another election in this country stolen. Ever.

[kylie]

Suppression of votes or purging should be illegal and carry a sentence, fine, and removal from office for those politicians that participate in it(Hear that, Coffman and Davidson!)
Giving "provisional ballots" doesn't really mean anything, if as Robert Kennedy, Jr. says, is "worthless".
Shouldn't the people be reinstated and be given regular ballots?