Justice Department Settles Claims Under the Help America Vote Act With Bolivar County,...

Justice Department Settles Claims Under the Help America Vote Act With Bolivar
County, Mississippi

WASHINGTON, Feb. 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Justice Department
announced today that it filed a lawsuit against Bolivar County, Miss.,
alleging violations of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA). The lawsuit was
filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi, in
Oxford. The Department simultaneously filed a consent decree resolving the
lawsuit against the county.

The government's complaint contends that Bolivar County has failed to comply
with an important HAVA requirement governing federal elections: that
jurisdictions establish a free access system that allows an individual voter
who casts a provisional ballot to discover whether his or her ballot was
counted, and, if the ballot was not counted, the reason the ballot was
rejected. The requirement regarding provisional ballots went into effect on
Jan. 1, 2004.

"By quickly agreeing to implement an effective remedial plan, Bolivar County
officials have demonstrated a genuine commitment to addressing past problems
with their compliance with this important requirement of the Help America Vote
Act," said Grace Chung Becker, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the
Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. This suit continues an extensive
effort by the Civil Rights Division to ensure full implementation of HAVA.

This is the eleventh claim brought by the Civil Rights Division under HAVA
since HAVA's requirements went into effect four years ago. More information
about the federal voting laws enforced by the Department is available on the
Justice Department website at www.usdoj.gov/crt/voting/index.htm.

SOURCE U.S. Department of Justice

U.S. Department of Justice Office of Public Affairs, +1-202-514-2007, TDD,
+1-202-514-1888