Citizens From Foreclosed Addresses Will Not Be Allowed To Vote

September 17th, 2008 | Tags: Foreclosed Homes

There is a furor over a website’s claim that James Carabelli, Republican party’s chairperson from Macomb County has said that citizens from foreclosed addresses will not be allowed to vote. Carabelli strongly denied the allegations. He said, “The story is not true, and I never said those things.”

Put political circles are agog with the rumour and Democrats are making capital out of it. MichiganMessenger.com is an unbiased site that posts articles and blogs by freelancers. The story quoted Carabelli as saying “We will have a list of foreclosed homes and will make sure people aren’t voting from those addresses.” The story spread like wildfire in left leaning sites and attracted the attention of national media sites also. In Lansing a liberal group and a political firm that works with the Democrats said that the proposal would have made sea changes in the constitution of the state if it had been allowed. It would have had tremendous ramifications on the November elections.

Carabelli and the Republican Party at Michigan are accusing the writer of colouring his comments. But the author Eartha Jane Melzer is firm in her stand. The GOP chairperson Saul Anuzis categorically stated that there never has been any such plan to use foreclosure lists to corner voters. He added, “There is no such plan, and there never will be such a plan.”

Barack Obama organized press conferences with house owners facing foreclosures. Other activists strongly raised their demand for John McCain to get rid of Carabelli. McCain had nothing to do with the matter. Mark Brewer, the chairperson of the Democratic party of Michigan charged the Republicans of being the architects of the foreclosure crisis and working underhand to see that those affected by it are denied voting rights. The fear is that the foreclosure victims will vote en masse against the Republicans.

Bill Nowling the spokesperson for GOP that the allegation about suppressing the voters did not stand up to reason. From foreclosure lists no information can be got about where a voter resides or whether he or she is a registered voter or not. As regards the voting matter is concerned, foreclosure lists are totally useless.

Those facing foreclosure continue to live in the house until they are evicted or the house is sold. Voters who shift 60 days before an election is held can vote at their old voting centre.