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Iran Seeks to Monitor Nov.
2nd Elections as U.S. Disenfranchises Thousands
FairVote-The Center for Voting and Democracy Calls for Federal
���Right to Vote��� Amendment
TAKOMA PARK, Maryland: Given
the numerous documented problems with the U.S. electoral system, the Islamic
republic of Iran, has taken advantage of the embarrassing problems with our
democratic system to try and ridicule our nation. In a letter written to UN secretary general Kofi Annan,
Iran���s hardline Basij militia stated ���we want to say to the whole world that
the presence of observers from the Islamic Republic of Iran, the most democratic
regime in the world, is necessary to guarantee the smooth running of the
American elections.���
Rob Richie, Executive
Director, of FairVote-The Center for Voting and Democracy responded, ���the
failure of the U.S. government to correct known problems with our elections
opens us to criticism from around the world.
In our attempt to export democracy to other nations, we���ve ignored our
own backyard.���
Within the last several
weeks, court decisions have already been handed down in several states that will
potentially disenfranchise thousands of otherwise eligible voters, and therefore
have a tremendous impact on the outcome of our Nov. 2nd presidential
race. The ongoing litigation war raises further raises the spectre that courts
and lawyers, rather than the people, will decide the outcome.
In two separate decisions this past weekend, the Sixth Circuit
Appelate Court overturned state rulings in Michigan and Ohio that had required
the states to count some provisional ballots cast in the wrong precinct. Instead
the court ruled, states could choose only to count provisional ballots cast in a
voter���s correct polling location and disregard the rest. But with a promise by
the Democrats to further appeal the rulings, the Supreme Court may be forced to
rule only a few hours before election day.
Richie further commented, ���courts should err on the side of
eligible voters, given that where you cast your ballot should not affect whether
your vote counts in certain races. Citizens
of each state should be allowed to at least cast ballots in presidential and
statewide races, as all voters see the same choices for those elections.���
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