Drama erupted in Tennessee as its top election office sent letters to over 14,000 registered voters, asking them to prove they were citizens and eligible to vote. The letters, dated June 13, contained warnings to their recipients about how it is illegal for noncitizens to vote in the state of Tennessee.
However, voting rights advocates have found this move alarming, claiming that it is a form of possible intimidation of the citizens. Doug Kufner, a spokesperson for the Secretary of State’s office, gave a statement shortly after the letters were sent out to explain the reason for this.
According to Kufner, the state Department of Safety and Homeland Security developed the list of over 14,000 people after comparing the voter rolls with the data it already had. He also noted that the data that people have at the state’s homeland security department is usually a “snapshot” of the person’s first interaction with them.
Therefore, some people may not have been citizens at this time when they were probably getting their driver’s licenses or ID cards. Now, those people could have become citizens by naturalization but probably never updated their records.
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For example, Tennessee state law requires renewing driver’s licenses every eight years. A lot can happen in those eight years, and many people could have obtained citizenship in those years but likely didn’t remember to update their records yet.
Therefore, Kufner explained that instances like this can cause a disparity in the number of voters and registered citizens, as seen now. Since Tennessee law explicitly states that only eligible voters can participate in state and national elections, accurate voter rolls are very important.
According to Kufner, these letters aim to ensure the accuracy of the number of voters for the elections. However, voter rights advocates do not see it this way. They believe that this move was not only intimidating but also threatening to the state’s citizens.
The letters contain warnings about illegal voting, stating that it is a felony in Tennessee and that those found guilty can spend up to two years in prison. Once pictures of these letters started making rounds on social media, voting rights advocates heavily criticized the move by the state’s officials.
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As a Republican-dominated state, many Democrats have long bashed the Secretary of State’s office for its decisions regarding voting. Nashville Democratic Rep. Jason Powell put out a statement saying that the state was accusing citizens and residents of being ineligible to vote, which was not in line with democracy.
He also said in his statement that it was unfair to burden these people with the task of reproving their eligibility while also having a threat of imprisonment as well. Other Democrats, such as Rep. John Ray Clemmons and Rep. Gloria Johnson, have also been vocal about their disapproval of these letters sent to thousands of people in the state.
They have also urged activist groups not to be silent about this matter and to ensure that citizens’ voting rights are protected at all costs.
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