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<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message -----
<DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A
title=Disability.Outreach@usdoj.gov
href="mailto:Disability.Outreach@usdoj.gov">Outreach , Disability (CRT)</A>
</DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> <A title=Mazen.Basrawi@usdoj.gov
href="mailto:Mazen.Basrawi@usdoj.gov">Basrawi, Mazen (CRT)</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Friday, March 18, 2011 3:56 PM</DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> JUSTICE DEPARTMENT REACHES AGREEMENT WITH RHODE ISLAND ON
VOTER REGISTRATION AT PUBLIC ASSISTANCE AND DISABILITY OFFICES</DIV></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV class=WordSection1>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal>Note: The court documents are attached in pdf format.
<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" class=MsoNormal align=center><IMG
id=Picture_x0020_1 alt=cid:image001.png@01CBE4CA.8D6A9410
src="cid:074DBAE458154EA9BD4E3BF360772F25@CarlosPC" width=79 height=79><B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 16pt">DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE</SPAN></B><o:p></o:p></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" class=MsoNormal
align=center>__________________________________________________________________________<o:p></o:p></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in" class=MsoNormal
align=center>FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE Civil
Rights Division<o:p></o:p></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" class=MsoNormal align=center>FRIDAY, MARCH 18,
2011
(202) 514-2007<o:p></o:p></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" class=MsoNormal align=center><A
href="http://www.justice.gov/">WWW.JUSTICE.GOV</A><SPAN
style="COLOR: blue">
</SPAN>TDD
(202) 514-1888<o:p></o:p></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" class=MsoNormal align=center><B><U><SPAN
style="TEXT-TRANSFORM: uppercase"><o:p><SPAN
style="TEXT-DECORATION: none"> </SPAN></o:p></SPAN></U></B></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" class=MsoNormal align=center><B><U><SPAN
style="TEXT-TRANSFORM: uppercase">Justice Department Reaches Agreement with
Rhode Island <o:p></o:p></SPAN></U></B></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" class=MsoNormal align=center><B><U><SPAN
style="TEXT-TRANSFORM: uppercase">on Voter Registration at Public Assistance and
Disability Offices<o:p></o:p></SPAN></U></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P style="TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in" class=MsoNormal>WASHINGTON – The Justice
Department announced today that it has reached an agreement with Rhode Island
officials to ensure that all public assistance and disability services offices
in Rhode Island offer voter registration services to their clients. The
agreement is necessary to bring Rhode Island into compliance with the National
Voter Registration Act (NVRA).<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P style="TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in" class=MsoNormal>The agreement was filed in
conjunction with a lawsuit by the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division
alleging that Rhode Island violated federal law by failing to provide voter
registration services at all public assistance offices and all offices that
provide state-funded programs primarily aimed at persons with
disabilities.<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P style="TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in" class=MsoNormal>Congress enacted the NVRA in 1993
in part to enhance citizen participation in elections by making voter
registration opportunities available at offices that provide essential services,
like public assistance and disability services.<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P style="TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in" class=MsoNormal>“The voting process begins with
registration, and it is essential that all citizens have unfettered access to
voter registration opportunities,” said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney
General for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “I am pleased
that officials in Rhode Island worked cooperatively with the Justice Department
to reach this agreement, which will ensure that all citizens who apply for
public assistance or disability services in Rhode Island will be able to
register to vote as easily and conveniently as possible.” <o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P style="TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in" class=MsoNormal>The two-year agreement, if
approved by the district court, commits Rhode Island to undertake a variety of
measures, including offering voter registration opportunities to all applicants
for public assistance, WIC, rehabilitative services, developmental disabilities
services and mental health services; distributing voter registration
applications in public assistance and disability services offices and via mail;
training employees on NVRA compliance; conducting regular internal compliance
audits; and reporting the number of voter registration applications processed by
public assistance and disability service offices. In the event compliance
is not achieved within two years, the agreement will continue until compliance
is reached.<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P style="TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in" class=MsoNormal>More information about the NVRA
and other federal voting laws is available on the Department of Justice website
at <A
href="http://www.justice.gov/crt/about/vot/">www.justice.gov/crt/about/vot/</A>.
Complaints about discriminatory voting practices may be reported to the Voting
Section of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division at 1-800-253-3931.
<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" class=MsoNormal align=center>###<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal>11-349<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">DO NOT REPLY TO THIS
MESSAGE. IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, PLEASE USE THE CONTACTS IN THE MESSAGE OR
CALL THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS AT 202-514-2007.</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P></DIV></BODY></HTML>