‘Hostile,’ possibly ‘race-based’ voter intimidation incident reported in Yolo County
The Yolo County District Attorney’s Office is investigating an alleged and apparently “race-based” voter intimidation incident after the county elections office reported harassing messages being left on a voter’s door.
Officials with the Yolo County Assessor, Clerk-Recorder and Elections Office reported the incident involved a note being left on a person’s door, reading: “If you are not a citizen, you are not allowed to vote.”
Accompanying the note was another statement telling the victim to complete a voter registration cancellation form, according to a joint news release from the county elections and DA’s offices.
“The victim in this case is an eligible voter and was shocked by this hostile voter suppression effort,” the news release said.
The elections office has asked the DA’s office to investigate.
“We, along with the District Attorney’s, office take race-based claims of voter suppression and intimidation very seriously,” the joint statement said.
The statement did not give any further details about where in Yolo County the incident took place.
The county asks anyone who has experienced or is aware of “similar voter intimidation tactics” to contact the county elections office or DA’s office.
Using force, violence, coercion or intimidation to induce a voting decision is a felony in California punishable by up to three years in state prison.
Separate but closely related, anyone who “fraudulently advises any person that he or she is not eligible to vote or is not registered to vote when in fact that person is eligible or is registered” faces up to one year in county jail or state prison, according to the penal code.
