The Koch brothers’ favored presidential candidates are more than willing to sell off their policy platforms’ for a chunk of the $900 million the billionaire brothers plan to spend on the 2016 election. In doing so, the GOP has been working overtime to disenfranchise voters across the country. Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush, Rand Paul, Ted Cruz, and Scott Walker are among the many Republicans content with taking away Americans’ right to the ballot box in order to secure Koch cash and ease their path to the White House.

Koch Ties to Voter Suppression

Americans For Prosperity

Americans for Prosperity Mailed Wisconsin Voters Absentee Ballots With Wrong Date On Them, Hosted Events With “True The Vote”

During 2011 Recall Elections, AFP Mailed Voters Absentee Ballots With The Wrong Date. According to Politico, “The conservative third-party group Americans for Prosperity said absentee ballot applications sent to Wisconsin voters this weekend with the wrong election date were the result of a ‘printing mistake.’ ‘The date on the ballot application was meant solely for the elections held on Aug. 16. Due to a mistake during printing, all applications were sent out with the Aug. 11 date,’ said AFP-Wisconsin state Director Matt Seaholm. ‘Americans for Prosperity-Wisconsin did not intend to print the incorrect absentee deadline or confuse voters in any way.’ The fliers from the advocacy group informed voters they should return ballots to their city clerk before Aug. 11 — even though the next election day is Aug. 9. The upcoming recall elections of six Republican state senators could flip control of the state Senate, as Republicans currently hold just a 19-14 majority in the chamber.” [Politico, 8/2/11]

The Applications Told Voters To Return The Material By August 11th Even Though The Election Date Was Aug. 9th.” According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “The state chapter of Americans for Prosperity, a conservative advocacy group, is mailing out absentee ballot applications to voters in two state Senate recall districts with instructions to return the material after the date of the election. The fliers tell voters to return the absentee ballots to their city clerk before Aug. 11, even though the election date for the two districts receiving the mailers is Aug. 9.” [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 8/1/11]

AFP Seemed To Acknowledge In An Email That The Misleading Applications Were Sent To All Six Wisconsin Districts Where Republicans Were Facing Recalls. According to the Washington Post, “Now AFP has sent out a new email to supporters — forwarded by a labor source — that seeks to clarify the situation. And it appears to acknowledge that the misleading ballot was actually sent to all six districts where Republicans are facing August 9th recalls. Here’s the key part: ‘Recently, Americans for Prosperity-Wisconsin sent a mailer to provide our members, like you, with the opportunity to vote by way of absentee ballot. The absentee ballot mailing was mailed only to AFP-Wisconsin members in the eight Senate Districts that have recall elections. The return date included on the absentee ballot application (August 11th) was intended solely for the two senate districts with elections on August 16th. However, the printer sent that version out to all districts, including those that have elections on August 9th.’” [Washington Post, 8/5/11]

Americans for Prosperity Sent Incorrect Voter Registration Information In North Carolina

“Hundreds Of North Carolinians – And One Cat – Have Received Incorrect Voter Registration Information” From Americans For Prosperity. According to the News & Observer, “Hundreds of North Carolinians – and one cat – have received incorrect voter registration information, according to the N.C. State Board of Elections. The information – an ‘official application form’ – was sent by Americans for Prosperity, a national conservative group with a state chapter based in Raleigh.” [News & Observer, 9/25/14]

“Hundreds Of People” Have Complained To The North Carolina Board Of Elections After Being Sent An “Official Application Form” By AFP With The Wrong Information. According to the News & Observer, “The information – an “official application form” – was sent by Americans for Prosperity, a national conservative group with a state chapter based in Raleigh. Since then, hundreds of people who received the forms have called and complained to the State Board of Elections, said Joshua Lawson, a public information officer for the board.” [News & Observer, 9/25/14]

The Elections Board Requested The Information From AFP After The N.C. Democratic Party Filed A Complaint About The Mailers With The Board “Alleging Voter Suppression.” According to the News & Observer, “The elections board requested the information after the N.C. Democratic Party filed a complaint about the mailers with the board on Monday alleging voter suppression.” [News & Observer,10/3/14] 

Elections Board Asked AFP “How The Content Was Crafted And Who Did It, How Many Pieces Were Sent, The ‘Demographic Selection Criteria’ For Recipients, And Names Of Individuals Or Vendors Used To Produce The Mailing List.” According to the News & Observer, “As part of its investigation, the elections board executive director asked AFP’s general counsel for information on how the content was crafted and who did it, how many pieces were sent, the ‘demographic selection criteria’ for recipients, and names of individuals or vendors used to produce the mailing list.” [News & Observer, 10/3/14]

Americans for Prosperity Co-Hosted Events With True the Vote

Americans for Prosperity Hosted Events Featuring The Organization True The Vote. According to the New York Times, “In the past year, Americans for Prosperity, an organization founded by the billionaire Koch brothers, and other Republican-leaning independent groups have sponsored meetings featuring Ms. Engelbrecht and other True the Vote speakers. A spokesman for Americans for Prosperity said that the group had hosted events including True the Vote speakers but that election integrity was not a focus of his group.” [New York Times, 9/16/12]

• True The Vote Is A National Conservative Organization That “Grew Out Of A Tea Party Group” In Texas Dedicated To Looking For Voter Fraud.According to the New York Times, “It might as well be Harry Potter’s invisible Knight Bus, because no one can prove it exists. The bus has been repeatedly cited [sic] by True the Vote, a national group focused on voter fraud. Catherine Engelbrecht, the group’s leader, told a gathering in July about buses carrying dozens of voters showing up at polling places during the recent Wisconsin recall election […]While she portrays True the Vote as nonpartisan, it grew out of a Tea Party group, King Street Patriots, that she founded in Texas. An examination shows that it has worked closely with a variety of well-financed organizations, many unabashed in their desire to defeat President Obama.” [New York Times, 9/16/12]

Institute For Justice

Kochs Provided Seed Money to Found for Institute For Justice

William H. “Chip” Mellor Founded The Institute For Justice in 1991 With Clint Bolick. According the Wall Street Journal Weekend, “He went the public interest route and met legal eagle and school-choice specialist Clint Bolick in 1982, founding IJ in 1991. The language of student protest became a key part of the IJ way. The group—it consists of some 33 lawyers and 65 staffers—is fighting not just to overturn precedents and restore constitutional jurisprudence, but to frame the debate in a way that educates and embeds those ideas in the national consciousness. ‘So every case we take is an educational vehicle designed to manifest the constitutional principles and how they apply to countless other people around the country.’” [Wall Street Journal, 1/7-8/12]

Los Angeles Times: “The Kochs…Provided The Seed Money For The Institute For Justice.” According to the Los Angeles Times, “The Kochs also provided the seed money for the Institute for Justice, a tax-exempt Washington law firm with a libertarian view of property rights, personal expression and free enterprise.” [Los Angeles Times, 10/10/93]

Charles Koch Gave Mellor And Bolick $350,000 A Year “In Seed Money From His Private Foundation To Start The Institute For Justice.” According to the New York Times, “They soon got their chance. After stints in Washington with the Reagan administration, in which Mellor was a deputy general counsel at the Department of Energy and Bolick was an assistant at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (then led by Clarence Thomas), the two men, in 1991, persuaded Charles Koch, an oil and gas magnate, to give them $350,000 a year in seed money from his private foundation to start the Institute for Justice.” [New York Times, 4/17/05]

November 2001: Both Brothers Received “Cornerstone Award” For Startup and Continued Funding for IFJ

In 2001, The Institute for Justice Presented Its “Cornerstone Award” To Charles Koch For Providing “Seed Money” And To David Koch For Being A “Generous Benefactor.” According to the Institute for Justice “IJ presented its Cornerstone Award to Charles and David Koch for their uniquely important role in funding the Institute. Charles Koch provided the initial seed funding that made it possible to launch the Institute in 1991. David Koch has been a generous benefactor each year of IJ’s first decade. We are deeply grateful for their support and the commitment to liberty it represents.” [Institute for Justice, 11/2001] 

Institute for Justice Co-Founder Thought Voting Rights Act Had Outlived Its Usefulness And Should Be Repealed

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “Some,” Including Clint Bolick Of The Institute For Justice, “Think The Voting Rights Act Has Outlived Its Usefulness And Should Be Repealed.” According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “Some think the Voting Rights Act has outlived its usefulness and should be repealed. ‘The Voting Rights Act was designed to be temporary and to deal with an emergency,’ said Clint Bolick, legal director of the Washington-based Institute for Justice. ‘Ironically, the emergency has receded and has all but disappeared, but the act has expanded and lies waiting for mischievous hands to use it in ways the framers never intended. What was intended to be a law to ensure equal access to the ballot has turned into another form of racial quotas.’” [Atlanta Journal-Constitution via LexisNexis, 6/8/97]

Bolick: “The Voting Rights Act Was Designed To Be Temporary And To Deal With An Emergency… Ironically, The Emergency Has Receded And Has All But Disappeared, But The Act Has Expanded.” According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “Some think the Voting Rights Act has outlived its usefulness and should be repealed. ‘The Voting Rights Act was designed to be temporary and to deal with an emergency,’ said Clint Bolick, legal director of the Washington-based Institute for Justice. ‘Ironically, the emergency has receded and has all but disappeared, but the act has expanded and lies waiting for mischievous hands to use it in ways the framers never intended. What was intended to be a law to ensure equal access to the ballot has turned into another form of racial quotas.’” [Atlanta Journal-Constitution via LexisNexis, 6/8/97]

Bolick: Broad Interpretations Of The Voting Rights Act Could Have “Opened The Floodgates To Endless Voting Rights Litigation Primarily To Achieve Proportional Representation And Increase The Balkanization Of The Political Landscape.” According to the New York Times, “On the surface, nothing changes: an unusual voting system in Georgia stays in place, and a disputed Florida election map stands. But both critics and supporters of two Supreme Court voting rights decisions today said their main effect would show up in the subtle fallout from the Court’s continuing rejection of a broad interpretation of the Voting Rights Act as a guide for political representation. […] A supporter of the rulings, Clint Bolick, litigation director for the Institute for Justice, a conservative legal group based in Washington, said the rulings would blunt the use of the Voting Rights Act as a tool for liberals intent on guaranteeing the election of minorities.’ Had either of these cases gone the other way, it would have opened the floodgates to endless voting rights litigation primarily to achieve proportional representation and increase the Balkanization of the political landscape,’ he said.” [New York Times via LexisNexis, 7/1/94]

Cato Institute

Cato Institute Was Founded by Charles Koch

The Cato Institute Was Founded By Ed Crane And Charles G. Koch. According to the Cato Institute 25th Annual Report, “When a young California investment manager, Ed Crane, spent 1976 in Washington, he noticed how much influence a few think tanks had despite their relatively small budgets. He thought there ought to be a public policy research organization, or ‘think tank,’ dedicated to the American principles of liberty and limited government. He was willing to start one, but only if he didn’t have to live in Washington. When he returned to San Francisco, he joined the Kansas industrialist Charles G. Koch to set up the Cato Institute, which opened its doors in January 1977.” [Cato Institute 25th Annual Report, 2001] 

Cato Institute Was Founded by Charles Koch In 1977. The Cato Institute was founded in 1977 with money from the Charles G. Koch Foundation. The intellectual engine was up and running. [The Weekly Standard, 4/4/11]

David Koch Is On the Board of the Cato Institute [CATO Institute, accessed 8/19/14]

Cato Criticized the Voting Rights Act

Cato Institute Senior Fellow Ilya Shapiro: The VRA Represents “Three Generations Of Federal Intrusion On State Sovereignty” That “Have Been More Than Enough To Kill Jim Crow.” According to an opinion written by Cato Institute senior fellow in constitutional studies Ilya Shapiro for Bloomberg View, “In other words, three generations of federal intrusion on state sovereignty have been more than enough to kill Jim Crow. As Justice Clarence Thomas wrote in 2009, an acknowledgment of the unconstitutionality of the existing regime ‘represents a fulfillment of the Fifteenth Amendment’s promise of full enfranchisement and honors the success achieved by the VRA.’” [Bloomberg View,6/25/13]

Shapiro: Eric Holder Is “Playing His Racial Games” By Challenging North Carolina’s Voter ID Law. According to a post by Ilya Shapiro for the Cato At Liberty Blog, “Eric Holder has been busy playing his racial games. Not only did his Justice Department issue a joint guidance with the Education Department on how best to ignore the Supreme Court’s recent affirmative action ruling, but yesterday the attorney general announced a new lawsuit challenging North Carolina’s new election laws, which include voter-identification requirements. This action follows on the heels of lawsuits already filed against the Tarheel State by such groups as the ACLU and NAACP.” [Cato At Liberty Blog, 10/1/13]

Mercatus Center

The Mercatus Center Was Founded With Funding From Charles Koch 

The Kochs Provided Millions Of Dollars To George Mason University To Set Up The Mercatus Center. According to the New Yorker, “In the mid-eighties, the Kochs provided millions of dollars to George Mason University, in Arlington, Virginia, to set up another think tank. Now known as the Mercatus Center, it promotes itself as ‘the world’s premier university source for market-oriented ideas—bridging the gap between academic ideas and real-world problems.’” [New Yorker, 8/30/10]

Mercatus Issued Policy Papers About Risks of Voting Rights

Mercatus Policy Paper: “Granting The Vote To Those Who Do Not Own Property Risks Oppression Of A Propertied Minority By An Unpropertied Majority.” According to a policy paper written by scholars at the Mercatus Center, “Calhoun’s older contemporary and Founding Father James Madison had similar worries as he struggled over the rights of suffrage. On the one hand, restricting the right to vote to those who own property risks oppression of the ‘rights of persons’ and ‘violates the vital principle of free Govt. that those who are to be bound by laws, ought to have a voice in making them’ On the other hand, granting the vote to those who do not own property risks oppression of a propertied minority by an unpropertied majority.” [Mercatus Center Policy Paper, August 2011]

Mercatus Policy Paper: James Madison’s “Fear That Those Without Property But With The Right To Vote Would Seek To Violate The Property Of Others Seems Well Founded” Given “The Country’s Current Fiscal Problems.” According to a policy paper written by scholars at the Mercatus Center, “While the early political theorists of the United States could not have anticipated the country’s current fiscal problems, they were hardly ignorant of the possibility. Defaults of the sovereign have been commonplace throughout history. The key is to provide constraints on government spending and deficits. One constraint is a broad tax base, a constraint largely applicable in the United States until the Sixteenth Amendment to the constitution which permitted an income tax without regard to the enumeration of the population. The stage was then set, as Calhoun feared, for the population to divide into taxpayers and tax spenders. While [James] Madison was concerned about the rights of persons and the rights of property, his fear that those without property but with the right to vote would seek to violate the property of others seems well founded.” [Mercatus Center Policy Paper, August 2011]

Mercatus Working Paper: “Government Spending May Be The Result Of Rent Seeking And Serves To Redistribute Income. This Is Increasingly The Case When Lower-Income Voters Have Influence In The Political Process.” According to a working paper written by scholars at the Mercatus Center, “These factors point toward an explanation for some of the reasons for government spending. Rather than government spending being used to correct market failures, mitigate externalities, and provide public goods that are welfare-enhancing, government spending may be the result of rent seeking and serves to redistribute income. This is increasingly the case when lower-income voters have influence in the political process. In the case of a government that seeks to spend based only on correcting externalities, providing public goods and secure property rights, increased voter turnout and political contributions ought to have no influence on the spending decisions in a state. Nonetheless, a statistically significant relationship indicates that varying levels of citizen participation in rent seeking activities and increased participation of lower-income voters can be effective in increasing spending levels.” [Mercatus Center Policy Paper,August 2011]

• “Increased Voter Turnout…Ought To Have No Influence On The Spending Decisions In A State. Nonetheless, …Increased Participation Of Lower-Income Voters Can Be Effective In Increasing Spending Levels.” According to a working paper written by scholars at the Mercatus Center, “These factors point toward an explanation for some of the reasons for government spending. Rather than government spending being used to correct market failures, mitigate externalities, and provide public goods that are welfare-enhancing, government spending may be the result of rent seeking and serves to redistribute income. This is increasingly the case when lower-income voters have influence in the political process. In the case of a government that seeks to spend based only on correcting externalities, providing public goods and secure property rights, increased voter turnout and political contributions ought to have no influence on the spending decisions in a state. Nonetheless, a statistically significant relationship indicates that varying levels of citizen participation in rent seeking activities and increased participation of lower-income voters can be effective in increasing spending levels.” [Mercatus Center Policy Paper, August 2011]

Mercatus Authored Working Paper About Risks of High Voter Turnout

Mercatus Working Paper: High Voter Turnout Is An “Indicator of Potential Rent-Seeking Efforts Or Changes In The Voting Pool That Could Lead To Redistributive Policies.” According to a working paper written by scholars at the Mercatus Center, “This paper will review the economics and, more specifically, public choice literature to evaluate some of these theories that explain government spending. Using state panel data from 1980–2008, this paper builds on the literature to empirically test the effect of citizen participation in the political process, measured by voter turnout and the effect of campaign contributions by individuals on state government spending. While individual political contributions and voter turnout are a measure of participation in the political process, they are also indicators of potential rent-seeking efforts or changes in the voting pool that could lead to redistributive policies. The paper will also discuss the implications that these results, controlling for other factors, have on government spending.” [Mercatus Center Working Paper, May 2010]

Mercatus Working Paper: “We Hypothesize That Turnout Leads To An Increase In Government Size Because We Assume That Larger Turnout Implies That More Lower-Income Voters Are Included In The Voting Pool.” According to a working paper written by scholars at the Mercatus Center, “In this paper we hypothesize that turnout leads to an increase in government size because we assume that larger turnout implies that more lower-income voters are included in the voting pool (Lijphart 1997). There is empirical support for the assumption that the upper income classes have higher participation rates than the lower income classes. Countless studies using survey data within countries have found a positive correlation between participation and various measures of economic status like education and income (Powell (1980), Verba and Nie (1972), Verba, Nie and Kim (1978)). Although both variables are usually positively related to participation rates, the impact of income sometimes disappears once education is controlled for and Chapman and Palda (1983) even obtained a negative and significant coefficient on income in an equation to explain voting, once education was included. One explanation for the strong association between education and voting is that better-educated people gather more information about government policies and candidates in the course of their work and leisure-time activities. Thus, the costs of becoming informed and voting are lower for better-educated citizens (Filer, Kenny, and Morton, 1993).” [Mercatus Center Working Paper, May 2010]

Mercatus Working Paper: “Having More Low-Income Voters In The Voting Pool Increases Government Spending Due To Increased Demand For Redistribution.” According to a working paper written by scholars at the Mercatus Center, “Thus, applying the model of Meltzer and Richard (1983), having more low-income voters in the voting pool increases government spending due to increased demand for redistribution. This is because low-income earners support spending policies that channel resources from wealthier groups to them in the form of direct transfers or government-provided goods and services. Mueller and Stratmann (2003) find empirical support for this hypothesis. They find cross-national evidence that higher voter turnout leads to larger government expenditures.” [Mercatus Center Working Paper, May 2010]

Mercatus Published Books About Risks of Oppressed Groups Gaining Political Power

Mercatus Center Published Book: “When Oppressed Groups Gain Sufficient Political Power To Remedy These Violations Of Social Justice, They Use Their Power Not Just To Eliminate The Discrimination But To Enact New Laws That Give Them Unique Legal Privileges. One Group Of Cronies Replaces Another.” According to the book Liberalism And Cronyism Andrea M. Castillo and Randall G. Holcombe and published by the Mercatus Center, “This discussion is certainly not meant to minimize the importance of social justice or the importance of equal treatment under the law. Discrimination and institutionalized injustice have been present in the United States throughout much of its history. Race-based slavery existed in the United States until 1865, but discriminatory Jim Crow laws remained for another century. Women did not receive the constitutional right to vote until 1920, and they often did not have the same rights of property ownership as men did. These are examples of institutionalized discrimination, enforced by laws that provided legal rights to some that were not available to all. In these cases, the law granted privileges based on impersonal characteristics such as race and gender. The liberal remedy for such discrimination is to do away with discriminatory laws sos that the law treats everyone equally. What often happens, however, is that when oppressed groups gain sufficient political power to remedy these violations of social justice, they use their power not just to eliminate the discrimination but to enact new laws that give them unique legal privileges. One group of cronies replaces another.” [Liberalism And Cronyism,April 2003]

VIDEO: Presidential Candidates on Voting Rights

Rubio Attacked Charlie Charlie Crist For “Working With ACORN And Groups Like That To Give Felons Voting Rights In Florida.” “In 2006, governor, I voted for you because I trusted you when you said you would be a Jeb Bush Republican Rubio said during the March 28, 2010, debate moderated by FOX’s Chris Wallace. “Your record was something very different. You signed a budget that raised taxes. You tried to (propose) the cap and trade system in Florida. You appointed liberal supreme court justices to our supreme court. In addition to that, you worked with ACORN and groups like that to give felons voting rights in Florida.”  [Marco Rubio, Fox News Sunday Debate, 3/28/10]

Politfact Rated Rubio’s Claim About Crist And Felon Voting Rights “False.”  [Politifact, 3/29/10]

Rand Paul On Voter ID:  “I Am Not Really Opposed To It. I Am Opposed To It As A Campaign Theme.” “Bob Schieffer: But what about this business about tightening up the voter I.D. laws? Rand Paul: I think… Schieffer: Should they be tighter? Should they have to show all this identification? Paul: Well, I have mixed feelings. When I go in a government building or I want to meet Eric Holder, I have got to show my driver’s license. So, I am not really opposed to it. I am opposed to it as a campaign theme. If Republicans — if you want to get the African-American vote, they think that this is suppression somehow and it’s a terrible thing. But I think if you can get beyond that and say, you know what, but I also really think that we should restore the voting rights of those who had a previous conviction, that that’s where the real voting problem is — I’m not against early voting. I grew in Texas. We voted early for a month or two before elections for probably 20 years, and Texas is still a Republican state. But it’s perception. The Republicans have to get beyond this perception that they don’t want African-Americans to vote. Now, I don’t think it’s true. I’m not saying it’s true. But by being for all these things, it reinforces a stereotype that we need to break down.”  [“Face the Nation,” CBS, 11/2/14]

Walker Brags About Enacting A Voter ID Law On The Stump:  “In Our State I’m Proud To Say That You Now Need A Photo ID To Vote.”  “We’ve got a whole list of issues, from defunding Planned Parenthood and passing pro-life legislation to enacting Castle Doctrine and concealed carry so people can protect themselves and their families and their loved ones.  In our state I’m proud to say that you now need a photo ID to vote.  And Wisconsin did something you all did a long time ago – you’re way ahead of the curve – Wisconsin is now the 25th state in the nation to have the right to work and the freedom to work whether you want to be in a labor union or not.  I say all these things not to brag – well maybe not to brag too much – but rather to tell you, and it fits in with what Rod has been trying to do,  that if we can do all that in a state that hasn’t gone Republican for president since 1984, a state where there are more Democrats in polling than Republicans.  If we can do that there, and do that not just once, but be elected two, and then ultimately the third time – not just with Republican votes.” [Scott Walker, Cedar Rapids, IA, 4/24/15; American Bridge Tracking Footage]

Walker:  “To Make It Easy To Vote And Hard To Cheat, We Now Have A Law That Says You Have To Have A Photo ID To Vote.”  [Scott Walker, Southern Republican Leadership Conference, Oklahoma City, OK, 5/21/15; American Bridge Tracking Footage]

Ted Cruz Said He “Absolutely” Supports Voters ID. On the Simon Conway Radio Show Ted Cruz was asked, “Your for voter ID? Just a quick yes?” Ted Cruz responds, “Absolutely”.

[Simon Conway Radio Show, 12/15/14]

Walker

Walker Supported Eliminating Same Day Registration

Walker Indicated That He Supported Eliminating Same-Day Voter Registration. According to The Associated Press State & Local Wire, “Another proposal being circulated by Republicans would do away with same-day voter registration, something Walker has also indicated he supports.” [The Associated Press State & Local Wire, 1/7/11]

Milwaukee Courier Editorial: Walker’s Claim That Same-Day Registration Places A Burden On Poll Workers And Clerks Had “No Grounding In Fact.” According to Milwaukee Courier, “Much like his claims that Voter ID addresses a real and significant fraud problem, Governor Walker’s claims that same-day registration places a burden on poll workers and municipal clerks have no grounding in fact. At polling places this past Election Day, the lines to register were invariably shorter than the lines to vote, and clerks statewide have rejected the Governor’s notion that they are overwhelmed by the process.” [Editorial – Milwaukee Courier, 12/6/12] 

Walker Said It Would Be “Much Better” If Wisconsin Did Not Have Same-Day Voter Registration. According to The Associated Press State & Local Wire, “Gov. Scott Walker says he thinks that it would ‘much better’ if Wisconsin did not have same-day voter registration. Walker made the comments during a speech Friday night in California. Walker’s spokesman Cullen Werwie had nothing to add Monday to what Walker said. Walker says in the speech that ‘It would be much better if registration was done in advance of Election Day, easier for our clerks to handle that.’” [The Associated Press State & Local Wire, 11/19/12]

Walker Proposed Eliminating 3,452 First-Time Voter Who Had Not Had Addresses Confirmed

November 2001: Walker Said The Milwaukee Election Commission Had To Delete The Names Of 3,452 First-Time Voters Who Registered At City Polls, But Whose Addresses Were Not Confirmed By Required Follow-Up Postcards. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “The chief sponsor of the bill, Rep. Scott Walker (R-Wauwatosa), said the Milwaukee Election Commission this month had to delete the names of 3,452 first-time voters who registered at city polls last November, but whose addresses were not confirmed by required follow-up postcards.” [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 11/9/01]

Walker Signed Law Requiring Voters To Show Photo Id At The Polls

Walker Signed A Law That Required Voters To Provide A Photo ID At Polls. According to The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “After an eight-year quest by GOP officials, Gov. Scott Walker will sign a bill Wednesday requiring voters to show photo ID at the polls. But the measure costing more than $7 million in new spending and lost revenue could still face a legal challenge as opponents mulled over the possibility of suing to block it from taking effect.” [The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel,

Bill Increased Restrictions On First Time Voters

First Time Voters Whose Names Were Not On Voter Logs Were Required To Prove They Lived In Their Residence For 28 Days; Neighbors And Parents Were No Longer Allowed To Vouch For Voters. According to The Capital Times, “First-time voters, however, whose names do not appear on a voter log, must prove they have lived at their current residence for 28 days. Additionally, the voter ID bill no longer will allow neighbors to vouch for one another or for parents to vouch for voting-age children who live in their home.” [The Capital Times, 5/25/11] 

Walker Signed A Bill Requiring Poll Workers To Record The Document That Voters Used To Prove Residency. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “Walker also signed a new requirement that elections officials must record the type of document submitted by voters to prove residency, along with the name of the issuing entity and part of any number on the document used by the issuer to identify the voter. That measure also passed both houses of the Legislature along largely partisan lines.” [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 4/2/14]

Student IDs Were Excluded From List Of Acceptable IDs

Current Student ID’s Used At Wisconsin Colleges And Universities Were Not Accepted As A Valid Form Of Identification. According to The Post-Crescent, “Walker’s latest effort to get Wisconsin working again is his nearly $6 million plan to require state voters to show a driver’s license, a state-issued ID, a military ID, passport, naturalization documents, or a tribal ID to cast a ballot. Walker’s plan would also make early and absentee voting more difficult. Although student IDs would be accepted as part of the plan, they would have to include the student’s photo, address, birthdate, signature and an expiration date. Currently, there are no student IDs used by any college or university in the state that meet the standards.” [The Post-Crescent, 5/26/11]

Editorial Opposition To Bill

La Crosse Tribune: Walker’s Voter ID Law Was “Pure Politics.” According to La Crosse Tribune, May 6, “We have stated before and will repeat: There is no evidence of rampant voter fraud. Even without a photo ID, people who vote in Wisconsin are very honest. […] This is not a voter protection act but a voter prevention measure. It’s no way to encourage democracy. It’s pure politics, plain and simple. It’s an insult to the poll workers who train and properly register voters. And it will soon become law, because the Republicans are bound and determined to pass it.” [La Crosse Tribune, May 6, 2011]

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: “A Voter ID Bill Goes Against A Tradition That Has Held That Voting Should Be Made As Easy As Possible Rather Than Erecting Hurdles For Some People.”  According to an editorial in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “A voter ID bill goes against a tradition that has held that voting should be made as easy as possible rather than erecting hurdles for some people, who, by the way, are said to vote predominantly Democratic.” [Editorial – Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 11/12/10]

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: “It Shouldn’t Be Done, Period.” According to an editorial in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “Really? The first bill? Voter ID is why voters voted the way they did last week? Senate Minority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, now the incoming Senate majority leader, said last week that a bill to require photo ID at the polls would be the first bill introduced in that body. Understand, we don’t believe this makes sense as a first bill or a last bill. It shouldn’t be done, period.  [Editorial – Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 11/12/10]

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: “Voter Fraud Is Danger To The Ballot What A Pimple Is To The Rockies. When It Happens, It Should Be Severely Dealt With, But It Happens Far More Infrequently Than Billed.” According to an editorial in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “Voter fraud is danger to the ballot what a pimple is to the Rockies. When it happens, it should be severely dealt with, but it happens far more infrequently than billed.” [Editorial – Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 11/12/10]

Wisconsin State Journal: “the Sponsors Of This Bill Have Shown Precious Little Evidence Of Problems At The Polls That Conceivably This Bill Would Fix.”  According to an editorial in the Wisconsin State Journal, “Remember that every voter still must register to vote when arriving at a polling place for the first time. And this requires showing a utility bill, apartment lease or some other proof of address. So it’s not like you can just walk in now and grab a ballot without being questioned about who you are and where you live. Furthermore, the sponsors of this bill have shown precious little evidence of problems at the polls that conceivably this bill would fix.” [Editorial – Wisconsin State Journal, 2/23/11]

Walker Opposed Allowing Municipalities To Set Up Locations For Early Voting

Walker Disagreed With A Proposal To Give Municipalities The Power To Allow Voting Before Election Day At Specified Places.According to The Associated Press State & Local Wire, “Walker said he disagreed with Doyle’s proposal to give municipalities the power to allow voting before Election Day at specified places such as grocery stores, shopping malls, libraries, community centers and senior centers. Such a move could lead to a potential for additional voter fraud, he said.” [The Associated Press State & Local Wire, 4/1/05]

Walker Shortened Time Available For Early Voting

Walker Signed Legislation Limiting In-Person Absentee Voting To No Later Than 7 P.M. In The Two Weeks Leading Up To An Election, And No Weekend Voting. According to the Associated Press, “Walker also signed a bill limiting in-person absentee voting to no later than 7 p.m. in the two weeks leading up to an election, and no weekend voting. Both bills were among 30 that Walker signed privately in Milwaukee before flying to Las Vegas to speak Saturday at a meeting that’s attracting potential 2016 Republican presidential candidates.” [Associated Press, 3/27/14]

Walker Used Partial Veto Powers To Restrict Early Voting Hours. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “In the early-voting measure, Walker used his partial veto powers – the most powerful in the nation-to nix language restricting early voting hours in Milwaukee and other cities to 45 hours a week while leaving in place a provision to prohibit early voting on weekends. Democrats and Milwaukee officials have decried those voting limits as the latest effort by the GOP to make it harder for minorities, veterans, the elderly and students to vote, saying it amounted to ‘fixing elections’ rather than problems. […] Under the legislation as rewritten by Walker, early voting in clerk’s offices could take place solely on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. but would not face the additional limit of 45 hours per week. Walker also struck out a part of the bill added by Senate Republicans that would have required the state to pay for half of the expenses for smaller communities offering early voting at a cost of about $200,000.” [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 3/28/14]

• Election Commission Said Bill Would Cause Longer Lines At The Polls. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “Neil Albrecht, executive director of the Milwaukee Election Commission, said the legislation signed Thursday will cause longer lines in the city, discouraging voting.” [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 3/28/14]

Bush

2000: Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Secretary Of State Katherine Harris Instituted Systemic Electoral Roll Purge That Erroneously Marked Thousands As Felons, Barred Them From Voting

2000: Jeb Bush, Florida Secretary Of State Katherine Harris “Launched A Systematic Purge Of The Electoral Rolls” To Exclude “Unknown Thousands Of Voters On The Erroneous Grounds That They Were Convicted Felons.” According to The Guardian, “Florida’s Republican secretary of state, Katherine Harris, backed by Mr Bush’s brother, Florida’s governor, Jeb Bush, launched a systematic purge of the electoral rolls earlier this year. The result was the exclusion of unknown thousands of voters on the erroneous grounds that they were convicted felons; because they had allegedly not voted in previous elections; because they had moved home; or because officials were told to impose stringent polling-day identity checks, while lacking the time to conduct them properly.” [Guardian, 12/4/00]

St. Petersburg Times: “During The Disputed 2000 Presidential Election, Thousands Of People Were Barred From Voting After They Were Mistakenly Identified As Felons. Many Were Black.” According to St. Petersburg Times, “During the disputed 2000 presidential election, thousands of people were barred from voting after they were mistakenly identified as felons. Many were black.” [St. Petersburg Times, 6/10/02]

For 2000 Election, Florida Hired Outside Contractor ChoicePoint To Cleanse Determine Voters Rolls Of Felons, Resulting In Significant Illegal Disenfranchisement

1998: Florida Signed $4 Million Contract With ChoicePoint’s DBT Online To Cleanse Voter Rolls. According to Salon, “Florida is the only state that pays a private company that promises to ‘cleanse’ voter rolls. The state signed in 1998 a $4 million contract with DBT Online, since merged into ChoicePoint, of Atlanta. The creation of the scrub list, called the central voter file, was mandated by a 1998 state voter fraud law, which followed a tumultuous year that saw Miami’s mayor removed after voter fraud in the election, with dead people discovered to have cast ballots. The voter fraud law required all 67 counties to purge voter registries of duplicate registrations, deceased voters and felons, many of whom, but not all, are barred from voting in Florida.” [Salon, 12/4/00]

ChoicePoint’s Subsidiary Database Technologies “Ended Up Wrongly Leading To The Disenfranchising Of Thousands Of Voters, Whose Votes Might Have Led To A Different Result” For 2000 Presidential Election. According to The Guardian, “ChoicePoint, though, which is based near Atlanta, is far from unfamiliar to observers of the Florida vote of 2000 that decided the US presidency in George Bush’s favour. Its subsidiary Database Technologies was hired by the state to overhaul its electoral registration lists – and ended up wrongly leading to the disenfranchising of thousands of voters, whose votes might have led to a different result.” [Guardian, 5/5/03]

ChoicePoint’s List “Was Heavily Weighted With African-Americans,” “Contained Thousands Of Incorrect Entries, Imperiling Legal Registrants.”  According to Stateline.org, “The company’s list of alleged ex-felons, circulated to county voting officials, was heavily weighted with African-Americans. Later it turned out the list was unverified and contained thousands of incorrect entries, imperiling legal registrants.” [Stateline.org, 12/19/00]

NAACP Sued Over The Purge, And Florida Was CRITICIZED By The U.s. Commission On Civil Rights

2001: NAACP Claimed In Class-Action Lawsuit Against Florida That “Caused A Disproportionate Number Of Ballots Cast By Black Voters” Were Invalidated In 2000 Election. According to USA TODAY, “Voting irregularities in Florida in the presidential election caused a disproportionate number of ballots cast by black voters to be invalidated, the NAACP claims in a class-action lawsuit filed Wednesday. The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Miami, seeks a variety of voting reforms and technological improvements to ensure that irregularities that occurred Nov. 7 are not repeated.” [USA TODAY, 1/11/01]

• 2001: Jeb Bush Named As Defendant In NAACP Lawsuit.According to USA TODAY, “Theodore Shaw, a lawyer for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, said the Voting Rights Act does not require the plaintiffs to prove that Florida officials intentionally sought to deny black voters their vote. Named as defendants are: Florida Gov. Jeb Bush; Secretary of State Katherine Harris; election supervisors in seven counties; and Choicepoint, Inc., a Georgia firm hired by Florida state officials to purge felons and other ineligible names from voter registration lists. In the election aftermath, county election officials conceded that eligible voters were purged from the lists erroneously.” [USA TODAY, 1/11/01]

U.S. Commission On Civil Rights Cited Condemned Florida’s Barriers To Voting For African-Americans During 2000 Election

Commission Issued Report: Black Ballots Thrown Out More Often Than White

Commission Report, 2001: “Ballots Cast By African-Americans And Other Minorities In Florida Last Year Were Rejected As Faulty At A Higher Rate Than Those Cast By Whites.” According to St. Petersburg Times, “The commission’s analysis indicates ballots cast by African-Americans and other minorities in Florida last year were rejected as faulty at a higher rate than those cast by whites. It said there was no evidence of fraud.” [St. Petersburg Times, 6/9/01]

Commission Report, 2001: “African-Americans Make Up Only 11 Percent Of Florida’s Voters, […] But They Cast 54 Percent Of The Spoiled Ballots.” According to St. Petersburg Times, “The panel relied primarily on spoiled ballots to make its case. African-Americans make up only 11 percent of Florida’s voters, the report said, but they cast 54 percent of the spoiled ballots. It said the counties with the lowest spoilage rate were those with the highest percentage of whites.” [St. Petersburg Times, 6/9/01]

U.S. Commission On Civil Rights Chairperson Said Jeb Bush Failed To Secure Voting Rights

U.S. Commission On Civil Rights Chairperson Berry, 2001: Jeb Bush Failed To Take Action To Secure Voting Rights, And “If You Have A Duty To Do Something And You Do Not Do It, Then You’re Violating The Voting Rights Act.” According to The Houston Chronicle, “‘The reason the county supervisors are responsible is because they did not have adequate resources to serve the voters who were coming,’ Mary Frances Berry, the commission chairwoman, said Tuesday. ‘What you had in Ms. [Secretary of State Katherine] Harris and Jeb Bush was them not taking any actions. If you have a duty to do something and you do not do it, then you’re violating the Voting Rights Act.’ In Tallahassee, Bush’s general counsel, Charles Canady, said the report ‘grossly mischaracterizes’ Bush’s role in overseeing elections.” [Houston Chronicle, 3/10/01]

2001: U.S. Commission On Civil Rights Adopted Preliminary Status Statement Citing Florida’s “Numerous Potential Violations Of The Federal Voting Rights Act.” According to The Houston Chronicle, “On Friday, over heated objections from two conservative commissioners, the group voted 6-2 to adopt Berry’s preliminary status statement, which cites numerous potential violations of the federal Voting Rights Act. The commission voted unanimously to return to Florida to hold follow-up hearings once the group publishes its final report in June.” [Houston Chronicle, 3/10/01]

Commission on Civil Rights Report, 2001: Court Election Supervisors Faulted For Florida’s Voting Rights Failures, But Did Not Have Adequate Resources. According to The Houston Chronicle, “The report also faults county election supervisors, who are directly responsible for overseeing elections in Florida’s 67 counties. ‘The reason the county supervisors are responsible is because they did not have adequate resources to serve the voters who were coming,’ Mary Frances Berry, the commission chairwoman, said Tuesday.” [Houston Chronicle, 3/10/01]

Commission Accused Bush Of Ignoring Racial Voting Problems, Called For DOJ Investigation Under Voting Rights Act

St. Petersburg Times, 2001: U.S. Commission On Civil Rights Decided “There Is Enough Evidence Of Racial Discrimination In Florida’s Presidential Election To Warrant A Justice Department Inquiry.” According to St. Petersburg Times, “With Republican appointees dissenting, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights decided Friday there is enough evidence of racial discrimination in Florida’s presidential election to warrant a Justice Department inquiry.” [St. Petersburg Times, 6/9/01]

• Commission “Called For An Investigation Under The 1965 Voting Rights Act.” According to St. Petersburg Times, “It called for an investigation under the 1965 Voting Rights Act.” [St. Petersburg Times, 6/9/01]

• Commission “Accused Gov. Jeb Bush And Secretary Of State Katherine Harris Of Ignoring Problems.”According to St. Petersburg Times, “While it also found ‘no conclusive evidence that the highest officials of the state conspired to disenfranchise voters,’ the commission accused Gov. Jeb Bush and Secretary of State Katherine Harris of ignoring problems.” [St. Petersburg Times, 6/9/01]