Grand Old Padding
According to the GOP, you can’t make this voter fraud stuff up. But that sure isn’t going to stop them from trying.
In what can only be an attempt to prove the need for Republican-backed voter ID and proof-of-citizenship legislation in various states, the national GOP website recently introduced an online database that lists all 50 states and the incidences of “voter fraud” in each. But rather than prove the need for this type of legislation, the anemic database shows that this type of legislation is simply a solution in search of a problem.
Total accusations/arrests/charges in all 50 states - 52 (including misrepresentation of residence, unlawfully helping elderly/diabled voters, absentee ballot tampering, illegally obtaining signatures for petitions, and vote buying)
Total indictments in all 50 states in 2007/2008 - 28
Total convictions in all 50 states in 2007/2008 - 17
States with zero incidences of voter fraud - 22
Other incidences of “voter fraud” listed include news stories about clerical errors, announced investigations, and court-ordered special elections. And, in a further attempt at padding a very weak database, many of the items listed are updated or repeated news stories about one case.
In a recent decision, the Supreme Court upheld Indiana’s voter ID law even though the lawyers arguing the case admitted there were no cases of this kind of fraud prosecuted in the state. The truth behind voter id/proof of citizen legislation is that it is part of an ongoing campaign to suppress the vote and has the potential to disenfranchise millions.