Coalition of Latino groups sounds alarm over intimidation of voters

A coalition of national Latino civic organizations raised concerns about intimidation of Latino voters and potential obstacles to their participation in the Nov. 2 election. "We're seeing more direct intimidation of people with Spanish surnames and individuals who are bilingual," said Ann Marie Tallman, president of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, or MALDEF, in a telephonic press conference. In such a closely contested presidential race -- and in the wake of the Florida debacle in 2000, in which thousands of voters were disenfranchised -- Tallman and other leaders said they are determined to ensure that Latino voters are not turned away from the polls. "In any election that is very balanceado, the Latino vote will make a big difference," said Hector Flores, president of the League of United Latin American Citizens. But, he added, "First-time voters with limited English proficiency are easily intimidated." The groups -- which also include the National Council of La Raza and the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials -- cited several situations in which they said Latino voters were wrongly singled out and discouraged from voting, including:

• In Alamance County, N.C., earlier this month, the sheriff submitted a list of registered voters with Spanish surnames to the U.S. Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in an attempt to determine whether or not they are U.S. citizens.
• In two Georgia counties, individuals recently challenged the citizenship status of dozens of people on the voter rolls, based on their Spanish surnames.
• In Pima County, Ariz., during the September presidential primary, two men dressed in black shirts with "U.S. Constitutional Enforcement" emblazoned on the back and armed with a video camera patrolled several polling places in Latino neighborhoods, ostensibly looking for illegal immigrants trying to vote. [more]