Obama Targets E-Day Fraud
Filed Sunday, November 19, 2006 at 12:00 PM
Last week, Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) introduced legislation that targets shady Election Day tactics that seek to intimidate voters and prevent them from exercising their right to vote.
“The Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act of 2006″, would make it illegal for anyone to knowingly attempt to prevent others from exercising his or her right to vote by providing deceptive information and would require the Attorney General to fully investigate these allegations.
Penalties include up to $100,000 in fines and/or one year imprisonment.
“Too often, we hear reports of mysterious phone calls and mailers arriving just days before an election that seek to mislead and threaten voters to keep them from the polls,” said Obama. “And those who engage in these deceptive and underhanded campaign tactics usually target voters living in minority or low-income neighborhoods. This legislation would ensure that for the first time, these incidents are fully investigated and that those found guilty are punished.”
Obama said that in last week’s election, mailers distributed in predominantly African-American counties in Maryland wrongly implied that African-American Democrats had endorsed Republican candidates. The fliers were paid for and authorized by GOP Senate candidate Michael Steele and Republican Governor Robert Ehrlich.
In House races across the country, reports surfaced of Democrats receiving dozens of harassing robocalls designed to imply that they came from Democratic candidates. In fact, the calls were paid for by Republicans and were intended to suppress turnout among Democrats. Read more about these calls at www.TalkingPointsMemo.com.
The legislation would also require the Attorney General to work with the Federal Communications Commission and the Election Assistance Commission to determine the feasibility of using the public broadcasting system as a means of providing voters with full and accurate Election Day information.
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