Texas County Cracks Down on Illegal Voting

ABC News ^ | Jan 16, 2005 | Associated Press

[mdittmar]

Officials are investigating how at least 35 foreign citizens, and possibly dozens more, were allowed to vote in elections in Harris county.

One of those illegal voters was a 73-year-old Brazilian woman whose registration was canceled in 1996 after she acknowledged on a jury summons that she was not a U.S. citizen.

But the following year she was again given a new voter card, which wasn't discovered until recently. Records show that since 1997 the woman voted at least four times in general and Democratic primary elections, most recently in November.

Last year, at least 35 foreign citizens either applied for or received voter cards by checking a box on the application saying they were U.S. citizens, said Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector Paul Bettencourt, who also is the county's voter registrar.

"If they check yes and they're not a citizen, there is no database that is open to the public that I know of that you can check against," he said.

Bettencourt is investigating at least 70 other possible violators and will send a list of suspected offenders to the Harris County district attorney.

Bettencourt said he believes the majority of non-citizens registered to vote were signed up by third party groups conducting mass voter-registration drives and there was probably no intent to deceive his office.

The best way to ensure that foreign citizens are unable to continue registering and voting is to have Congress pass a federal law setting up some form of citizenship verification, he said

.

The Federation for American Immigration Reform, a Washington-based group that advocates reduced immigration, wants a "national citizenship verification procedure" to ensure that voters in U.S. elections are citizens.

"Making false claims of U.S. citizenship is all but impossible to detect," said federation president Dan Stein.

Some states and municipalities have allowed foreign citizens living in the United States to vote. Texas, for example, didn't require voters to be U.S. citizens until 1921.

Several municipalities in Maryland allow foreign residents to vote in local elections. Similar proposals are under discussion in New York and San Francisco.

But Arizona voters in November passed Proposition 200, which requires, in part, that new voters provide proof of U.S. citizenship before being allowed to register to vote.

Information from: Houston Chronicle,

[mdittmar]

So many counties,so little outrage.

[Clara Lou]

Texas County Cracks Down on Illegal Voting
This would be an example of closing the barn door after the horses are out.

[umgud]

But the following year she was again given a new voter card, which wasn't discovered until recently. Records show that since 1997 the woman voted at least four times in general and Democratic primary elections, most recently in November.

[holyscroller]

"Bettencourt said he believes the majority of non-citizens registered to vote were signed up by third party groups conducting mass voter-registration drives and there was probably no intent to deceive his office..

Oh goodness no, absolutely no intent to deceive. How dare you even suggest such a thing? Why this is just an honest mistake, happens to the Republicans all the time. Yeh, that's it. No big deal. Happens to both parties, especially Republicans.

[mdittmar]

This guy would get my vote in 2008 if he ran.

[BobL]

"This guy would get my vote in 2008 if he ran."

Agreed - he's a great guy. He's also a fox in a hen-house. He's on the inside and can now see, and try to fix, the schemes that the Dems have set up in the big cities (Houston, in this case).

[mvpel]

But the following year she was again given a new voter card, which wasn't discovered until recently. Records show that since 1997 the woman voted at least four times in general and Democratic primary elections, most recently in November.

They seem to know who she is, so why isn't she wearing an orange jumpsuit awaiting her trial, conviction, jail time, and deportation?

[FreePaul]

TEXAS isn't cracking down on illegal voting. One county official, truly a shining light among politicians, is trying to do something about it. I hope he is successful. He has been working on many things to benefit the citizens of Texas and is being opposed by too many of our elected officials.

[henderson field]

I think we want to be careful about this "national citizenship verification." It smells too much like a national ID. The fact that this lady was identified through the means we have now means that it will work, as is. What we need are laws to command diligence of election workers and punish fraud on the part of the "voters." In this case, both the fraudulent voter and the election workers who let her slide in should now be in prison.

[JustAnotherSavage]

"Bettencourt said he believes the majority of non-citizens registered to vote were signed up by third party groups conducting mass voter-registration drives and there was probably no intent to deceive his office."

Bettencourt is a fool if he doesn't think there is deception involved here. One day we'll turn around and find illegals are determining our elections. 8 of the 19 9/11 hijackers were registered to vote.

[JustAnotherSavage]

And she's 73 years old. Just doing the work we don't want to?? I doubt it, she's probably getting social security.

[JustAnotherSavage]

"There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americanism...The one absolutely certain way of bringing this nation to ruin...would be to permit it to become a tangle of squabbling nationalities."

Teddy Roosevelt, Republican President (Speech, New York, 1915)

[HoustonCurmudgeon]

Bettencourt is a no fool, and has purged the Harris County voter rolls of tens of thousands of incorrect registrations since he was elected in 1998, after 30+ years of the same democrat in the office. He speaks softly and clobbers the dims every time they turn around.

[JustAnotherSavage]

Good, glad you told me. The voting system is still being purposely decieved. I thought his comment made it sound like the bad registrations were an accident.

[HoustonCurmudgeon]

Thanks for listening. This guy is beating up on local dims over registration, and state officials, OF BOTH PARTIES, over taxes. He is one honest politician ..... even if he laughs like a girl!!! ;-)

[JustAnotherSavage]

Speaking of that, I heard a guy on radio last night running for Mayor of LA who says if he wins the local law enforcement will crack down on illegals. He's a dynomo named Walter Moore (www.mayorforyou.com) Janetgreen, have you heard of him?

[bayourod]

Notice that Harris County (Houston) is handling the problem on our own instead of waiting on Washington.

[humblegunner]

Bettencourt is a no fool, and has purged the Harris County voter rolls of tens of thousands of incorrect registrations

That guy sent me a letter which in essence stated that I had to buy a stamp and reply
to his office confirming my address or I could not vote. Good for him!

I was mad at the time, but in retrospect it seems a fine idea.

[Dog Gone]

You noticed that, too. I'd hate to be seated next to him in a comedy club.

[Czar]

Lets see, isn't it about time for the illegal alien apologists and enablers to show up to argue that the flood of illegals really doesn't result in illegal voting or threaten the American voting system?

Perhaps Bayourod would appreciate this opportunity to lecture us again on how they do things in Houston...