THEAMERICANIDENTITYCRISIS

VotingFraud:TheAmericanIdentityCrisis
RaulCante
Writing104
UniversityofRhodeIsland

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Abstract

Votingisavitalpartofanygovernmentespeciallywhendemocracyistheveryfoundationofthe
government.Theproposalismeanttoinformandpersuadeitsreadersforacalltoactionfor
implementingalawthatrequiresidentificationwhenvoting.Mostoftheresearchconsistsof
onlinenewsarticles,aproposedbill,andresearchconductedbytheDepartmentofJustice
relatingtotheproblemofvoterfraud.Therecordsofnewsandresearchwerefoundinthe
UniversityofRhodeIslandsdatabases.Therelevancyofvoterfraudisconstantsinceitisnot
restricttomajorseatsinofficebuttosmallerofficesofstateandlocalgovernmentshowninthe
proposal.Ithasbecomemorerelevantduetothe2016presidentialgeneralelectionandmassive
votingareasbeingheldacrosstheUnitedStates.Theconcernismonitoringtheseareasfor
votingfraudwhichisbecominglessviableduetomassiveturnoutsduringpresidentialelections.
Keywords:VotingFraudElectionIdentification

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TheVoterFraudProblem
VotingfraudisaprevalentproblemintheUnitedStates.Theproblemhasbeenaround
sincetheveryfirstelectionsoftheUnitedStateshoweverasthepopulationgrowssodoesthe
problemofvotingfraud.AccordingtheDepartmentofJusticeoftheUnitedStates,actual
fraudulentvoteswerecastonbehalfofdeadpeopleincludea2005statesenateelectionin
Tennesseethatwasdecidedbyfewerthan20votesinthiscase,apostelectionverification
processestablishedthattwofraudulentvoteswerecastonbehalfofdeadpeople.Threeelection
workerswereindicted,andtheresultsoftheelectionwerevoided.1.InTennesseescasevoting
fraudhadalargeimpactontheelectioncausingtheentireelectiontobeheldonceagainand
officialelectionworkerstobeindictedforthesuspicionofallowingthevotestobecounted.
Votingfrauddoesnotonlybringdishonestybut,anentireoverhaulofanelectioncostingthe
voterstheirtimeandthestatemoneytoinvestigatethedeceasevotinginelections.
TheDepartmentofJusticehasthendecidedtoconducttheirownprivateinvestigationby
figuringouthoweasyitistocommitvoterfraudinelections.TheDepartmentofJusticehad,
Undercoveragentsshowedupat63pollingplaceslastfallandpretendedtobevoterswho
shouldhavebeenturnedawaybyelectionofficialstheagentsassumedthenamesofindividuals
whohaddiedormovedoutoftown,orwhoweresittinginjail.In61instances,or97percentof
thetime,thetesterswereallowedtovote.2ThedepartmentofJusticesinvestigationbrought
lighttohowmuchofaproblemvoterfraudreallyistothepeoplesincetheywereableto
conductitwithahighsuccessrateof97percent.Thismeansalmosteveryonecangetawaywith

Don'tBelieveVoterFraudHappens?Here'sSomeExamples.(2015).RetrievedMay25,2016,from
http://dailysignal.com/2015/05/22/ydontbelievevoterfraudhappensheressomeexamples/
2

Don'tBelieveVoterFraudHappens?Here'sSomeExamples.(2015).RetrievedMay25,2016,from
http://dailysignal.com/2015/05/22/ydontbelievevoterfraudhappensheressomeexamples/

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thecrimeofvotersfraudandalmostnoonewouldvenoticedthecrimetakenplace.Thehigh
successratewouldenticecampaignstofollowsuitiftheyknowthatthereslittletonochanceof
beingdiscovered.Thiswouldallowforcandidatestobriberandomvoterstovoteintheplaceof
thedeceasedoroftheincarcerated.
AhighprofilecaseofvoterfraudwastheNewYorksStateofAssemblyelectionof
HectorRamirezwhenitwasdiscoveredthathewenttoopposingvotershomesandstole
potentialvotesagainsthim.InordertoachievethisRamirezhad,membersoftheRamirez
campaignknockedontheirdoor,includingHectorRamirezhimself,andsaidHey,youdont
havetogotothepollsforthiselection,justsignhere3.Thismademanyvotersbelievetheir
voteswillbeaccountedintheupcomingelectionwheninrealityithadtheirvotesnullifiedsince
itwasdoneatanonofficialvotingballot.Thisformofvoterfraudisinitshighestseveritysince
itisahighrankingofficeandshowsthatanycampaigncanpullofthistactictotrickvoters.
AuthoritieshadsoondiscoveredofRamirezsplotandarrestedhimaftermanycomplainedof
membersofhiscampaignharassingvoterstosigntheirvoteaway.
TheFirstBuildingBlocktowardsLegitimizedVoting:Identification
Arequiredphotoidentificationwhenvotingisnotanewconceptwhencombatingvoter
fraud.Itishowever,asolutionthatisconstantlynegatedforthepossibleunintendedsideeffects
itmighthaveonapopulation.AproposedbillthatenteredtheHouseofRepresentatives,an
individualtopresentagovernmentissuedphotoidentificationasaconditionofvotinginan
electionforFederalofficetoprovidesuchanidentificationwithoutchargeuponrequesttoany
suchindividualwhodoesnototherwisepossessone,andforotherpurposes.4 .Thiswouldmake

Kochman,B.(n.d.).BronxpoliticianHectorRamirezbustedonfraudcharges.RetrievedMay25,2016,from
http://www.nydailynews.com/newyork/nyccrime/bronxpoliticianhectorramirezbustedfraudchargesarticle1.2229187
4
DistrictCourtRulesonTexasVoterIdLaw:August30,2012.(n.d.).
HistoricDocumentsof2012,
401410.doi:10.4135/9781452282046.n49

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governmentissuedphotoidentificationmandatorywhenvotingbecauseitwouldallowforan
authenticationofcharacteratavotinglocation.ThisbillwaslatermetwithbacklashwithSouth
Carolinasestimatethat,Morethan178,000ofSouthCarolina'sregisteredvoterswouldlose
theirrighttovoteunlesstheygetstateissuedphotoIDcardsordriver'slicensesunder
legislation5.Thelegislationbroughtfearthatthepeoplewouldnotproperlyrepresentedifthere
arerestrictionstovoting.But,accordingtotheOfficeofHighwayPolicyinformation(2009),
87percentofthedrivingagepopulations(age16andover)havealicense.6.Thiswouldnegate
theargumentthatthepeoplesinterestwouldnotbeproperlyrepresentedif87percentofthe
populationalreadyhaveaviablemeanofprovingtheircharacteriftheychoosetogooutand
vote.Requiringidentificationtovotealsowouldvelegitimizedthe2005Tennesseeelection
sincethedeceasedcouldnothavebeenvotedforifeachindividualwasproperlyaskedfor
identificationatthevotingarea.TheDepartmentofJusticesinvestigationwouldthenprovethat
voterfraudwouldbehardertocommitsinceproofofcharacterisneededwhenvoting.Finally,
havinggovernmentissuedidentificationwouldveeducatedvotertoonlyvotewhenaskedfor
identificationexposingRamirezsschemeatthestart.Allinall,thehonorsystemofwhoa
personisnotworking,avotingidentificationisnecessaryinordertocombatvoterfraud.Ifnot,
thenmoreinstancesofelectionsbeingshutdownandinvestigationmighthappenagainsince
theresnorealwaytoprovewhoapersoniswithoutaskingforproperidentificationfirst.

Roth,Z.(2016).ConfusionoverSouthCarolinaIDlawcouldkeepvotersaway.RetrievedMay25,2016,from
http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/confusionoversouthcarolinaidlawcouldkeepvotersaway
6
HighwayFinanceDataCollection.(n.d.).RetrievedMay25,2016,from
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/pubs/hf/pl11028/chapter4.cfm

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References
Don'tBelieveVoterFraudHappens?Here'sSomeExamples.(2015).RetrievedMay25,2016,
from
http://dailysignal.com/2015/05/22/ydontbelievevoterfraudhappensheressomeexamp
les/

TheauthorofthearticleinTheDailySignalispartoftheorganizationthatcontributesto
criticingthe
politicalstructureoftheUnitedStates.Theirresearchingandfindingarefromtheinvestigations
and
reportsfromtheDepartmentofJusticesarchive.Theirresearchfurtherintoeachindividualcase
has
exposedvotingfraudtobeaveryconscienceprobleminvotingareaswithcandidatessilently
advocatingforfalsifiedvotestobeintheirfavor.Eachincidentthatwasreportedwastoexpose
that
votingfraudisaveryexistentproblemintheUnitedStatesgovernmentandthepoliticiansand
special
interestgroupsbeingthemainsuspectoftheproblem.

HighwayFinanceDataCollection.(n.d.).RetrievedMay25,2016,from
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/pubs/hf/pl11028/chapter4.cfm

TheOfficersofHighwayPatrolInformationisagovernmentorganizationmeanttostudyand
reportthe
trendsinthenumberofpeoplewithdriver'slicense.Theirinformativearticlewasnotdirect
correlatedwiththeproposalofthepieceyetitismeanttoshowthatthevastmajorityof
Americanshavewhatisconsideredtobeagovernmentapprovedidentificationtovote.Thiswas
when
peoplewerereapplyingornewlyapplyingtoalicenseinordertodriveavehicle.

DistrictCourtRulesonTexasVoterIdLaw:August30,2012.(n.d.).
HistoricDocumentsof
2012,
401410.doi:10.4135/9781452282046.n49
TheDistrictCourtisagovernmentorganizationthatwasrulingontheproposedlawthatvoters
needa
formofphotoidentificationtovote.Theageddocumentisatestamentthatphotoidentification
hasbeen
aconstantproposedsolutiontovoterfraudwhichhasnotbeplacedineffect.Theactalso
includes
providedprogramstohelpvotersgetapprovedidentificationeasilyinordertobeavailableto
voteon
thedayoftheelection.Theirinformationandargumentsarederivedfrompreexistingvoicesof
concern
fromthepopulationthatleadtotheproposedlaw.

Kochman,B.(n.d.).BronxpoliticianHectorRamirezbustedonfraudcharges.RetrievedMay

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25,2016,from
http://www.nydailynews.com/newyork/nyccrime/bronxpoliticianhectorramirezbuste
dfraudchargesarticle1.2229187

TheorganizationretainsandinvestigatedthearrestofHectorRamirezbyinterviewingthe
victimsofthe
case.TheresearchersobtainedtheirinformationfromtheNewYorkPoliceDepartmentsince
theywere
abletoaccessthepolicereportthatdetailedtheoffensivesRamirezhasconductedinordertoget
himselfandhiscampaignindicted.TheNyDailyNewsreportedthevotingfraudasalarge
scandal
sincetheelectionwasahighpositioningofficetheStateofAssemblymember.

Roth,Z.(2016).ConfusionoverSouthCarolinaIDlawcouldkeepvotersaway.RetrievedMay
25,2016,from
http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/confusionoversouthcarolinaidlawcouldkeepvoters
away

MSNBCinvestigatedthepossibleunintendedoutcomesofproposinganewidentificationlaw
when
votingforoffice.Theirobtaintheirinformationbythestatesgovernmentwhencomingthe
numberof
registeredvotersandtheamountofvoterswithanapprovedidea.Theirreportisananalysisof
statisticswhichtheirhypothesishindersthelawofpossiblyrestrictingover178,000votersjust
because
theydonothavephotoidentification.Thiswasmeanttoinformoftheconsequencesofvoter
identificationwhichshowsthatavoteridentificationcardcansolveissuesandalsocreatenew
ones.

VoterFraud:We'veGotProofIt'sEasy.(n.d.).RetrievedMay25,2016,from
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/368234/voterfraudwevegotproofitseasyjohn
fund
https://ballotpedia.org/Dead_people_voting

Ballotpediaisanindependentanalyticorganizethatpublishedanarticleofreportsfrom
criminally
investigatedelections.Deadpeoplevotingisasubcategoryofvotingfraudhoweverthearticle
bringsto
lifemanyexamplesandtherelevanceoftheissuesthatnothavingidentificationcreates.
Ballotpedia
workedcloselywiththestatesarchiveofinvestigationofsmallerelectionsofoffice.Itexposes
thevoter
fraudproblembyshowingthereareplentyofexamplesandtheirhypothesisisthatvoterfraudis
sooccurrentasaproblemthatexamplesareeasytofind.