Speech #1020172845

Federal criminal penalties would apply to any person who knowingly or willfully engages in fraudulent conduct. Motorvoter does not automatically register people to vote. It automatically serves as an application to register to vote. and this allows for State election officials to use discretion and review each application and decide if an applicant is a minor. a noncitizen. or in some other way a fraudulent registrant. As regards the whole issue of mail registration. which most States and most Americans currently can use. a letter from the chief elections officer of the State of Mississippi. the Honorable Dick Molpus. who is the secretary of state. says that: I am proud that on July 1. we will begin voter registration by mail. the 27th State to do so. During a heated public debate on the merits of mailin registration. my office conducted an extensive nationwide study of voter registration with particular emphasis on determining the potential for fraud durIng registration.