Voter Fraud State, National, International, posted by Stacey, a resident of the Amberwood/Wood Meadows neighborhood, on Oct 17, 2008 at 12:40 pm
I guess I'm just being naive... Why can't we just have a jar of ink at the voting booth that people have to stick a thumb in when they vote to ensure they vote only once? No need to verify any numbers.
This voter registration fraud thing with ACORN is nothing new. A friend of mine once was illegally registered in SF by a group tied to Willie Brown back in 1999. My friend is a Canadian citizen!
Posted by Jerry, a resident of the Oak Hill neighborhood, on Oct 18, 2008 at 12:01 am
Per Chicago Mayor Richard Daly - Vote early, vote often...
Now Stacey!! Let's be reasonable!! How many ladies do you think would stick a beautifully manicured thumbnail in that jar...:):)
On a serious note, I'm with you. There must be an answer to this problem but when someone suggests an idea, all hell breaks lose with screaming and yelling about someone that will be discriminated against. When the picture ID idea was suggested, some said the underpriviledged couldn't afford the cost of the ID and would be left out. You suggest an idea and someone will counter it...
For a starter - how about enforcing serious criminal penalties for voter registration fraud with jail time for all involved. That just might send a message. Naw, politicians wouldn't let that happen.
My wife votes "absentee" and her name is still on the rolls at our polling place. Just for fun, after I voted, I ask if she had voted. The poll worker checked the rolls and said, "No, she hasn't been in yet."
Thanks for starting this topic. Should be interesting reading once the Prop. 8 thread gets nasty and Jeb shuts it down...:):)
Posted by Janna, a resident of the Mission Park neighborhood, on Oct 18, 2008 at 2:16 pm
Not to change the subject too much, but I think we should be more worried about election fraud. The republicans are working really hard to disenfranchise likely democratic voters even as I write this. There are also already some problems with touch-screen voting that they are blaming on voters, rather than the machines themselves: Web Link
I think they're screaming about ACORN to set-up a reason to challenge the election after Obama kicks McCain's butt. There's no there, there.
Posted by MainStreetDiva, a resident of the Vintage Hills Elementary School neighborhood, on Oct 18, 2008 at 5:15 pm
Gee, Janna, maybe the Republicans are screaming about Acorn because that organization has had a long history of false voter registration in many states for many years.
Posted by Tennessee Jed, a resident of the Jensen Tract neighborhood, on Oct 19, 2008 at 7:37 am
I agree with you Stacy, however the other posts illustrate the problem with even the perception of fraud, either in registration or actual voting itself.
Every time I vote I always ask the question to someone sitting behind that table "Why don't you folks ever asked me for an ID?" And every time it's always something like "We are not required to asked for IDs". This I have never understood.
My solution would be that people working to get out the vote, could only hand out registration cards that are usually provided by their county registrars or inform them how to get themselves registered, not to do the actual registration. People who are serious about voting will get themselves registered. All this "get out the vote effort" by both parties and other agencies interferes with the process because it creates the perception of impropriety. My beef is not completely with the parties or their agencies, some of it is with the secretary of state of California, be it a Democrat or a Republican, who is unwilling to ensure the sanctity of my vote by requiring identification at the polling place.
It is not an insult to ask who I am. We do that every day in lots of ways. So for all those so worried about shenanigans going on in voter registration and the "get out the vote effort" by outside agencies, I say hammer your secretary of state and your representatives to require identification at the polls. My concern has always been not with whether a machine will actually tally my vote, but the dilution of votes by fraud.
The showing of ID issue has been a big, hot-button issue for a while now, and is more complicated than meets the eye when all sides of the issue are considered. However, some time ago a study showed this fear of some kind of voter fraud that ID'ing people at the polls solves seems not warranted in fact, at least in the U. S. It likely does not happen. See:
Posted by Tennessee Jed, a resident of the Jensen Tract neighborhood, on Oct 21, 2008 at 5:43 am
Thanks for that post Frank, and as the article illustrates there is much disagreement regarding identification at the polls. However, it is a small task to identify yourself. And I don't buy any of the whining that goes along with the arguments that it is a poll tax, or somehow unconstitutional. Show me in the Constitution where it says you don't have to provide ID when you vote. This is an upside down country these days! Your papers please... is this that the refrain people fear.
Posted by Janna, a resident of the Mission Park neighborhood, on Oct 21, 2008 at 11:21 am
Exactly, ACORN has issues, but the GOP trying to somehow tie those to Obama as if he's instigating their bad behavior is completely disingenuous. He's got a huge army of volunteers who are happily working for him. He doesn't need to cheat.
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