FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEWS RELEASE
October 22, 2012
For More Information, contact:
Luther Strange
Joy Patterson (334) 242-7491
Alabama Attorney General
Suzanne Webb (334) 242-7351
Jeff Sommer (334) 353-2199
Page 1 of 2
AG, SECRETARY OF STATE WARN AGAINST VOTER FRAUD
(MONTGOMERY) – Attorney General Luther Strange and Secretary of State Beth
Chapman today held a news conference to focus on Alabama’s commitment to protect
the integrity of the upcoming general election and to fight voter fraud.
Attorney General Strange and Secretary Beth Chapman, in partnership with
district attorneys across Alabama, warn those who commit voter fraud that they will be
prosecuted to the fullest extent of state law. They were joined at the news conference by
U.S. Attorney George Beck for the Middle District of Alabama and Randy Hillman,
Director of the Alabama District Attorneys’ Association.
State officials are emphasizing the importance of fair and honest elections in the
wake of concerns raised in recent months, particularly regarding the use of absentee
ballots. After alleged improprieties were reported to both the Attorney General and the
Secretary of State, the officials announced their plan of action for a unified and
comprehensive response. No comment or information may be provided at this time
about particular cases that may be under review.
“We take all allegations of voter fraud seriously, and when the situation and
facts warrant it, we will investigate and prosecute these matters aggressively,” stated
Attorney General Strange. “The right to vote is a sacred, fundamental civil right and
the foundation of our democracy. It is vital that we preserve the integrity of our
elections process.”
In 2008, Secretary of State Chapman’s office created a Voter Fraud Unit dedicated
to dealing with reports of voter fraud. This unit is comprised of attorneys and elections
staff members trained to receive and process voter fraud complaints. A website
established by the Secretary of State provides a form for reporting complaints that were
then reviewed by the Voter Fraud Unit and may be forwarded to the Attorney
General’s Office or the appropriate district attorney’s office.
“When I ran for the office of Secretary of State I said there were three priorities of
my office, honest elections honest elections and honest elections. We have seen more
honest elections but we have a long way to go in the fight against voter fraud” Secretary
Chapman said.
501 Washington Avenue Montgomery, AL 36104 (334) 242-7300
www.ago.alabama.gov Page 2 of 2
In light of recent allegations, the Attorney General emphasized particularly
the enforcement of absentee ballot statutes. The law requires that an absentee ballot
must be witnessed by two adults or be notarized in order to be counted as a legal ballot.
Under state law, it is a felony to:
willfully alter the vote on someone else’s absentee ballot,
willfully cast more than one absentee ballot in the same election,
willfully vote in someone else’s name or falsify absentee ballot documents, or to
solicit or encourage illegal absentee voting activities.
The penalty is imprisonment of one year and one day up to 10 years, a fine of up
to $15,000, or both.
Citizens who have information about voter fraud may report it through one of
the following ways:
By filing online at http://www.stopvoterfraudnow.com/reportOnline.aspx;
Emailing to voterfraud@sos.alabama.gov;
Calling toll-free to 1-800-274-VOTE (8683)
Faxing to (334) 242-4993
Or by mailing to Secretary of State Beth Chapman, Voter Fraud Unit, P.O. Box
5616, Montgomery Alabama, 36103-5616
Information about voter fraud is available on the webpage
http://www.stopvoterfraudnow.com.
Additional information about the elections process in Alabama may be found at
http://www.sos.alabama.gov/downloads/election/2012/2012voterguide.pdf
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