American Center for Voting Rights
Encyclopedia
The American Center for Voting Rights or ACVR was a non-profit organization founded by Mark F. "Thor" Hearne that operated from March 2005 to May 2007 and pushed for laws to reduce voter intimidation and voter fraud, and supported requiring photo ID for voters
. Its lobbying arm was called the American Center for Voting Rights Legislative Fund. Election law expert Richard L. Hasen
noted that it was "the only prominent non-governmental organization claiming that voter fraud is a major problem," and called the Center a Republican Party
front group
whose support of a photo ID requirement was intended to suppress the minority vote.
ACVR was founded in Midlothian, Virginia
as "a non-partisan 501(c)(3) legal and education organization committed to defending the rights of voters and working to increase public confidence in the fairness and outcome of elections" and declared that it did not "support or endorse any political party or candidate." Its lobbying arm, the American Center for Voting Rights Legislative Fund was chartered as a 501(c)(4) non-stock corporation.
, which was co-chaired by former president Jimmy Carter
and former Secretary of State
James Baker
.
Among its publications on the topic of voter fraud were "Democrat operatives far more involved in voter intimidation and suppression in 2004 than Republicans," "Vote Fraud, Intimidation & Suppression - The 2004 Presidential Election,"
and "Ohio Election Activities and Observations."
On March 22, 2005, a few days after the organization was formed, ACVR officials were called to testify by Republican members of Congress before a House Administration Committee hearing held by Rep. Bob Ney
(R-OH). Hearne was called as a witness to discuss election reform issues and the implementation of the federal Help America Vote Act during the 2004 Presidential election. U.S. Senator Kit Bond
(R-Missouri), who described the group as a non-partisan, voting rights advocacy group, testified and submitted the ACVR's report on 2004 election irregularities in Ohio, which documented, among other incidents, the registration of voters named "Mary Poppins", "Dick Tracy", and "Jive F. Turkey." According to court records in the criminal prosecution of Chad Staton in Defiance County, Ohio
, individuals registering these fictional voters were paid money and in at least one instance, crack cocaine. The organization involved in this effort was called "Project Vote," and the fraud was perpetrated by a registrations volunteer.
The dissolution of ACVR came several weeks after the Election Assistance Commission
issued a report that said the pervasiveness of fraud was open to debate.
"The DoJ devoted unprecedented resources to ferreting out polling-place fraud over five years and appears to have found not a single prosecutable case across the country," Slate reported.
Several states have adopted laws requiring voters to provide some form of government-issued identification before casting a ballot. The strictest of these requirements is the Indiana photo-ID requirement which was challenged by the Indiana Democratic Party and the American Civil Liberties Union
. This law was upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Arizona voter ID law against a similar challenge. Similar laws have been upheld by state courts in Pennsylvania, but struck down in Missouri and Georgia.
Voter ID laws (United States)
Voter identification is required to vote in many of the 50 United States and U.S. territories. The first laws requiring identification to vote at the polls were passed in 2003, and as of September 2011, 30 U.S. states require some form of photo or non-photo identification...
. Its lobbying arm was called the American Center for Voting Rights Legislative Fund. Election law expert Richard L. Hasen
Richard L. Hasen
Richard L. Hasen is the William H. Hannon Distinguished Professor of Law at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, California, United States. Hasen's area of expertise is in election law and campaign finance regulation.-Career:...
noted that it was "the only prominent non-governmental organization claiming that voter fraud is a major problem," and called the Center a Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
front group
Front organization
A front organization is any entity set up by and controlled by another organization, such as intelligence agencies, organized crime groups, banned organizations, religious or political groups, advocacy groups, or corporations...
whose support of a photo ID requirement was intended to suppress the minority vote.
ACVR was founded in Midlothian, Virginia
Midlothian, Virginia
Midlothian is an unincorporated community in Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States. Founded over 300 years ago as a coal mining village, it is now a suburban community located in the Southside of Richmond well beyond the city limits of Richmond in the Richmond–Petersburg region.It was named...
as "a non-partisan 501(c)(3) legal and education organization committed to defending the rights of voters and working to increase public confidence in the fairness and outcome of elections" and declared that it did not "support or endorse any political party or candidate." Its lobbying arm, the American Center for Voting Rights Legislative Fund was chartered as a 501(c)(4) non-stock corporation.
Leadership
ACVR's officers included:- Mark F. "Thor" Hearne, founder and general counselGeneral CounselA general counsel is the chief lawyer of a legal department, usually in a corporation or government department. The term is most used in the United States...
. Former vice president and director of election operations for the Republican National Lawyers Association. Served as national election counsel to George W. BushGeorge W. BushGeorge Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
's 2004 campaignGeorge W. Bush presidential campaign, 2004This article is about the presidential campaign of George W. Bush, the former President of the United States and winner of the 2004 Presidential Election. See George W. Bush for a detailed biography and information about his full presidency, and George W. Bush presidential campaign, 2000 for a...
and Missouri counsel to his 2000 campaignGeorge W. Bush presidential campaign, 2000This article is about the 2000 presidential campaign of George W. Bush, winner of the 2000 presidential election and re-elected in the 2004 election.See George W. Bush for a detailed biography and information about his presidency, and George W...
. Founded ACVR with encouragement from Karl RoveKarl RoveKarl Christian Rove was Senior Advisor and Deputy Chief of Staff to former President George W. Bush until Rove's resignation on August 31, 2007. He has headed the Office of Political Affairs, the Office of Public Liaison, and the White House Office of Strategic Initiatives...
and the White House. Helped Missouri Senator Delbert Lee ScottDelbert Lee ScottDelbert Lee Scott is a businessman and politician from Missouri. He has served as a city councilman for Lowry City, Missouri, as a Republican member of the Missouri House of Representatives, and as a member of the Missouri State Senate...
draft Missouri's voter ID law, which was later ruled unconstitutional. - Robin DeJarnetteRobin DeJarnetteRobin DeJarnette is an American political figure who is the founder and Executive Director of the Virginia Conservative Action PAC. DeJarnette is a political consultant for C4 and C5 organizations and the executive director for American Center for Voting Rights. She has been actively involved in...
, executive director. Founder and executive director of the Virginia Conservative Action PAC. - Brian LundeBrian LundeBrian Lunde is a former Democrat campaign manager who defected to become a Bush campaigner in 2000 US presidential elections. In 2004, Lunde co-chaired Democrats for Bush with Senator Zell Miller, which resulted in the recruitment of over 5,000 state and local Democratic elected officials,...
, Chairman. A former Executive Director of the Democratic National CommitteeDemocratic National CommitteeThe Democratic National Committee is the principal organization governing the United States Democratic Party on a day to day basis. While it is responsible for overseeing the process of writing a platform every four years, the DNC's central focus is on campaign and political activity in support...
who ran Democrats for Bush in 2004. - Alex Vogel, a former Republican National CommitteeRepublican National CommitteeThe Republican National Committee is an American political committee that provides national leadership for the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican political platform, as well as coordinating fundraising and election strategy. It is...
lawyer whose consulting firm was paid $75,000 for several months' service by Vogel as the center's Executive Director. - Pat Rogers, board member. An attorney from New Mexico who had handled Federal civil rights cases, he pushed Justice DepartmentUnited States Department of JusticeThe United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
officials to fire U.S. AttorneyUnited States AttorneyUnited States Attorneys represent the United States federal government in United States district court and United States court of appeals. There are 93 U.S. Attorneys stationed throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands...
David IglesiasDavid Iglesias (attorney)David Claudio Iglesias is an American attorney from Albuquerque, New Mexico.He was appointed by President George W. Bush as the United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico in August 2001 and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in October 2001. He served for 6 years. He was one of eight U.S...
for inattention to voter fraud. This dismissal fell under scrutiny as part of a larger, allegedly improper pattern of political influenceDismissal of U.S. attorneys controversyThe dismissal of U.S. Attorneys controversy was initiated by the unprecedented midterm dismissal of seven United States Attorneys on December 7, 2006 by the George W. Bush administration's Department of Justice. Congressional investigations focused on whether the Department of Justice and the White...
.
Activities
ACVR endorsed the September 2005 recommendations of the Commission on Federal Election ReformCommission on Federal Election Reform
The Commission on Federal Election Reform is co-chaired by former US President Jimmy Carter and James A. Baker, III.It is a private, blue-ribbon commission created by President Carter in the aftermath of the 2004 Election. The twenty-one distinguished members of the Commission are leaders from the...
, which was co-chaired by former president Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
and former Secretary of State
Secretary of State
Secretary of State or State Secretary is a commonly used title for a senior or mid-level post in governments around the world. The role varies between countries, and in some cases there are multiple Secretaries of State in the Government....
James Baker
James Baker
James Addison Baker, III is an American attorney, politician and political advisor.Baker served as the Chief of Staff in President Ronald Reagan's first administration and in the final year of the administration of President George H. W. Bush...
.
Among its publications on the topic of voter fraud were "Democrat operatives far more involved in voter intimidation and suppression in 2004 than Republicans," "Vote Fraud, Intimidation & Suppression - The 2004 Presidential Election,"
and "Ohio Election Activities and Observations."
On March 22, 2005, a few days after the organization was formed, ACVR officials were called to testify by Republican members of Congress before a House Administration Committee hearing held by Rep. Bob Ney
Bob Ney
Robert William Ney is an American politician from the U.S. state of Ohio. A Republican, Ney represented Ohio's 18th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 until November 3, 2006, when he resigned...
(R-OH). Hearne was called as a witness to discuss election reform issues and the implementation of the federal Help America Vote Act during the 2004 Presidential election. U.S. Senator Kit Bond
Kit Bond
Christopher Samuel "Kit" Bond is a former United States Senator from Missouri and a member of the Republican Party. First elected to the U.S. Senate in 1986, he defeated Democrat Harriett Woods by a margin of 53%-47%. He was re-elected in 1992, 1998, and 2004...
(R-Missouri), who described the group as a non-partisan, voting rights advocacy group, testified and submitted the ACVR's report on 2004 election irregularities in Ohio, which documented, among other incidents, the registration of voters named "Mary Poppins", "Dick Tracy", and "Jive F. Turkey." According to court records in the criminal prosecution of Chad Staton in Defiance County, Ohio
Defiance County, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 39,500 people, 15,138 households, and 11,020 families residing in the county. The population density was 96 people per square mile . There were 16,040 housing units at an average density of 39 per square mile...
, individuals registering these fictional voters were paid money and in at least one instance, crack cocaine. The organization involved in this effort was called "Project Vote," and the fraud was perpetrated by a registrations volunteer.
Dissolution and controversies
The ACVR was dissolved in May 2007, and the web pages ac4vr.com and AmericanCenterForVotingRights.com were taken down.The dissolution of ACVR came several weeks after the Election Assistance Commission
Election Assistance Commission
The Election Assistance Commission is an independent agency of the United States government created by the Help America Vote Act of 2002 . The Commission serves as a national clearinghouse and resource of information regarding election administration...
issued a report that said the pervasiveness of fraud was open to debate.
"The DoJ devoted unprecedented resources to ferreting out polling-place fraud over five years and appears to have found not a single prosecutable case across the country," Slate reported.
Several states have adopted laws requiring voters to provide some form of government-issued identification before casting a ballot. The strictest of these requirements is the Indiana photo-ID requirement which was challenged by the Indiana Democratic Party and the American Civil Liberties Union
American Civil Liberties Union
The American Civil Liberties Union is a U.S. non-profit organization whose stated mission is "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States." It works through litigation, legislation, and...
. This law was upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Arizona voter ID law against a similar challenge. Similar laws have been upheld by state courts in Pennsylvania, but struck down in Missouri and Georgia.