Julian Bond: “I applaud and support the Senator's premise that we ought to make sure the registration the first time is legitimate…”

“I applaud and support the Senator's premise that we ought to make sure the registration the first time is legitimate because that is where the problem begins. Does he understand that existing motor voter law does not permit effective ascertainment of the legitimacy of a registration upon registration, No. 1? And, No. 2, that the bill before us would not apply to anybody who is already registered? We had set up these requirements. Is the Senator aware we set up these requirements only for people registering after the date of the act, and they only have to meet the requirements to prove they are a live, qualified human being, one time--either upon registration or upon the first vote? Is the Senator aware of those two things?”