If not politics, the state's financial problems might doom a Republican plan to require voters to show photo identification before casting ballots in Wisconsin. Advertisement.
The Assembly last month passed a voter ID bill that would require the state to issue free photo ID cards to voters who don't already have them. The bill, similar to proposals introduced in previous sessions of the Legislature, is needed to ensure the integrity of elections and to help prevent voter fraud, Republicans say.
But the plan would cause an estimated $736,900 dip in fee revenue, which might lead Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle to kill it, even if it makes it through the Republican-controlled Senate.
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Voters: Mail ballot signatures forged
Candidate denies signing applications; DA investigating
04/22/2003
A Dallas City Council candidate submitted at least 12 mail ballot applications that contained the forged signatures of voters, according to interviews with voters and the elections administrator.
Clair Conly Woertendyke, a candidate for council District 3, submitted about 265 applications for mail ballots this month. The Dallas County elections department spotted the questionable applications because they appeared to be signed by the same person and came from the same West Dallas precinct. The Dallas County district attorney's office is investigating the possibility of forgery.
In interviews, eight voters said they did not sign the applications that Mr. Woertendyke sent to the elections department. And two of the voters whose applications were submitted moved from West Dallas more than a year ago, neighbors said.
Mr. Woertendyke said he did not forge the signatures and argued that it could not be proved whether the signatures are bogus. He said a voter's relative might have signed the application for the voter, and the voter simply forgot. He said neither he nor his campaign volunteers could ask a voter for identification.
"Most of these seniors ... can't remember what they did yesterday," said Mr. Woertendyke, who lost an election for Dallas County clerk in November. "There is always the possibility that someone in the family signed for it and the person [the voter] did not know."
Bruce Sherbet, Dallas County elections administrator, said Monday that he had sent the applications to the Dallas County district attorney's office for investigation.
"There is no question in my mind that the voters didn't sign those applications," Mr. Sherbet said.
....."I'm one of the advocates that North Carolina should be the seventh state and remove this barrier (to voting)," said Rep. Earline Parmon, D-Forsyth. "It will help younger people get involved." Parmon said.
To discourage voter fraud, people would be required to show identification and proof of residency, and sign a statement swearing that the information they gave is accurate. They could be prosecuted for perjury - a felony -if they lie.
"There's more checks on this kind of voting than on any other kind of voting that you do in this state," said Rep. Deborah Ross, D-Wake, a chief sponsor of the bill that is scheduled for debate in a House committee today.
Chris Haggerty of the N.C. Center for Voter Education said he was initially skeptical of the proposal, given the history of voter fraud in North Carolina. But he said that the multiple security provisions put his doubts to rest.
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UPPER MARLBORO (Maryland) -- State prosecutors said yesterday that Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.'s campaign hired hundreds of homeless people to hand out Election Day literature in an attempt to deceive voters and create "the illusion of support."
"They were hired to pose as supporters," Assistant State Prosecutor Thomas M. McDonough told Prince George's County Circuit Judge Richard H. Sothoron Jr. The accusation came during a hearing in the case of three people charged with violating a 1979 state law that bars the use of so-called "walk-around money," the payment of Election Day poll workers. Lawyers for the three defendants, however, say the law is unconstitutional and the charges must be thrown out.
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Court records show the payment of the Election Day workers was witnessed by an investigator from State Prosecutor Stephen Montanarelli's office, who watched as more than 100 homeless persons were paid $150 each the day after the election.
Brookins' lawyers have acknowleded that the workers were paid.
"The papers Ms. Brookins paid people to distribute were campaign materials," Nathans stated in a 16-page brief filed Feb. 19.
In addition to the homeless workers from Washington, the Democrats for Ehrlich Committee recruited high school and college students from Prince George's County to hand out campaign materials on Election Day. The students, however, said they were never paid as promised.
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This is without a doub t the lamest, most bogus BS excuse I've ever heard. Just try to do anything in this country without having to show an ID. It is impossible. These people have ID. The RATs do now want people having to show ID, because it gets in their way. It is as simple as that.