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Protecting America's Vote
NewsMax ^ | February 25, 2005 | Paul Weyrich

Posted on 02/24/2005 2:30:54 PM PST by Kaslin

Despite the fact that we were told that things went well in the 2004 elections, there was an unprecedented amount of voter fraud in various parts of the country. Senator Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., the chairman of the Republican Policy Committee and thus a member of the Senate leadership, has issued a paper entitled "Putting an End to Voter Fraud" and its suggestions are surely worth considering.

The Help America Vote Act, which was supposed to take care of a number of problems in the American election system when it was enacted in 2002, may have made matters worse. In any case, the Act comes up for renewal shortly and there are changes which ought to be made

First, Congress should require that voters show a photo ID at the polls. I have to show a photo ID at various stores. I even had to show a photo ID at a doctor's office. Senator Kyl says that "without genuine, photographic identification, the avenues for manipulation and fraud by unscrupulous individuals will remain open to exploitation."

Second, Congress should examine the integrity of the voter registration process and the ongoing failure of states to maintain accurate voter lists. Senator Kyl points out that current federal laws governing registration list maintenance prevent local officials from taking a zero tolerance approach to voter fraud. In addition, Kyl says that "Congress should make certain that non citizens are not illegally registering and voting: only Americans should decide the results of American elections."

Third, Congress should examine the extent to which early and absentee voting increases the likelihood of fraudulent votes being cast. The Arizona senator said that alternative voting system should have at least as many fraud protection safeguards as are available on Election Day. He calls on Congress to examine how states conduct early and absentee voting, to determine whether legislation is necessary to protect voters against vote dilution through others' fraud.

Kyl, the Policy Committee chairman, says that no election-related legislation should proceed in this Congress unless these issues receive a through examination. I could not agree more.

The Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) was a bipartisan effort drawn from the experiences in 2000, especially in Florida.

HAVA requires that new voters who register by mail have to provide non-photographic evidence of identity either when they register or when they first vote.

HAVA requires that voters by mail affirm their American citizenship.

HAVA requires that all new voters provide their driver's license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number.

It is HAVA that requires states to have the so-called "provisional ballot," which caused so many problems in Ohio and elsewhere in 2004.

But with all of these requirements, there is still no photo ID required for new voters, let alone for all voters on the rolls.

Senator Kyl points out that some senators have fought photo identification on the grounds that such ID presents an undo burden on minorities, the poor and the disabled. But, he said, they have never proven their claim. There is no doubt that some senators will fight any effort to have the identification requirement, even the relatively weak provisions of HAVA.

They have argued in the past and will no doubt argue again that photo identification is a modern-day poll tax. If it is true that minorities and the poor and disabled have no other photo ID and Congress does pass the ID requirement, then it should signal local communities to provide for government-issued photo identification.

Congress and the states were all hung up prior to the 2004 elections about voting machines. Jill Farrell of the Free Congress Foundation graded every state as to its worthiness in being prepared for the elections. Yet WHO voted seemed far less a consideration.

There is actually an attempt, S.17, on the part of some liberals to rid the system of any identification whatsoever, let alone adding on a photo ID. Congress surely is not going to reverse what little progress under HAVA has occurred. Rather, Congress needs to add to that progress.

It is never fashionable around this town to question motives, but exactly why, if you were concerned with the integrity of the voting system, would you advocate repeal of the current modest requirements? Could it be that some senators find the encouragement of voter fraud to be to their advantage or at least the advantage of their party?

I spoke with one of the lawyers who was assigned to the Indian reservation in South Dakota which miraculously produced the winning margin of victory for Democratic Senator Tim Johnson in 2002.

There were enough GOP lawyers watching the process in 2004 that probably the vote in 2004 was honest. Surprise, John Thune, the Republican who ran against Johnson in 2002, won this time. Still, it isn't possible to have lawyers in every questionable precinct.

Photo IDs aren't perfect. We require them for all sorts of transactions and yet there is fraud. But at least they would cut down on fraud as much as is humanly possible.

While they are at it, Congress, in considering changes to HAVA, should examine the so-called "motor voter" system. This same-day registration prevents the regulating authority from checking for proper addresses, for example. Far too little follow-up is done in the post-election period to determine just how honest the "motor voter" system really is. In fact, we don't have a good handle on the integrity of our voter registration lists.

Congress has enough time now, if it starts the process immediately, to do proper oversight and to get it right. Senator Kyl is to be commended for taking this initiative. It behooves his colleagues to take seriously what he has done.

Paul M. Weyrich is Chairman and CEO of the Free Congress Foundation


TOPICS: Editorial; Front Page News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: aliens; hava; stealingelections; votefraud; voterfraud; voterid; weyrich
Great editorial by Paul Weyrich and right to the point
1 posted on 02/24/2005 2:30:57 PM PST by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

Now if we can do something to stop the few thousand phantom voters who managed to cast ballots in Washington State without bothering the poll workers by identifying their presence in the voters log.


2 posted on 02/24/2005 2:40:24 PM PST by Libertarianize the GOP (Make all taxes truly voluntary)
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To: Kaslin

When I first registered to vote in a fire station in Mobile, AL I had to recite an oath. I don't recall what it was, but I remember raising my right hand to the fireman there.


3 posted on 02/24/2005 2:42:21 PM PST by numberonepal (Don't Even Think About Treading On Me)
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To: numberonepal

At the least voters should be required to show their voters registration card and those that have just registered also their drivers license or any other form of picture ID. Also the same day registration should be abolished


4 posted on 02/24/2005 2:52:28 PM PST by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin
We need this in Washington... The RAT's stole another election this last time. Re-VOTE.com
5 posted on 02/24/2005 3:01:12 PM PST by Phyto Chems (Convert or DIE is there call --- but I will remember Nick Berg & now Paul Johnson and .....)
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To: Kaslin

Remove the voter fraud and the Dems will be shocked when the only pull 25% of the vote.


6 posted on 02/24/2005 3:03:01 PM PST by msnimje
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To: Libertarianize the GOP

make people prove they are legitimate voters ??? if you're a RAT that kinda takes all the fun out of an election.


7 posted on 02/24/2005 3:07:12 PM PST by kingattax
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To: Kaslin

Well, ya know you have to provide an ID to buy alcohol, voting is at least as important as getting drunk. .. isnt it?


8 posted on 02/24/2005 3:16:50 PM PST by four more in O 4 (God Bless America. Let Freedom Reign.)
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To: kingattax

In Washington we have hundreds more ballots counted than there were voters recorded as voting.


9 posted on 02/24/2005 3:25:48 PM PST by Libertarianize the GOP (Make all taxes truly voluntary)
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To: kingattax
I spoke with one of the lawyers who was assigned to the Indian reservation in South Dakota which miraculously produced the winning margin of victory for Democratic Senator Tim Johnson in 2002.

And isn't it perfect poetic justice that by fradulently re-electing Johnson in 2002, Daschle probably ensured his own defeat in 2004?

Sort of like Al Gore's defense of Bill Clinton in 1998 ensuring his own defeat in 2000.

10 posted on 02/24/2005 3:34:24 PM PST by Vigilanteman (crime would drop like a sprung trapdoor if we brought back good old-fashioned hangings)
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To: Kaslin
I paid $15 to get a pair of passport photo IDs for my new passport at Sears. A California Drivers' License renewal fee these days is $12 and that includes having your photo taken. The notion its expensive to get a photo ID card is ridiculous. Even my father, who longer drives, has a State ID card and that costs him half of what's charged for a drivers' license. So what's this Barbara Streisand nonsense about the poor being unable to afford a photo ID to vote? Cripes! We live in a country where every one gets more credit than they have on hand in the bank. Don't tell me securing the integrity of our vote is a problem!

(Denny Crane: "There are two places to find the truth. First God and then Fox News.")

11 posted on 02/24/2005 3:46:25 PM PST by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives On In My Heart Forever)
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To: goldstategop

Well that is just an excuse by the left to continue their voter fraud


12 posted on 02/24/2005 4:57:03 PM PST by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

In our county elections office there was a note from the Federal government that Texas Voter cards would no longer be used to establish the bearer as a "US citizen"

If it USED to be used as that, then we USED to have the requirement to prove you were a US citizen to vote. How much common sense does it take to CONTINUE this policy to get a voter card.

I agree with Hillary. (scary!) Lets have a national holiday to vote and stop all early voting. Severly limit absentee and everyone goes to their neighborhood to vote.


13 posted on 02/24/2005 5:30:34 PM PST by The Bat Lady (I want to import the purple finger for the USA elections. and all on the same day, no early voting.)
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To: Libertarianize the GOP
phantom voters who managed to cast ballots in Washington State

Exactly! It's NOW against the law. But Rossi and the GOP didn't care, it seems. I said that's how it looked - right from the start. Rossi should have taken to the capital, guaged the opinion of the local guard commanders, and simply declared himself. HE WON! He won the vote, until it was discovered just how many short were the Dem, and until they manufactured sufficient ballots to cover that difference. And all I got were a few 'freepers' telling me they were going to take this to the Court if necessary. Rossi was fighting. The GOP was fighting. Well . . . where are they now? All nonsense.

I think Rossi made a deal. This was all done before the inauguration. And Pelosi and the Dem were inventing scenarios involving the 'great conspiracy' of the GOP to get Bush elected, etc. She even challenged the vote count, which I think did not endear her to her blue-blooded lib friends. So perhaps to avoid Pelosi and the Communist Black Caucus from making more of an issue, the GOP told Rossi to 'back off' and they'd find something for him, as it goes. I could be wrong. But there was always the appearance of that. And 'freepers' just couldn't see it, or refused to see it.

In order for the system to work, people have to fight to make the system work. Freedom isn't given - it's WON!

14 posted on 02/24/2005 7:32:46 PM PST by sevry
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