Democrats “no inmate left behind” voter registration drive

10/9/2008 10:46:00 AM
Frederick says tactics “stink”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Richmond, Virginia (October 9, 2008) – It may not be illegal, but Delegate Jeffrey M. Frederick, Chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia is crying foul over recent press reports about Democratic sheriffs’ tactic of registering prison inmates to vote in this November’s election.

Sheriff Stan Barry of Fairfax and Sheriff Vanessa Crawford of Petersburg, both Democrats, have been signing-up new voters from their jail cells who are being held for misdemeanors or awaiting trials on felony charges. Felons lose their right to vote upon conviction.

“First we hear about felony voter fraud in Virginia. Then we have state election board employees rushing to restore voting rights to felons. And now, we have partisan sheriffs going into their jails and making sure criminals can vote. Can these people get any more into the gutter? Where is the shame,” asked Frederick. “Is this really the electoral process Washington and Jefferson envisioned?”

Democratic-leaning organizations have been aggressive this year in registering people to vote. One group, ACORN, had its offices recently raided in Las Vegas for submitting hundreds of fraudulent voter forms, and is also being investigated in Missouri – another battleground state. Another group, the Community Voters Project, had three employees charged with felony voter fraud in Hampton, Virginia earlier this year.

Governor Tim Kaine, national co-chair of the Obama campaign, has been restoring voting rights to felons at a fevered pace this year, with staff at the State Board of Elections then working to register those felons to vote. Former Gov. Mark Warner, a candidate for U.S. Senate this year, began the process of streamlining voting rights for felons.

“This might not be illegal, but it sure stinks to high heaven. Is this really how Obama expects to win the presidency with – a coalition of criminals? I guess it’s Obama’s latest big government program: ‘no inmate left behind’” Frederick said.