Report: Voter Fraud Is "Extemely Rare"

[Starfury]

More confirmation of what we already know - voter ID laws that supposedly protect us from voters seeking to thwart democratic elections actually work to suppress legitimate votes, all the while being piously offered under the guise of election "reform."

In the lead up to the 2006 elections, several state legislatures introduced "Voter ID" acts, which restricted the franchise to persons able to produce a photo ID on election day. Although these laws reduced access to the ballot box, they were justified on the grounds that they reduce voter fraud, and thus prevent legitimate votes from being diluted.

Several state courts struck these laws down as unconstitutional, noting that few--if any--examples of actual voter fraud have been documented. The federal courts, however, have been less quick to invalidate voter ID laws.

A new report by the Advancement Project adds additional fodder to the discussion over the constitutionality of these laws. According to the report, "very little fraud is being committed." The report also notes that there is a "200-year history in America of elites using voter fraud allegations to restrict and shape the electorate."

(...)

Rest can be read at http://www.acsblog.org/voting-rights-democracy-report-voter-fraud-is-extemely-rare.html

Specifically, one of the conclusions reached in the report is:

Voter fraud is extremely rare. At the federal level, records show that only 24 people were convicted of or pleaded guilty to illegal voting between 2002 and 2005, an average of eight people a year. The available state-level evidence of voter fraud, culled from interviews, reviews of newspaper coverage and court proceedings, while not definitive, is also negligible.

The entire report is here: http://www.advancementproject.org/pdfs/alerts/PoliticsofVoterFraud.pdf

[liberal N proud]

1. And who funded this report?

In the highlights I don't see anything covering the fraud that takes place at the level of those who run the elections. I will have to read the full report later to see if it mentions it.

[Starfury]

5. Dunno about the funding (if any), but...

this group's report appears to be exposing the myth that Voter ID laws are on the books to protect citizens' rights to vote. Off hand, I'm not sure who else has researched this area, but personally I'd think the more light people can shine on this area, the better. This doesn't mean we shouldn't also try to fix election fraud...

FWIW, their home page:
http://www.advancementproject.org/index.html

Their mission statement:

Advancement Project is a democracy and justice action group. We work with communities seeking to build a fair and just multi-racial democracy in America. Using law, public policy and strategic communications, Advancement Project acts in partnership with local communities to advance universal opportunity, equity and access for those left behind in America.

From our inception, we have sought to link communities with external resources such as other local groups working on allied issues and causes, lawyers, journalists, policy analysts, data and relevant research, technical and communications support. Our relationships are at the core of our work. They define and shape our ability to activate successful reform efforts in traditionally difficult arenas with strong coalitions of interested parties.

Our staff of attorneys, communications specialists and policy experts work side-by-side with community organizations engaged in innovative projects to advance justice, promote multiracial consensus and broaden democratic participation. Advancement Project helps bridge the divide between grassroots activists and national policy and legal resources. Our locations in Washington, DC and Los Angeles, California afford us easy access to legal and policy experts, think tanks and up-to-date insight into the national political scene. But virtually all of our "hands on" work is outside the beltway. We produce policy and legal research and analysis, as well as "translating" academic and legal jargon into "user friendly" materials that are directly relevant to advocacy efforts.

We have chosen to concentrate initially on three subject areas: opportunity to learn, power and democracy and urban peace. In those areas, we provide in-kind support to efforts at the grassroots level and we connect those efforts to other racial justice innovators doing similar work in our subject areas. We deliberately chose these subject areas because they are of great concern to our community partners. This targeted strategy has succeeded; we have developed very successful partnerships with a variety of community organizations and are nationally known for our expertise.

In addition to our staff's work on the ground in numerous campaigns for racial and social justice around the country, our Community Justice Resource Center (CJRC) is building an infrastructure of support for others who are engaged in this type of multi-racial legal and civic action. We have published major reports used around the country and serve as a major resource for community organizations, lawyers, policymakers, media and intellectuals who seek our advice and expertise. The CJRCâs goal is to support, connect and develop the field of community-centered lawyers and activists who work in partnership on efforts toward a just democracy. CJRC draws on the lessons from our own experiences on the ground as well as the work of many other practitioners around the country. We foster connections among communities, with the ultimate goal of a nationwide network of local organizations and practitioners that share information, strategies and, where possible and appropriate, coordinate their work.

We also have recently launched a new initiative to bring scholars and academics into our work. This project, the Activists/Scholars Network, is building a network of innovative thinkers on race and democracy whose voices and ideas are featured in our strategic communications campaigns.

One of the hallmarks of Advancement Project«s work is its heavy reliance on sophisticated communications strategies. We understand that what occurs in local communities often provides an early warning signal for emerging national trends that threaten just democracy.

[Botany]

2. So when the repugs passed HB 3 in Ohio ....

... Voter ID it might have been for "other reasons."


HB 3
Voter ID, No Recounts, No Looking @ Machine Hardware, and No Looking @ Machine Software.

[tanyev]

3. That should be 25. Coulter hasn't been indicted yet.

[New Earth]

4. exactly

VOTER FRAUD is rare.

Election Fraud is rampant :eyes: