From Deseret News archives:

State says 14 illegals may have cast ballot

Published: Monday, Aug. 8, 2005 9:12 p.m. MDT
 |  E-MAIL | PRINT | FONT + - 
The Elections Division of the Lieutenant Governor's Office has requested information on 14 individuals who, according to a survey by the Office of the Legislative Auditor General, voted though they might not be citizens.

Elections director Michael Cragun said he wants the information so county clerks can look at it and take appropriate action.

"If we find we've got someone who is not a citizen who has registered, . . . someone at the polling place can challenge their right to cast a ballot," he said. "As far as someone proven to be a noncitizen who did cast a ballot, that would be referred to the county attorney for prosecution."

Fraudulent voting is a third-degree felony punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 and up to five years in prison.

The survey, released in February by the Office of the Legislative Auditor General, revealed that 383 of those who appear to be undocumented immigrants who were issued a Utah driver's license or state ID card also registered to vote.

According to state voter registration records, 14 of the 383 actually cast a ballot, though their citizenship status wasn't confirmed.

Story continues below
The survey was introduced along with legislation, which is now law, replacing undocumented immigrants' drivers' licenses with driving privilege cards, which can't be used as identification, and requiring two separate forms of proof of address, along with identification, at the Driver License Division.

While lawmakers had originally said they'd seek a more in-depth audit, Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo, who sponsored the legislation, has since said the audit served its purpose by identifying a problem he said his legislation was designed to solve. Bramble has said any follow-up should by handled by state investigative agencies.

The Department of Public Safety was moving forward with efforts to find out why thousands of expiration notices for state ID cards issued to undocumented individuals were returned undeliverable.

Nanette Rolfe, director of the Driver License Division of the Department of Public Safety, said the notices are being evaluated to find out if a follow-up investigation is needed to the investigation referenced in the survey. That investigation suggested that "Utah has become a portal through which undocumented aliens can obtain a widely accepted form of ID."

It appeared that many people had obtained both a driver's license and a state ID card, Rolfe said. As drivers' licenses expire over the next year, the names and addresses on undeliverable expiration notices will be checked against the nearly 30,000 returned expiration notices for state ID cards, she said.

Comments

You can be the first to comment on this story.

previousnext

Latest comments

No, students are NOT safe from predators. If a parent wants to make sure...

If you really think Mormon's are mainstream, you must not have paid attention...

I don't see the schools presidents voting to get rid of WYM or NM, even...

Big games keep UHSAA coffers full

why people complain about how football is covered by the media too much. when...

A little perspective is not a bad thing. Notice the Cougar's won loss record...

I actually was encouraged by some aspects of the game. Any Utah fan who has...

A story about Mormons as minorities? In this paper? Get over the "victim"...

she was an awesome woman someone i looked up to when i was younger she was...

Relieved Cougs prep for Falcons

Wow you just made one of the dumbest comments I've heard yet. Fire Bronco????...

Photos: A Royal welcome home

Re: Huh?, You like many other haters are probably oblivious to many obvious...

Advertisements
Advertisement