On His Way Out, Obama Moves To Make National Elections Less Secure

Investor's Business Daily ^ | 1/10/2017 | Staff

[IBD editorial writer]

Voting: In yet another move by the Obama administration to stick its thumb in the nation's eye on the way out, it has decided to have the federal government meddle in state and local elections. It's yet another terrible decision that Donald Trump is going to have to undo.

With almost no notice, Homeland Security chief Jeh Johnson announced that his department was designating the nation's elections system as "critical infrastructure," thereby giving DHS greater control over how states run their own elections.

This is a classic example of a government solution in search of a problem, one that will itself end up creating actual problems.

There's been no evidence of any foreign government tampering with election outcomes — although there were reports of attempts to gain access to registration databases.

And, given the fact that election systems are highly decentralized — there are 9,000 separate jurisdictions in a presidential election that vary throughout the country — there's little hope that such a plan could be carried out on a wide scale.

[Buckeye McFrog]

Clearly an unconstitutional power grab. The courts WILL strike it down, provided the SCOTUS goes the right way.

[LucyT]

I do support states rights and I do see elections as a state issue, so I do think Obama is out of line, as usual.

But I also do want to see photo IDs required in elections, and purple ink, and voter roll purges, and mandatory penalties for voter fraud.

[doorgunner69]

But I also do want to see photo IDs required in elections, and purple ink, and voter roll purges, and mandatory penalties for voter fraud.

Of course, that is the last thing Obunghole had in mind with this power grab.

[Salvation]

**But I also do want to see photo IDs required in elections, and purple ink, and voter roll purges, and mandatory penalties for voter fraud**

Ditto!

[IBD editorial writer]

Thanks for the feedback