Justice Department Meets with Civil Rights Groups to Discuss Plans for Protecting Ballot Access
"Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Grace Chung Becker, and other senior officials of the Department of Justice (DOJ) met today with leaders of dozens of civil rights groups, as well as national organizations representing state and local officials, secretaries of state and attorneys general offices from across the country, to review plans to protect voting rights in the upcoming federal election.

"The Justice Department must make every effort to help ensure that the November elections are run as smoothly as possible - and, equally important, that the American people have confidence in our electoral process," Attorney General Mukasey said. "Communicating openly with groups interested in the protection of voting rights and with the state and local officials primarily responsible for administering our elections is vital to that effort."

"As the United States Supreme Court has recognized, the right to vote is fundamental because it is preservative of all our other rights," said Acting Assistant Attorney General Becker. "Vigorous enforcement of all our voting laws is a priority for the Civil Rights Division."

The meetings today are part of the Department's continuing effort under the Ballot Access and Voting Integrity Initiative, which was established in October 2002 to expand efforts to address election crimes and voting rights violations. The two overarching goals of the initiative are to ensure fair voting access and to protect the integrity of the election process..."