Thousands of Students Found Registered In Two States at the Same Time
An ongoing analysis of data matching voter registration lists in other states with the list of newly registered voters in Virginia has confirmed that there are thousands of students who attend college in Virginia who are registered here as well as in their home state. Even more alarming, some of these students have applied for absentee ballots in their home state after having just registered to vote here.
In just eight localities in Pennsylvania, over 350 individuals were registered to vote both in Virginia and Pennsylvania, and 40 of these individuals have applied for and/or received absentee ballots. The analysis is continuing.
“Every Virginian should be concerned about the potential for fraud on a scale we have not witnessed before in Virginia, said Mike Wade, Third District GOP Chairman. “I am pleased that Secretary Rodrigues and the State Board of Elections is taking this seriously and has turned the names of those applying for ballots in other states over to the State Police.”
Wade continued, “It is vital this year that every Virginian be vigilant and aware and report suspected fraud to the proper authorities.”
This situation is a direct result of the intervention by Governor Kaine’s office in the policy making process, supported by pressure from the Obama campaign directed toward both the State Board of Elections and local Registrars. In early September, election policy was changed to shift responsibility from the local Registrar to the student him/herself for determining whether or not they are a resident of Virginia. Registrars were further instructed to not inform an applicant for voter registration about such things as the requirement under state law for an individual to contact the DMV and obtain a Virginia Driver’s License within 60 days of becoming a resident of Virginia.
“The unprecedented involvement of the Governor’s Chief of Staff, in directing policy and personally editing communications to Registrars for the sole purpose of benefiting one candidate in one race, has cast doubts on the entire policy making process,” Wade added. “The result is the alarming situation we now find ourselves in.”
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