Letter from Lani Guinier to Patrick McKee RE Voter Education Project v. Cleland et al.,

    October 1, 1984

Patrlck w. McKee' Esq.
Assistant AttorneY General
L32 State Judlclal Building
Atlanta, Georgla 30334

RE: Voter Education ProJect
v. Cleland et a1., Civ.

84-1184A

o

, et al.
No.

Dear Mr McKee,

lJe have recelved the letters submitted to your of-
fice ln responae to Frances Duncants September L2
request for information from the counties. It has
come to our attentlon, through examinatlon of the
letters and through our own conversations with reg-
lstered voters' that a number of counties'apPear to
be in violation of the Emergency Rule effective on
September 5, l-984.

The f ol-lowing counties, by their ohln admission,
have failed to appoint black deputy regiatrars or
open additional reg4.stration sites:

Doo Iy
Jas pe r
Lamar
Lee
Linc oln
Madlson
Talb o t
Webster

In Stephens and Dooly Counties, addltional regis-
tration sites have been opened. However, according
to registered voters in these counties, the neL
sites are stilI inconvenient to the maJorlty of the
black population. A person clted by stephens county
as a knowledgeable member of the minority community
says that, in addition to being lnconvenient, one
of the new slt,es 1s a store to which lDany black re-
sidents are in debt and are therefore hesitant to
enter for registration PurPoses. In ilerlwether
County, according to the Greenville City Manager'

99 HUDSON STREET (212\ 21 9-1 900 NEW YORK. N. Y. I0013



Patrlck we "x"", Esq.
Page 2
October 1, 1984

all municipal clerks lrere appointed deputy regis-
trars wlth the exceptlon of the Greenville City
Clerk, the only black uunlcipal clerk ln the couDty.
There ls still no evenlng or weekend registratlon
ln Greenvl11e, which has a high concentratlon of
black resldents.

In at least onr county, registration has not taken
place at the additional sltes designated. In its
letter of Septeuber 14, Jenkins County sal-d 1t had
scheduled regiatration at trro additional sites for
two evenings and the second and fourth Saturday
each month. According to the caretaker of one of
these sites, reglstration has not yet been conduct-
ed at either site. In Madison County, L2 volunteer
deputy registrars have been appointed. However, all
are members of the Pilot Club, whlch the Chief Reg-
istrar adnits has no minority members.

Other counties did not supply lnformation sufficient
to determine their compliance. Some of the following
clain to have opened additional- sites, but make no
mention of their convenience to black resldents or
the hours during which regLstration is to be conduct-
ed; others state their intention to appoint deputies
without specifylng dates or people:

Bal dwin
BuI loch
Burke
Butts
Catoosa
Clayton
Colquit t
Coweta
Dad e
Daws on

We hope that you will further
countles with regard to their
Emergency Ru1e.

Laurens
Long
Lownd e s
P ike
Schl ey
Sumter
Tel fair
Washington
Wil c ox

investlgate these
compliance with the

Dodge
Emanuel
Gilmer
Gordon
Ilabersham
Haral son
Harris
Irwin
J ackson
Johns on

Please 1et me know if I can be of any further
assistance \

)
e r.e'1y

Lani Guiri
Counsel for

, Esq.
Plaintiffs

99 HUDSON STREET (212) 219-1900 NEW YORK. N, Y, 10013



PatricL U. McKee, Eaq.
Page 3
October 1, 1984

cc: The Bonorable Rlchard C. Freeuan

99 HUOSON STREET (2121 219-1900 NEW YORK, N. Y. 10013