"Students Who Vote And Pay Out-Of-State Tuition Are Committing Voter Fraud"

[mod mom]

Maine GOP Chair: Students Who Vote And Pay Out-Of-State Tuition Are Committing Voter Fraud

Ryan J. Reilly | July 27, 2011, 6:00AM


Maine Republican Party Chairman Charlie Webster is claiming that college students who pay out-of-state tuition rates and vote in state are committing voter fraud.

At a press conference at the Maine State House, Webster gave the media a list of over 200 students -- their names redacted -- who paid out-of-state tuition rates but were registered to vote in the state.

Webster said he came up with the list because of opposition from voter rights groups to a law passed by the Republican-led legislature in June which banned voter registration on Election Day. A coalition of groups have launched a petition drive to overturn the law.

One problem. The University of Maine only allows individuals who previously lived in Maine -- those who aren't just living into the state to attend school -- to pay a discounted in-state tuition rate.

-snip
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/07/mass_gop_chair_students_who_vote_and_pay_out-of-st.php#more

I cross posted this in ER but since few go to that forum, I thought others would like to be made aware of this. The GOP further attempts to suppress a segment of the population-students. Where is the DoJ in protecting the rights of voters? :mad:

[trumad]

1. suppresion is all they got

[mod mom]

3. suppression AND voting machines that are unreliable, unverifiable

and subject to tampering.

[LiberalFighter]

2. I'm thinking the guy violated federal law by even getting those names.

[joeglow3]

9. Nope. Public information

I can look up ANYONE registered to vote in Nebraska and see their party affiliation online.

https://www.votercheck.necvr.ne.gov/

[mod mom]

10. How did he know they were students who paid out of state tuition?

[joeglow3]

12. I am guessing that is public information as well

Given that it is state university and the fact that mere attendance is not sensitive material, I would guess a freedom of information request would be granted.

That said, it clearly is not in the realm of the Federal Election Comission.

[LiberalFighter]

4. Asked for those specifics, Webster said that he did not have the resources to get that data.

Webster lies!! As a state party chair he would have the resources needed. Which suggests that the student names he has were students that had voted once.

[blogslut]

5. How sad is it?

That these morons have to resort to bullying, intimidation and outright denial of rights in order to get votes?

Cowards. Complete cowards.

[LiberalFighter]

6. On the list there is also a student that is 28 years old and one born in 1900.

[CreekDog]

7. no they aren't

heck, i did briefly.

you can vote wherever you want. the only time fraud enters the picture is not with respect to where you vote, but where you claim to have voted when you apply for in state tuition.

so when I went to University of Arizona (I'm a Californian), I'd already moved to AZ but not meeting their threshold for residency at that point, I had to pay out of state tuition, until my out of state tuition got waived a semester later.

i always preferred to vote where i was living because it was 1) easier and 2) i was more familiar with the issues, especially the local ones. i was in Arizona for over two years, when I came back to California (not a sure thing when I left), I was out of touch with almost everything in CA.

this was the mid-90s.

[iwishiwas]

8. Perhaps if it were a southern state the DOJ would be

more helpful. I had asked the same question for WI (cases are similar) and that was the response I got. I have been meaning to look it up--the Voter's Act but have not done so yet. I do not know if it only applies to southern states where suppression was --and continues to be rampant or not.

[katnapped]

11. How long until

They try to (re)enact the law that you have to own property (as well as hand over financial statements) before you're allowed to vote?

(and of course, one would have to be the "correct" gender as well as complexion)

[AlabamaLibrul]

13. Requirements for in-state tuition vs "residency" in a state

In Alabama you have to live here 12 consecutive months to qualify for in-state tuition. If you just moved here, you'd have to pay OOS this year and IS the next.

I assume that's not the requirement for voting; ergo, this dude is most likely full of shit.

[sinkingfeeling]

14. I thought most states had laws stating that those attending and living in state for

college were considered residents and allowed to vote.

[HockeyMom]

15. When my daughter went to USM, we paid out-of-state

tuition and she voted absentee ballot in NY. She did this on her own, and it wasn't that difficult.

When my husband got a job in Florida and moved there, I stayed in NY. She transferred to SUNY, paid in-state tuition, lived with me, and voted, again, absentee ballot since she was not at home. Do you know a number of people said we were committing fraud? I rented an apartment in NY, held a job in NY and paid NY taxes, had a NY driver's license and car registered there, and was registered to vote in NY. Yet, people were saying that because my husband was living in Florida, I was committing fraud by staying in NY, just so we could get in state tuition. They said I should be DIVORCED to live in another state from him, and be eligible to pay in state tuition.

Idiots. Actually, in hindsight, I should have STAYED in NY, period.

[LiberalFighter]

16. It appears to me that Webster probably violated several feferal laws.

FERPA which involves student records and voter registration laws.

[Bill McBlueState]

17. Registering to vote and qualifying for in-state tuition

are two different processes. On the face of it you wouldn't expect the rules for each to be identical.

Unless you're a moron.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

18. Don't tell him about Online Classes. His head will explode.