Why Voter Fraud Really Has To Be Fixed

Why Voter Fraud Really Has To Be Fixed

Ogden on Politics points out that comparing population estimates for Marion County, Indiana with voter registration suggests that at least 105% of those eligible to vote are registered:

I knew that the numbers would start exceeding 100% at some point and the election officials couldn't keep ignoring the elephant in the room - how do you have more registered voters than people eligible to vote? Well Indianapolis has now reached that point. Let's do the math.

According to STATSIndiana, In 2007, Indianapolis/Marion County had an estimated population of 876,804. Of that number 232,607 were below 18 years of age, for a total of 644,197 people in Marion County/Indianapolis 18 or over and thus eligible to vote. (Indiana allows felons to vote as long as they are not incarcerated).

So we have 644,197 people eligible to be registered in Marion County/Indianapolis, and 677,401 people registered. Congratulations go to Indianapolis for having 105% of its residents registered!

A number of commenters have pointed out that using estimates of population is a tricky business, and perhaps this really isn't proof of voter registration fraud. And they are correct. But it sure smells really bad--especially when you factor in that at least some of the adult population of Marion County is clearly not eligible to vote: those who are not U.S. citizens. And you know what, I am going to guess that there are some people who are eligible to vote who do not register to vote, because of boredom, religious objections (yes, I'm thinking of Jehovah's Witnesses), or laziness. This 105% registration rate therefore looks even more suspicious.

The Democrats keep making excuses why you shouldn't have to show ID to vote. You have to show ID to do all sorts of things: buy guns; buy alcohol; buy cigarettes; cash checks. But something fundamental to honest elections, and the Democrats object? There's a reason that people joke that the Democratic Party's motto is, "Vote early, vote often." Because it is widespread.

Many years ago, when I ran for city council in Santa Monica, I was astonished at how many people were on the voter registration rolls years after they had died--and after they should have been purged from the rolls, for having not voted. The dead don't just vote in Chicago, I'm afraid.

Now, some commenters over at Ogden on Politics say that Republicans do dirty tricks at election time, too. Probably true. But that's an argument for cleaning up the system, not gaming it. Require some sort of state issued ID card to vote. Make them free, so that no one has an excuse. But even that isn't enough to make the ACLU happy, because the ACLU isn't interested in honest elections, but Democratic Party control.