CA: Bill to Seek Voters' Racial Data Signed [by Davis]

Los Angeles Times ^ | 09-18-03 | Nancy Vogel

[Alia]

Bill to Seek Voters' Racial Data Signed

Minority organizations back the law; county election officials oppose it. People will be able to volunteer information when they register.

SACRAMENTO — California will join seven other states in gathering race and ethnicity data from voters under a bill signed into law Wednesday by Gov. Gray Davis.

Endorsed by minority organizations but opposed by county elections officials, the law requires that every voter registration form include a space where people can volunteer their race or ethnicity. People who leave the space blank can still register to vote.

Californians may not see the forms for some time, because the law allows counties to use up their existing supply before the secretary of state goes to the expense of printing forms with an additional line.

"It could be a year or two before anybody gets to the point where new stock would be needed," said Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder Conny McCormack.

California now collects no racial information about voters. Such information will help government and political groups target underrepresented populations, said Assemblyman Mark Ridley-Thomas (D-Los Angeles), author of AB 587, which Davis signed into law.

Without such voluntary descriptions, campaigns must guess about who is voting and who is not based on surnames and census tract information, he said. The law would be overridden if voters pass Proposition 54, a measure on the recall election ballot that would prohibit state agencies, local governments, colleges and universities from collecting many kinds of racial and ethnic data.

Supporters include the California State Conference of the National Assn. for the Advancement of Colored People and the California Assn. of Urban League Executives.

But the California Assn. of Clerks and Elections Officials opposed the bill, arguing that racial data could be used to discriminate against voters and that collecting the information could require expensive changes to software and data entry.

The Ridley-Thomas bill cleared the Democrat-dominated Legislature without a single Republican vote. In debate in the Assembly, Republicans accused Ridley-Thomas of politicizing the ballot box. They warned that such information could lead to divisive campaigning that pits one ethnic group against another.

According to the Federal Election Commission, seven other states collect such data. In Alabama and North Carolina, voters are required to describe their race, but their application will still be accepted if they do not. In Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Pennsylvania, such information is "requested." In South Carolina, racial data is required and voters are warned that their applications may be rejected if they do not fill them out.

Other election-related bills signed by Davis Wednesday:Alia note: Other Links to AB 587

http://info.sen.ca.gov/pub/bill/asm/ab_0551-0600/ab_587_bill_20030218_introduced.html

[Alia]

Note "nuance" alert:

California now collects no racial information about voters

CA collects racial data all over the place in governmental bodies, institutions, etc. But "now" voters?

[.38sw]

If Prop. 54 passes, will this law then become moot? I would think so.

[Califelephant]

My race? It's none of their damn business. They should just count the votes.

[Tired of Taxes]

I see they're still up to their old tricks, aren't they, Alia? (Crossing my fingers hoping Prop 54 passes and the rest of the country follows suit).

[Alia]

I see they're still up to their old tricks, aren't they, Alia? (Crossing my fingers hoping Prop 54 passes and the rest of the country follows suit).

Yes, they are. And thank you.

[Libertarianize the GOP]

ping

[cyborg]

Wow those people in CA has a lot of time on their hands!! How will they ever figure out the 'race' of people based on their names? Will this now give them an excuse to go digging through other records?

I check, "NONE OF YOUR DAMN BUSINESS".

[Roscoe]

Bustamante, Davis and Arnie are all opposing Proposition 54, so it's chance of passing isn't good unfortunately.

[cyborg]

Is Arnold really opposing it? What about McClintock?

[Roscoe]

Tom supports Prop 54, Arnold called it's supporters "crazies".

[ambrose]

Adolf Hitler would be proud of these folks.

I propose that all Freepers register themselves as black. Let the LA Times write about the sudden influx of black Republican voters!

[truth_seeker]

I routinely "decline" when forms have data on race, which is often an option.

If right thinking people began to always "decline" it would become clear the systems weren't working. Kinda like "peaceful" resistence, Gandhi, MLK, etc.

[cyborg]

I have to wade through the CA recall threads again. I've heard people say Arnold said that. I just wonder if that's bad second hand info. I do not live in CA so in the end doesn't matter. However, I am leaning toward Tom more and more.

[sheik yerbouty]

I was born in America. Therefore, I am a Native American.

[Roscoe]

I propose that all Freepers register themselves as black.

I like it.

[Roscoe]

http://www.declaration.net/news.asp?docID=3677&y=2003

[cartoonistx]

The best way to thwart this latest attempt at dividing us along racial lines is for all voters to re-register and claim to be African-Americans! That way there won't be anything they can devine from the data!

[Alia]

If Prop. 54 passes, will this law then become moot? I would think so.

Yes. However, until we get rid of the racial machinery -- bills like these will continue. And it is my hope that everyone throughout the nation NOW understands the recall, and why. And why Prop 54 in CA.

[Alia]

You are quite right. It is NONE of their DAMNED business.

[mhking]

My race? Being from Indiana originally, I like the Indy 500 myself -- although the pennant race is looking pretty good right now...

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