Poll : Should FEC Begin Probe of Voter Fraud ?

AlexdeLarge

The FEC’s primary job is to protect the integrity of our federal election process. With this many red flags flying and barely three week left before election day, there’s no time to lose if voters are to have all the information at hand before casting their ballots.

FEC Probe ?
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Viddy well, little brother. Viddy well.

obixman

Voter fraud has always existed in this country - ranging from the semi-mob who elected Jackson, up through the Republicans and poll-tax regimes who controled the South after the civil war - to the masssive machine politics of the late 19th and early 20th century machine politices.

They have seldom actually resulted in federal election changes ( with the notable exception of Kennedy's election due to the Chicago machine politics.... For REAL corruption you need to be more local - see "Landslide Lyndon's" first election in Texas - or any Lousianna election.

So I'm not worried about federal elections - I suspect Acorn was trying more to influence local elections than federal.

We won't even get into the more pervasive and influential rumor machines of late.. ( anyone for the John McCain black baby rumor of 2000).

So my take is - yes it does exist, but it's a minor effect compared to other chinanagans that take place.

(odd story from the 70's when I was in Lousianna and active as a election comissioner..

Two guys are in the cemetary taking down names to register the dead, one guy wants to break off and the other resists, when the first guy asks why the second says: " Hey - this guy has just as much right to vote as anyone else here in the cemetary.")

THis things could and would all be taken care of if the motivation was there - since neither party cares to deal with it outside of right around election time - neither do I.

Ludi

Sure! Why not?
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"...powerdown so soft and fluffy you'll think you're living in a pillow." - jboogy

Ludi

http://mudflats.wordpress.com/2008/09/18/obama-campaign-files-suit-over-voter-suppression/

"seeks declaratory and injunctive relief to challenge the “lose your home, lose your vote” vote-suppression program adopted by the Macomb County Republican Party, in concert with the Michigan Republican Party and the Republican National Committee, as well as unnamed Defendants who will implement the scheme at polling places in Macomb County and throughout the state. This “lose your home, lose your vote” program is part of a broader scheme - misnamed an “election integrity” program - to harass voters and suppress the vote throughout the State of Michigan in the upcoming election on November 4."

http://www.klas-tv.com/global/story.asp?s=2421595
"(Oct. 13) -- Federal, state, and local officials are gathering information about allegations of voter registration fraud that were first raised Channel 8 Eyewitness News.

An employee of a private voter registration firm alleges that his bosses trashed registration forms filled out by Democratic voters because they only wanted to sign up Republican voters.

The allegations have set off a political firestorm stretching from Las Vegas to Washington D.C., and beyond.

As with everything else in this election year, it's now become a political football being tossed between the two parties, with charges and countercharges, but at its core, there still remains the matter of registration forms that were ripped up and tossed in the trash."
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"...powerdown so soft and fluffy you'll think you're living in a pillow." - jboogy

Dreamtwister · Fission Joined: Feb 06, 2006 Posts: 2259

Deputy Fox! Quickly! There's been a murder at the hen house! Go investigate!
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The whole of human history is a refutation by experiment of the concept of "moral world order". - Friedrich Nietzsche

katkinkate

You guys reeeally need an politically independent electoral commission to run your elections.
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Kind regards, Katkinkate

"The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops,
but the cultivation and perfection of human beings."
Masanobu Fukuoka

obixman

I agree - unfortunately in most states the office that runs elections is part of an elected offcie - either local or state.

No one wants to spend a fair amount of money on an event that happems so rarely - and - to tell the truth - in general, electorial races are not as close as they have been lately.

The net result however, is that we mange to srew up most of the time, and when we try to do something correctly (i.e. improved voting machines) we manage to screw it up even more (how do you do a recount with no paper trail? - or for that matter prevent election rigging via the equipment?)

Until we start using biometrics to identify people (why Oh why do I carry 10 credit cards when I have fingerprints and irises?) it's all acedemic anyway. I am continually amazed that we do not correlate births, deaths, immigration, and voting rolls......

but we don't. A fair number of people prize personal freedom, but then have major issues with election fraud.

you can have one or the other - but having both seems .. a bit impossible.

AlexdeLarge

Agree. Voter I.D. using biometrics or some other form of identification is a must. You must prove you are a citizen, of voting age and not a felon. Voter fraud by any individual or group should be prosecuted and have mandatory jail time. No exceptions!!!!

Plus, Election day should be made a national holiday so everyone who "works" can vote. Just drop some other holiday to pay for it.

All early voting should be abolished. Absentee ballots should go through extreme scrutinty.
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Viddy well, little brother. Viddy well.

lawnchair · Intermediate Crude Joined: Oct 20, 2004 Posts: 786

Sure. Naturally. That's what they do every day and why we have such a commission.

You are aware that organizations holding registration drives (including many conservative churches, btw) are not allowed to throw away any voter registrations that get handed to them, even if they say "Mickey Mouse, Doha, Qatar", right? They, by law, have to turn them in, and in some states aren't even supposed to look at them before turning them in.

I agree that it's well past time for a free national ID. I'm rather surprised to find you on the side of it.

I don't see any problem with early voting, though. Can you explain your opposition? I voted yesterday. My last grandmother is in hospice right now. 1 in 3 chance says I'll be out of state on November 4th. But, I don't know. Really, really glad to be able to vote early.
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At 1% annual growth, human bodies will incorporate every gram in the observable universe in approximately 10,170 years.

AlexdeLarge

lawnchair · Intermediate Crude Joined: Oct 20, 2004 Posts: 786

Ludi

dohboi · Light Sweet Crude Joined: Dec 05, 2005 Posts: 1427

This is not a problem. This is not a problem. This is not a problem....

(How many times do I have to say it?)

Obvious rightwing fear mongering.

Obvious rightwing fear mongering.

Obvious rightwing fear mongering.

Anyone who can't see this is either totally freakin naive, or they're (probably paid) fear mongers themselves.

AlexdeLarge

AlexdeLarge

RICO Suit filed against ACORN

"cites an accumulation of evidence showing numerous instances of admitted fraud by ACORN employees, as well as individuals solicited by ACORN. In addition, the complaint cites conduct by ACORN in Colorado, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin."
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Viddy well, little brother. Viddy well.