Opinion ID: 624899
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: 1987 Enforcement Action and Consent Decree Modifications

Text: In Louisiana during the 1986 Congressional elections, the RNC allegedly created a voter challenge list by mailing letters to African-American voters and, then, including individuals whose letters were returned as undeliverable on a list of voters to challenge. A number of voters on the challenge list brought a suit against the RNC in Louisiana state court. In response to a discovery request made in that suit, the RNC produced a memorandum in which its Midwest Political Director stated to its Southern Political Director that this program will eliminate at least 60,000-80,000 folks from the rolls ... If it's a close race ... which I'm assuming it is, this could keep the black vote down considerably. Democratic Nat'l Comm. v. Republican Nat'l Comm., 671 F.Supp.2d 575, 580 (D.N.J.2009) (citing Thomas Edsall, Ballot Security Effects Calculated: GOP Aide Said Louisiana Effort Could Keep the Black Vote Down,  WASH. POST, OCT. 24, 1986 at A1.) Although the DNC was not a party to the action in Louisiana state court, it brought an action against the RNC for alleged violations of the Consent Decree after this memorandum was produced. The RNC and the DNC settled the lawsuit, this time by modifying the Consent Decree, which remained in full force and effect. (App. at 404.) In the 1982 Decree, the RNC had agreed to specific restrictions regarding its ability to engage in ballot security activities, but that Decree did not define the term ballot security activities. (App. at 401.) As modified in 1987, the Decree defined ballot security activities to mean ballot integrity, ballot security or other efforts to prevent or remedy vote fraud. Democratic Nat'l Comm., 671 F.Supp.2d at 581. The modifications clarified that the RNC may deploy persons on election day to perform normal poll watch[ing] functions so long as such persons do not use or implement the results of any other ballot security effort, unless the other ballot security effort complies with the provisions of the Consent Order and applicable law and has been so determined by this Court. (App. at 405.) The modifications also added a preclearance provision that prohibits the RNC from assisting or engaging in ballot security activities unless the RNC submits the program to the Court and to the DNC with 20 days' notice and the Court determines that the program complies with the Consent Decree and applicable law. [3]