Thursday, September 25, 2008

NYT: Mo. Foreclosures Could Make Voting Tougher

Missourians who have gone through a foreclosure over the last two years could have trouble voting because many are still registered at the address of the home they lost, reported the New York Times Thursday.

"Many of these voters will be disqualified at the polls because in the tumult of their foreclosure, they neglected to tell their election board of their new address," reports Ian Urbina.

While the piece is a national look at the potential problem, the story cites a homebuilder who lost his home in Josephville, Missouri and also notes that the Fair Elections Legal Network, a liberal-leaning voting rights group, has sent a letter to Secretary of State Robin Carnahan about the matter.

The letters were sent to Arizona, Florida, Ohio and Missouri, asking officials to "better educate foreclosure victims on their rights." The letters argue that the laws in these states do not bar such voters from voting in their former jurisdictions if their intent is to move back as soon as circumstances allow.

From the Times:

"In Missouri, where 250,000 people notified the Postal Service of their move, only 22,000 told the election board. Robin Carnahan, the Missouri secretary of state, and a Democrat, said she is trying to get local election officials to increase the number of poll workers to deal with any confusion or challenges of voters."

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