12/9/2011
Former DOJ attorney warns against illegal 2012 votes, Tulane Law professor argues dangers are exaggerated.
An election law attorney remarked during a forum at the Tulane Law School that the Justice Department under the Obama Administration is “philosophically opposed” to implement a federal law calling for registration rolls to be rid of ineligible voters.
However, J. Christian Adams, a former Voting Section lawyer with the Department of Justice, told audience members that the attorneys of the department are utilizing against Louisiana officials a “heavy hand” to implement the “motor voter” provision of the same
He also cautioned against the likelihood that the DOJ could try to extract a consent agreement from officials of the state, which extends further than the scope of written law.
Adams pointed out a similar case filed in Rhode Island where the organizations and agencies in charge of distributing voter registration forms are now compelled to store documentation for each and every person who refuses to register.
He also observed that, “In other words, they have to prove a negative. They have to generate paperwork all across the state for every person who says `I don’t want to register to vote’ and the federal government admits that this goes beyond what the law requires.”
In July, a lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana by the DOJ against the administration of Gov. Bobby Jindal. The suit filed by the DOJ claims that the social service agencies of Louisiana failed to provide eligible voters with adequate registration opportunities.
However, Adams noted that unlike state officials in Rhode Island who “rolled over” and “agreed to extra-legal burdens,” the administration of Gov. Jindal has vowed “to fight until the last man at the Alamo.”
