Justice Department Vows To Stop Voter Intimidation

The Justice Department on Wednesday vowed to thwart any efforts to intimidate voters at the polls on Tuesday and to ensure that the ballots of military voters are counted, as activists on both sides of the political aisle reignite their regular election-time tango over the dangers of voter fraud versus voter suppression.

Facing separate investigations in its handling of a voter-intimidation case against the New Black Panther Party and questions over the failure of absentee ballots to be sent to military personnel and their families by the legally required date, the Justice Department moved to assure voters that they will have access to the polls and their votes will be counted in the midterm elections.

The department said it is committed to the enforcement of federal laws "that prohibit voter intimidation and suppression based on race, color, national origin or religion" at the polls, and will make sure that "our men and women serving overseas have the opportunity to vote and have their votes counted."

In a double-barreled release of unusually lengthy press releases, along with a briefing for reporters by Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez, who heads the Civil Rights Division, the department said it has implemented a "comprehensive program" to help ensure ballot access and prohibit voter intimidation, and has reached agreements or won court orders in 14 states and territories to protect 65,000 overseas and military voters ahead of the midterm elections.

But Sen. John Cornyn, Texas Republican, said it was "outrageous" for the Justice Department to "solicit congratulation for procrastination, while many of our military voters are very likely being disenfranchised."

"The department should have been more proactive much earlier, by giving each state clear guidance on the new requirements under the MOVE Act and by ensuring from the start that each state had a satisfactory game plan for protecting the voting rights of our troops and their families," Mr. Cornyn said.

"Instead, the department sat back and watched as states tested the limits of the MOVE Act, then tried to patch problems after the fact with half-measures," he said. "Our military voters deserve better than this lethargic approach from the Department of Justice."

The Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act, or MOVE, enacted last year, requires states to transmit validly requested absentee ballots to voters no later than 45 days before a federal election. The act allows states to request waivers if they think the 45-day requirement will pose undue hardship. The Defense Department is responsible for determining which states will be granted waivers.
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