Cohen Holds Press Conference Remembering Our Veterans and Discussing the Voting Rights of Shelby County Residents

MEMPHIS, TN – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today attended the Veterans Administration’s Memorial Day Service at the Memphis National Cemetery and spoke to members of the press assembled there about the alleged disenfranchisement of hundreds of Shelby County voters.  Cohen made the following statement in response to the discovery by Bev Harris, the Director of Black Box Voting, that the voting histories of close to 500 Shelby County residents, many of them lifelong voters, seem to be altered to make it appear that they did not vote in recent elections. 

“There have been problems as recently as December 2011 with the record-keeping at the Shelby County Election Commission.  Mrs. Harris’ allegations and Commissioner George Monger’s concerns cause me to worry that voter histories are being altered and African–Americans are being improperly purged as voters.  Accordingly, I have brought these matters to the attention of the Justice Department and the State Coordinator of Elections,” Cohen said. 

In his most recent letter to Attorney General Holder, Cohen noted that his office discovered significant errors in the voting records last year when preparing a district-wide mailing to constituents.  “The fact that the Shelby County Election Commission listed only 61, 787 voters in the 2010 August primary, even though other public records indicated that 102, 214 people voted, is of concern.  Representatives from the Commission said that this was an error; however, problems are still occurring,” Cohen said.  Cohen sent a letter to Mark Goins, State Coordinator of Elections for the State of Tennessee, as well.

In August 2010, Cohen also requested an investigation by the Department of Justice into the voter irregularities that occurred during the Memphis and Shelby County elections held on August 5th.  He is disappointed to learn that such deliberate disenfranchisement has been discovered again.  Cohen stated, “the ballot must remain free and open to all.”

Bev Harris’s list of voters whose histories have been allegedly altered can be found here: http://blackboxvoting.org/

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