Complaint Filed: CA Special Election Dates Will 'Disenfranchise Latinos' As Well as TroopsHispanic voting rights advocates, Democrats, seeking federal injunction of Schwarzenegger's compressed election schedule...It's not just the troops and the election officials who are now acting on concerns of disenfranchisement. Now the Hispanic community and Democrats are charging the Governator's special election dates will "thwart voter turnout within minorities communities".
On the heels of The BRAD BLOG's coverage yesterday reporting on worries that thousands of overseas and military voters could be disenfranchised by CA Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's order for an early special election schedule in the state, and that election officials were "outraged" by the timing and concerned about the costs, minority groups and the Democratic Party are now filing suit to halt the impending election, charging the compressed dates are in violation of the federal Voting Rights Act.
Yesterday, retired twenty-year armed services veteran and Monterey talk-radio host Scott Dick detailed how the expedited special election schedule meant that ballots could not possibly be printed and sent to military family and personnel serving overseas prior to the 45-day minimum requirement of the federal Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE) Act. He charged that there will not be enough time for those voters to receive and return their ballots in time to be counted in the special election and that thousands could be disenfranchised.
State election officials, The BRAD BLOG has learned, share similar worries...
FULL STORY, ACTION ITEMS: http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7828
Previously related at The BRAD BLOG…
Schwarzenegger May Disenfranchise Thousands of Overseas Troops with Early Special Election Date
June 22nd state Senate primary election date violates 45-day ballot requirement of federal law
UPDATED: County election officials 'outraged' by Governor's move...
FULL STORY: http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7825