-Caveat Lector- Ashcroft Announces Voting Rights Initiative <http://washingtonpost.com:80/wp-dyn/articles/A35793-2001Mar7.html> Washington Post Staff Writer Wednesday, March 7, 2001 Attorney General John D. Ashcroft announced a "voting rights initiative" today in the wake of widespread allegations of voter fraud in Florida, vowing to increase the number of federal monitors overseeing elections and to more aggressively prosecute violations of election laws. In addition, Ashcroft said he would hire a new senior counsel to oversee enforcement and recommend reforms to federal election laws. The official would likely report to Ralph Boyd Jr., a Boston attorney who has been nominated by President Bush to fill the politically volatile position of assistant attorney general for civil rights. "Enforcement of voting rights laws have opened polling places to the elderly, to the disabled, and to persons with limited proficiency in the English language," said Ashcroft, a former Missouri governor and senator. "Today's initiative will follow in this heritage and tradition established by this department. . . . We will take action if we find evidence of any American being excluded from polling places." Ashcroft's announcement comes amid thousands of complaints in Florida and other states from voters, many of them black, who say they were discouraged from voting or confronted unfair barriers at the ballot box during the tightly contested presidential election. The attorney general declined to comment on Justice Department investigations into those complaints, but said he would work with Congress and voting-rights advocates to ensure that "Americans' votes are not diluted by voter fraud." Ashcroft came under heavy attack during his confirmation hearings on a variety of minority issues, including vetoing two pieces of legislation as governor that were intended to boost black voter registrations in St. Louis. Since becoming attorney general, Ashcroft has made reaching out to African-Americans and other minorities the main theme of his public appearances. Ashcroft said eight attorneys will be added to the 36 attorneys now working in the voting rights section, and he will ask for extra money next year to hire more. He also said he would not limit the reviews to areas, mostly in the South, now covered under the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Just this week, he said, the Justice Department sent monitors to watch elections in St. Louis, which is not covered by the act but where there had been complaints from voters. "Our recent voting irregularities have achieved national attention, and have focused the national will on voting reform," Ashcroft said. "We should take advantage of this opportunity. We will work with governors, with secretaries of state and the Congress to implement voting reform." <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html">Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/">ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
