All Posts Tagged With: "election fraud"

Vote early, vote often and vote Democratic - Chicago Mayor Richard Daley

Alabama’s Attorney General has seized absentee ballots cast in three counties as part of a continuing investigation into vote buying. Allegedly some people were paid $40-$50 for their ballot or traded it for crack cocaine. Three officials have been arrested and charged with offenses related to the scheme. The AG is a white Republican and the counties are predominately black and charges of racism are flying hot and heavy there. Similar investigations have been launched in a half dozen other states. The only way to check the validity of an absentee ballot is to compare its signature with the signature on the voter’s registration affidavit itself an imprecise and often haphazard process at best.

In the early America men could cast their ballot by mail if their home was vulnerable to attacks by Native Americans. In 1857 Oregon made it possible for men to vote when they were temporarily away from home. During the American Civil War 19 of 25 Union states and 11 of 19 Confederate states OK’d absentee voting. In World War I 23 of the then 48 states approved of the practice largely to accommodate men in the armed forces. By 1924 every state had OKd some form of absentee balloting. Fraud has always been a concern.

In 1997 a Federal Court tossed out 4,740 absentee ballots and awarded the election and installed the offended candidate Miami’s Mayors job. In Tallahatcie, Georgia a Sheriff’s race was overturned when there was evidence of ballot buying. In 2005 a Benton Harbor commissioner’s recall was disqualified after the infamous Rev Edward Pinkney, an African-American community activist was caught with a supply of absentee ballots and accused of buying and intimidating voters.

In 2004 the Washington Governors race was initially decided by 42 votes. A hand recount of mail ballots found 129 errors and the election results reversed.

Regardless of the problems Voting by Mail is increasingly popular in America. If the trend continues it is possible that more people will vote by mail than at precincts. The spreading practice was hopefully to increase voter turnout but studies are mixed and in some cases where VBM is widely used shows voting percentages falling. In 1960 63.1% of those eligible to vote did but in 2004 the last Presidential election 55.3% voted.

A modern versions of vote early, vote often. Die in Chicago and stay politically active.