The fifth recommendation in the Civitas Institute 2010 Agenda: “20 Changes for 2010: A Primer for State Reform” focuses on reducing threats to the integrity of our elections.
The Problem: North Carolina Is Vulnerable to Voter Fraud
Ballot security is most often thought of as the process of safe-guarding voted and unvoted ballots and making them only accessible to certified election officials. What is not considered is the security of the ballot when it is handed to the voter at the polling place. North Carolina requires only that a voter state their name and address in order to receive a ballot, opting for the honor system instead of ballot security in the polling place.
In the past, poll workers were neighbors or acquaintances of many of the voters and could easily confirm their identity and verify voter status. But with the introduction of one-stop (early) voting and North Carolina’s unprecedented population growth, gone are the days of knowing everyone in our home precincts. Add to this the passage of NC House Bill 91 in July 2007, “Registration and Voting at One-Stop Sites,” that allows voters to register and vote during early voting (Same Day Registration). Voters who register to vote during Same Day Registration bypass the necessary address verification process all other voters must undergo when registering to vote. The result: in 2008 thousands of voters who registered and voted had their registrations “denied” after their vote was counted and the election certified.
At any given time there are thousands of duplicate voter registrations and countless deceased voters on the official voter registration list along with more than 450,000 inactive voters (people who are registered to vote but have either moved or died). With the growing number of organizations that target weaknesses in election laws and processes, all of these ineligible voter registrations could be used in a systematic way to fraudulently change the outcome of an election.
The combination of bad data and flawed processes will lead to doubtful election outcomes. North Carolina must not be allowed to ignore these weaknesses, but must strive to make elections more transparent in order to gain the people’s trust.
Solution:
5.) Better protect the integrity of North Carolina elections
A striking 86 percent of people in a July 2009 Civitas poll said they believed voters should be required to present photo identification before casting their ballot in North Carolina elections. The people of North Carolina desire assurance that their elections reflect the true outcome of the vote.
Recommendation:
i have been concerned about voter fraud in NC for many years. i asked our board of elections WHY we didn't have to show voter ID, and they said if we wanted it changed we needed to talk to our state representatives in Raleigh so they can change the statutes.
recently, our local election board director came and spoke to our group and commented on safe the voter process was. deceased people are removed quarterly from the system IF they die within the county where they are registered (and election boards are notified by funeral homes); if voters die out of the county/state they can ONLY be removed from the system by family members. nonvoters (either thru death, or lack of interest) eventually are dropped off the system after 8-10 years of inactivity.
in 2008, MS had the problem where there were 6000 more votes than persons registered. teaparty members there decided to start a petition to get a voter ID measure on the primary ballot. (i own property there, & have attended tea parties there too, so am aware of what residents there are trying to do.)
i don't see our representatives changing any statutes to protect us from voter fraud here in NC; look what happened to the 10th amendment resolution? ACORN already showed up in the eastern part of the state; and i heard SEIU was here in WNC at our polling place. could we circumvent our representatives by signing petitions to require photo ID for voting?
With the obvious fraud during the last few elections [e.g., ACORN, SEIU, the New Black Panther Party, etc.] - it is very apparent that we must require proper identification not only in the polling place, but during the voter registration process itself. In this day and age, it is not enough to present a driver's license - because it is far too easy to acquire a driver's license. Many illegal aliens obtain them - and they are not U.S. citizens permitted to vote. Two forms of identification should be required both for voter registration and for actually voting at the polling place. Our elections are far too serious to be casual about who gets to vote and who doesn't.
I agree, proving identity should be required (in every state) before a person is allowed to vote. Some (people) don't realize just how dishonest others can be with the under handed methods used to get their candidate elected! Look at ACORN...(who is now changing their name but won't be hidden as they were in the past) that registered thousands of ineligible voters. If the Supreme Count has upheld the Indiana voter ID law, then every state should proceed to protect their voting process...I agree,, North Carolina should follow Indiana's example!
I've been a poll worker for over 20 years and the 2008 election was really weird. I am horribly disappointed in our legislature that passed the bill that allows people to register and vote on the same day. Before the 2008 election, when I heard about this change, I questioned the local chairman of the board of elections and he acted offended that I would inquire.
I agree that prospective voters should prove identity at the polls, but also at registration, they should have to prove that they are US citizens. The idea of local precincts was originally so that people in the voting line could challenge the residency claims of another voter if they thought something was amiss. That is why you have to state your name and address out loud. Just having in one's possession a voter registration card or driver's license doesn't really prove you are eligible to vote. The poll workers have to be alert and so do the folks in line. I personally questioned the residency of someone at the 2008 primary who presented a voter registration card for the house next door to me. I knew the presenter did not live there and challenged him. He admitted he lived in the next county.
I hope that our legislature and our state Board of Elections learned a lesson from 2008, I sure did - and it wasn't good! Let's not just settle for 'some kind' of ID. Voting in America is a huge responsibility and need to be taken very seriously and strict safeguards of our voting rights need to be in place.