[Editorial]
There is a program on PBS that is very timely, “Dismantling Democracy”
In the first of this three-part series, we dive into the history of democracy, its birth and the United States' unique take on this form of government. The episode takes a look at some uniquely American challenges that limit American democracy such as hyperpartisanship, negative partisanship, institutional constraints (gerrymandering, the Electoral College, voter registration) and more.
I want to point out first that approximate number of voters who voted in the primary election last year was 431,000 people. And one, that one case of voter fraud. That is 1/431000 or 0.00023%Connecticut judge sets new primary date for mayor’s race tainted by alleged ballot box stuffing
AP News
November 18, 2023A Connecticut judge has set Jan. 23 as the date for a new Democratic primary election in the Bridgeport mayor’s race after having tossed out the September election results because of alleged ballot box stuffing.
Judge William Clark issued the order late Friday afternoon after Mayor Joe Ganim and challenger John Gomes agreed on the Jan. 23 date. Clark also ruled a new general election, if needed, would be held Feb. 27.
PBS NewsHour, December 17, 2021:
More than a year after President Joe Biden won the 2020 election, former President Donald Trump and his allies still insist without evidence that widespread voter fraud led to a stolen election. A new reporting project from the Associated Press shows that is false, finding fewer than 475 potential instances out of more than 25 million votes cast. Judy Woodruff speaks to reporter Christina Cassidy.
The Proceedings of Natural Academy Science reports that,
Abstract
After the 2020 US presidential election Donald Trump refused to concede, alleging widespread and unparalleled voter fraud. Trump’s supporters deployed several statistical arguments in an attempt to cast doubt on the result. Reviewing the most prominent of these statistical claims, we conclude that none of them is even remotely convincing. The common logic behind these claims is that, if the election were fairly conducted, some feature of the observed 2020 election result would be unlikely or impossible. In each case, we find that the purportedly anomalous fact is either not a fact or not anomalous.
Debunking the Voter Fraud Myth
Sensationalist claims have circulated this election season about the extent of voter fraud, with some politicians going so far as to tell voters to fear that this November’s election will be “rigged.” Because electoral integrity is one of the elements necessary to making America the greatest democracy in the world, claims like this garner media attention, and frighten and concern voters. But putting rhetoric aside to look at the facts makes clear that fraud by voters at the polls is vanishingly rare, and does not happen on a scale even close to that necessary to “rig” an election.
Voter Fraud
Preserving the great experiment that is the American republic is dependent upon free and fair elections. When selecting a city councilor or the president of the United States, every American must be able to trust the process and the result, or the democratic system itself breaks down.
Election integrity is essential and the security of the ballot box cannot be left to a simple honor system.. It is incumbent upon state governments to safeguard the electoral process, and ensure that every voter’s right to cast a ballot is protected.
The history of voting in the United States
Contrary to the claims of many liberals, the problem of voter fraud is as old as the country itself. As the U.S. Supreme Court noted when it upheld Indiana’s voter identification law, “flagrant examples” of voter fraud “have been documented throughout this Nation’s history by respected historians and journalists.”
Attempts to commandeer election results have been documented dating back to the 19th century, when New York City’s infamous Tammany Hall was synonymous with political corruption and election fraud. In one New York election 1844, 55,000 votes were recorded even though there were only 41,000 eligible voters. Decades later, these efforts have continued and determined fraudsters have become only more creative in their efforts to fix the outcome of elections.
1,490 Proven instances of voter fraud
1,274 Criminal convictions
48 Civil penalties
120 Diversion program
26 Judicial finding
22 Official finding
Out of how many hundred millions of votes!1,274 Criminal convictions
48 Civil penalties
120 Diversion program
26 Judicial finding
22 Official finding
The Heritage Foundation lists the number of voter fraud cases here in Connecticut:
1 voter fraud in the 2023 election.
1 voter fraud in the 2022 election.
2 voter fraud in the 2018 election.
1 voter fraud in the 2015 election.
1 voter fraud in the 2013 election.
But the Republicans still say that the election was stolen.1 voter fraud in the 2022 election.
2 voter fraud in the 2018 election.
1 voter fraud in the 2015 election.
1 voter fraud in the 2013 election.
“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.”
Also from the Jewish Virtual Library project...
The OSS psychological profile of Hitler described his use of the big lie:
His primary rules were: never allow the public to cool off; never admit a fault or wrong; never concede that there may be some good in your enemy; never leave room for alternatives; never accept blame; concentrate on one enemy at a time and blame him for everything that goes wrong; people will believe a big lie sooner than a little one; and if you repeat it frequently enough people will sooner or later believe it.
[/Editorial]
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