Calif. – State investigators have linked a Republican campaign to letters sent to thousands of Orange County Hispanics warning them they could go to jail or be deported if they vote next month, a spokesman for the attorney general said.

The letter, written in Spanish, tells recipients: “You are advised that if your residence in this country is illegal or you are an immigrant, voting in a federal election is a crime that could result in jail time.”

In fact, immigrants who are naturalized U.S. citizens can legally vote.

It is illegal to threaten or intimidate voters, though, and the complaints about the letters that began surfacing this week prompted state and federal investigations.

Barankin said investigators had been questioning people in Orange County.
Yahoo News: “AG: Voter warning linked to GOP campaign”
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061019/ap_on_re_us/immigration_voting_threat