Report Notes ‘Sudden Silence’ From Voter ‘Fraud-Mongerers’ Post-Election
Claims of massive voter fraud efforts backed by Democrats were all the rage in conservative circles in the weeks and months leading up to the election on Tuesday. But since the polls closed, there’s been barely a peep.
So says a report from the public policy center Demos issued Friday analyzing the “mixed bag” outcome of the 2010 campaign in the areas of voter access and effective administration of elections.
“Also noteworthy after Election Day had come and gone was the sudden silence from the fraud-mongerers and Tea Party poll watch groups,” Tova Andrea Wang, a Senior Democracy Fellow at Demos, wrote in the report. “Not a peep of one case of substantiated fraud at the polling place.”
“Yet the climate of anxiety and antagonism the groups created in the days leading up to the election had its effect — one that was not good for voters, elections officers, or democracy, and were completely unnecessary,” Wang added.
“The motivation for ginning up this bogeyman is to encourage activities such as vote caging and challenges designed to intimidate certain groups of voters and ultimately enact policies such as proof of citizenship and voter ID laws that will make it harder for disadvantaged groups to exercise their right to vote,” she wrote.
The report found that there were a number of problems with voter intimidation and vote suppression, but also said that both elections administrators and the Justice Department have taken “major strides forward” in proactively responding to allegations of both voter fraud and voter intimidation.
Since the polls closed, there has been virtually no substantiated voter fraud allegations, even with the voter fraud watch campaigns launched by Tea Party affiliated groups like those in Minnesota, voter watch training programs conducted by the Republican National Lawyers Association and the tea party group the King Street Patriots, citizen surveillance programs launched by the conservative website Pajamas Media and even an anti-voter fraud app issued by a conservative group. Fox News — which was so concerned with voter fraud that it launched an e-mail address just to receive viewer complaints — even canceled a planned report on Nevada voter fraud.
Poll watchers, the report says, “can play a constructive role in the process, but not if they are creating a climate of intimidation and subjecting voters to baseless suspicion and scrutiny.” Wang says it may be time to take a look at state laws about “what poll watchers are permitted to do, penalties for violations, training for poll watchers, and the number of poll watchers that are permitted per polling place.”
The report is embedded below.
Voter Fraud Candidate Kris Kobach Wins In Kansas
Kris Kobach, who ran on a platform of preventing allegedly widespread voter fraud and helped write the Arizona immigration bill, won his campaign for Kansas secretary of state.
Kobach, who was expected to win big, got 59% of the vote to Democrat Chris Biggs’ 37%.
In a campaign season rife with allegations of widespread, coordinated voter fraud throughout the country, Kobach was perhaps the candidate most focused on such allegations. Indeed, he ran on a platform of requiring photo ID at the polls and proof of citizenship to register to vote.
And according to him, voter fraud — especially by illegal immigrants — is rampant in Kansas.
“Election crimes have been documented across the state-from fraudulent registrations, to vote-by-mail fraud. As the activities of ACORN have demonstrated, organizations that promote voter fraud have burrowed into every corner of our country,” he writes on his web site. “In Kansas, the illegal registration of alien voters has become pervasive.”
He has also claimed instances of zombie voters, when someone votes under the name of a recently deceased voter. He even held a press conference declaring he had unearthed an instance of a dead man voting in this year’s primary.
The problem, of course, was that the man is still alive.
Angle Files Voter Intimidation Complaint With DOJ Over Reid E-Mails
In the final hours of Election Day, a lawyer for GOP Nevada Senate candidate Sharron Angle filed a complaint with the Justice Department alleging voter intimidation took place on behalf of the campaign of her opponent Sen. Harry Reid (D), Politico reports.
The complaint relates to an e-mail exchange between an unnamed Reid campaign staffer and the casino chain Harrah’s, which was reported in a story published by the National Review. The National Review reported that the e-mails showed that “Executives at the casino giant Harrah’s pushed company employees to vote early in an all-out effort to help the Harry Reid campaign.”
Angle lawyer Cleta Mitchell — co-chair of the Republican National Lawyers Association -said the e-mails showed “union intimidation tactics.” Reid’s campaign countered that the e-mails don’t show anything against the law and mentioned that the conservative blogger who wrote the story told Fox News that she didn’t think “anything either illegal or unethical was done here.”
“This ‘report’ by a right-wing blogger who’s literally been embedded within the Angle campaign has no credibility on its face,” Reid campaign spokesman Kelly Steele told Politico. “That being said, given Sen. Reid’s work to strengthen the state’s top industry, it should come as no surprise that casino employees support his reelection.”
The chain of e-mails, which can be read here, show that company vice president of public policy and communications Marybel Batjer wrote that another official received a message from the Reid campaign.
“She asked me to reach out to you to PLEASE do whatever we need to do to get the supervisors to know that there is NOTHING more important then (sic) to get employees out to vote,” Batjer wrote to a number of Harrah’s employees. “Waking up to a defeat of Harry Reid Nov 3rd will be devastating for our industry’s future. I know everyone is working hard, but somehow the effort is not getting through the ranks.”
A Justice Department spokeswoman told TPMMuckraker that DOJ was reviewing the letter but declined further comment.
This isn’t the first time that Angle has accused Reid of tinkering with the election, but the Nevada Secretary of State said one of her previous charges had no merit. Angle’s former PAC actually funded a group that later charged that Reid was benefiting from voter fraud.
Election Protection & Voter Suppression Update
Here’s some of the stuff we’re hearing out there. Much thanks to Daily Kos, Mother Jones and anonymous, citizen reports. Keep em comin’ y’all.
From Daily Kos:
Some polling stations in Bridgeport, CT have run out of ballots, causing delays and short tempers. The mayor has requested that polls stay open to give everyone a chance to vote. This is a problem for Rep. Jim Himes (D-04), who needs Bridgeport to come out strong.
I’ve also heard from a source on the ground that the ballot shortages are concentrated in mostly black neighborhoods. How come it’s always our neighborhoods with no ballots, long lines, broken machines, etc? Gee…I wonder…things that make you go hmmm…
Also from DKos:
- The Election Protection Coalition reports a new round of Spanish-language robocalls are going out in Los Angeles, telling people to vote tomorrow. (JT: wrong day!)
- In Greensboro, NC a police checkpoint set up in a predominantly black, Democratic community near three voting sites could have prevented voters from going to those polls.
- Overly aggressive poll watchers in St. Louis County have caused problems for some voters.
From MoJo on reports of weirdness in Sumter and Columbia:
Allen Olson, a coordinator for the Columbia Tea Party, says that tea party groups throughout the state had recruited poll watchers—and one group had focused efforts in the Sumter area. Olson notes, however, he had not heard about the alleged incidents of voter intimidation. “If they’re intimidating anyone I don’t condone that—I think it’s appalling,” he says. “As long as they’re legitimately registered and legitimately voting, I have absolutely no problem with it.” Depending on what’s confirmed, the allegations could make it harder for tea party activists to dispel the accusation that their members are racist.
The South Carolina Dems have yet to find direct evidence of Republican involvement or identified any specific tea party groups, and the state GOP did not reply immediately to a request for comment.
It’s not too late to vote and it’s also not too late to report problems with voting, even after the polls close. It can help protect peoples’ right to vote in the next election. If you see something, say something…here’s how:
Call 1-866-OUR-VOTE or 1-888-Ve-Y-Vota for Spanish language. You can also use text messaging or Twitter to report problems.
Despite Dems, Media Banging the ‘Secret Money’ Drum, Poll Shows Voter Apathy on Matter
Liberal Democrats in the past few weeks have been pounding the message that massive infusions of "secret" money into independently-run political advertising have a detrimental effect on Democrats democracy. The media have done their level best to amplify that complaint.
But is knowing the identity of political advertising donors really a huge issue to swing voters?
By and large, no, according to a new Washington Post/ABC News poll.
Of course that polling data didn't make it into today's front-page piece by Dan Balz entitled "Democrats bracing for losses."
Instead it appeared in the print edition on page A6 in Chris Cillizza's "Trail Mix" feature, adapted from a November 1 "The Fix" blog post:
NewsBusters.org – Exposing Liberal Media Bias
Voter Concerns: Jobs, Economy, Constitution
By Tim Lynch
Here’s an interesting excerpt from November 1 NBC Nightly News:
Brian Williams, anchor: Where’s the electorate?
Chuck Todd, correspondent, reports on a new survey where voters were asked the following: “‘Send us a message. Tell us what message you would love to send with your vote tomorrow.’ Well, most people said, ‘Tell these members of Congress to focus on jobs and the economy.’ … However, look at what Republicans and tea party members said. They said, ‘Yes, we’re focused on the economy, but we also want you to return to the principles of the Constitution. Now, what this means is limited government.’”
NBC News/Wall Street Journal — Return to Principles of the Constitution
Republicans 41%; Democrats 8%; Independents 22%; Tea Party 50%
For Cato work on the Constitution, go here, here (pdf), and here.
Voter Concerns: Jobs, Economy, Constitution is a post from Cato @ Liberty – Cato Institute Blog
Morning Bell: Stopping Voter Fraud
Voter fraud happens. Just ask Olivia Alair, press secretary for the U.S. Department of Transportation. Alair was regional communications director for the 2008 election in Ohio under White House press secretary Robert Gibbs. In 2008, Alair and two other Obama campaign staffers registered to vote in Ohio. The problem was that Alair did not live in Ohio and had no permanent plans to do so. By Ohio law, this made her ineligible to register.
In 2004,
And the Tennessee case was not an isolated incident. Thanks to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, we now know that not protecting the ballot box from voter fraud is the official policy of the Obama Justice Department. Former American Civil Liberties Union attorney and current Justice Department employee Christopher Coates
For most electoral races today, fraud will not be a factor. But there are some races where some will desperately cling to power in a close election. And that is where voting fraud is most likely to happen. The Heritage Foundation’s voting law expert Hans von Spakovsky told
Any place where we have very close elections, there’s always going to be the potential there that voter fraud may make a difference, and that’s where we are going to have to be really careful to be sure that doesn’t happen.
In fact, voter fraud has already happened in this election. A Daytona Beach City Commissioner was
Federal law does allow for poll workers to assist the disabled and those who can’t read English. But, if you see or hear a poll worker attempt to give unsolicited instructions to any voter (other than technical instructions), that is not allowed. Neither is any electioneering in or near the polling place, and promises of payments for voting of any kind (whether it be cash or free food) are also illegal. If you witness any of these activities, notify both the chief election official in their particular county or city, as well as the media to make sure that officials do something about it.
The right to vote in a free and fair election is the most basic civil right, on which depends all of the other rights of the American people protected by the Bill of Rights. Unfortunately, as long as elections put people into positions where they can make decisions about how much the government will spend, who will receive the money, and how the government will exercise its power, elections will be important enough to tempt some individuals to steal them. As the Supreme Court
Quick Hits:
- Last Friday, Rep. Corrine Brown (D-FL) offered
- To pay for her mortgage, a Michigan woman
- Memorial Hospital in South Bend, Ind., is
- A federal appellate judge
- If you like your Medicare Advantage plan,
The Foundry: Conservative Policy News.
But wearing buttons asking for Voter ID is not OK in Minnesota
Tea Party folks in Minnesota want to wear buttons daring the elections personnel to ID them. No go:
Plaintiffs’ as-applied challenge rests on the prohibition of wearing Tea Partyparaphernalia and the “Please I.D. Me” buttons at or about the polling place. Plaintiffs argue thatthe prohibition is not viewpoint neutral because their organizations are being singled out by stateauthorities. Such a finding would require evidence that they are being targeted in ways thatothers are not. The record is, however, devoid of such evidence beyond mere speculation on thispoint. Moreover, prohibiting the buttons and apparel is reasonably related to the state’slegitimate interests. The record suggests that the buttons are designed to affect the actual votingprocess at the polls by intimating that voters are required to show identification before voting.This intimation could confuse voters and election officials and cause voters to refrain fromvoting because of increased delays or the misapprehension that identification is required. The buttons are also associated with a political movement to require voters to produce identification.
Nice try, though, eh?
Rick Scott: Dem Allies Have ‘Shown Willingness’ To Commit Voter Fraud
Allies of the Democratic Party “have shown a willingness to commit fraud across the country, in both this election cycle and recent years,” the campaign of Florida Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Scott said Monday in announcing his campaign’s “Honest Voter Hotline.” Voters are encouraged to “report any instances of irregularities at the polls, including voter fraud, intimidation, violence and electioneering.”
Rob Jakubik, a Scott spokesman, said in the statement that, given the tightness of the polls, “all examples of fraud must be addressed to preserve the integrity of the election.” But a spokesman for the campaign told TPMMuckraker they haven’t had any indications of voter fraud so far.
The press release said that in 2008, “multiple forms of voter fraud occurred, including voter intimidation, fraudulent registrations, multiple ballots cast and votes bought for money.”
“Already during the 2010 election cycle, Florida law enforcement is investigating instances of absentee fraud, and people who may have double voted in the August primary,” the press release stated.
Scott spokesman Trey Stapleton told TPMMuckraker that the hotline was just a precaution.
“I don’t think we’re necessarily concerned about voter fraud, it’s just more of a precaution just in case,” Stapleton said. “It’s always better to have those numbers as a sort of back up just in case somebody sees something.”
Stapleton said they haven’t seen any voter fraud complaints, as far as he knew.
Voter fraud is “always a concern,” Jennifer Davis, a spokeswoman with the Florida Department of State, told TPMMuckraker. “This year we have had 36 elections fraud complaints, but a lot of them were not legally sufficient,” and the others were referred to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE).
FDLE spokesman Keith Kemeg told TPMMuckraker that headquarters was not aware of any voter fraud complaints.
“At this point, we at FDLE headquarters are not aware of any open investigations regarding voter fraud,” Kemeg said. “We are reviewing one complaint regarding questionable ballots in the Lake City, Florida City Commission race. We’re asking that if anybody has any complaints about voter irregularity or voter fraud that they refer them to the Department of State, Division of Elections.”
A spokeswoman for Scott’s opponent, Democrat Alex Sink, said that voter protection is “incredibly important” and that the campaign had locations set up to make sure that voters were aware of their rights.
“Voter protection is never something you want to underestimate,” Sink spokeswoman Alexandra Fetissoff told TPMMuckraker.
The Republican Party of Florida did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
AL Secretary Of State Offers Reward For Voter Fraud Reports
Alabama Secretary of State Beth Chapman, who is up for re-election this year, announced today that her office is offering a $ 5,000 reward for reports of voter fraud that lead to a felony conviction.
“Alabamians are fed up with voter fraud and have decided that enough is enough. They want to protect democracy from those who are destroying it,” Chapman, a Republican, said in a press release. “I hope that people with information will come forward so that justice can be served.”
In 2008, after federal prosecutors began investigating reports that Democratic operatives were buying votes, Chapman set up a dedicated voter fraud division in the secretary of state’s office and a web site, stopvoterfraudnow.com.
She’s been endorsed by Sarah Palin.
(H/T Facing South)
