Thursday, November 4, 2010

The Logistics of Civic Participation - i.e. VOTING


How much voter fraud was there this election?

(Rhetorical question...)

I really have no idea.

As frequent readers know, I'm very careful about the information I post here. I'm not much for rumor and innuendo; I tend to stick to "mainstream" sourcing. While you will find news and opinion here that rely partly upon "accusation," I pride myself in dealing only with speculation I consider well founded.

Every election season there are all sorts of stories and allegations concerning voter fraud. I've passed along a few credible news reports concerning "campaign irregularities" via past newsbites.

(*SHRUG*)

In any case, returning to my opening question, I have no idea how much voter fraud actually goes on.

Rather than speculate, allow me to offer some suggestions:

1) I believe in treating voter fraud as the serious crime it is. Folks... an illegitimate vote cancels out a legitimate vote. Vote fraud is a knife thrust into the heart of the democratic process. Therefore, willing participation in deliberate voter fraud by a citizen should mean serious jail time and financially crippling fines. For a non-citizen involved in vote fraud... confiscate every dollar and every bit of property the alien has other than the clothes on his back and deport him. No ifs, ands, or buts...

2) No more early voting except for active duty military personnel when appropriate. No absentee ballots - there's just too high a possibility of fraud. Yes, computers and the internet makes it possible to enable "remote voting," but ask yourselves... how many times have you heard or read about "Fortune 50" companies and even our own supposedly "secure" government computer networks being compromised... hacked? It's simply not worth the risk. Bottom line, the security of our democratic rights is more important than the ease with which we exercise them.

3) Perhaps most important... proof of identity must be established. The phrase "National I.D. Card" stirs up fears of encroaching totalitarianism in some folks. These folks are... er... nuts. Seriously, folks, whether you like it or not you're presently required to utilize your social security number for all sorts of official - and in many cases unofficial - constantly. If you want to exercise your... er... privilege... of intra or interstate travel via driving an automobile you must have a drivers license and produce it upon request by police or other "proper authorities." Heck... if you're walking, minding your own business, and a police officer for whatever reason gives you a lawful order to produce identification... you're under legal obligation to do so. Bottom line, you should have to produce government issued identification (drivers license, passport, non-drivers license i.d.) in order to vote. (Frankly, I'd like to see retina scans and finger-printing - perhaps even DNA sampling - done upon voter registration and then used for positive i.d. at the actual polling station when you vote!)

Folks... I know that some of you may disagree... may think my proposals are too... er... intrusive. Fine. If that's the case, then just go with the concept - the concept being that only citizens should vote and that it's "one vote to a customer."

Unless you favor voter fraud... (*SHRUG*)... each and every one of you should at least demand that our government somehow better combat voter fraud.

2 comments:

William R. Barker said...

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Election-2010/Governors/2010/1104/Recount-may-loom-amid-confusion-in-Connecticut-governor-race

[Connecticutt's] secretary of state declared Democrat Dan Malloy the winner Wednesday in the Connecticut governor race, before the release of official numbers.

On Thursday morning, the Associated Press, which had [also originally] declared Mr. Malloy the winner [before the votes were actually counted], withdrew its announcement and said Foley was ahead by 8,424 votes.

(*SNORT*)

* SERIOUSLY, THOUGH, FOLKS... THIS SHIT AIN'T FUNNY. THERE'S A CLEAR PATTERN HERE. NATIONWIDE, DEMOCRATS SURE SEEM RATHER "EAGER" TO SHORT-CIRCUIT THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS WHEN "NEED" BE.

Connecticut Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz, [a democrat,] on the basis of unofficial results, declared Democrat Dan Malloy the victor over Republican Tom Foley. But [even as she was making her "declaration" she [would only claim] the margin of victory was a meager 3,103 votes out of more than 1 million cast.

* NOW...

[Tom] Foley is calling for Ms. Bysiewicz to publish her numbers. “We assume she has the data to back that up,” he says. “We’ve asked her to put it on her website; she hasn’t done it. I don’t know, if it’s a close race, why an officer of the state would be calling a race, particularly in favor of someone from her own party.”

* SOUNDS MIGHTY FRIGG'N REASONABLE, NO...???

The Connecticut race is far from unique. In Minnesota, the governor’s race between Democrat Mark Dayton and Republican Tom Emmer is so close that it may trigger an automatic recount. So far, Mr. Dayton is ahead but not by enough to be declared the winner.

Back in Connecticut, Foley says his priority is to feel assured that he knows what the vote was on Tuesday night. “If I believe that I won, and I have to go to court for others to believe it, I will. But if I believe Dan Malloy won, we will not be going to court.”

* AGAIN... SOUNDS REASONABLE!

If there is a recount, one area that might be looked at is Bridgeport. According to press reports on Tuesday, there were not enough ballots in the city for all the voters. As a result, officials had to get permission to use photocopied ballots. A judge then extended voting by two hours.

* A DEMOCRAT JUDGE...??? (JUST ASKING...)

* IN ANY CASE, HOW DO WE KNOW THAT THIS WHOLE "NOT ENOUGH BALLOTS" BUSINESS WASN'T PURPOSEFUL... A DELIBERATE TACTIC TO FORCE THE USE OF PHOTOCOPIED BALLOTS WHILE ALLOWING "NEW" VOTERS TO USE THESE BALLOTS AFTER BY LAW THE POLLS WERE SUPPOSED TO BE CLOSED...???

Foley says the vote count also shows the turnouts were quite high in Bridgeport, Hartford, and New Haven. Foley lost all three cities. “It could just be the people were motivated, or it might suggest there were problems,” he says.

(*SNORT*)

* WHAT'S IT SOUND LIKE TO YOU, FOLKS...?

William R. Barker said...

http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/elections/2010/races/race-2/Bag-of-Uncounted-Ballots-Found-in-Bridgeport-106727208.html

In what has become one of the stranger twists in an already bizarre [Connecticutt] Governor's race, a bag of uncounted ballots was found in Bridgeport Thursday night.

(*SNORT*)

* FOLKS... YA CAN'T MAKE THIS STUFF UP...!!!

(*JUST SHAKING MY HEAD*)

Bridgeport has become the focal point of what has turned into a circus of an election.

A "ballot shortage" led to long lines on Election Day, and a judge issuing an order to keep polls open until 10 p.m. Tuesday, two hours longer than every other town in the state.

* JUST GO ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS, FOLKS... NOTHING TO SEE HERE... (*RUEFUL CHUCKLE*)