U.S. Constitution Mandates Penalties for States Where Votes Are Obstructed [View All]

[wildflower]

Anyone seen this? (I tried to search to see if it had been posted already but got an error.)

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U.S. Constitution Mandates Penalties for States Where Votes Are Obstructed, Say Greens

According to the 14th Amendment (Section 2), Voting Irregularities May Require a Reduction in the Number of Allotted Electoral College Votes for Ohio or Other States

WASHINGTON -- December 16 -- Green Party leaders warned that Ohio and other states where a significant amount of voter obstruction has taken place face penalties mandated by the U.S. Constitution.

Under the leadership of presidential candidate David Cobb, Greens have launched vote recount efforts in Ohio and New Mexico in response to the numerous complaints of voting irregularities in the 2004 election

According to the 14th Amendment (Section 2) of the U.S. Constitution, "...hen the right to vote... is denied... or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion, or other crime, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number of male citizens... in such State."

"If legitimate voters have been disenfranchised in any state, the Constitution requires that the state's representation be reduced," said Asa Gordon, Executive Director of the Douglass Institute of Government, chair of the D.C. Statehood Green Party's Electoral College Task Force, and member of the party's national Black Caucus. "If it can be shown that a class of legitimate voters were obstructed from voting or having their votes counted in Ohio, Florida, New Mexico, or any other state, then that state may lose one or more of its allotted Electoral College votes."

more at

http://www.commondreams.org/news2004/1216-17.htm