Tis Only My Opinion
May 2001 - Volume 21, Number 5
The Power of the Vote!
In the constitutional republic of the United States of America, the most basic right of a citizen is the right to vote.
Does each vote count?
For those who did not vote in this last election, the answer is YES!
Was each vote that counted legal?
The answer to that question is "Absolutely Not!"
The Motor Voter act makes it impossible to determine whether a voter is qualified to vote in an election. Senator McCain is harping on Campaign Finance reform when the real problem is making sure elections are not stolen by votes cast by people who are not qualified to vote.
Sometimes, I wonder if our politicians are all stupid and corrupt! Since the election, many irregularities have been discovered in almost every state and not just in Florida where the Gore campaign tried every legal maneuver to overturn the popular vote. But the problem is not the matter of the ballot, chads, illegal immigrants, felons and dead people that cast ballots. Nor is it the military votes not being counted.
The problem is that the citizens of this nation don't care that they are disenfranchised by all the illegal voting.
Where is the outrage!
So what are the qualifications to vote in most elections in this country? To refresh your memory, the requirements for the last general election are listed below:
Citizen of the United States.
Must be 18 or older on November 6, 2001.
Have registered to vote on or before a date set by each state regardless of party affiliation.
Have resided in the precinct in which the vote is to be cast prior to a date set by each state.
Sounds pretty simple, doesn't it? The key requirement is that a voter must be a citizen of the United States. Yet, most voting rolls are riddled with mistakes.
Every state has a Bureau of Elections or something similar that is derelict in its most basic duty!
They do not verify that voters are citizens. In fact, in most states, they are not permitted to demand proof of citizenship!
You bet something is rotten in our Elections . . . but campaign finance reform has only a faint odor when the real stink is that voters are not required to prove their eligibility!
There are many ways that can be utilized to clean up the voting rolls. Perhaps, the most fundamental requirement is a picture I.D. that also only allows a voter to vote one time in each election whether by absentee ballot or in person.
- It is a relatively simple matter to clean up the voting rolls by running a computer pass against the Social Security Death Index to remove those who have died in each state. Making it mandatory for each funeral director to notify the Election Board of a death within 2 days will also keep the list up to date.
- It is also be a very simple matter to remove felons from the rolls by running a computer pass against the NCIC computer database.
- It also is a simple matter to run a computer pass against the voting rolls to remove people who have disconnected their electricity, gas service. etc.
- It is also a simple matter to ask the Credit Bureaus to report when any person has moved to another location and to run a computer pass against the voting rolls to notify the person that their eligibility to vote in that precinct will be terminated with a 30 day period unless they can prove that they are still residing at that location
- Running a comparison against the voting rolls and the driver license (or identification cards for non-drivers) address and having it updated by changes made when people get automobile insurance will also help in keeping the rolls current. In fact, since in most states, it is illegal to drive an automobile without insurance, the information about lapsed insurance coverage should also be sent to the DMV who might also impound the car until insurance coverage is obtained.
- Repeal and/or material changes of the Motor Voter Law is necessary to prevent fraud in elections.
- Every person that is shown as removed from the database should also be sent a notice that they have 30 days to challenge the removal or it goes into effect!
Now some people will complain that we are invading people's privacy! Nonsense.
The most basic right of citizens in this country is to vote and to know that only qualified citizens are permitted to vote!
When a citizen living in a constitutional republic refuses to demand that only citizens vote, it will only be a matter of time before that country disappears.
Sorry, I don't understand why an illegal immigrant is even granted a drivers license. If they are illegal, send them home. And make sure that the second time they come to the U.S. illegally, they know that they will be either incarcerated or terminated. Perhaps, someone can tell me why we have to educate the children of illegal immigrants. If they are here illegally, they should be sent home. What is it about the word "illegal" that most politicians and liberals don't understand.
But then - 'Tis Only My Opinion!
Fred Richards
May 2001
Corruptisima republica plurimae leges. [The more corrupt a republic, the more laws.] -- Tacitus, Annals III 27
This issue of 'Tis Only My Opinion was copyrighted by Adrich
Corporation in May 2001.
All rights reserved. Quotation with attribution is encouraged.
Tis Only My Opinion is intended to provoke thinking, then dialogue among our readers.
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