More REAL vote fraud

[Theophylact]

If you live in Butler or Warren counties in the Republican-leaning suburbs of Cincinnati, you can vote for president beginning in October by going to a polling place in the evening or on weekends. Republican officials in those counties want to make it convenient for their residents to vote early and avoid long lines on Election Day.

But, if you live in Cincinnati, you’re out of luck. Republicans on the county election board are planning to end early voting in the city promptly at 5 p.m., and ban it completely on weekends, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer. The convenience, in other words, will not be extended to the city’s working people.

The sleazy politics behind the disparity is obvious. Hamilton County, which contains Cincinnati, is largely Democratic and voted solidly for Barack Obama in 2008. So did the other urban areas of Cleveland, Columbus and Akron, where Republicans, with the assistance of the Ohio secretary of state, Jon Husted, have already eliminated the extended hours for early voting.

County election boards in Ohio, a closely contested swing state, are evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans. In counties likely to vote for President Obama, Republicans have voted against the extended hours, and Mr. Husted has broken the tie in their favor. (He said the counties couldn’t afford the long hours.) In counties likely to vote for Mitt Romney, Republicans have not objected to the extended hours.

This is just the latest alarming example of how Republicans across the country are trying to manipulate the electoral system by blocking the voting rights of their opponents. These actions have a disproportionate effect on blacks, Hispanics and other ethnic minorities who struggled for so long to participate in American democracy.

Cincinnati, for example, is 45 percent black, and Cleveland 53 percent. Butler County, however, is 8 percent black, and Warren 3.5 percent. This kind of racial disparity is clearly visible wherever Republicans have trampled on voting rights during Mr. Obama’s term.

In Florida, more than half of black voters went to the polls early in 2008 largely to support Mr. Obama. So, last year, Republican lawmakers there severely curtailed the early voting period. In Pennsylvania and other states that have imposed strict voter ID requirements, the impact will be felt hardest by blacks, Hispanics, older citizens and students, all of whom tend to lack government ID cards at a higher rate than the general population. At the trial in Pennsylvania over the constitutionality of the state’s voter ID law, the plaintiffs introduced clear evidence, compiled by a geographic data analysis firm, that registered voters in Philadelphia who lack government ID cards are concentrated in minority and low-income areas.

In Ohio, as in other states, the Republican Party is establishing a reputation for putting short-term political gain ahead of the most fundamental democratic rights.

Yes, Republicans are doing their best, across the country, to suppress the vote of people who wouldn't vote for them.

As for for the "voter fraud" that photo ID laws are supposedly designed to prevent: Yes, it happens. You want to know how often?

A new nationwide analysis of more than 2,000 cases of alleged election fraud over the past dozen years shows that in-person voter impersonation on Election Day, which has prompted 37 state legislatures to enact or consider tougher voter ID laws, was virtually nonexistent.

The analysis of 2,068 reported fraud cases by News21, a Carnegie-Knight investigative reporting project, found 10 cases of alleged in-person voter impersonation since 2000. With 146 million registered voters in the United States, those represent about one for every 15 million prospective voters.

The News21 report is based on a national public-records search in which reporters sent thousands of requests to elections officers in all 50 states, asking for every case of alleged fraudulent activity — including registration fraud; absentee-ballot fraud; vote buying; false election counts; campaign fraud; the casting of ballots by ineligible voters, such as felons and non-citizens; double voting; and voter impersonation.

The analysis found that there is more alleged fraud in absentee ballots and voter registration than in any of the other categories. The analysis shows 491 cases of alleged absentee ballot fraud and 400 cases involving registration fraud. Requiring voters to show identification at the polls — the crux of most of the new legislation — would not have prevented those cases.

The analysis also found that more than 46 percent of the reported election fraud allegations resulted in acquittals, dropped charges or decisions not to bring charges.

In many cases, people simply made mistakes. Felons or non-citizens sometimes registered to vote or cast votes because they were confused about their eligibility. Some voters accidentally cast their ballots twice or went to the wrong precinct. And election officials made mistakes, such as clerical errors — giving voters ballots when they have already voted — and errors due to confusion about eligibility.

One of the instances of voter impersonation fraud occurred in Londonderry, N.H., in 2004 when 17-year-old Mark Lacasse used his father’s name to vote for George W. Bush in the Republican presidential primary. Lacasse’s record was cleared after he performed community service.

Claudel Gilbert, a Haitian immigrant in Ohio who had changed his address in 2006, received two registration cards in the mail and said he thought he had to vote in both places for his vote to count. In four other cases, people were accused of double voting for filling out their ballot and their spouses’.

Voter impersonation fraud has attracted intense attention in recent years as Republicans and others have argued that strict voter ID laws are needed to prevent widespread fraud.

The case has been made repeatedly by the Republican National Lawyers Association. Part of the group’s mission is advancing “open, fair and honest elections,” and it has compiled a list of about 375 election fraud cases, based mostly on news reports.

News21 examined those cases and found that 77 were alleged fraud by voters. Of those, News21 could verify that 33 resulted in convictions or guilty pleas. The analysis shows no cases of voter impersonation fraud.

[tony_j15]

Thanks for the info.

[Theophylact]

Meanwhile, in Pennsylvania:

A Pennsylvania judge on Wednesday refused to stop a tough new voter identification law from going into effect, which Democrats say will suppress votes among President Barack Obama's supporters.

Commonwealth Court Judge Robert Simpson said he wouldn't grant an injunction that would have halted the law requiring each voter to show a valid photo ID. Opponents are expected to file an appeal within a day or two to the state Supreme Court as the Nov. 6 presidential election looms.

The Republican-penned law -- which passed over the objections of Democrats -- has ignited a furious debate over voting rights as Pennsylvania is poised to play a key role in deciding the presidential contest in November. Opponents had asked Simpson to block the law from taking effect in this year's election as part of a wider challenge to its constitutionality.

Republicans defend the law as necessary to protect the integrity of the election. But Democrats say the law will make it harder for the elderly, minorities, the poor and college students to vote, as part of a partisan scheme to help the Republican challenger, Mitt Romney, beat Democratic Obama.

"We're not done, it's not over," said Witold J. Walczak, an American Civil Liberties Union lawyer who helped argue the case for the plaintiffs. "It's why they make appeals courts."

Simpson didn't rule on the full merits of the case, only whether to grant a preliminary injunction stopping it from taking effect.

Votes by four of six Supreme Court justices would be needed to overturn the ruling by Simpson, who is a Republican. But the high court is currently split between three Republicans and three Democrats following the recent suspension of Justice Joan Orie Melvin, a Republican who is fighting criminal corruption charges.

Yes, keeping half a million eligible (mostly Democratic) voters from the polls could indeed throw the state to Romney:

House Majority Leader Mike Turzai (R-Allegheny) suggested that the House’s end game in passing the Voter ID law was to benefit the GOP politically.

“We are focused on making sure that we meet our obligations that we’ve talked about for years,” said Turzai in a speech to committee members Saturday. He mentioned the law among a laundry list of accomplishments made by the GOP-run legislature.

“Pro-Second Amendment? The Castle Doctrine, it’s done. First pro-life legislation – abortion facility regulations – in 22 years, done. Voter ID, which is gonna allow Governor Romney to win the state of Pennsylvania, done.”

[mad1]

One of the most important privileges of democracy in the United States of America is the right to participate in choosing elected officials through voting in elections. There are many different types of elections in the United States, such as federal elections, state elections or local elections. Only U.S. citizens can vote in federal elections. Registering to vote or voting in a federal election is a crime if you are not a U.S. citizen. Non-U.S. citizens, including permanent residents (green card holders), who vote, or register to vote, in a federal election also can be denied naturalization and/or removed (deported) from the United States.

USCIS - The Right to Vote

What is the issue with showing a drivers license or state issue ID when voting? How many people of voting age do not have a drivers license?

[tony_j15]

Twenty One Million Eligible Voters lack photo ID.

That a big enough number for you?

[Theophylact]

What is the issue with showing a drivers license or state issue ID when voting? How many people of voting age do not have a drivers license?

We've been here before, and I'm getting tired of refuting this POS argument, but:

(a) The right to vote is a constitutional one, guaranteed to every citizen of voting age not excluded by conviction of a felony. You don't need to pay to vote, you don't need to take a test, you don't need even need a fixed residence. It's a RIGHT.

(2) MANY:

Studies show that as many as 11 percent of eligible voters do not have government-issued photo ID. That percentage is even higher for seniors, people of color, people with disabilities, low-income voters, and students. Many citizens find it hard to get government photo IDs, because the underlying documentation like birth certificates (the ID one needs to get ID) is often difficult or expensive to come by. At the same time, voter ID policies are far more costly to implement than many assume.

People who live in cities and who don't drive. People who are aged and don't drive. People whose driving licence has been taken away. People who are blind, epileptic or physically unable to pass a driving test. People who can't afford to get a licence because they're homeless, unemployed and don't have a car anyway so wasting money on a licence is a luxury. People in utter poverty for all sorts of reasons. People in nursing homes whose driving licence has expired.

(c) Because it's easy for you to get one doesn't allow you to project your situation on everyone.

[Epidemic]

And in states where this has been instituted you don't have to pay, you don't need to take a test, you don't need to have a residence.

[tony_j15]

Time = money = illegal. That'll be the next argument.

[Theophylact]

It's going to cost hundreds of millions of dollars to put in place. But even if the ID were free and readily accessible for all, there's still no need for it. Is an identity fraud rate of one in fifteen million worth spending even one dollar on? The error rate in ballot counting is several orders of magnitude larger.

[Epidemic]

180,000 non citizen voters in florida would seem to be a rather large number.

[Theophylact]

"May not be":

"We're going to vet a list of 180,000 people to try to come up with a real number," said Chris Cate, a spokesman for Florida's Division of Elections. "We don't want to jump to conclusions without a thorough investigation."

Officials in Florida have so far identified more than 2,600 potential voters who may not be U.S. citizens and sent their information to local election authorities, Cate said.

"2600 may not be" is not "180,000 are not". Let's wait and see how the vetting goes. (In 2000, Florida kicked tens of thousands of eligible voters of the lists by mistaking them for felons with similar names.)

For what it's worth, if Florida does find that many non-citizens on the rolls, they're likely to be Cuban -- and Republican.

[sharder8]

I went to buy a bottle of wine at Target . . . I had to show ID! Store policy is everyone will be carded.

I agree that it's going to make it harder for some to vote . . . illegals, dead, incarcerated, etc.


Harder

[Theophylact]

I repeat: Buying alcohol or cigarettes is not a Constitutional right. Voting is.

[Epidemic]

I repeat: Buying alcohol or cigarettes is not a Constitutional right. Voting is.

and no one is trying to take away that constitutional right.


I guess you are all for american citizens buying guns with out ID and background checks right?

PS I support background check and ID verification for both constitutional rights.


it is also my right to have a fair election with only Living US citizens placing one vote per eligible person.

[Theophylact]

I have a somewhat different view of the Second Amendment than yours; but even Scalia doesn't think that guns can't be registered.

By the way, I do have voter ID. It's issued to residents of DC, and it has my place of voting on it. What it doesn't have is (1) anything I have to do or buy to get it or (2) any photo id. And I don't need to present it to vote; what I have to do is sign my name under penalty of perjury. That ought to be good enough.

[sharder8]

I have a somewhat different view of the Second Amendment than yours; but even Scalia doesn't think that guns can't be registered.

By the way, I do have voter ID. It's issued to residents of DC, and it has my place of voting on it. What it doesn't have is (1) anything I have to do or buy to get it or (2) any photo id. And I don't need to present it to vote; what I have to do is sign my name under penalty of perjury. That ought to be good enough.

Personally, I can see this as a double edged sword . . . Dumborats are worried not so much about poor Dumborats not being able to vote, they're worried about losing votes from illegals, dead, and people not eligible to vote. Repugnicans's are worried for the opposite reason, illegals, dead and people not eligible voting.

Hey, what about the constitutional right to fair representation? In recent elections, the vote was close. Illegal or improper votes could have made the difference in who is elected.

Try looking at it from the opposite view . . . if they was the Dumborat's pushing for voter ID . . . would you still have a problem?


Harder

[sharder8]

what I have to do is sign my name under penalty of perjury. That ought to be good enough.

Just like the illegals out here with their Consular ID's . . . they get a citation to appear in court for driving without a license, no insurance, and whatever caused the initial traffic stop. (BTW, they have to sign the citation under penalty of failure to appear.)

Then never show up in court . . .


Harder

[Gomer]

Personally, I can see this as a double edged sword . . . Dumborats are worried not so much about poor Dumborats not being able to vote, they're worried about losing votes from illegals, dead, and people not eligible to vote. Repugnicans's are worried for the opposite reason, illegals, dead and people not eligible voting.

Hey, what about the constitutional right to fair representation? In recent elections, the vote was close. Illegal or improper votes could have made the difference in who is elected.

Try looking at it from the opposite view . . . if they was the Dumborat's pushing for voter ID . . . would you still have a problem?

You haven't read any of what Theo has posted... have you?

[Epidemic]

I have a somewhat different view of the Second Amendment than yours; but even Scalia doesn't think that guns can't be registered.
.

The supreme court has ruled on voter id's and found them constitutional so I guess we are all in agreement.

You have to have a background check, on guns and ID check when voting.

where is the problem? both are backed by the SCOTUS

[nickslick74]

96-year-old Woman Who Voted During Jim Crow Is Denied Photo ID | Pith in the Wind