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Will Washington state purge illegal voters?

July 11, 2012 @ 5:48 pm (Updated: 11:24 am - 7/12/12 )

WaCapitolLaws designed to reduce voter fraud before the November have been causing controversy all over the country, and now Washington's Secretary of State has signed a letter asking Homeland Security for help verify voting records.

In Florida, an attempt to remove non-citizens from the voter rolls lead to dueling lawsuits.

Florida's Secretary of State had to release the names of over 180,000 registered voters, believed to be mostly Latino, who are suspected of being illegal immigrants and therefore would not be allowed to vote in the upcoming state and presidential elections.

Colorado Secretary of State Scott Gessler is intensifying efforts to root out and remove any non- citizens from his state's voter rolls before the November election, too. He has the support of the Attorney General in Colorado, who is supporting Mitt Romney's presidential election campaign.

This week, Gessler sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, again asking Homeland Security to help verify the citizenship status of about 5,000 Colorado voters.

Gessler wants access to the federal Homeland Security database, known as SAVE, to help the state seek more information on voters' citizenship status.

Ac cording to the letter, Washington Secretary of State Sam Reed attached his name to the effort asking for "cooperation to improve voter roll integrity" along with election leaders in Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Michigan, Kansas, Georgia, Arkansas, Alaska, and the battleground states of Iowa and Ohio.

Is Washington trying to purge those who are illegally registered to vote here before November?

Elections officials say, no.

"We are not approaching this the way Florida is purging voters," says Katie Blinn a Co-Director of Elections. "We are simply trying to find out what information the federal agency has on non-citizens who live in Washington. Then we would need to decide if the information is relevant, and what we should do with it."

There are about 3.7 million registered voters in the State of Washington. The voter registration form asks the applicant if they are a U.S. citizen, but does not use a drivers' license or another form of identification to verify the answer. Voters sign the form under penalty of perjury.

Every month the state goes through voter records to remove names of the deceased and to look for duplicates. Three times a year they check the voting records to make sure there are no convicted felons registered to vote.

Shane Hamlin, another Co-Director of Elections, says Washington has requested records from Homeland Security in 2006 and 2007. Both times the request was denied, with the agency saying their database was not intended to be used for voter registration.

The records would be "one more tool" to help keep state voting records current, but Hamlin reiterates the data would not be used to kick people out of the system as Florida has done.

"Most likely if we had the information and found people in Washington who are not eligible to vote because they are not citizens, we would send them a letter asking them to please cancel their voter registration," says Blinn.

By LINDA THOMAS

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Comments (39)


  • Add A Comment

  • ron prevost wrote...
    After Gregoire's won the 'best one out of three' in 2004.
    July 11, 2012 5:29 pm
    And after national media of all stripes noted that King County was about as corrupt as Chicago or Florida. Sam Reed and others went to work and Washington now (supposedly) has problems than the rest of the country.

    Of course, because we are now 100% mail in ballots (and becoming the laughing stock of the country because of it) we really don't need picture ID or anything else. Basically, if you GET a ballot, you can vote.

    The problem still remains as to preventing you from voting for your recently passed husband. Or voting each at your parent's house AND in Pullman. Like THAT never happens.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • rational wrote...
    Corrupt government...
    July 11, 2012 5:33 pm
    Shane Hamlin, another Co-Director of Elections, says Washington has requested records from Homeland Security in 2006 and 2007. Both times the request was denied, with the agency saying their database was not intended to be used for voter registration.

    Heaven forbid if the federal government actually worked to insured the integrity of our elections. I have no confidence that the results of the upcoming presidential elections will be legitimate...and I am sure I am not alone in that conclusion. Our government has become a sham.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • New Mariner wrote...
    Voter fraud
    July 11, 2012 7:13 pm
    When the Department of Injustice sues states that are trying to insure a fair elections by checking their voter rolls you KNOW they are condoning fraud to steal the election. Would you expect anything less from the gang from Chicago?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Paul Kersey wrote...
    "Voters sign the form under penalty of perjury"
    July 11, 2012 5:35 pm
    For those who pass through Zeta and Sinaloa territory in order to enter the U.S. illegally, I'm sure that statement will scare the crap out of them.

    These pobrecitos are being played like a fiddle by Homeland Insecurity and the Department of Injustice. This corrupt government sends guns to Mexican cartels to terrorize the campasinos who must then escape to El Norte, where they are invited to become dependent and permanent Democrats. Of course, Democrats didn't think up this scheme on there own, they are not that creative. They copied this strategy from the great success of the Partido Revolutionario Institucional. A strategy that was shared with them over Tequila sessions on "trade missions" to Mexico, paid for by the bamboozled taxpayer.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Linkege wrote...
    Curious
    July 11, 2012 5:53 pm
    Why would they send them a letter asking them to cancel their voter registration? Why couldn't they remove it themselves?

    Also my brother who moved to Hawaii 9 years ago still gets his Snohomish County ballot mailed to him in Hawaii even though he is a registered voter in that state.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • maplefish wrote...
    Your Brother in Hawaii
    July 11, 2012 6:56 pm
    Is , I'm betting a registered Democrat. Somebody is probably filling out the Ballot & mailing his vote in for him! Pretty easy to figure that one out....
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • tuleman003 wrote...
    If you send a dead person a letter,
    July 12, 2012 6:51 am
    I'm sure he or she would be just as willing to cancel their voters registration as they would be to stop their Social Security check. And those same "dead people" wonder why they don't have a job.
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  • Paul Kersey wrote...
    "Will Washington state purge illegal voters?"
    July 11, 2012 6:00 pm
    No, the Demorat party has a complete stranglehold over this state. Illegal voters are it's lifeblood.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Snout wrote...
    Why not ask me
    July 11, 2012 6:12 pm
    not to speed but not give me a ticket if I do. Why not ask me to pay for my cheeseburger but let me walk out the door if I choose not too. Why not ask me to pay my taxes if I feel like it but if I don't then oh, that's ok? This is pure masturbatory nonsense!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Ye Olde Hagge wrote...
    Snout
    July 11, 2012 9:58 pm
    Exactly! What you are doing is illegal (being in the country), and you are further doing something else illegal (voting), but we are just going to politely ask you to not do one of those things, m'kay? Thanks.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Snout wrote...
    Or ask me to spell correctly in my posts
    July 11, 2012 6:13 pm
    but if I play loose and free with to and too then just let me get away with it. D'oh!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • messiah101 wrote...
    Chick get your FACTS straight
    July 11, 2012 7:20 pm
    Florida had a total of 2600 with possible Latino surnames individuals who were asked for provide further documentation other then a Drivers License in order to remain on the voter list.You gOPers are attempting to promote the ridiculous idea that illegal immigrants are voting for Democrats in local and National elections.Illegals have learned that keeping a low profile is best if they want to remain anonymous.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • TheNewsChick wrote...
    Standing by the facts
    July 12, 2012 4:00 am
    My stat on 180,000 names being released is accurate. It comes from Secretary of State Ken Detzner, in an email who says they are in the process of redacting it now so that it can be provided to everyone who has made a public records request.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • messiah101 wrote...
    Chick
    July 12, 2012 7:56 am
    If you believe that 180000 number is true I suggest you go to a site like PolitiFact and see what they found to be the actual number (2600)they say the 180000 names were NOT released
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Sean wrote...
    Messiah, I can PROMISE you
    July 12, 2012 11:45 am
    that if any illegals DO choose to vote, and you can bet that many do, they are ABSOLUTELY voting for democrats. Who else would be so willing to bury their head in the sand and let this charade continue for so many years???
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • messiah101 wrote...
    Sean
    July 12, 2012 12:27 pm
    Voting fraud is much more sophisticated then illegals attempting to vote. Its down by losing or not counting ballots,its done by rigged voting machines.Its done by making it hard for people to vote,(which can be done by not putting in enough voting machines so people get tired of waiting)is your memory so short that you forgot the scam the GOP ran in Florida that got BUsh elected?CAn't you see that this illegal alien voting BS is just an efort to get your eye off whats really happening with scam elections
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • C"mon Man wrote...
    True story
    July 11, 2012 7:19 pm
    Last go around, I handed my voter reg. card and valid license to poll worker, he rolled back his chair and was offended that I offered it, I guess I am used to Banks,airports and other Gov. agency's requirement to check it.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • messiah101 wrote...
    Cmon Man
    July 12, 2012 8:00 am
    Are you now going to bore us now about being behind a person in the local check out line who had a cart full of Filet Mignon and crab and payed for it with FOOD STAMPS and you saw them load the food into a BMW?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Linkege wrote...
    @maplefish
    July 11, 2012 7:38 pm
    No he is not a registered democrat. He is a independent just like myself. Can't stand party politics which won't get anything done in this Country.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • maplefish wrote...
    Which means
    July 12, 2012 6:45 am
    In Western Washington, Democrat. And in Washington state, it's the Democrats that don't get anything done except raising taxes an spending money like irresponsible, unaccountable, incompetent idiots.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • fishnpol wrote...
    m101
    July 11, 2012 7:38 pm
    You're funny. It's just too bad that you're not actually trying to be funny.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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