Everyone's vote should be equal when electing the president, no matter where they live. FairVote is a leader in the campaign to establish a national popular vote for president, and recommends that political parties establish a schedule and rules to promote all states having a meaningful vote in nomination contests.
Voter Fraud
As Americans, we expect that our electoral process is fair and
accurate. We demand that all eligible citizens are able to cast a
single ballot and that these ballots are properly counted.
However, we all know this does not always occur. No state has clean and
complete voter rolls and some citizens will do anything to ensure a
victory for their candidate. As a result, despite attempts to
prevent double-voting, improper ballot counting and voter
disenfranchisement, voter fraud occurs in every election.
Sometimes it is malicious; sometimes it is benign. Either way, if
recent elections are any indication election results can easily be
changed depending on who and how many are denied the ability to cast a
ballot or who and how many vote illegally. There are two schools of thought on voter fraud. Some argue that voter fraud is perpetrated mainly by double-voters (those who cast two separate ballots in the same race) or illegal voters such as non-citizens, ex-felons (in certain states) and the dead who are somehow able to cast a ballot. As proof of this fraud, proponents point to falsely registered names on voter rolls such as Marilyn Monroe and Mickey Mouse or voters who vote from a different address than where they currently reside. They point out how some voters are registered in two states: one for their primary home and one for their summer home.
Others argue that partisan groups target certain voters (especially those in minority districts or of a particular political party) in an attempt to prevent them from voting. They point to flyers distributed in heavily minority neighborhoods misinforming voters about election laws or which day to vote. A recent example is of a partisan voter registration organization that registered voters but then specifically did not submit voter registrations of Democrats. They also cite examples where political parties will send poll challengers only to heavily minority districts or districts heavily populated by the opposition party.
While it is unclear just how many eligible votes are affected by or commit voter fraud every election, no voter fraud should be tolerated. Our government must act to stop those from committing fraud and prevent others from being harmed by it.
To prevent voter fraud:
- State, local and federal government should take it upon itself to register all U.S. citizens. By taking this step, false names will not end up on voter rolls and the voter rolls will be complete.
- State and local officials must actively seek out individuals who may try to harass, intimidate or otherwise prevent eligible voters from voting.
- Clear policies should be passed regarding ID requirements. ID
requirements are not inherently suspect, but it is critical that every
US citizen be issued any necessary documentation free of charge. Every
person born or naturalized in the US could be issued a Voter ID number
similar to social security that could be used to vote.
