Rigged Elections and Voter Fraud - how common is fraud? Not very.

[Coyote]

We have Donald Trump and his zealots already paving the way for allegations of mass fraud and rigged elections.

Based on what evidence? Almost none.

Everytime Trump drops in the polls, he pulls out the fraud card. It's never his own doing -

• the Media is against him (never mind the fact that they never pressed him very hard on his lies);

• the Clintons are rigging it (never mind the fact that there is no evidence of that happening and rigging a national election is next to impossible in this country).

• Voter fraud - this, based on a handful of allegations, a lack of actual evidence, and over the years precious few convictions.

So somehow all this - not the man's character, not his lack of any sort of filter, not his policies or actions - are losing him the election. It's utter madness and logic


Comprehensive 10-Year Voter Fraud Study Found: It’s a GOP Myth

These warnings are not new and not supported by evidence; they defy numerous studies that have found that voter fraud is minimal.

They also invite a question: If the election is rigged, who is doing the rigging?

Presidential elections are conducted on a state-by-state basis, not nationally. And in most of the states seen as presidential battlegrounds, the chief elections officers are Republicans — most directly accountable to their state's voters.

• In Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio and Utah, the chief elections officer of the state is a Republican, elected by voters of the state. Most are secretary of state; Utah’s lieutenant governor oversees elections there.
• In Florida, the secretary of state is appointed by the state’s Republican governor, Rick Scott — a Trump supporter.
• In North Carolina, the state board of elections has five members, appointed by the governor — currently a Republican. Its current chairman and three out of five members are Republicans.

There are states with some measure of Democratic control over the process.

• In Minnesota and Missouri, the chief elections officer is a Democrat elected by the voters of the state.
• Pennsylvania’s secretary of state was appointed by the state’s Democratic governor.
• New Hampshire’s longtime secretary of state was once a Democrat, but was reelected to his post by the Republican-led state legislature.
• Virginia’s Democratic governor, Terry McAuliffe — a longtime Clinton ally — appointed each member of that state’s three-person elections board.

Comprehensive 10-Year Voter Fraud Study Found: It’s a GOP Myth

...The Washington Post’s “Wonkblog” offers a summary of studies and investigations that have examined the issue of voter fraud. These studies have been conducted by academic researchers, news organizations, and state governments. They all produced similar results: The massive “in person” voter fraud that Republicans claim is helping Democrats steal elections simply does not exist.


Out of all of the research cited in the story, the investigations conducted by various states are the most interesting, because they were conducted by states that are currently controlled by Republicans. For example, the Kansas secretary of state took a look at 84 million votes cast in 22 states, trying to find duplicate registrations. The result? They referred 14 cases to prosecutors. Fourteen. Out of 84 million votes.



North Carolina also participated in the multi-state voter “cross check” program. Their survey of 28 states turned up 765 people with the same names, birth dates, and whose Social Security numbers ended with the same four digits, who voted in North Carolina and another state, according to the Charlotte News and Observer. There is no word on how many, if any, of those people will be prosecuted. Even if all 765 were guilty of voter fraud, it is still a tiny percentage of the nearly seven million votes cast in North Carolina in 2012, and certainly not enough to sway the outcome of an election.


Iowa’s Republican secretary of state Matt Schultz spent two years, and over a quarter of a million taxpayer dollars, to find 117 possibly fraudulent votes, leading to only six convictions. Of those who were convicted, three were felons who believed that their right to vote had been restored.


Even though voter fraud does not exist on the level that Republicans claim that it does, there are instances of possible voter fraud in almost every election. Here are a few examples:

• Last year in Virginia, Adam Ward pleaded guilty to faking hundreds of signatures that were needed for Newt Gingrich to be eligible to appear on the state’s primary election ballot.
• In 2012, Charlie White, Indiana’s Republican secretary of state was convicted of six felony counts of voter fraud.
• Also in 2012, four staffers of Michigan Republican congressman Thaddeus McCotter were found guilty of forging over 1500 signatures in an attempt to qualify the congressman for the ballot.
• Wisconsin Tea Partier and Scott Walker supporter Robert Monroe has been charged with casting multiple ballots in several elections.

NO ONE claims it doesn't occur (despite misleading claims by some) - but it's very uncommon. Why is it uncommon? It's not a very successful way of throwing an election. People will always find examples to throw in as "proof" but so what? A handful out of millions of votes? And that is sufficient excuse to try and undermine our entire electoral integrity with this infectious madness?

Hell, the Democrats could have flown that flag with Gore vs Bush, called for violence and armed poll watchers. But this madness is new and the source is Trump. Everyone is "against him" - everyone is "biased" - the Dems, the media, the Republican establishment. Maybe it's not "Them" - maybe it's Trump himself who causing people to turn away. Ever think of that?

 

[forkup]

We have Donald Trump and his zealots already paving the way for allegations of mass fraud and rigged elections.

Based on what evidence? Almost none.

Everytime Trump drops in the polls, he pulls out the fraud card. It's never his own doing -

• the Media is against him (never mind the fact that they never pressed him very hard on his lies);

• the Clintons are rigging it (never mind the fact that there is no evidence of that happening and rigging a national election is next to impossible in this country).

• Voter fraud - this, based on a handful of allegations, a lack of actual evidence, and over the years precious few convictions.

So somehow all this - not the man's character, not his lack of any sort of filter, not his policies or actions - are losing him the election. It's utter madness and logic


Comprehensive 10-Year Voter Fraud Study Found: It’s a GOP Myth

These warnings are not new and not supported by evidence; they defy numerous studies that have found that voter fraud is minimal.

They also invite a question: If the election is rigged, who is doing the rigging?

Presidential elections are conducted on a state-by-state basis, not nationally. And in most of the states seen as presidential battlegrounds, the chief elections officers are Republicans — most directly accountable to their state's voters.

• In Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio and Utah, the chief elections officer of the state is a Republican, elected by voters of the state. Most are secretary of state; Utah’s lieutenant governor oversees elections there.
• In Florida, the secretary of state is appointed by the state’s Republican governor, Rick Scott — a Trump supporter.
• In North Carolina, the state board of elections has five members, appointed by the governor — currently a Republican. Its current chairman and three out of five members are Republicans.

There are states with some measure of Democratic control over the process.

• In Minnesota and Missouri, the chief elections officer is a Democrat elected by the voters of the state.
• Pennsylvania’s secretary of state was appointed by the state’s Democratic governor.
• New Hampshire’s longtime secretary of state was once a Democrat, but was reelected to his post by the Republican-led state legislature.
• Virginia’s Democratic governor, Terry McAuliffe — a longtime Clinton ally — appointed each member of that state’s three-person elections board.

Comprehensive 10-Year Voter Fraud Study Found: It’s a GOP Myth

...The Washington Post’s “Wonkblog” offers a summary of studies and investigations that have examined the issue of voter fraud. These studies have been conducted by academic researchers, news organizations, and state governments. They all produced similar results: The massive “in person” voter fraud that Republicans claim is helping Democrats steal elections simply does not exist.


Out of all of the research cited in the story, the investigations conducted by various states are the most interesting, because they were conducted by states that are currently controlled by Republicans. For example, the Kansas secretary of state took a look at 84 million votes cast in 22 states, trying to find duplicate registrations. The result? They referred 14 cases to prosecutors. Fourteen. Out of 84 million votes.



North Carolina also participated in the multi-state voter “cross check” program. Their survey of 28 states turned up 765 people with the same names, birth dates, and whose Social Security numbers ended with the same four digits, who voted in North Carolina and another state, according to the Charlotte News and Observer. There is no word on how many, if any, of those people will be prosecuted. Even if all 765 were guilty of voter fraud, it is still a tiny percentage of the nearly seven million votes cast in North Carolina in 2012, and certainly not enough to sway the outcome of an election.


Iowa’s Republican secretary of state Matt Schultz spent two years, and over a quarter of a million taxpayer dollars, to find 117 possibly fraudulent votes, leading to only six convictions. Of those who were convicted, three were felons who believed that their right to vote had been restored.


Even though voter fraud does not exist on the level that Republicans claim that it does, there are instances of possible voter fraud in almost every election. Here are a few examples:

• Last year in Virginia, Adam Ward pleaded guilty to faking hundreds of signatures that were needed for Newt Gingrich to be eligible to appear on the state’s primary election ballot.
• In 2012, Charlie White, Indiana’s Republican secretary of state was convicted of six felony counts of voter fraud.
• Also in 2012, four staffers of Michigan Republican congressman Thaddeus McCotter were found guilty of forging over 1500 signatures in an attempt to qualify the congressman for the ballot.
• Wisconsin Tea Partier and Scott Walker supporter Robert Monroe has been charged with casting multiple ballots in several elections.

NO ONE claims it doesn't occur (despite misleading claims by some) - but it's very uncommon. Why is it uncommon? It's not a very successful way of throwing an election. People will always find examples to throw in as "proof" but so what? A handful out of millions of votes? And that is sufficient excuse to try and undermine our entire electoral integrity with this infectious madness?

Hell, the Democrats could have flown that flag with Gore vs Bush, called for violence and armed poll watchers. But this madness is new and the source is Trump. Everyone is "against him" - everyone is "biased" - the Dems, the media, the Republican establishment. Maybe it's not "Them" - maybe it's Trump himself who causing people to turn away. Ever think of that?

In the interest of fairness, I want to point out that it is not a GOP position. Rather a Trump position. A position even his surrogates try to deny.

 

[OKTexas]

Tell ya what, let's require proof of citizenship and proper ID for one election and see what happens to the numbers showing up to vote. Deal?

 

[SassyIrishLass]

LOL The OP's article tries to sell there is no voter fraud then tries to point out there is republican voter fraud. What a waste of 10 minutes reading that garbage

 

[Coyote]

Tell ya what, let's require proof of citizenship and proper ID for one election and see what happens to the numbers showing up to vote. Deal?

You mean Republican efforts to disenfranchise legitimate voters?

Tell you what - let's have evidence that it's a serious problem first. The data so far says it isn't, and more to the point if someone was going to throw an election this would be the hardest way to do it - if not impossible.

 

[SassyIrishLass]

Tell ya what, let's require proof of citizenship and proper ID for one election and see what happens to the numbers showing up to vote. Deal?

You mean Republican efforts to disenfranchise legitimate voters?

Tell you what - let's have evidence that it's a serious problem first. The data so far says it isn't, and more to the point if someone was going to throw an election this would be the hardest way to do it - if not impossible.

Do away with absentee ballots except for the military. From what I am reading there is where a huge problem is

 

[Coyote]

LOL The OP's article tries to sell there is no voter fraud then tries to point out there is republican voter fraud. What a waste of 10 minutes reading that garbage

How many verified cases of voter fraud have their been in the last several elections?

 

[Coyote]

Tell ya what, let's require proof of citizenship and proper ID for one election and see what happens to the numbers showing up to vote. Deal?

You mean Republican efforts to disenfranchise legitimate voters?

Tell you what - let's have evidence that it's a serious problem first. The data so far says it isn't, and more to the point if someone was going to throw an election this would be the hardest way to do it - if not impossible.

Do away with absentee ballots except for the military. From what I am reading there is where a huge problem is

Any American overseas should be able to vote. Also any American that can not get to a polling place. What data do you have to indicate large scale fraud in the absentee ballots?

 

[SassyIrishLass]

LOL The OP's article tries to sell there is no voter fraud then tries to point out there is republican voter fraud. What a waste of 10 minutes reading that garbage

How many verified cases of voter fraud have their been in the last several elections?

Who knows? I know right now there are at least large investigations going on, Texas, Indiana and I believe NC...every time it's something to do with absentee balloting issues. Make it a law, show and ID to vote and don't even try people don't have an ID, I'm sick of hearing that lunacy, one cannot function w/o a valid ID. That's just a fact

 

[SassyIrishLass]

Tell ya what, let's require proof of citizenship and proper ID for one election and see what happens to the numbers showing up to vote. Deal?

You mean Republican efforts to disenfranchise legitimate voters?

Tell you what - let's have evidence that it's a serious problem first. The data so far says it isn't, and more to the point if someone was going to throw an election this would be the hardest way to do it - if not impossible.

Do away with absentee ballots except for the military. From what I am reading there is where a huge problem is

Any American overseas should be able to vote. Also any American that can not get to a polling place. What data do you have to indicate large scale fraud in the absentee ballots?

I don't have any data, I just said I am reading about it. Get a damn ID and show it to vote. Why do dems fear that? Think very hard.

 

[IsaacNewton]

By the way, the press is in the business of asking questions and shining light on people's doings, right or wrong.

Trump already stated he'd like to see most of what the press does made illegal.

 

[Coyote]

LOL The OP's article tries to sell there is no voter fraud then tries to point out there is republican voter fraud. What a waste of 10 minutes reading that garbage

How many verified cases of voter fraud have their been in the last several elections?

Who knows? I know right now there are at least large investigations going on, Texas, Indiana and I believe NC...every time it's something to do with absentee balloting issues. Make it a law, show and ID to vote and don't even try people don't have an ID, I'm sick of hearing that lunacy, one cannot function w/o a valid ID. That's just a fact

Three investigations - millions of votes. Investigations that have not yet rooted out a problem. And we need to change the laws as a result of investigations only?

 

[Coyote]

Has anyone figured out how the Dems are going to rig the election given that most of the states election processes are controlled by Republicans?

 

[Coyote]

By the way, the press is in the business of asking questions and shining light on people's doings, right or wrong.

Trump already stated he'd like to see most of what the press does made illegal.

Not surprised. He's petulant that way.

 

[SassyIrishLass]

LOL The OP's article tries to sell there is no voter fraud then tries to point out there is republican voter fraud. What a waste of 10 minutes reading that garbage

How many verified cases of voter fraud have their been in the last several elections?

Who knows? I know right now there are at least large investigations going on, Texas, Indiana and I believe NC...every time it's something to do with absentee balloting issues. Make it a law, show and ID to vote and don't even try people don't have an ID, I'm sick of hearing that lunacy, one cannot function w/o a valid ID. That's just a fact

Three investigations - millions of votes. Investigations that have not yet rooted out a problem. And we need to change the laws as a result of investigations only?

I said get an ID and vote, it's not rocket science. Is it? Oh but poor black people are too stupid to get an ID? Give me a break, they need ID to function

 

[BluesLegend]

So attacks on schools are not that common so we should not prevent them? The twisted liberal logic is strong with this OP.

 

[DGS49]

The nature of voter fraud makes it almost undiscoverable. It is the PEOPLE WHO WORK AT THE POLLS who are mostly responsible, and they are the ones who would be in the best position to report it.

But for obvious reasons, it is not reported.

When my Dear Departed Mother was a polling place inspector in Pittsburgh, everyone who worked the polls was a Democrat. Some of them registered as Republicans so that they could volunteer for this duty because both parties had to be represented. At the end of the day, they had printouts of the voters' names, with the ones who voted checked off. They would then VOTE as many of the non-voters as possible in the time available, before the results had to be reported.

It didn't matter much in Pittsburgh because Republicans never won anything regardless (a pathetic situation which still applies), but I guarantee you there is no record of "voter fraud" in the seventh ward of Pittsburgh, even though it happened every election, without fail.

And by the way, is it not obvious to everyone with a three digit IQ that the Democrats are CONSTANTLY fighting for more and more OPPORTUNITIES for fraudulent registration and voting? Promoting absentee voting, extending time periods for ridiculous times before the election, fighting against reasonable voter ID laws, fighting for same-day registration...it's all intended to maximize the opportunity to steal close elections. There is no other rational explanation.

And what about bringing busloads of semi-coherent "seniors" to the polls so they can vote democrat? Ever heard of that?

The lie that voter fraud is "rare" is obviously untrue, which is why they have to keep repeating it.

 

[Ray From Cleveland]

How many verified cases of voter fraud have their been in the last several elections?

I have a whole folder on them.

Funny thing is that when Republicans pushed for Voter-ID, it's the Democrats who said that every single vote counts. They point to people that have no identification (like who?) and then go on to say that even if it's a few in every state, that's enough to allow fraud to continue.

Yet when it comes to proven cases of voter fraud, there's simply not enough of them to put any effort into stopping it.

If I go to vote for Trump this election, and somebody scamming the system votes for Hillary, they canceled my vote out.

There is only one reason to put a halt to Voter-ID, and that is people wanting the fraud to continue.

 

[Coyote]

LOL The OP's article tries to sell there is no voter fraud then tries to point out there is republican voter fraud. What a waste of 10 minutes reading that garbage

How many verified cases of voter fraud have their been in the last several elections?

Who knows? I know right now there are at least large investigations going on, Texas, Indiana and I believe NC...every time it's something to do with absentee balloting issues. Make it a law, show and ID to vote and don't even try people don't have an ID, I'm sick of hearing that lunacy, one cannot function w/o a valid ID. That's just a fact

Three investigations - millions of votes. Investigations that have not yet rooted out a problem. And we need to change the laws as a result of investigations only?

I said get an ID and vote, it's not rocket science. Is it? Oh but poor black people are too stupid to get an ID? Give me a break, they need ID to function

Before adding laws that in any way restrict access to voting for legitimate voters - we better be damn sure there is a problem.

So far the Republican attempts to alter voting laws: restrict early voting, limit hours, require id (particularly those that allow military or concealed carry permits but not student ID's) - all seem to be attempts to disenfranchise certain groups of voters.

 

[SassyIrishLass]

LOL The OP's article tries to sell there is no voter fraud then tries to point out there is republican voter fraud. What a waste of 10 minutes reading that garbage

How many verified cases of voter fraud have their been in the last several elections?

Who knows? I know right now there are at least large investigations going on, Texas, Indiana and I believe NC...every time it's something to do with absentee balloting issues. Make it a law, show and ID to vote and don't even try people don't have an ID, I'm sick of hearing that lunacy, one cannot function w/o a valid ID. That's just a fact

Three investigations - millions of votes. Investigations that have not yet rooted out a problem. And we need to change the laws as a result of investigations only?

I said get an ID and vote, it's not rocket science. Is it? Oh but poor black people are too stupid to get an ID? Give me a break, they need ID to function

Before adding laws that in any way restrict access to voting for legitimate voters - we better be damn sure there is a problem.

So far the Republican attempts to alter voting laws: restrict early voting, limit hours, require id (particularly those that allow military or concealed carry permits but not student ID's) - all seem to be attempts to disenfranchise certain groups of voters.

Showing an ID to vote is not restrictive, save that garbage for the noobs