Ricochet is the best place on the internet to discuss the issues of the day, either through commenting on posts or writing your own for our active and dynamic community in a fully moderated environment. In addition, the Ricochet Audio Network offers over 50 original podcasts with new episodes released every day.
Ballot Harvesting Still Alive and Well
Did you know that only one state, Alabama, has acted to prevent ballot harvesting in this country? After all the controversy about fraud in our last national election, you might think that enacting a law against ballot harvesting that would help to ensure a valid election, free of blatant fraud, might be one reasonable step to take. Think again.
If you are unfamiliar with the strategy of ballot harvesting, here’s one explanation:
In the State of Alabama, they have figured out how to keep your vote from being stolen when a ‘ballot bandit’ knocks on your door. Ballot harvesting has been defined as ‘the practice in which political operatives collect absentee ballots from voters’ homes and drop them off at a polling place or election office.’ It might sound harmless, even ‘helpful,’ but unfortunately it has been subject to vast abuse.
Here is the status of ballot harvesting according to Ballotpedia.org as of August 2020:
- 24 states and D.C. permitted someone chosen by the voter to return mail ballots on their behalf in most cases
- 12 states specified who may return ballots(i.e., household members, caregivers, and/or family members) in most cases
- 1 state explicitly allowed only the voter to return their ballot
- 13 states did not specify whether someone may return another’s ballot
I was only slightly amused when I read that some states are trying to “register” ballot harvesters, as if making the fraud official might appease skeptics. To date, the courts have rejected their efforts.
The Left has insisted that this type of law discriminates against the neediest voters. Somehow, if the ballot harvesting is banned, I suspect those folks will find a way to use the U.S. Postal Service.
Here is an example of this disgraceful practice
We all need to make an effort to educate our fellow voters about this insidious practice and demand that integrity be restored to our election process.
Published in Elections
I would certainly like to see a dramatic tightening of electoral law, including an end to what we normally think of as “ballot harvesting” (that is, one individual collecting ballots from many other people), restrictions on early and mail-in voting, a mandated photo-id requirement, etc. It’s difficult for state legislatures, because state and federal courts stand ready to slap them down with claims of various trumped-up civil rights abuses if they do anything that strengthens voting laws. But the efforts continue, and I hope the are strengthened after the mid-term.
For what it’s worth, quite a few states do have rules about ballot harvesting, even if they allow it. For example, some allow an individual to return no more than two ballots belong to others in any election. Things like that. There are not enough restrictions in place, but there are more than I thought there were. (For example, in Indiana, only a household member or someone with designated “attorney” authority can deliver a ballot.)
But yes, we need electoral security improvements. Keep calling attention to it.
I’m aware that some states are trying–Florida is one. The problem is that in many cases there is no way to know if people are taking inappropriate action. I’m with you, Hank; let’s keep banging the drum!
Ballot harvesters could just as easily dump the ballots they collected if they thought that was better for their preferred candidate. There is nothing in the process to detect, much less prevent it.
The critical need is cleaning up registration rolls and tightening new registrations. Detroit (Wayne County), for example, had shed population for decades but the total number of registered voters keeps increasing. Michigan averages 70% turnout in presidential elections. Detroit reports around 50% which is probably more like a suspect 80% in reality. In other words, a ton of deceased, departed or invented names could get smuggled in without causing a statistical blip.
Democrats in Philadelphia don’t even pretend to be honest.
Georgia Democrats only care about election integrity when they cheat each other in primaries or local races.
That idiot reporter in the clip above buys the spin that because Project Veritas embarrasses the left, they cannot be trusted. He seems almost annoyed that he had to do the story.
Great minds on the left opine ad nauseam about “root causes” of urban riots but don’t seem to realize that the “root cause” of January 6 will ultimately collapse the American Experiment if the substance and appearance of election integrity is not restored.
The established large metropolitan areas especially in the swing states, such as Detroit, Philadelphia, and Atlanta, are places controlled by Democrats where large numbers of manufactured votes can swing elections that are decided by statewide votes. And they have a history.
[deleted duplicate]