RNC in Blatant Violation of Court Consent Decree, Says Advancement Project

10/27/2004 8:41:00 PM

To: National Desk, Political Reporter

Contact: Sabrina Williams of Advancement Project, 202-728-9557

NEWARK, N.J., Oct. 27 /U.S. Newswire/ Today, Advancement Project submitted a motion to intervene, reopen, and enforce the Consent Decrees reached in the case of DNC v. RNC.

For more than twenty years, the Republican National Committee has repeatedly operated so-called "ballot security programs" that have sought to suppress and intimidate African-Americans and other minorities from exercising their constitutional right to vote. These illegal schemes have been previously enjoined by the Federal Court in the case of DNC v. RNC. The Decree in that case prohibits the RNC from implementing any "ballot security program" without prior court approval. That lawsuit, brought in 1981, resulted in a nationwide injunction against the RNC that is still in effect today.

"The RNC has consistently sought to cloak its discriminatory efforts to suppress the minority vote in a law enforcement guise," said Judith Browne, acting co-director, Advancement Project. "Such "racial profiling" of the electorate is itself illegal. The Consent Decree in RNC v. DNC permanently enjoins the RNC from implementing any "ballot security program" without prior court approval."

The Republican Party and Republican candidates have already designated an unprecedented number of poll watchers for the November election. Moreover, Republicans have detailed these poll watchers disproportionately to predominantly African American counties. For example, in Miami-Dade County in Florida and Hamilton County in Ohio, the Republican Party designated more of its poll watchers to the predominantly African American precincts than to other precincts.

"Despite earlier requests from the civil rights community, the Republican National Committee has failed to put an end to Republican-initiated plans to aggressively target for challenges at the polls during the November 2nd general election," said Edward Hailes, senior attorney, Advancement Project.

Based on publicly available information, it is clear that Republican officials and candidates have recruited an unparalleled number of poll watchers for the November election, relying on little-used laws that are based on statutes stemming from the Jim Crow era in our nation's historical.

Recent News Accounts:

The Republican Party of Michigan announced that it was hoping to recruit 1,000 poll watchers for November 2nd, and is offering to pay up to $100 per shift. (Source: Detroit Free Press, 4/29/04, email from state GOP representatives)

In Ohio, the Republican Party claims to have registered 3,600 challengers who will be inside polling places on Election Day, each being paid $100. 1,436 of the challengers are devoted solely to Cuyahoga County. (Sources: Columbus Dispatch, 10/24/04; New York Times, 10/23/04)

The Republican Party hopes to have at least 1,000 paid poll watchers in Pennsylvania. (Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 10/24/04)

Wisconsin Republicans are reportedly training more than 50,000 volunteers to monitor precincts and lodge challenges. (Source: Wall Street Journal, 10/22/04)

Florida is also expecting an unprecedented number of poll watchers and challenges. (Source: St. Petersburg Times, 10/16/04)

"Voter suppression and intimidation tactics are on the rise just a voter registration successes are beginning to enable African Americans and Latinos to overcome a long history of exclusion from the political process," continued Browne." "These acts are carried out in an effort to deprive the most marginalized Americans of a voice in our democracy."

The Republican Party has also initiated massive investigations of new voters. Again, there is evidence that the efforts are focused on communities with large African-American and Latino populations.

In Pennsylvania, Republicans purchased an official list of about 130,000 people who had registered to vote in Philadelphia in the previous six months. They mailed letters to each, and 10,000 came back marked as undeliverable. Reportedly they intend to challenge or investigate these voters. (Source: Philadelphia Inquirer, 10/25/04)

In Ohio, the Republican Party has filed challenges against approximately 35,000 new registrants whose notices of voter registration were returned as undeliverable. Over 17,000 of the challenges are in Cuyahoga County. (Source: Columbus Dispatch, 10/24/04)

The Wisconsin GOP is using state freedom of information laws to obtain the names of 100,000 new voters and conduct background checks on them. (Source: Wall Street Journal, 10/22/04)

In Atlanta, Republican officials have reportedly challenged voters with Latino surnames or who identified themselves as Latino on their voter registration applications without any evidence to substantiate the allegations. (Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 10/21/04)

The former state Republican Party Chair of Nevada attempted to purge about 17,000 Democrats from the voter rolls in Clark County, Nevada on the ground that they were inactive voters. (Source: Associated Press, 10/13/04) (The challenges were rejected by the Clark County registrar.)

"Challenges were, and currently are, used to disenfranchise minority voters," concluded Browne. "While on their face, challenge statutes are racially neutral their history reveals their intent. "On Election Day, the civil rights community will be in communities throughout the country to ensure that the voices of those who seek to be heard through exercising their right to vote on Nov. 2 are not stifled."