Civil Rights Group Seeks Changes in Indiana Election Law

[struggle4progress]

1. Advocates, election officials tell panel complex Indiana registration rules frustrate voters

By CHARLES WILSON Associated Press
First Posted: August 29, 2013 - 4:45 pm
Last Updated: August 29, 2013 - 4:53 pm

... Indianapolis radio personality Amos Brown and Trent Deckard, Democratic co-director of the Indiana Election Division, told the Census Data Advisory Committee that unexplained relocation of polling places and 52 pages of changes approved since 2012 cause voters, especially minorities, to lose faith in the system ...

Deckard said confusion among poll workers who don't understand state registration requirements has resulted in voters being denied their rights and in long lines that cause some people to give up before casting a ballot ...

Committee members said if precincts are redrawn, voters should be notified of the location of their new voting location, which some counties don't do.

Ruth Greenwood, an attorney who works with a Chicago-based voting rights group that monitors voting in northwest Indiana, said a study identified the main reasons given for not voting: intimidation, including political robocalls; problems with registration; and problems involving polling places. Misinterpretation of Indiana's voter ID law was another source, often involving what types of documents were acceptable as ID, she said ...

http://www.dailyjournal.net/view/story/bff09a9a3c0448d0806b2a85273703ef/IN--Voting-Barriers-Indiana/