Voter Fraud?

I read all these news articles about the challenges of operating a clean election. We’ve got a ton of new voters registered in this presidential election cycle. That should be a good thing, right? But it’s not because they might be “fraudulent”.

So we’ve need thousands of temporary poll workers, we have lawyers being assigned to polling places, we’ve got volunteers to challenge the validity of voters, and we’ve got volunteers to challenge the challengers.

This is nuts. The Republicans fear that the Democrats are going to “stuff the ballot box”, that they are manufacturing voters somehow. The Democrats fear the Republicans are going to intimidate and confuse uneducated voters into not voting.

Maybe I am naïve about stuff like this, but I really don’t understand why we can’t have a one person, one vote system that works relatively simply. Why do we need registration at all? If you’ve got a social security number or a driver’s license, why shouldn’t you just be able to show up and vote?

That would be a true democracy in my mind.

Comments

[Giordano]

That's how it works in every democracy, and how it should be... it's like that here in Italy, and in every other EU country...

[Niraj]

Just having a social security card and a driver's license is insufficent because they do not prove citizenship. Permenant residents and temprorary workers-- i.e. H-1B, also have social security cards and driver's licenses but they are not citizens.

[Tom Evslin]

Actually, the most important reason for registration is to prevent multiple voting. You could obviously show up with different IDs at different voting places and vote multiple times even if they were all your own IDs.

Close second in importance is to determine WHERE you vote. Clearly that is critical in local elections or we wouldn't have true local representation and, as long as we have an electoral college, it is hugely important in the presidential race.

Countries which don't have voting registration can do without it because they have unique nationwide citizenship identification which we in the US have resisted for civil liberties reasons. Still not sure it is a good idea; but, if we could make SS# for example, a tamperproof ID and register a current address, then it's not hard to imagine a system which would make registration specifically for voting unnecessary.

I'm afraid that we will have problems this year, not because of evil plots but because a lot of reactive stuff was done fast because of the problems in Florida four years ago. So we have untested technology implementing untested laws AND a very close election.

[Mike]

Actually Fred, it is that way. In every state in the union you can show up to vote and if you are not on their list, you request a "provisional" ballot. The poll workers will collect your information along with the ballot and have 48 hours from the close of the poll to validate your eligibility to vote (citizenship, not a felon, etc).

BTW, I like your analogy of Kerry as being the professor. Those who can't do, teach. That's very fitting.

[Cole]

One reason we don't do it like other democracies is because we are not and were never intended to be a democracy. We are a republic. The government here only exists to protect the rights of individuals. This perhaps one reason why even the Democratic party here is just a bunch of conservatives who disagree about abortion.

We have democratic leanings and democratic devices in places, but at our core, we are not operating with a vox populi system. I don't know if I agree with that, but the words have come to be misused so frequently now that almost no one in the country knows that we're a republic, not a democracy.

[Hector]

I think this is a great idea, but if you took this idea to your pals at the DNC they would show you to the door. The RNC would welcome it, however. Check it out and then ask yourself if your party is really "democratic".

[g]

Hector is right, the Dems won't stand for anything that could possibly get them less votes. It would be a completely logical law (requiring ss # to vote) but would probably affect more minorities than non minorities, so the dems would simply scream racism at the top of your lungs and watch the republicans back down.

[jackson]

Hector, are you feeling okay? You sound almost rational, and I dare say reasonable. Fred's plan would have given the 2000 election to Gore, mind you, so don't be so quick to think you know what's on anybody's mind, right, or left, or in between where alot of us (not me) live our lives.

[Angry Pop Stopper]

Nothing works in your US democracy if your stupid texas cowboy stay at 2nd term in white house. I like your country and your people but hate Bush and his family. really sux!...