Culture

ACORN Files Lawsuit Against Missouri Officials

by PEP | April 24, 2008 at 12:04 am

549 views | 2 Recommendations | 4 comments

The intent of a 1993 federal law is clear: take voter registration drives to the people, especially those who use government assistance offices (welfare, food stamps) as well as driver's license offices. Now, however, ACORN, the umbrella activist group, says that Missouri isn't doing enough.

Defining "enough" might be hard. However, defining the lawsuit isn't hard at all. ACORN is a compilation of predominantly Democrat and leftist organizations. They're filing lawsuits in many states, especially ones where a Republican administration is in power.

Their carefully-selected targets make it clear: this presidential campaign has many battlefronts.

oting-rights activists filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday against Missouri public aid officials and election authorities in St. Louis and Kansas City, saying that agencies have failed to help poor people stay active on the voter rolls.

The suit, filed in Kansas City by the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, focuses on a 1993 federal law that requires voter registration to be offered at drivers license facilities and government assistance offices — those that offer aid such as food stamps, Medicaid and welfare. But although registering at drivers license offices is now commonplace, activists claim the Missouri Department of Social Services has shirked its obligations.

ACORN, represented by lawyers from national groups Project Vote, Demos and the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, also says election authorities need to better instruct local public aid offices.

The lawsuit carries all the overtones of a traditional political brawl, pitting groups allied with minorities and the poor — who typically lean Democratic — against a key department of a Republican administration.

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René

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 05:18 on April 24th, 2008

Doesn't matter that ACORN is mostly Democrat, there has to be some reaction to the Rep Party's dirty tricks. It's about time. PEP, I like this story. It's good stuff.

PEP

at 06:39 on April 24th, 2008

Thanks, Rene! Isn't it amazing how many rivulets and tributaries and run-offs there are in politics? ;}

René

at 06:53 on April 24th, 2008

So what's RFK Jr up to lately? Remember his story about the Stolen Elections in Rolling Stone? There was a lot more about that that didn't get in the actual story. Like who owned controlling interests in the election machine company in Florida in that 2000 election.