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When I first read this story, I found it quite intriguing. Nonetheless, I have to admit that it's sad, and almost tragic, when state and local governments can't accommodate new voter registrations just because this year happens to be one in which political interest is so high.
| QUOTE | Voter Registration Drives Partisan Fight
Saturday, October 02, 2004
By Wendell Goler
WASHINGTON — As the final stretch of the presidential race arrives, activists from both parties have been racing against the clock to register as many voters as possible.
But while state election officials said they support the expansion of voter rolls, some expressed concern that they would not be able to process every application before next week's registration deadlines.
That means many voters' names might not appear on the rolls on Election Day. It could also lead to a host of other administrative problems that would disenfranchise voters.
"What we're hearing are reports that the states are having trouble processing some of these because there's so many new registrations," said election law expert Trevor Potter (search) , former chairman of the Federal Election Commission. "T he state offices in these areas — and they're the ones who bear the burden — or the county offices, are understaffed."
Potter emphasized that the problems were mainly logistical.
"They often are sort of slow in picking up new technologies," he said. "They're doing a lot of this still by hand, and they're just overwhelmed."
In some states, particularly hotly contested ones expected to be decided by slim margins, voter registration has sparked a bitter partisan fight.
Republicans fear that unless time is taken to verify forms, the sheer volume of new registrations will result in fraudulent votes being cast. Democrats claim that Republicans are simply trying to suppress the vote. |
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I see America differently.
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Voter Registration is now a partisan issue
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