Hillary's attempt to create election chaos (Count Every Vote Act of 2005)

The Hill ^ | 3/17/08 | Byron York

[Jean S]

Let’s say it’s Election Day 2008. You really, really, really want to vote for the Democratic nominee for president, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.), but you’re not registered to vote. You also don’t have a driver’s license or any sort of official photo identification that would tell the people down at the polling place who you are.

You don’t even have anything to show that you’re an American citizen.

But it’s Election Day, and you still want to vote for Clinton. What do you do?

Well, you go right down to that polling place, tell them you want to register, on the spot, and vote. And if anybody questions you, tell them you don’t need a prior registration, or a photo ID, proof of citizenship or anything else.
Clinton said so.

She really did — just a few weeks ago, in the form of her new bill, the Count Every Vote Act of 2005.

Although Clinton calls the measure “critical to restoring America’s faith in our voting system,” it might more accurately be described as the most wide-ranging assault ever on the idea that there should be minimum enforceable standards for voters. Just look at some of its provisions.

One section says, “Each state shall permit an individual on the day of a Federal election to register to vote in such election at the polling place ... [and] to cast a vote in such election and have that vote counted in the same manner as a vote cast by an eligible voter who properly registered during the regular registration period.”

Another provision says, “Each state and jurisdiction shall accept and process a voter registration application for an election for Federal office unless there is a material omission or information that specifically affects the eligibility of the voter. There shall be a presumption that persons who submit voter registration applications should be registered.”

And a third section adds, “The following shall not constitute a ‘material omission or information that specifically affects the eligibility of the voter’: (1) The failure to provide a Social Security number or driver’s license number. (2) The failure to provide information concerning citizenship or age in a manner other than” a simple statement that one is a citizen.

Put all those together and you have a recipe for chaos. Anyone can show up on Election Day, register and vote, and officials would have no way of knowing whether that person was eligible to vote or not. All Clinton would require is that the person “affirm” that he or she is eligible to vote.

And, as they say, that’s not all.

The Count Every Vote Act of 2005 would also require states to allow anyone to cast a provisional vote anywhere in a state, no questions asked. The number of provisional votes one might cast would be limited only by the number of polling places that could be visited in a day.

The bill would also allow felons to vote after they’ve done their time and are off probation (this is the provision that attracted a lot of criticism from conservatives, although it’s hardly the worst thing in the bill). And it would require that the federal government force states to ensure “an equal waiting time for all voters” at all polling places.

Seriously. The bill actually directs the federal Election Assistance Commission to devise a formula for voting line length.

That formula would be based on “the voting age population; voter turnout in past elections; the number of voters registered; the number of voters who have registered since the most recent federal election; Census data for the population served by such voting site; the educational levels and socio-economic factors of the population served by such voting site; the needs and numbers of disabled voters and voters with limited English proficiency; [and] the type of voting systems used.”

And those are not even the most important parts of the bill, at least according to Clinton. The most crucial provision, she says, is the one requiring that voting machines produce an “individual voter-verifiable paper record” of each vote. That’s a nod to those Democrats who believe that Karl Rove somehow personally hacked the touch-screen voting machines in Ohio to deny Sen. John Kerry his rightful victory.

Making touch-screen machines produce a paper record turns out to be quite complicated, introducing new possibilities for error into the process. But what the hell — Clinton’s entire bill introduces all sorts of new possibilities for error into the process.

In fact, the Count Every Vote Act of 2005 might be viewed as a massive, wholly intentional attempt to introduce new possibilities for error into the system, with the hope that most of the errors will benefit Democrats.

Clinton says her bill will “improve the franchise and truly improve our democracy.”

Even if she has to wreck the system to do it.

York is a White House correspondent for National Review. His column appears in The Hill each week. E-mail: byork@thehill.com

[nuconvert]

So how come I have to show identification to use the city dump?

[ClearCase_guy]

"We had to destroy our electoral system in order to save it."

[Maria S]

Voter fraud is a sure winner for Clinton. Every time I tell a friend or relative that Hillary Clinton CAN be elected, I mention the voter fraud aspect. That, along with a MSM that LOVES her and will use every opportunity to promote her, are just two of the ways she probably can and will become POTUS.

[cubreporter]

hillereee is not gonna be in the running. She's old and tired and stale and there will be new blood. Besides...she has to be threatened by those other "women" in her party like Pelosi, Boxer, Feinstein. Theya re STRONG women like hilleree....ha,ha...will be fun to see everyone turn on each other.

[rellimpank]

--making touch screen voting machines produce a paper record "may be quite complicated" but Nevada had them in the last election--

[steve-b]

Making touch-screen machines produce a paper record turns out to be quite complicated

Bullsh*t. The author lost all credibility with this ridiculous statement.

[coconutt2000]

Another provision says, “Each state and jurisdiction shall accept and process a voter registration application for an election for Federal office unless there is a material omission or information that specifically affects the eligibility of the voter. There shall be a presumption that persons who submit voter registration applications should be registered.”

Let's apply this to the bank where Hillary keeps her money. I should be able to walk in there, give them a million dollar check, open an account, withdraw the money on the same day, so long as I fill in all the blanks on the application. Because, why else would someone open up an account at a bank?

Sheesh... This is going to get her unelected in New York. She needs to have a serious talk with her pollsters if she thinks she can swing this past the 85% of American voters who don't want just anyone voting in our elections.

[smoothsailing]

What about my dog, hes an American citizen in good standing.

[SMARTY]

Something tells me that even without this registration hype, there will still be ample and widespread chaos on election day. By then, Evita will have said everything imaginable on every topic and she will have said these things first in favor and then against and finally made equivocal statements on these very same issues... just to cover all the bases and to absolutely deter or dumbfound ANY attempt to clearly understand her final posture on the issues. Anyone who is razzle dazzled by this stuff truly deserves what they get and in spades!

[KarlInOhio]

So how come I have to show identification to use the city dump?

Because the Dems don't benefit from massive city dump fraud.

[1Old Pro]

She's pure evil.

[sgtbono2002]

Innother words I could vote legally, then go down the road to the next polling place and say my name is Bill Clinton and I want to vote.When they ask for ID I say I dont have any but I am a citizen and I want to vote, I could leave this place and go down the road to the next and say my name is Mickey Mouse and vote again. They couldnt track me because I dont show ID I just make a statement and vote.

Nice move if she can get away with it. She may need those votes in 2008, and the criminal vote too.

[whereasandsoforth]

This is a good example of why Hilary will never be president. She spends too much time on folly like this that will never pass or even be taken seriously. Her healthcare fiasco was the same way. For all her reported brilliance, she sure can act like a stereotypical one-track minded woman that needs a man to guide her. Republican women are remarkable more prepared to be president.

[sgtbono2002]

I forgot to add this stupid idea came from the smartest woman in the world . LOL

[jocko12]

What PIG is saying I can go to 10 polling places and vote on election day and vote at all 10 places.

[newsgatherer]

I thought you were kidding, but this thing even has 6 co-sponsors.

Sen Boxer, Barbara [CA] - 2/17/2005
Sen Dayton, Mark [MN] - 3/7/2005
Sen Kerry, John F. [MA] - 2/17/2005
Sen Lautenberg, Frank R. [NJ] - 2/17/2005
Sen Leahy, Patrick J. [VT] - 3/1/2005
Sen Mikulski, Barbara A. [MD] - 2/17/2005

teddy kennedy must have been in a bar and missed a chance to sign onto this, but where oh where could Hillary's monicas Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins have been?

[mountn man]

Boy Hillary has a great idea.

Her hubby already paid the Chicoms off, so if Hillary is successful in getting this legislation across, they'll just ship a few 10 million people over, walk up to the polling place, and vote.

Me want vote. Me 'Merican citizen. (said in best chinese accent)

I used to hate Bill. Now I just don't care for him.

But Hillary is a B!#@h, always has been always will be. The wrong Clinton has health concerns. I usually don't wish ill on anybody, but Hillary is such a traitor to this great country, I'll make an exception.

[marlon]

"Because the Dems don't benefit from massive city dump fraud."

I wouldn't bet on that if I were you!

[newsgatherer]

And in the house Rep Jones, Stephanie Tubbs [OH-11] (introduced 2/17/2005) Cosponsors (None)

None, note vefn Barney Frank or Tom Allen, amazing.