Early Voting Fraud: Rhetoric Or Reality?

CBS Evening News: Election Officials In 17 States Say There Have Been Very Few Problems With Fraud Or Suppression

(CBS)  Nationwide 40 million voters are expected to cast early ballots this year. And they're doing so amid charges from both parties of attempts to steal the election through either voter fraud or suppression. CBS News chief investigative correspondent Armen Keteyian takes a hard look at whether, at least for now, those fears are justified.

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To separate fact from fiction, CBS News conducted a detailed survey of 17 states that allow early voting - in person. What we found is that charges of widespread voter fraud or suppression are far more rhetoric than reality.

As of Friday, nearly 7 million people had voted early in those 17 states. CBS News made dozens of calls to top election officials, state party leaders from both sides, and watchdog groups, asking for clear cut examples of Americans being denied the right to vote, or voting improperly.

In virtually all of those 17 states the response was: No problems. No issues. No complaints.

"We're taking aggressive action to stop suppression," says Bob Bauer, general counsel for the Obama campaign.

"As yet, have you seen any evidence of people who wanted to vote, who were eligible to vote, that were turned away from voting?" Keteyian asked.

"No," Bauer said.

In Ohio, Colorado and Florida political squabbles have sparked questions over the eligibility of hundreds of thousands of voters. Yet officials there could only point to a handful of people who were denied the right to vote or have committed voter fraud.

"It's hard to put an actual number on voter fraud and say it's 'this big' or 'that big,'" says Brian Jones, an advisor to the McCain campaign on voter issues. "I think to just discount voting irregularities and say, 'Well, it's just a small number,' is a very slippery slope."

It's a big part of an election battle that looks right now to be, little more than a high-stakes war of words.

[freedomobama]

Reality.

[antoniof123]

I don''t know the Republican DA who was dismissed by the gang of thugs in this administration but he put it nicely.

Voter fraud is like the boogy man that parents tell their children its real scary but its not real.

Sorry neo cons but you have drawn the lines and it is ending in November 2008.

[donbl1]

And, 11 states have formal investigations going on.

This is a tainted election.

[arrestbush1]

Americans never had a say so when it comes to voting for their president since 1954,(except Regan) thanks to our corrupt government taking orders from people called the "Bilderberg Group" outside our country. This is old news I''m not even surprised or shocked in any way about this being a reality.

[arrestbush1]

Americans never had a say so when it comes to voting for their president since 1954,(except Regan) thanks to our corrupt government taking orders from people called the "Bilderberg Group" outside our country. This is old news I''''m not even surprised or shocked in any way about this being a reality.


QUOTE: If voting made any difference they wouldn''t let us do it.

Samuel Clemens

[nearl4511]

Again seems like a fake news story.

Reporters need to learn to ignore every whine by each camp. sure you can look inot it, but if there is no meat, there is no story.

I voted early yesterday. no issues that I know of in my state. Voting machines in my disctrict and I think state wide are electronic, with a paper record that you can examine as you cast the votes. Seems pretty good really.

The reason that so many are voting early is because they are worried about denial or abnormality during election day. If registration roll problems show up early, perhaps they can be rectified before E-day.

[flreason]

An oldster told me in 1964 that he remembered his first vote...he got a dollar in his pay envelope to vote for McKinley, just like everybody else. The old 50s-60s voting machines were notoriously easy to fix or jam. And, of course, we had hanging chads in 2000, and ballot dumping in 2004.

There is no such thing as a perfectly fair election, but it seems to me that we''re getting closer...that is until, human nature being what it is, the next way to game the system is found.

[heartlandjim]

Stand up, America!! Do not let the Repulicans keep you away from the polls!! We must have change for the better in this nation. Vote Barack Obama and lets make our nation a better place!!!

[n8yvn29]

The republicans live and die by the motto, any means justifies the ends, and that is exactly how they have always operated: caging votes by manipulating electronic voting machines, purging qualified voters from the voting-roles, stationing police cars near voting centers to discourage minorities from voting, placing too few voting machines in democratic areas to cause long waiting times and thus causing many voters to give and go home without voting, registering democratic voters at shopping centers and then throwing away their registration forms, calling (otherwise qualified) Hispanic voters and telling them they will be deported if they vote, calling democratic voters claiming to be taking a poll while making innuendos about the democratic candidate through their questions, making robo-calls, etc, etc. The republicans, und Karl Rove%u2019s tutelage, have made vote-caging a fine art. AND REPUBLICAN SUPPORTERS OWN AND OPERATE THE VOTE-COUNTING MACHINES/SOFTWARE THAT COUNT 95 PERCENT OF THE VOTES!

[ioweign]

And, 11 states have formal investigations going on.

This is a tainted election.

Posted by donbl1 at 10:11 PM : Oct 26, 2008


Well just think, we didn''t have an election in 2000, the president was picked by a court.

Iglesias: Repubs Sought Bogus Vote Fraud Cases

David Iglesias, the former U.S. attorney of New Mexico, said that he was pressured by Republicans to prosecute voter fraud cases, even after he said that no evidence of fraud could be found, as a means to suppress turnout. "There appears to be a growing body of evidence that suggests that there''s voter suppression going on throughout the country," Iglesias said.

[vincan-2009]

I want the voting to be fair and honest. Republicans are the worst at trying to suppress votes of Democrats any way they can. I think it is a phoney charge that voter registration relating to ACORN will in any way lead to ineligible voter voting. Also the purging of voters that has taken place in several states could have removed eligible voters from the rolls. It is republicans who are so determined to win by hook or crook that really are beyond the bounds. It is republicans that I fear will try again to cheat to have McCain come out the winner when he is really the loser.

[douglas_dunn]

Posted by n8yvn29 at 12:27 AM : Oct 27, 2008

The republicans live and die by the motto, any means justifies the ends, and that is exactly how they have always operated: caging votes by manipulating electronic voting machines, purging qualified voters from the voting-roles, stationing police cars near voting centers to discourage minorities from voting, placing too few voting machines in democratic areas to cause long waiting times and thus causing many voters to give and go home without voting, registering democratic voters at shopping centers and then throwing away their registration forms, calling (otherwise qualified) Hispanic voters and telling them they will be deported if they vote, calling democratic voters claiming to be taking a poll while making innuendos about the democratic candidate through their questions, making robo-calls, etc, etc. The republicans, und Karl Rove%u2019s tutelage, have made vote-caging a fine art. AND REPUBLICAN SUPPORTERS OWN AND OPERATE THE VOTE-COUNTING MACHINES/SOFTWARE THAT COUNT 95 PERCENT OF THE VOTES!


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I don''t think it could be said any better than this.

[hot4real]

I thought in the USA democracy was perfect, what a joke that country is. ahahaha

[hot4real]

Why was the USA making so much noise about zimbabwe election when itself is a master electoral fraud?

people who believe the USA propaganda machine called CNN are those who do not follow news online.

USA equal to the most oppressive and illogical country on the planet, on the same level with their brothers in western europe.

[pirmin3]

The USA looks like a banana republic with an insane dictator in the oval office

[doccraig67]

Cocky Dems --- It''''s going to be so nice rubbing your noses in it when you lose. And it would be just like Democrats to screw up at this point and have the election fall out from under them, just because they got so full of themselves. Even your own befriender of terrorists, Osama Hussein made the statement "Back off or you''''re going to mess this up" Maybe the man''''s not as stupid as he looks after all.

How can you have the nerve to call anyone stupid when Sarah Palin is you VP Nominee, and McCain chose her.

[aguuled]

CNN reports now on its main website:

"Registered voters ''purged'' from voter rolls
More than 50,000 registered Georgia voters have been "flagged" because of a computer mismatch in their personal identification information. "

Coincidently those who mostly got purged happen to be blacks...fitting considering''t Gerogia''s racist history..

So who is lying and/or misinformed? CBS or CNN?

In a close election like this 50,000 people in swing states could make all the difference.

...don''t worry it is just a computer error, 50,000 of them.

I suggest Gerogia''s election officials replace their computer.

[summarex]

I am convinced that the Republicans will resort to dirty tricks to walk away with this election if it''s close enough. I just hope that when the time comes, Obama will have more character than Gore did in 2000.

[aguuled]

lol best video ever: (remove the space after the word watch)

http://www.youtube.com/watch ?v=NMwh2LZA_zo&feature=related

[shonkin57]

As an Evangelical Christian and Obama supporter, plus someone who''s seen attempts at voter fraud in local elections (though not in national elections), I''m cheered by this report. However, I was unimpressed with the article''s vagueness. How many voters have reported fraud? How many voters were given provisional ballots, which allow the voter to cast her or his ballot yet can be discarded by officials later on for real or imagined reasons? How many voters have been "challenged" by poll watchers and/or judges, an act which is sometimes necessary but more often an act of voter intimidation or even outright suppression? These things wouldn''t necessarily be reported in large numbers... but could be more a problem than they appear on the surface. I would have liked just bit more specificity, mainly because I''m a Democrat and just can''t believe (yet) that we might actually win this thing. Or as they say, "Just because I''m paranoid doesn''t mean they really aren''t out to get me!" A large wink to CBS, and carry on!

Jon Trott / Chicago

[shonkin57]

As an Evangelical Christian and Obama supporter, plus someone who''s seen attempts at voter fraud in local elections (though not in national elections), I''m cheered by this report. However, I was unimpressed with the article''s vagueness. How many voters have reported fraud? How many voters were given provisional ballots, which allow the voter to cast her or his ballot yet can be discarded by officials later on for real or imagined reasons? How many voters have been "challenged" by poll watchers and/or judges, an act which is sometimes necessary but more often an act of voter intimidation or even outright suppression? These things wouldn''t necessarily be reported in large numbers... but could be more a problem than they appear on the surface. I would have liked just bit more specificity, mainly because I''m a Democrat and just can''t believe (yet) that we might actually win this thing. Or as they say, "Just because I''m paranoid doesn''t mean they really aren''t out to get me!" A large wink to CBS, and carry on!

Jon Trott / Chicago

[shonkin57]

As an Evangelical Christian and Obama supporter, plus someone who''s seen attempts at voter fraud in local elections (though not in national elections), I''m cheered by this report. However, I was unimpressed with the article''s vagueness. How many voters have reported fraud? How many voters were given provisional ballots, which allow the voter to cast her or his ballot yet can be discarded by officials later on for real or imagined reasons? How many voters have been "challenged" by poll watchers and/or judges, an act which is sometimes necessary but more often an act of voter intimidation or even outright suppression? These things wouldn''t necessarily be reported in large numbers... but could be more a problem than they appear on the surface. I would have liked just bit more specificity, mainly because I''m a Democrat and just can''t believe (yet) that we might actually win this thing. Or as they say, "Just because I''m paranoid doesn''t mean they really aren''t out to get me!" A large wink to CBS, and carry on!

Jon Trott / Chicago

[shonkin57]

As an Evangelical Christian and Obama supporter, plus someone who''s seen attempts at voter fraud in local elections (though not in national elections), I''m cheered by this report. However, I was unimpressed with the article''s vagueness. How many voters have reported fraud? How many voters were given provisional ballots, which allow the voter to cast her or his ballot yet can be discarded by officials later on for real or imagined reasons? How many voters have been "challenged" by poll watchers and/or judges, an act which is sometimes necessary but more often an act of voter intimidation or even outright suppression? These things wouldn''t necessarily be reported in large numbers... but could be more a problem than they appear on the surface. I would have liked just bit more specificity, mainly because I''m a Democrat and just can''t believe (yet) that we might actually win this thing. Or as they say, "Just because I''m paranoid doesn''t mean they really aren''t out to get me!" A large wink to CBS, and carry on!

Jon Trott / Chicago

[silverstar06]

Just imagine the gazillions of dollars the folks behind Obama have invested already, to reserve that seat in the fancy White House! They''re not gonna give that up for some lil ol lady who hasn''t paid a dime for her celebrity! They''d rather see her on an Oprah like tv show when this is all over.

[churchmn]

CNN reported a College senior was told by the state of Georgia she was not a U.S. citizen and therefore not eligible to vote. But Kyla Berry IS a citizen, born in Boston, MA with a passport and a birth certificate.

AND WHAT ABOUT VOTE "FLIPPING?"

Voters in West Virginia complained that ES & S voting machines recorded votes for Democratic candidates as votes for Republicans.

Davidson County, Tennessee:
"I touched "Obama" for president, but nothing lit up. I called a poll worker over to tell him I was having a problem. He touched it for me twice - nothing lit up. The third time he touched the Obama button, the Cynthia McKinney space lit up!"

Voters in Putnam County and in neighboring Jackson County told the Charleston Gazette that e-voting machines from ES&S had switched their votes from a Democratic to Republican.

Texas: Voters were misinformed Monday at an early voting site at Randalls on West Ben White Blvd. As voters waited, the Travis County Elections Division said a "poll cat" gave voters inaccurate instructions.

"He said... ''Let me tell you, make sure you vote straight ticket, then you also vote for Obama to make sure the vote counts,''" said Erica Prosser, who witnessed the incident at Randalls. (In reality, pressing the button for a candidate whose name is already highlighted deselects that candidate.)

Machine Malfunctions Reported In West Virginia and Texas: Voters using touchscreen machines have claimed their votes were switched from Democrat to Republican.

[coopy67]

This is what happened in 2000 when Florida purged thousands of names from voter rolls soon before the election. Many were denied the right to vote because their names RESEMBLED those of persons who could not vote because they were convicted felons. Most of those wrongly purged turned out to be black. Most blacks were expected to vote for Gore. The Florida official responsible? Kathleen Harris.
Coincidence? Well, if so, a pretty costly one. Eight years of pathetic leadership by a "C" student.

It worked in 2000. Still in the bag of dirty tricks, I see.

[redkcir-2009]

After reading the article and checking on-line services, the problem with this report is that it wasn''t investigated very well. No mention of the voters "purged". See- http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/26/voter.suppression/index.html?eref=rss_topstories
As for fraud, both parties engage in it. It just depends on what state you live in. If you really want change, vote for someone else, like the Libertarian Party. They can''t do any worst than the other two.

[gramto8]

Yeah, strange isn''''t it...CBS puts out this big article that supposed to discredit the RNC claims of VOTER REGISTRATION FRAUD!!! And CBS talks voter problems.
It''''s just hilarious to watch these SLIMY MEDIA PEOPLE WILL DO TO TRY TO DISTRACT THE PUBLIC FROM REAL PROBLEMS!!!!
HEY CBS!!!! THE PROBLEM IS VOTER REGISTRATION FRAUD!!!! NOT WITH VOTING!!!!!
ELEVEN STATES ARE UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR ''''VOTER REGISATION FRAUD''''.....
NOBODY SAID ANYTHING ABOUT VOTING AT THE POLLING PLACE! IDIOTS!

Posted by FromTexwLove at 11:12 PM : Oct 26, 2008



Isn''t it funny that when it was the Democrats that the fraud was supposedly against it was ''VOTER FRAUD!!'' but now that it is against the Republicans it is ''VOTER REGISTRATION FRAUD.''

[gramto8]

Machine Malfunctions Reported In West Virginia and Texas: Voters using touchscreen machines have claimed their votes were switched from Democrat to Republican.

Posted by churchmn at 03:02 AM : Oct 27, 2008

A friend of mine in FL told me that his vote switched from Obama to McCain when he voted. He noticed that it did and called the election worker over. They tried it again and the same thing happened. Took a third try before it finally ''took'' with the Obama vote. At least, we hope it took the Obama vote.

[whatithink10]

FromTexwLove,

There is a HUGE difference between voter registration problems and actual voting problems. FOX NEWS is turning you into a fool! If there were a few people who created extra voting registration forms to get paid more this will not affect the actual election. However, if there are problems with the actual voting, this will affect the election.

You people should really learn to differential between a substantial issue and a created issue.

[thcarson-2009]

Machine Malfunctions Reported In West Virginia and Texas: Voters using touchscreen machines have claimed their votes were switched from Democrat to Republican.

Posted by churchmn at 03:02 AM : Oct 27, 2008

A friend of mine in FL told me that his vote switched from Obama to McCain when he voted. He noticed that it did and called the election worker over. They tried it again and the same thing happened. Took a third try before it finally ''''took'''' with the Obama vote. At least, we hope it took the Obama vote.


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Posted by gramto8


My cousins wifes best friends uncles said the poll workers forced them to vote for McCain in Virginia or else they would shoot them.

[lmalamed]

It would be nice if we had a foolproof and tamperproof way to vote, wouldn''t it? Maybe we need to have the United Nations come and teach us how to do it. We don''t seem to be able to handle it ourselves.

I would think that everyone, Republican or Democrat, would like to have confidence in knowing that the people who was elected was really elected. Can''t we fix this?

[lmalamed]

A foolproof, tamperproof election process is needed. In countries with corrupt governments, the United Nations seems to be able to run a fair, or almost fair election...with no machines. Maybe we need the UN to run our elections for a while. We don''t seem to be able to handle it ourselves.

[bigsk8fan]

republicans raise this charge every single election. their only desire is to try to suppress new voters. except for small individual cases, these voter charges never have gone anywhere.

[heartlandjim]

The Republicans pull this stunt every election. The "Country Club First" mentality has got to stop. We need a revolution that puts the hard working middle class man and woman first! That''s why I voted early for Obama and you should, too!!

[FHMullane]

It would help if the ballots were the same in all states. Absentee Ballots really need to be pushed for the aged and infirm who can really slow down the lines. Seems early voting is necessary. We should be thankful so many people finally want to vote.

As far as taxes... you are more likely to be laid off because your employer HAS NO BUSINESS than the fact that he is paying taxes... he can write your entire income and benefits off for tax purposes so the real reason is no business. You don''t see GM and Ford laying off because they pay too much tax... no but when the cars don''t sell they lay off. So be real and don''t listen to this craziness.

[clintonsgirl]

"If you really want to vote for someone for president vote write in for Hillary Clinton
Posted by KathySun"



No thanks, Rush.

This former Hillary supporter is voting for Obama.


Divide and conquer will not work on me.

GO OBAMA!

[unmunificent]

Since CBS doesn''t want to link it...
Here it is. Obama discussing REDISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH, AND WHY HE APPROVES OF IT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iivL4c_3pck

WAKE UP PEOPLE!

[speets-2009]

Quoted from Thecarson:
"You Obama worshippers are such morons, don''''t you realize by raising taxes on the wealthiest 5% that they in turn will lay your arse off to make up the difference."
----
haha, yes it is very likely companies will fire all their employers and let the work be done by magic fairies who get paid with love.

idiot.

Nothing will change apart from more opportunities for the middle class, most small companies will get an enormous boost from this tax plan. Especially considering the middle class will have more to spend.

[mydogdylan6]

Your 55% cap wage tax is unfair,
=============================
Wow Kathy! Yesterday you said 50%, now you say 55%, when it''s actually 39%. (The same as it was under Ronald Reagan.)

But don''t let the truth get in your way ok? Just make it up as you go.

[norepubs]

Ronald Reagan wrote $5 trillion in bad checks to create the illusion of prosperity(While Ollie North ran drugs and guns in central America) Gave MEGA tax cuts to the rich. Trained Osama Bin Laden.
George W. Bu$h wrote $5 trillion in bad checks to create the illusion of prosperity. Gave mega tax cuts to the rich. Divided the country,made America the most hated nation on earth. Bu$h trashed the economy by spending like a drunken sailor. Bu$h wants to junk Social Security,but thinks nothing of giving Wall St. $1 trillion to bail out their screwups due to repub. deregulation.
(Corporate socialism is O.K with fascist repubs)
For good measure,Bu$h took a steaming c r a p on the U.S. Constitution over the last eight years.
We the Middle Class are now on the ropes because of these two bozos. Do you want four more years of the same with John "Rubber Stamp"McCain?. Reagan and Bu$h-Two morons who have ruined the economy and insured that your great-great grandchildren will be paying for their debt.

lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
"The biggest bunch of fools, idoits, morons, economy destroying, and not fit to hold office."

[clintonsgirl]

KathySun = Rush Limbaugh

Rush Limbaugh is the fool who thinks Sarah Palin is presidential material.

[norepubs]

Ronald Reagan wrote $5 trillion in bad checks to create the illusion of prosperity(While Ollie North ran drugs and guns in central America) Gave MEGA tax cuts to the rich. Trained Osama Bin Laden.
George W. Bu$h wrote $5 trillion in bad checks to create the illusion of prosperity. Gave mega tax cuts to the rich. Divided the country,made America the most hated nation on earth. Bu$h trashed the economy by spending like a drunken sailor. Bu$h wants to junk Social Security,but thinks nothing of giving Wall St. $1 trillion to bail out their screwups due to repub. deregulation.
(Corporate socialism is O.K with fascist repubs)
For good measure,Bu$h took a steaming c r a p on the U.S. Constitution over the last eight years.
We the Middle Class are now on the ropes because of these two bozos. Do you want four more years of the same with John "Rubber Stamp"McCain?. Reagan and Bu$h-Two morons who have ruined the economy and insured that your great-great grandchildren will be paying for their debt.

lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
"The biggest bunch of fools, idoits, morons, economy destroying, and not fit to hold office."

[floydzeppt]

Posted by KathySun at 06:47 AM : Oct 27, 2008
-------

You McLiverspot ROBOTS are really goofy.

[mydogdylan6]

******* people are fine if wealth is redistributed FROM the middle class TO the wealthy. Apparently that''s the GOP middle class American dream now.

But try to create a more equitable system and it''s now called "socialist". From these posts it''s obvious most people don''t even know the definition of that word.

The top 5% have DOUBLED their holdings in just 8 years. Middle class wages and savings have gone down. THAT''S wealth redistribution!

[mydogdylan6]

WE CAN''T AFFORD McCAIN!

Changes proposed by Obama%u2019s campaign would mean the national debt would grow by $5.7 trillion over 10 years, while proposals spelled out by McCain%u2019s campaign would add $7.4 trillion, according to the Tax Policy Center.

If you add up proposals made in stump speeches, the total 10-year debt increase comes to $5.4 trillion for Obama and $10.9 trillion for McCain.

[asteroi06]

Hey Thecarson..you too dumb to realize we''ve ALREADY been layed off?? Duh..

[asteroi06]

Clintonsgirl..careful..when you use the words LIMBAUGH and THINK the same sentence, there is a contradiction of terms there.

[drpolitics1]

I think there is a rig in early voting and the electronic card systems. Last week, I early voted in the Chicago area, at a predominantly African American polling place. I noticed that when I selected Republican in some of the choices, a LOUD NOISE sounded. I wonder has anyone else noticed this. I wonder if my vote was truly counted.

[checkthepast]

Disrespect is...
Posted by obiden08

Your fellow posters have these fine words of respect....
fascist repubs
******* people
drunken sailor.
took a steaming c r a p
bunch of fools,
idoits, morons,
economy destroying,
not fit to hold office
senile.
goofball Sarah
(a Pentecostal, tongue-talker)
cancer-ridden McCain
kick the bucket

See the difference?