[Grovenet] ... on a more serious note

Sun Sep 21 07:01:25 PDT 2008

Chuck, thank you for using the words "election fraud."  It is by far the more serious problem (as opposed to "voter fraud"), and there are too many con artists attempting to keep the citizenry focused on "voter fraud," thinking no one will notice the difference. ("Comedian" Rush Limbaugh is such a one.)

A Political Science prof, Lorraine C. Minnite, of Barnard College, Columbia University, did this research:

http://www.projectvote.org/fileadmin/ProjectVote/Publications/Politics_of_Voter_Fraud_Final.pdf

Or for some, it may be easier to get to that by going to http://www.projectvote.org/ and pressing the Politics of Voter Fraud button (upper right of page).

=================================
>From Minnite's report ...

". Voter fraud is the 'intentional corruption of the electoral process by the voter.' This definition covers knowingly and willingly giving false information to establish voter eligibility, and knowingly and willingly voting illegally or participating in a conspiracy to encourage illegal voting by others. All other forms of corruption of the electoral process and corruption committed by elected or election officials, candidates, party organizations, advocacy groups or campaign workers fall under the wider definition of election fraud.

". Voter fraud is extremely rare. At the federal level, records show that only 24 people were convicted of or pleaded guilty to illegal voting between 2002 and 2005, an average of eight people a year. The available state-level evidence of voter fraud, culled from interviews, reviews of newspaper coverage and court proceedings, while not definitive, is also negligible. 

". The lack of evidence of voter fraud is not because of a failure to codify it. It is not as if the states have failed to detail the ways voters could corrupt elections. There are hundreds of examples drawn from state election codes and constitutions that illustrate the precision with which the states have criminalized voter and election fraud. If we use the same standards for judging voter fraud crime rates as we do for other crimes, we must conclude that the lack of evidence of arrests, indictments or convictions for any of the practices defined as voter fraud means very little fraud is being committed. 

". Most voter fraud allegations turn out to be something other than fraud. A review of news stories over a recent two year period found that reports of voter fraud were most often limited to local races and individual acts and fell into three categories: unsubstantiated or false claims by the loser of a close race, mischief and administrative or voter error. 

". The more complex are the rules regulating voter registration and voting, the more likely voter mistakes, clerical errors, and the like will be wrongly identified as 'fraud.' Voters play a limited role in the electoral process. Where they interact with the process they confront an array of rules that can trip them up. In addition, one consequence of expanding voting opportunities, i.e. permissive absentee voting systems, is a corresponding increase in opportunities for casting unintentionally illegal ballots if administrative tracking and auditing systems are flawed. 

". There is a long history in America of elites using voter fraud allegations to restrict and shape the electorate. In the late nineteenth century when newly freed black Americans were swept into electoral politics, and where blacks were the majority of the electorate, it was the Democrats who were threatened by a loss of power, and it was the Democratic party that erected new rules said to be necessary to respond to alleged fraud by black voters. Today, the success of voter registration drives among minorities and low income people in recent years threatens to expand the base of the Democratic party and tip the balance of power away from the Republicans. Consequently, the use of baseless voter fraud allegations for partisan advantage has become the exclusive domain of Republican party activists.

". The historically disenfranchised are often the target of voter fraud allegations. Fraud allegations today typically point the finger at those belonging to the same categories of voters accused of fraud in the past - the marginalized and formerly disenfranchised, urban dwellers, immigrants, blacks, and lower status voters. These populations are mostly found among those still struggling for full inclusion in American life. 

". Better data collection and election administration will improve the public discussion of voter fraud and lead to more appropriate policies. We need better data, better election administration, transparency and more responsible journalism to improve public understanding of the legitimate ways in which electoral outcomes can be distorted and manipulated. This will help ensure that new laws and rules to prevent fraud are narrowly targeted to solve legitimate problems rather than used as a strategy to shape the electorate for partisan advantage."

=================================

Geri

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Chuck Riley" <Chuck at ChuckRiley.org>
To: "'Forest Grove local interests list'" <grovenet at rdrop.com>
Sent: Saturday, September 20, 2008 10:42 PM
Subject: Re: [Grovenet] ... on a more serious note

> That's right, and when the touch screen vendors came to the capitol to
> market them I told them I would vote to block them from ever coming to
> Oregon.  I talk with our congressional delegation often about the need for
> federal legislation to clean up the election fraud.  If you have any ideas
> that I can use to do even more I would love to hear them.
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com [mailto:grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com] On
> Behalf Of Steven
> Sent: Saturday, September 20, 2008 10:30 PM
> To: Forest Grove local interests list
> Subject: Re: [Grovenet] ... on a more serious note
> 
> Don't just write an email chuck. You're in a position to do something.
> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com [mailto:grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com]On
>> Behalf Of Chuck Riley
>> Sent: Saturday, September 20, 2008 6:01 PM
>> To: 'Forest Grove local interests list'
>> Subject: Re: [Grovenet] ... on a more serious note
>> 
>> 
>> Do what Canada does.  Use paper ballots and count by hand.  Sure it takes
>> time and we are an impatient country, but that's why the election is in
>> November and terms start in January.
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com [mailto:grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com] On
>> Behalf Of Steven
>> Sent: Friday, September 19, 2008 11:07 PM
>> To: Forest Grove local interests list
>> Subject: Re: [Grovenet] ... on a more serious note
>> 
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