Thread: Gessler pushes for citizenship proof when voters register

Gessler pushes for citizenship proof when voters register
By Nancy Lofholm
The Denver Post
Posted: 01/28/2011 01:00:00 AM MST
Updated: 01/28/2011 09:15:48 AM MST

Secretary of State Scott Gessler. (Karl Gehring, The Denver Post)

New Secretary of State Scott Gessler wants to change Colorado's voter-registration laws based on his fear that 16,000 or more registered voters in the state might not be citizens. But that number is being questioned by some who say Gessler is manufacturing a voter-fraud scare to push civil-rights-constricting legislation.

Gessler came up with the number of potential noncitizen voters Wednesday by asking the Colorado Department of Revenue to identify all driver's-license holders in Colorado who are in the country legally but are not citizens. Rich Coolidge, spokesman for Gessler's office, said those driver's-license numbers were then "bounced off" driver's-license numbers on the secretary of state's voter-registration rolls.

Gessler used the 16,000 figure Wednesday to push for a bill that would have required proof of citizenship to register to vote. Senate Bill 18 was killed by a 3-2 party-line vote in a Democratic- controlled committee.

"My sense of all this is that we have a solution looking for a problem," said Sen. Rollie Heath, D-Boulder, chairman of the committee that killed the proof-of-citizenship measure. "There are very, very, very few cases of voter fraud."

Coolidge said there has not been any attempt to determine through election histories whether any of those 16,000 identified as potentially unlawful voters have actually voted.

There also has been no attempt to determine whether any of the noncitizens have gained citizenship since obtaining a license. Noncitizens can obtain driver's licenses in Colorado by proving "lawful presence" through a work visa, a green card or some other form of legal-immigration identification. If they later become citizens and eligible voters, it won't be reflected in their driver's license.

"We really haven't drilled down into voter-registration records," Coolidge said. "What's really concerning is that our office doesn't have authority to do more research into this issue."

Gessler, a Republican, now plans to push a similar measure in the GOP-controlled House. Gessler is also backing another voter-registration measure that is scheduled for a Senate hearing next week. That measure would require those registering to vote to have a state-issued photo ID.

"I think his effort is misguided and sort of an offense to our current elections officials," said Jenny Flanagan, executive director of Common Cause Colorado, a nonprofit citizens' lobbying organization.

She said Gessler's attempts to make voter registration more difficult would have no effect on the immigrant population but would be a hardship for senior citizens, the handicapped, the homeless and others without ready access to proof of citizenship.

Jesse Ulibarri, public-policy director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado, said a proof-of-citizenship law also could create a financial hardship for some voters. The cost for a copy of a birth certificate ranges from $17.75 to more than $40. Passports, which are also an acceptable form of citizenship proof, can cost more than $100.

The cost of obtaining proof of citizenship was one reason the Arizona Supreme Court struck down a law similar to SB 18 in that state.

Coolidge said Gessler will continue to push for change because his office currently has no way to check citizenship when voters show up at the polls.

"We can verify everything except for citizenship," he said.

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I have been required to provide a copy of my birth certificate in order to get my driver's license in the state of Alabama and several other times during the course of my life, the fee did not cause me to starve or be unable to pay my electric bill and it is the cost of doing business as a citizen of this country.

At some time in everyone's life, they will need a copy of their birth certificate.

Originally Posted by Newmexican

I have been required to provide a copy of my birth certificate in order to get my driver's license

"Yeah! me too! so if a cop asked to see your DL, and you ain't got one then the very next question they ask is "Where you from BOY!" And that's everyone!