CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today sent a letter urging U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch to look into reports that a third party organization failed to deliver more than 1,500 vote-by-mail applications to the Rock Island County Clerk’s Office. The ballot requests were discovered in a Rock Island post office box last week after voters began contacting the clerk’s office to inquire about the status of their applications.
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“Voting is, as the Supreme Court has said, a right ‘preservative of all rights.’ Efforts to suppress this fundamental right should be promptly investigated, remedied, and, if appropriate, prosecuted,” wrote Durbin. “In light of the troubling nature of this incident, I urge the Department to examine this case, provide assistance to local and state law enforcement officials as they investigate the case, and, if warranted, pursue a Federal investigation of the incident.”
Full text of the letter is available below:
The Honorable Loretta Lynch
Attorney General
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, D.C. 20530
Dear Attorney General Lynch:
I write to urge the Department of Justice to look into reports of a troubling incident involving unprocessed absentee ballot requests in Illinois.
Last week, more than 1,500 absentee ballot requests were discovered in a Rock Island post office box. News reports indicate that a third party group solicited these ballot requests from voters, but delayed submission of the requests to the Rock Island County Clerk’s office for processing. The ballot requests accumulated for several days, and they were found at the post office after voters contacted the County Clerk, asking when they would receive their absentee ballots. Officials have indicated that similar incidents may have also occurred in other Illinois counties.
Thankfully, following the discovery, the absentee ballot requests in Rock Island were forwarded on to the County Clerk, who has indicated that all of the applicants will be mailed absentee ballots. Local law enforcement and the Illinois Attorney General are reportedly now investigating the incident to determine if it involved a criminal effort to suppress the vote.
Voting is, as the Supreme Court has said, a right “preservative of all rights.” Efforts to suppress this fundamental right should be promptly investigated, remedied, and, if appropriate, prosecuted. In light of the troubling nature of this incident, I urge the Department to examine this case, provide assistance to local and state law enforcement officials as they investigate the case, and, if warranted, pursue a Federal investigation of the incident.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to a prompt response.
Sincerely,
U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL)
