The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“INTRODUCTION OF DECEPTIVE PRACTICES AND VOTER INTIMIDATION PREVENTION ACT OF 2009” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E27 on Jan. 7, 2009.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
INTRODUCTION OF DECEPTIVE PRACTICES AND VOTER INTIMIDATION PREVENTION
ACT OF 2009
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HON. JOHN CONYERS, JR.
of michigan
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, today I rise to introduce the Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act of 2009. During our elections, including the 2008 election, we have witnessed numerous attempts, some of them successful, to disenfranchise our eligible voters. Deceptive practices and voter intimidation, age-old voter disenfranchisement tactics, continue to keep voters away from the polls today.
The Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act is a critical effort in ensuring fairness and integrity in our elections. It is a direct response to the fraudulent tactics used to undermine our elections. Every eligible voter should be able to vote free of intimidation, harassment, and harm.
Numerous accounts indicate that deceptive practices have been employed throughout the country in our elections. Voters have been told to vote on the wrong day. They have been told they could not vote with outstanding parking tickets. Ultimately, they were misled, deceived, and disenfranchised.
During the 2008 election, a phony flyer circulated in Virginia telling Democratic voters that they were to vote on Wednesday instead of Tuesday. During the 2006 midterm, Latino voters in Orange County, California, were threatened with incarceration if they voted and African American voters in Prince George's County, Maryland were given fliers with false endorsements. As evidenced in California and Maryland, our most vulnerable voters--immigrants and minorities--are often those voters that are targeted for deceptive practices.
No matter who is targeted for these tactics, however, such actions are despicable and those responsible for them must be held accountable. This country's long history of voter suppression must end now. We must protect the right to vote for all of our citizens and that is what this legislation will enable us to do.
Under this legislation, those that engage in deceptive practices and voter intimidation will be held accountable. Deceptive electioneering practices are clearly defined and prohibited so there is no confusion as to the rights and protections afforded voters.
Additionally, the Federal Government will be held responsible for protecting and advancing the right to vote. The Attorney General and the Department of Justice are required to combat and counteract deceptive practices. These measures will ensure that voters are not left to fend for themselves when their right to vote is threatened.
If we allow deceptive practices and other such behavior to continue, we jeopardize the very core of our democracy, the right to vote. I ask that my colleagues in the Congress stand with me in support of this legislation, so that we may begin eliminating barriers to the polls.
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