Republican secretary of state sends vaguely worded letter to voters weeks before primary
Tennessee’s top election official asked more than 14,000 registered voters to prove their citizenship in a vaguely worded letter last month in what voting and immigrant groups say is an attempt to intimidate voters.
The office of the Tennessee secretary of state, Tre Hargett, a Republican, sent the letter to 14,375 voters on 13 June, weeks before early voting was to begin for the state’s August primary. “Our office has received information that appears to indicate that your voter information matches with an individual who may not have been a United States citizen at the time of obtaining a Tennessee license or ID card,” the letter says.
It goes on to remind the recipient that illegal voting is a felony in Tennessee punishable with up to two years in prison and a $5,000 fine. It requests that any person who received the letter who is a citizen provide proof, such as a US passport, birth certificate, naturalization papers or other document.
The letter offers no information about what happens if someone does not reply. It also offers no information on how their names were flagged for review. Doug Kufner, a spokesman for Hargett, did not return requests for comment.
This shit sickens me. It’s an attempt to deprive people of their constitutional right to vote while doing an end-run around due-process. They don’t have to prove anything, just say there’s suspicion and boom, you’re off the registry. And they intentionally do it this close to an election in the hopes that it will help swing the results in their favor. It’s blatantly obvious and I don’t understand how any court lets them get away with it.
These people are off the registry?
If they don’t jump through whatever hoops they are supposed to to prove they are citizens, then yes, they will be removed from the voter registry. I don’t know if you’ve ever had to prove you are a legal citizen before, but it isn’t super easy. It takes time and money to get the proper documents.