Athens Eco Latino

	Noviembre / November 2004 Vol. 2 Número / Issue 8

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Letter to the Editor

MALDEF

MALDEF, the leading Latino civil rights organization in the United States, is currently investigating allegations of possible violations of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. In Long and Atkinson County, Georgia, local candidates and private citizens have challenged electors who either possessed Latino surnames or defined themselves as Latino on voter registration applications. The law grants citizens the right to challenge another voter to determine if the individual in question is a citizen, but the challengers must present probable cause to the chief registrar to sustain their challenge and request a hearing.

According to Tisha Tallman, Regional Counsel of the Atlanta Southeast Office, "this is an egregious example of voter intimidation causing a "chilling effect," whereby Latinos eligible to vote have been deterred from exercising their right to vote." MALDEF is currently working with the Department of Justice to further investigate these actions to determine if any federal violations occurred. As well, MALDEF is notifying each county board of registrar office in Georgia about what has transpired and what steps can be taken to properly address this issue.

If any Latino registered voter has experienced or knows of someone who has experienced a similar incident, please contact 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA, a national hotline sponsored by MALDEF and NALEO (National Association of Latino Elected Officials).

A national nonprofit organization founded in 1968, MALDEF promotes and protects the rights of Latinos through advocacy, community education and outreach, leadership development, higher education scholarships and when necessary, through the legal system.