AG, Secretary of State Vow To Fight Voter Fraud
By: AG Office Press Release
Updated: October 22, 2012
Attorney General Luther Strange and Secretary of State Beth Chapman held a news conference Monday
to focus on Alabama's commitment to protect the integrity of the upcoming general election and to fight voter fraud.
Attorney General Strange and Secretary Beth Chapman, in partnership
with district attorneys across Alabama,
warn those who commit voter fraud that they will be prosecuted to the
fullest extent of state law. They were joined at the news conference by
U.S. Attorney George Beck for the Middle District of Alabama and Randy
Hillman, Director of the Alabama District Attorneys'
Association.
State officials are emphasizing the importance of fair and honest
elections in the wake of concerns
raised in recent months, particularly regarding the use of absentee
ballots. After alleged improprieties were reported to both the Attorney
General and the Secretary of State, the officials announced their plan
of action for a unified and comprehensive response.
No comment or information may be provided at this time about particular
cases that may be under review.
"We take all allegations of voter fraud seriously, and when the
situation and facts warrant it, we will
investigate and prosecute these matters aggressively," stated Attorney
General Strange. "The right to vote is a sacred, fundamental civil
right and the foundation of our democracy. It is vital that we preserve
the integrity of our elections process."
In 2008, Secretary of State Chapman's office created a Voter Fraud Unit
dedicated to dealing with reports
of voter fraud. This unit is comprised of attorneys and elections staff
members trained to receive and process voter fraud complaints. A website
established by the Secretary of State provides a form for reporting
complaints that are then reviewed by the Voter
Fraud Unit and may be forwarded to the Attorney General's Office or the
appropriate district attorney's office.
"When
I ran for
the office of Secretary of State I said there were three priorities of
my office, honest elections honest elections and honest elections. We
have seen more honest elections but we have a long way to go in the
fight against voter fraud" Secretary Chapman said.
In
light of recent allegations, the Attorney General emphasized
particularly the enforcement of absentee
ballot statutes. The law requires that an absentee ballot must be
witnessed by two adults or be notarized in order to be counted as a
legal ballot.
Under state law, it is a felony to:
- willfully alter the vote on someone else's absentee ballot,
- willfully cast more than one absentee ballot in the same election,
- willfully vote in someone else's name or falsify absentee ballot documents, or to
- solicit or encourage illegal absentee voting activities.
The penalty is imprisonment of one year and one day up to 10 years, a fine of up to $15,000, or both.
