In February a jury found an Indiana man guilty of six out of seven felony charges: two counts of perjury and one each of false registration, voting in another precinct, submitting a false ballot and theft. The verdict represents a documented case of voter fraud. However, it is no small irony that the individual convicted, Charlie White, is the Indiana Republican Secretary of State. The Secretary of State is the chief election official. NYTimes
Following the 2010 midterm elections GOP legislators, governors and secretaries of state in 14 states from Florida to Wisconsin have passed burdensome voter ID laws. Supporters of these laws claim that the new requirements to show valid, state issued ID is to combat voter fraud. However, they have been loath to present proof of voter fraud problems in American elections. Indeed, a strong supporter of voter ID requirements, Hans von Spakovsky of the Heritage Foundation, is reported in the NY Times as stating "I don't think anybody else says that there is massive fraud in American elections." NYTimes
Why then the need and zeal of some to make voting both costly and burdensome for millions of Americans including college students and senior citizens? As Vermont Independent Senator, Bernie Sanders, noted on the Rachel Maddow Show, "Not everybody is middle class. There are a lot of poor people who do not own cars or have driver's licenses,... a lot of old people don't drive. Click link for US Sen. Bernie Sanders full statement on the Rachel Maddow Show. MSNBC
