Signs Posted at Polling Locations in Madison County Amount to Voter intimidation and Violate the First and Fourteenth Amendments

BOISE—The ACLU of Idaho sent a letter to the Idaho Secretary of State’s Office demanding that signs posted at polling locations in Madison County be removed because they violate the First and Fourteenth amendments in addition to section 11(b) of the Voting Rights Act, which protects against voter intimidation. The organization also demanded that the same information which exists on the Secretary of State’s voting website be removed as well. The signs and webpage, which directly target students, assert that there “is no federal right to vote anywhere in the United States for the office of President” and create confusion regarding the rights of students to register and vote.

“The signs posted by Madison County election officials raise serious legal issues regarding voter intimidation directed at one specific group of voters - students. Our voting rights are clearly protected by numerous constitutional amendments as well as federal and state laws to ensure that all eligible voters are able to freely exercise their right to vote without fear of intimidation or harassment at the polls,” said Kathy Griesmyer, ACLU of Idaho policy director.

“We respectfully demand that these signs be removed from all polling locations in Madison County, and across the state, as well as from the Secretary of State’s website under student voter rights on idahovotes.gov. The Secretary of State’s office has a constitutional obligation to ensure free, fair, and impartial elections, and we ask that they do their job and remove any signs of voter intimidation,” Griesmyer said.

The ACLU is requesting that voters who have experienced intimidation at the polls or difficulty exercising their right to vote to contact their office at 208 344 9750.

Find the original press release and a copy of the letter sent to the Idaho Secretarty of State's Office attached below.

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