Eric Holder

Holder: Voting Restriction Efforts 'Inconsistent' With American Values

Ryan J. Reilly | November 8, 2011, 2:14PM

Efforts to make it more difficult for voters to cast a ballot are inconsistent with American values and will be thoroughly investigated by DOJ's Civil Rights Division, Attorney General Eric Holder said Tuesday.

"This Department of Justice will be aggressive at looking at this jurisdictions that have attempted for whatever reason to restrict the ability of people to get to the polls," Holder said at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.

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Topics: Eric Holder, Voter Data, Voter Identification, Voter suppression, Voting, Voting Rights Act, voter fraud, voter intimidation

Rick Perry

Feds: Rick Perry-Signed Texas Redistricting Plan Reduces Voting Power Of 479,704 Hispanics

Ryan J. Reilly | October 26, 2011, 6:00AM

There is "ample circumstantial evidence" that the congressional and state representative redistricting maps signed by Texas Gov. Rick Perry had not only the effect but the intent of limiting the voting power of Hispanic voters, Justice Department lawyers said in a court filing late Tuesday.

DOJ is seeking to block the maps, filing to deny Texas' request for summary judgement in a case involving allegations that state officials tried to limit the voter power of Hispanic voters in violation of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act.

Federal lawyers contended in the newest filing that there is "ample circumstantial evidence of a discriminatory purpose with regard to both the State House and Congressional plans" and that in the new maps nearly half a million fewer Hispanics would live in districts where they would have the ability to elect a candidate of their choosing.

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Topics: DOJ, DOJ Civil Rights Division, Lamar Smith, Redistricting, Rick Perry, Texas, Voter Data, Voter suppression, Voting, Voting Rights Act

Voter Identification

House Dems Slam 'Racist,' 'Rovian' Voter ID Laws; Says DOJ Isn't Doing Enough (VIDEO)

Ryan J. Reilly | July 14, 2011, 6:00AM

The Obama Justice Department needs to do more to stop states from implementing voter ID bills which disenfranchise minority voters, a coalition of House Democrats and civil rights leaders said Wednesday.

Gathered by the steps of the Capitol, the members of Congress and civil rights advocates slammed what they called a coordinated plan by Republicans to prevent students, minorities and the elderly from exercising their right to vote. They dismissed a frequent argument made by supporters of voter ID laws -- that since photo identification is required for plenty of everyday activities, it should be required at the polls as well.

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Topics: Civil Rights Division, Civil Rights Division Voting Section, Eric Holder, Justice Department, Voter Data, Voter Identification, Voter suppression, Voting, Voting Rights Act, voter fraud

Voter Data

Feds: Louisiana Not Providing Voter Registration Forms At Public Assistance Offices

Ryan J. Reilly | July 13, 2011, 6:00AM

Federal officials are suing the state of Louisiana for failing to provide voter registration forms at public assistance and disability services agencies. The Justice Department said that the state is in violation of section seven of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993.

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Topics: Civil Rights Division Voting Section, DOJ, DOJ Civil Rights Division, Voter Data, Voting

Parker Griffith

Former Dem Threatened With Legal Action Over Last-Minute Voter Data Download

Justin Elliott | December 29, 2009, 1:11PM

The Alabama Democratic Party is drafting a letter to Rep. Parker Griffith (R-AL) threatening legal action if he does not delete voter data the Dems say was improperly accessed by Griffith operatives on the eve of his party switch.

Jim Spearman, executive director of the Alabama Democratic Party, tells TPMmuckraker he plans to send the letter to Griffith and Main Street Strategies, the consulting firm accused of downloading the confidential information, today.

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Topics: Alabama, Gene Tackett, Jim Spearman, Parker Griffith, Philip Bryan, Voter Data