election fraud news
The recent state and local election cycle served as a reminder of the need for continued vigilance before, during, and after Election Day to counter efforts aimed at undermining the quality of our elections. These efforts are manifested in legislation requiring states to use same-day registration or vote-by-mail procedures, currently before a House Committee, and asserting that Voter ID requirements are unconstitutional.

1. Election 2007
2. Election Reform Hearings on the Hill
3. Voter ID on the Docket
4. Democrats Plan for Election Fraud
5. Stories from the States

1. Election 2007 Summary
Kentucky
Embattled Republican Governor Ernie Fletcher lost to Steve Beshear. Trey Grayson was elected to the office of Secretary of State. The election went smoothly under the close observation of the Kentucky Bureau of Investigation. 

Louisiana
The Ethics Commission will be investigating allegations of vote buying stemming from the state-wide elections held last month. An incumbent state senator learned that a non-profit group was instructing families to whom it was distributing food to vote for his opponent or "the food would stop." Republican Bobby Jindal won 54% of the vote last month in the Gubernatorial race, eliminating the need for a runoff election. 

Mississippi
Republicans made gains in state-wide offices securing 7 of the 8 executive offices, include the re-election of Governor Barbour and the election of Delbert Hosemann as Secretary of State. Hosemann strongly advocated a photo ID requirement for future elections, which has been hailed as "a badly needed common sense measure" by one commentator.

An interesting coincidence on election day was the 11 vote margin that gave Brandon Jones the victory to the House District 111 seat. The Republican candidate Lee was leading the race on Tuesday night by 2 votes, but a subsequent discovery of an affidavit box of ballots from one precinct and the tallying of the absentee ballots pushed Jones to the lead later in the week. Lee decided not to pursue a recount.        

Ohio
One county experienced delays due to their electronic voting machines. The flooding in Putnam County this summer led them to borrow machines from another county. Glitches in those machines caused further problems delaying the vote tallying and led Secretary of State Brunner ask for an extension of the voting hours to 9 pm, which was granted.    

In the Republican primary for the District 5 U.S. Congressional seat, Bob Latta, son of former Congressman Del Latta, won over Mr. Buehrer, in a special election following the death of Rep. Gillmor.

Virginia
Republicans retained control over the State House, however the Democrats gained enough seats in the Senate to secure a thin majority. This will have an impact on the state's redistricting efforts. One particularly close Senate race in Fairfax County incumbent Republican Senator Ken Cuccinelli has won his race with a 92 vote margin after the vote canvassing last week. His opponent still has the option to ask for a recount. 
   
Other Local Elections
In Maryland, local elections were complicated by an apparent computer error that mistakenly listed several voters as having had voted by absentee ballot. Up to 29,000 registered voters were effected and while Maryland officials instituted a backup plan to prevent double voting (absentee and at the polls) they admitted that "the onus is on the voter to vote legally."

In Denver, the SWAT team was called in to help count ballots after the elderly volunteer election judges left due to exhaustion.

There were several close elections across the country, in New York, New Mexico, and Pennsylvania.

2. Election Hearings by the House Administration Committee
Different aspects of election law reform have been a reoccurring agenda topic for the House Administration Committee this past month.

The latest hearing last week focused on same day registration and a bill offered by Rep. Ellison (D-MN) to require same-day registration nationally. Former Minnesota Secretary of State Mary Kiffmeyer warned, "In this day of illegals potentially gaining access to the driver license system, the verification of citizenship and accuracy of the connection of the ID card to the person voting is only common sense."

The subcommittee chairwoman refused to hear testimony from election experts offered by the Republicans asserting that vote-by-mail actually may decrease turnout.

News on other hearing topics can be accessed here. 

3. Voter ID before the Supreme Court
The US Supreme Court's acceptance of the case challenging the Indiana Voter ID law has led to increased discussion concerning the efficacy of photo ID requirements at the polls.

The IndyStar.com provided Five Questions for Todd Rokita, IN Secretary of State concerning the case.

Michigan conducted their first election under the new Voter ID law. Leading up to the election, considerable effort was taken to inform voters of the changes (see article list here) and to inform poll workers. The first elections in Michigan under the new Voter ID law went smoothly.

In a letter to the "People's Forum" section of a Michigan paper, Nate Franklin aptly defended photo ID requirements, writing: "It is shameful the way The Times' editorial board has become just another shill for the Democrat Party. As a black man, I'm offended that this newspaper would equate poll taxes and literacy tests, which were racist in nature and designed to disenfranchise blacks in the South, and instituted, by the way, by Democrats, with a photo ID requirement that allows anyone to vote if they show as much ID as you need to get on an airplane...It took centuries for blacks to get the vote and now the Left wants to cheapen that right by protecting fraud in the system? I never thought I'd see the day when this was possible..." (Bay City Times Oct. 26, 2007, A9).

There is growing support in the states for photo ID requirements, as noted above regarding Mississippi and also in South Carolina, Colorado, Wisconsin, and Indiana.

4. Democrats ‘Flip-Flop' Approach to Voter ID and Election Fraud
The Democrats have set the tenor of how election fraud will be approached if they were to gain the White House. John Fund gives a concise analysis of the impact that the Gov. Spitzer (and Clinton) driver's license plan would have towards increasing voter fraud. In the face of "overwhelming public opposition" Gov. Spitzer has recently withdrawn the plan.

Second, an article in the Keene Equinox, a student online paper, uncovers that DNC Chairman Dean has prepared a "'voter protection unit' of 7,000 volunteer lawyers trained in the field of local election law and are ready to be dispatched ‘at the drop of a hat.'" What issues do they recognize as critical? "Election fraud, electronic ballots" and ensuring that "these elections are legitimate." Isn't it their position that vote fraud doesn't exist?

One last cheerful story from one of our members, Obama's campaign has apparently recognized the efficacy in relying on photo IDs for verifying a person's identity. Oprah hosted a "celebration" (read fundraising) party for Barak Obama at the beginning of September. The Obama campaign set some very specific guidelines for the event - "guests at the celebration need to wear ‘Garden Attire'... ‘comfortable footwear is recommended'...Other rules, according to the Times: Due mostly to security concerns, no gifts for Obama or Oprah will be accepted. All purses and bags will be searched. No cameras or recording devices will be permitted. And a government-issued photo ID will be required for admittance." (Emphasis added) So ID is good for "celebration" parties, but not for the polls?

5. From the States
Alabama
The Tuscaloosa News criticized a recent visit by Rev. Sharpton and Charles Steele of the SCLC aimed at rallying support for two women charged with voter fraud.
 "For decades, the power of citizens to elect their leaders in Hale County... has been undermined by systemic voter fraud...In some years, the rate of absentee voting in these counties is 10 times the average statewide...[I]t is unsettling to hear... ‘You have to realize that black folks have to fight for their rights every day.' The irony in those words is that voter fraud is an assault on the rights of all citizens. A leader in the civil rights struggle, which Steele certainly has been, knows how dearly people have suffered to win equal access to the ballot box."

Colorado
From the Denver Post: "Another Republican proposal released ahead of the legislative session starting in January would require jails to determine the immigration status of all detainees when they are booked. Other measures focus on ensuring only citizens vote in elections.

One would require photo identification at the polls and another would call for proof of citizenship to register to vote. Republicans concede they don't believe many illegal immigrants are voting, but said that's not the point. ‘If one person casts a vote who shouldn't, I think that's a problem,' said Rep. Frank McNulty, R-Highlands Ranch."

Texas
 The Dallas News reports: "Refugio County Commissioner resigns, admits to voter fraud"

Washington
The Seattle Times reports: "Three plead guilty in fake voter scheme" stemming from the largest voter-registration fraud scheme in Washington State history.

Also from Washington, the US Supreme Court heard arguments on a case challenging the state's primary system. Washington Post article available here.