Voter Fraud

by Cliopatria

A colleague gave me this very disturbing link that lists a frighteningly large number of attempts to suppress Democratic party voters.

A thought and a question:

Thought: Even if only a third of these are true they suggest a coordinated attempt by the Republican party to commit voter fraud.

Question: Do Republicans have a similar list of alleged Democratic activities?

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More Comments:

Jonathan Dresner - 11/1/2004

It is possible to create uniform standards, even functional cross-checking, without centralizing the practice to the point that one-point fraud would be decisive. That's a false dichotomy, I think.

I do think that we should revise the Constitution to give Congress greater authority over voting practice and standards.

Ralph E. Luker - 11/1/2004

I am reminded by those who complain about the patchwork systems of registration and voting that they need to recognize that except for a very few provisions in the United States Constitution and some applicable federal law, such as the Voting Rights Act, the Constitution holds that registration and voting is a responsibility of state and local law and practice. That _means_ that inevitably such things are bound to be a patchwork. If you think _nationalizing_ voter registration and voting is a great idea, I think that is an illusion. Centralize control and you centralize the possibilities of fraud.

Jonathan Dresner - 11/1/2004

Ralph,

The problem with that argument is that there's strong evidence of republican campaigns systematically targetting known legitimate voters based on their presumptive support for Kerry. The voting challenges are only a part of the problem.

The whole voting challenge issue would disappear in a heartbeat if we had a reasonably well-run voter registration system. What we have is an embarassment.

Ralph E. Luker - 11/1/2004

Oscar, Broadscale challenges may be efforts to clarify just what the law is. It really would help if partisans on both sides would consider the possibility that challenges may be done in good faith. Of _course_, there will be some dirty tricks played and I don't think that should be surprising. Politics never has been about tea and cakes.

Oscar Chamberlain - 11/1/2004

Ralph,

You may be right about there being complaints against Democrats. That's why I posed my question.

Concerning challenges, some of the wrongs documented at this site are blanket challenges aimed not at individuals but at groups. Unless that group as a whole is not qualified to vote, that's just wrong, no matter which party it aids.

Other complaints concerned spreading misinformation intended to discourage people from voting either by tricks or by intimidation. That's wrong too, regardless of which party it aids.

David Lion Salmanson - 11/1/2004

According to talk radio here in Philly, the Dems are importing folks from Maryland to suppress Rep. votes in the outer suburbs.

Did anybody catch the article on people voting early and then dying? Fascinating stuff.

Ralph E. Luker - 11/1/2004

Oscar, If I may say so, the flip side of these accusations of voter fraud on the part of Republicans are accusations of voter fraud on the part of Democrats. That is, there is _nothing_ inherently wrong with challenges by either party to anyone's right to vote. If that person isn't registered, if that person is registered in more than one place and attempts to vote in more than one place, if that person is not a citizen, etc, it is an act of good citizenship to challenge that person's right to vote.