Voter fraud or voter suppression – an online discussion

A debate has erupted in the blogosphere — and on the campaign trail — over Democratic efforts to register and mobilize a vast new army of voters.

The ACORN group, which works nationally to bring low-income and homeless people to the polls, faces growing criticism and a criminal probe in Nevada.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hvb0LfZQ5mY-X8PYSvYxTe3QGgdgD93LVDS80

There are also reports of voting irregularities popping up from watchdog groups on-line.

http://www.texaswatchdog.org/2008/10/dead-voters-still-registered-in-harris-county/

The issue is drawing attention from John McCain, Sarah Palin — and from House Minority leader John Boehner.

The latest allegations of voter registration fraud by ACORN, Boehner said in a statement, are further evidence that this group cannot be trusted with another dollar of the taxpayers’ money.

The New York Times reported recently on new voter disqualification efforts nationwide — which appear to be illegal.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/09/us/politics/09voting.html?_r=2&hp&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

Progressives are outraged over what they describe as efforts to disenfranchise eligible voters and suppress the Democratic turnout.

Here’s a treatment by The American Prospect:

http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=the_republican_war_on_voting

Ultimately, impartial assessments of voter-registration drives have generally found very little evidence of systemic voter fraud.

And broadly speaking, the surge in new voters appears to legitimately favor Barack Obama.

Here’s the AP’s summary:

The surge in new voters that helped propel Barack Obama to his party’s presidential nomination is carrying over to the general election — 9 million newly registered voters who are overwhelmingly Democratic and could add up to a big victory on Election Day.