*NEW TO THE BLOG: ASK VICTORIA*

MAIL IN BALLOTING

Dear Victoria,

Can it be shown, that the current vote-by-mail process, in Oregon, has more fraud occurring than the combination of show-up-at-the-polls AND absentee-ballot processes in other states? Should this not be shown, before fraud is used as an excuse to eliminate vote by mail? Or are you also proposing that the absentee ballot process be eliminated? Does fraud not usually start with the registration process. Perhaps this is the process that needs more scrutiny (as opposed to the ballot marking and submission process). When you say that Ron Wyden, wants to "further exploit the voter" (as you stated on your radio show) what do you mean? I believe that some want to eliminate vote by mail, because it changes the timing of when people vote. This is a challenge to those using advertising to manipulate the thinking of the voter. Timing is an important element of such advertising.

Dear Gentle Listener,

How about requiring people to show legitimate ID when registering to vote and voting--at a polling place. And by legitimate I DON'T mean ODL's.
If you use an absentee ballot (which could be limited to a certain percentage of voters), your vote will not be counted until you provide legitimate ID if you haven't already.
In just *four* counties in 2004, there were 20,000 votes that were counted without the voter ever sending in the ID required by law. There were 11,000 in MultCo alone. When it was discovered by the SOS's office that Ruth Bendel and Mike Belenisi were requesting and receiving this information, the SOS's office told the County Election offices that it was adviseable--and lawful (cuz he makes up the rules) to destroy those records. Now I'm not a chem trail kind of gal, but that is something that needs to be looked at.
The state of Oregon has a complaint driven system. That means they don't cull through to check to see if those folks ---for example the 152,000--who stayed home in post 2004 elections are REAL citizens--either of this country or legal residents of this state. If you've heard me rant about this before (and if you listen to my show how could you not?) you know that the DMV has a don't ask don't tell policy on citizenship. So when non citizens get their ODL's they're also --by law--given a voter reg card.
80,000 illegal aliens (that we know of) were given driver's licenses during the past few years (the Robleto cases in Wash Co), how many of those people had ballots sent to their "homes" and how many of those ballots were voted? The SOS's office doesn't know because it doesn't check.
It's nothing short of a scandal of enormous proportions.

Sincerely,

Your Devoted Talk Show Host

In addition, please read John Fund’s piece here. Here are the money ‘graphs:

But absentee ballots aren't the answer to election fears. They clearly increase the potential for fraud "The lack of at-the-polls accountability and protection from intimidation makes absentee ballots the tool of choice for those who commit fraud," the Florida Department of Law Enforcement concluded in 1998 after a mayoral election in Miami was thrown out when it was learned "vote brokers" had submitted hundreds of phony absentee ballots. More recently, in Wise County, Va., three elected officials were charged this past March with 900 counts of ballot fraud. They had filled out absentee ballot applications for others, intercepted the ballots in the mail, and then filled them out themselves. Last year a Connecticut state representative admitted, according to the Hartford Courant, that he "illegally induced elderly residents of the Betty Knox housing complex in Hartford to cast absentee ballots for him." He got off with a $10,000 fine and community service.

Mr. Fortier [of the American Enterprise Insititute who’s just written a book on voting] says that greater measures to combat absentee ballot fraud are needed, such as using computer software to check signatures and investigating those that don't match. Similarly, an inked-space could be provided for voters to submit a fingerprint with their absentee ballot--a precaution that is taken in Mexico and several other countries. To provide for voter convenience, Mr. Fortier suggests expanding the number of hours a day that states allow early voting at government buildings, although he believes the early voting period should be limited to 10 days before an election to ensure that as many voters as possible have the same information available to them when they make their choices.