The media have teed up the issue of voter fraud nicely. On the one hand, we’ve been repeatedly told that, try as they might, no journalists can find any evidence of voter fraud. The local Cronkite Center chimed in with a well-publicized report claiming that voter impersonation, and by extension voter fraud, is pretty much nonexistent.
The other point driven home is that efforts to reduce voter fraud, such as a voter ID requirements, are thinly veiled attempts to suppress voter turnout. Democratic National Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz claimed that such measures “would literally drag us all the way to Jim Crow laws”. The Obama administration agrees.
Both claims are utterly baseless. Voter fraud isn’t found — except when it’s looked for and then it turns out to be everywhere. Troy, N.Y., City Councilman Anthony DeFiglio, who forged signatures on applications for absentee ballots, spoke some truth describing it as a “normal political tactic”.
American voters get that. In spite of the “nothing to see here, folks” message they receive regularly, 64 percent believed voting fraud was “serious” according to a Rasmussen poll.
Overwhelming evidence backs them up. In the 2008 Minnesota Senate race, Al Franken won by 312 votes. After a watchdog group identified 1099 votes cast by ineligible voters, prosecutors were forced by Minnesota law to investigate. So far, 177 people have been convicted of voting fraudulently and more are awaiting trial. A close gubernatorial race in Washington state in 2002 spurred investigations that also found thousands of illegal votes cast.
This year, Maryland congressional candidate Wendy Rosen dropped out after she was found to be voting in two states. Albany mayoral candidate Paul Etheridge was indicted last year on three felony counts of fraudulent absentee voting. NAACP official Lessadolla Sowers is in prison for perpetrating a massive vote fraud scheme in Mississippi.
It goes on and on. The undisputed champion of voter fraud is ACORN, supposedly disbanded in 2010, but actually still doing business under multiple names. Their operational model is to hire unqualified workers and incentivize them to “register” as many voters as possible at the last minute, thus overwhelming local election officials. When registrations are challenged, voter suppression is alleged, even though duplicates and obvious errors are common.
It’s more than an anecdote here and there. A study this year by the Pew Trust estimated that 24 million defective voter registrations are currently on file. Nearly two million dead people are still listed as voters, 2.75 million voters are registered in two places, 70,000 in three and 12 million contain incorrect addresses. One of eight registrations authorize voters to vote in elections for which they’re not eligible.
With all this going on, it’s frankly suspicious that the Obama administration still uses all the tools at its disposal to try to prevent states from implementing photo ID laws. Americans understand that, especially in an age of heightened security, a photo ID is a part of everyday life. It’s inherently reasonable to protect voter integrity with the same process needed to board a plane, buy a beer or cash a check.
Several surveys have shown that about 1 percent of eligible voters lack photo ID and the rest can easily obtain one for free. Yet Attorney General Eric Holder likens photo-ID laws to a “poll tax” and congressional Democrats have a bill in play that would void photo-ID laws in the 17 states, including ours, that have them.
Photo ID laws by themselves wouldn’t come close to eliminating voter fraud. If anything, it’s more important to clean up registration files. Unbelievably, the federal Motor Voter Act, for no good reason, actually prohibits doing this.
If we care about ballot integrity, we should also abolish early voting, except in true cases of need, and avoid Internet voting like the plague. It may be convenient to vote at home, but the only way to assure that voters are who they say they are is for them to appear in person. Anything else is just catnip for those hoping to cheat.
Although no fair-minded person supports voter suppression, November’s election could well be decided by illegal votes. Your vote counts only if it isn’t canceled by fraud.
East Valley resident Tom Patterson (pattersontomc@cox.net) is a retired physician and former state senator.
downtownresident posted at 9:53 am on Wed, Oct 17, 2012.
Tom,
The most gross example of voter fraud I can recall happened in Florida and was orchestrated by Karl Rove.
You've been hanging with Linda too much. Don't drink any more of her kool aid.
Engaged Voter posted at 10:18 am on Wed, Oct 17, 2012.
And here I was hoping, based on Patterson's factual claim of rampant voter fraud, that he would actually produce evidence for the claim.
I should've known better.
"They say voter fraud doesn’t exist."
They do? Who is they? When and where did they say that?
Or is Tom making stuff up again? ;)
Mike McClellan posted at 10:20 am on Wed, Oct 17, 2012.
Well, if Patterson was honest, he'd have told readers about the only nationwide examination of voter fraud -- done by the Bush Administration Justice Department , which found voter fraud to "be virtually nonexistent." This came after Justice did a five-year study. The Bush JD found that only 120 people had actually been accused of voter fraud, nationwide.
Only 86 of them were actually convicted of voter fraud.
And in Pennsylvania, this year, the AG there stipulated that the state had no proof -- zero instances -- of voter fraud to use in support of its new voter ID laws.
In fact, as downtown above notes, the only documented cases of fraud this year have been done on behalf of the Florida Republican Party by a group headed by Arizonan Nathan Sproul -- at least 106 cases of documented voter fraud committed by the group.
And possible fraud by the same group in North Carolina and Colorado, as investigations there are ongoing.
Engaged Voter posted at 10:20 am on Wed, Oct 17, 2012.
"Several surveys have shown that about 1 percent of eligible voters lack photo ID and the rest can easily obtain one for free."
By all means, Mr. Patterson, tell us where we can obtain a free photo ID - free and clear, and not having to fill out forms to see if we "qualify" for a free ID.
Otherwise, we can add this to Patterson's list of lies and false claims.
Katydid52 posted at 10:21 am on Wed, Oct 17, 2012.
If you do not have to show ID what is to keep me from voting for my mother who is in a nursing home? Or any of the staff of a nursing home from voting for anybody in there? There are tons of people with fake/stolen IDs. They are registering and voting. Just because there are not huge number caught at every election doesn't mean it isn't happening.
dustbowl11 posted at 11:49 am on Wed, Oct 17, 2012.
And I am sure it is just a coincidence that the Republicans are concentrating on Ohio and Florida for voter fraud. Two tossup states that Romney must win. Suppressing the vote is what this all about.
VofReason posted at 12:01 pm on Wed, Oct 17, 2012.
So what they proponents are saying is that other than the 1% who cannot get an ID (wha?) the rest who don't have one are too stupid to figure out how to get one, don't drive, don't have to cash checks, never fly and don't drink. Right. So the proponents of not needing ID to vote are doing so becuase there are people out their who refuse to join society (cashing checks, drinking, flying etc) but are absolutely imparative to vote in an office holder. This is comedy
chuckles3 posted at 1:30 pm on Wed, Oct 17, 2012.
Ok, I will play along. How many REPORTS were there for "hate crimes" in the US in 2010? According to the FBI, about 6600. Thats about 130 per state. There are REPORTS, not CONVICTIONS. But this warrants special prosecution and laws for it, and of course, FULL media attention.
Voter fraud? Nothing to see here.
Mike McClellan posted at 2:07 pm on Wed, Oct 17, 2012.
So I researched what Patterson claims in his column.
Oh, boy, Patterson's "proof" doesn't quite hold up:
Example 1, 2008 Minnesota voting "fraud" -- all but one convicted were felons who were legal citizens of Minnesota but weren't allowed to vote. And some of those convicted didn't even vote; they were charged with illegal registration.
Example 2, 2002 Washington govenor's race voting "fraud" -- Patterson claims "thousands of illegal votes cast"
First, there was no governor election in 2002. And there was no "investigation that also found thousands of illegal votes cast."
Example 3, 2012 "massive vote fraud scheme in Mississippi" -- She was convicted of voting for 10 people -- hardly a "massive fraud scheme."
Example 3 -- the Pew Trust report -- not once in the report will you find the claim of massive voter fraud. That was not even the intent of the report.
What Patterson's done here is rehash a book by John Fund, one of the Right Wing's "useful idiots" who has been on the vote fraud brigade for awhile.
And just like Fund's book, Patterson's column is pockmarked with false claims.
DrJCA1 posted at 2:16 pm on Wed, Oct 17, 2012.
Voter fraud is like illegal immigrant numbers. No one knows for sure how many of either is floating around in the US. If you commit voter fraud, you certainly are not going to tell everyone about it. If you're here illegally, chances are you just disappear from public scrutiny. While the right is overly concerned abou this issue, the left is overly un-concerned and apparently paranoid about it as well. Funny how liberals want government intrusion into almost everything in our lives, but showing a picture ID to vote, they want nothing to do with it. Hypoctitical at best.
Engaged Voter posted at 4:04 pm on Wed, Oct 17, 2012.
Katydid52, you made a claim:
"There are tons of people with fake/stolen IDs. They are registering and voting."
Do you have any evidence of this?
This may be 100% true, but to make such a claim without the evidence to support it...well, it puts you at the same level as Patterson.
Please, do not do that! ;)
chatmandu002 posted at 4:29 pm on Wed, Oct 17, 2012.
Voting is a right, privilege and responsibility of citizenship. It is the voters responsibility to provide all documentation required to vote.
Arizona Willie posted at 5:15 pm on Wed, Oct 17, 2012.
Since it is illegal to require proof of citizenship when registering to vote ( if using the Federal form ) and it is also illegal for poll workers to demand proof of citizenship ... just how would they find massive fraud?
The poll workers have to let anyone vote who presents i.d. that matches the name and address on the voter registration book.
If a voter is challenged by someone they have to give them a provisional ballot that is < supposed > to be kept separate and not counted until election officials verify it.
But how are they supposed to verify it? They can't ask for proof of citizenship -- it's illegal.
samkat posted at 6:31 pm on Wed, Oct 17, 2012.
The liberals are stirred up today. No strokes please. Now you liberals are worried about having to produce ID and today, I obtained a copy of my most recent lab test done last week. It has my picture on it courtesy of HIPPA, brought to you by your friendly democrats and Obamacare.
Dale Whiting posted at 8:12 pm on Wed, Oct 17, 2012.
Tom,
As I recall, you are a retired doctor [MD] and a former politician. I will not generalize from the spectrum of MD's and politicians I know, but typically neither are well qualified to issue opinions on voter fraud. The topic of voter fraud has been taken up in several court cases. In court cases, expert opinions based upon facts have been considered. And as I recall, the verdict thus far is that voter fraud is NOT wide spread.
On the other hand, politicians have expressed the notion that the so called voter ID laws that have been passed will help elect Mitt Romney as our 45th president by supressing the vote of those thought to be in President Obama's base. This assertion is a fact, a rather well known fact.
So Tom,
Who is paying you big $$$$ for your opinions? And are they connected with the Koch Brothers? And what is your opinion about those Florida hanging chads that eventually elected Bush 43? Wasn't that a form of Supreme Court endorsed voting fraud?
Rich posted at 8:15 pm on Wed, Oct 17, 2012.
In the early 60s, I was a HS student. The argument was for primaries. The teacher said, " What is the greater power to nominate or elect." I answered "The power to count" I got a 'B' when I earned an 'A'. Fraud happens long after people vote. Any vote that exceeds 1000 is fraudulent. You need to be taken care of, the powers that be know that, they will take care of you despite how you vote.
David Lucier posted at 8:33 pm on Wed, Oct 17, 2012.
I don't get as many chuckles from a clown as I do from reading Paterson's column, which is really a joke!
loose stool posted at 5:15 am on Thu, Oct 18, 2012.
The only reason not to require an ID when voteing is to incourage voter fraud. Who doesnt have an ID in 2012? This is just another ploy by corrupt democrats to try and hold on to power at any cost. There are no morals or integrity in the democrat party anymore.
Dale Whiting posted at 6:14 am on Thu, Oct 18, 2012.
loose stool,
No. The primary reason not to require an ID when voting is to encourage voting amongst those voters who for numerous reasons, all legitimate, don't have a picture ID. Over the years, many have voted and ID, at least "government approved" ID has not been required. For years I voted without being asked for ID. And most of the time I was voting from home via mail.
Now the lack of morals and integrity is a problem of those Republicans who have admitted that voter ID laws will adversely impact the ability of those without ID to vote. And studies show that the impact will harm Democrat candidate much more than Republican candidates.
Arizona Willie posted at 8:34 am on Thu, Oct 18, 2012.
I see in this morning's Arizona Republic bird cage liner that the company involved in voter fraud in Florida, and suspected of voter fraud in the 2004 election and others, is based right here in Tempe Az. Right by Town Lake.
WHY AM I NOT SURPRISED?
Arizona Willie posted at 8:36 am on Thu, Oct 18, 2012.
Why is the United States of America the only major industrialized nation that does not require proof of citizenship to register and vote?
VofReason posted at 11:43 am on Thu, Oct 18, 2012.
Dale Whiting says "No. The primary reason not to require an ID when voting is to encourage voting amongst those voters who for numerous reasons, all legitimate, don't have a picture ID." All legitamate? Hmmm. So again all of these people do not cash checks, fly, buy liqour, drive etc etc. I don't buy it. Strange how ACORN doesn't have outreach to get people legal identification?
chatmandu002 posted at 12:43 pm on Thu, Oct 18, 2012.
Did anyone notice the VOTE HERE/AQUI sign at the top of this article. Why doesn't it say VOTE/VOTAR also. I guess our citizens that don't speak English can't assimilate and learn our language. Pass "English" as the official language on the federal level.
DonMey posted at 12:46 pm on Thu, Oct 18, 2012.
What's amazing is that any fraud at all is found. When you specifically set a up a system to not have any verification, finding out who actually did what becomes almost impossible. And then to get enough evidence for an actual conviction? Of course "actual proven cases" of fraud are small, the system is set up that way.
Mike McClellan posted at 5:51 pm on Thu, Oct 18, 2012.
don makes an interesting argument -- the system hides voter fraud. But not in all state.
So let's take a look at a state that requires photo ID -- Arizona.
How many cases of voter fraud in 2008?
According to Ken Bennett, there were a grand total of 15, all of whom voted in our state and the other state they reside in. Sounds like snowbirds to me.
How many votes were cast in Arizona in the 2008 election? 2.3 million.
15 cases out of 2.3 million. What's the percentage of voter fraud there?
.0000006 percent of the total vote.
And Patterson has the cajones to tell us that voter fraud is somehow "massive."
CSalafia posted at 6:06 am on Fri, Oct 19, 2012.
Listening to Republicans talk about voter fraud is hysterical....considering they're the guilty ones.
Oh, lookie what just happened in Virginia:
Colin Small, a 31-year-old resident of Phoenixville, Pa., worked for Pinpoint, a company hired to register voters on behalf of the Republican Party of Virginia. Prosecutors charged him with four counts of destruction of voter registration applications, eight counts of failing to disclose voter registration applications and one count of obstruction of justice.
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/10/colin_small_virginia_gop_voter_registration_fraud.php?ref=fpnewsfeed
What did he do?
Oh, yeah, toss registration cards into the dumpster.
k33j88 posted at 7:41 am on Fri, Oct 19, 2012.
Thank you Tom for telling it like it is. In this age of socialism/communism vs. free market capitalism, the stakes couldn't be higher. No amount of voter fraud should be tolerated. The integrity of the system is paramount to survival of the nation. Absentee and internet voting must be banned, save for extenuating circumstances. Question to my progressive friends(yes I do have some): If I offered a gallon of potable water for you and told you that there was a drop of arsenic inadvertently dropped into the mix, would you question the safety? Integrity is the issue----same rules apply with voting. Requiring picture ID isn't overbearing and shouldn't be an inconvenience for anyone. We are all human and mistakes are inevitable, however, this is one event not to be taken lightly. The future of our nation is at stake.
DataMan posted at 11:06 am on Fri, Oct 19, 2012.
To make Patterson happy, I promise to wave my DL at the mailbox as I drop in my ballot.
Except I've had my AZ DL so long I didn't have to show US citizenship to get it!
Didn't I read that AZ was going after Sun City and AJ snowbirds for voting in both AZ and their home states? Maybe Patterson can tell us about that!
Cincinnatus posted at 10:37 am on Sun, Oct 21, 2012.
The federal penalty for in-person voter fraud is $10,000 and five years in prison plus whatever state statutes apply. Can someone explain to me why any rational human being would risk those penalties to cast a fraudulent vote?
I have no doubt that instances of fraud may occur in absentee voting and/or registration but it seems to me and from the studies I've seen in-person fraud is going to be pretty rare and that is precisely where the Republicans are focussing their attention. It's pretty clear they're trying to suppress voting at the ballot box and not where most fraud usually occurs.
Don't get me wrong. Narrowing the franchise might not be such a bad idea. There are way too many people voting who have no sense of community; the requisite knowledge of government, political principles and American history; and a singular absence of any notion of citizenship. That applies to rich, middle-class and poor alike. Seems to me if you can't pass a simple citizenship test or haven't served your country in some fashion you're claim to the franchise is pretty weak. But too target demographic groups in the way the Republicans have is a transparently cynical political ploy.
downtownresident posted at 11:36 am on Sun, Oct 21, 2012.
Tom,
It ain't voter fraud that's the problem here. It is POLITICIAN FRAUD we should be worried about.
Near as I can tell the Rove/tea party/neo-cons never net a lie they didn't like.
Honest men don't stand a chance.
onerebel posted at 8:41 pm on Sun, Oct 21, 2012.
Voter Fraud does not exist any more then robbery, home invasions, rape or any other crime. The only reason anyone would get their panties in a bunch about trying to stop it, is because they support it as a means to win at any cost!
az2008 posted at 10:23 pm on Wed, Nov 7, 2012.
I worked at a polling place yesterday. I was disturbed by the number of people who came to vote and who were referred to the Provisional-Ballot table because they were identified has having been sent an early ballot. 90% of these people said they didn't receive the ballot. 1/3 of those who didn't receive it said they didn't even request it. (In retrospect, I wonder if the other 2/3s didn't request it either. I think they just didn't think it was important to mention that they didn't ask for it either. To them, it was just important that they didn't receive it.).
It's disturbing because it was a large number of people. The mail-in ballot process *does not* work. Early-voting locations may be a good idea. But, mail-in ballots is a really bad idea. (Especially the "permanent early voter" service.).
I'm all for flexibility, thinking outside the box, adapting to change. But, there's something deeply flawed with this process.
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