PHILADELPHIA – Republicans this week accused Democrats of adding the dead and missing to Philadelphia voter rolls, while the Democrats responded with shouts of voter suppression in the left-leaning city.
About 10,000 of 131,000 letters mailed to new registrants in Philadelphia came back as undeliverable, state Republicans said, suggesting to them that Democrats were padding the rolls before the Nov. 2 presidential election.
“Shadowy outside groups affiliated with John Kerry and the Democrats have registered Philadelphians who have passed away or are in correctional facilities and submitted names with addresses that are empty lots and abandoned houses,” state Republicans charged in a statement.
In a phone call Tuesday, state GOP spokesman Mark Pfeifle identified the groups as pro-Kerry 527s, referring to soft-money political groups.
However, election officials and other observers say the 7.6 percent rate of returned letters isn’t surprising in a large city with many transient and low-income neighborhoods.
“This is a mobile population,” said Randall Miller, who teaches a course on elections at St. Joseph’s University. “Some people are living in places where they don’t really have addresses, such as shelters. They have every right to vote.”
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