Thursday July 15, 2004, 11:00 AM
Commission Headquarters
624 9th Street, N.W.
Room 540
Washington, DC 20425
Washington, DC - In a continuing probe of potential barriers and challenges confronting voters in November, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights will convene the second in a series of briefings under the title, "Voting and Election Reform-Is America Ready to Vote?" The session will explore the widely reported problems facing Florida voters and other concerns ranging from voter identification to preparedness of poll workers.
Speakers will include election officials from Florida and Maryland, a representative
of the firm contracted to help generate Florida's election purge list, and the
Vice Chair of the Election Assistance Commission created under the Help America
Vote Act (HAVA). The four-hour briefing will also hear from advocates and public
interest groups that have launched national voter awareness and protection efforts.
| WHO: |
U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, an independent, bipartisan agency charged
with monitoring and protecting voting rights. |
| WHAT: |
Briefing on Voter Purge List, Potential Voter Disenfranchisement, Poll
Worker Training and General Election Readiness |
| WHEN: | Thursday, July 15, 2004 at 11:00 am |
| WHERE: | Commission Headquarters 624 9th Street, N.W. Room 540 Washington, DC 20425 |
PANEL I Florida Voter Purge - 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Greg Palast, Journalist and Author, the Observer, Guardian Media Group.
Ion Sancho, Supervisor of Elections, Leon County, Florida, Elections Office.
Meg McLaughlin, Partner, Accenture, a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company. Contracted to generate Florida voter purge list.
Sam Heyward, resident of Tallahassee, Florida whose name appears on a voter purge list of alleged felons compiled by the Florida Division of Elections. Heyward has been eligible to vote since 1986.
MEDIA AVAILABILITY & LUNCH BREAK
PANEL II Election Protections & Readiness - 1:15 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Ralph Neas, President, People for the American Way.
Barbara Arnwine, Executive Director, Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.
Linda Lamone, Administrator, Maryland State Board of Elections.
Gracia Hillman, Vice Chairperson, U.S. Election Assistance Commission.
For more information about the April 15 briefing, please contact Laura Hart
at 202/833-9771.
07/14/04