Source: BallotPedia
Trump said today he will ask for a major investigation into allegations of voter fraud. Here’s why he cares, and why we all should care.
What opposers are saying
Nancy Pelosi, the House Minority Leader said, “For a person who is newly elected president of the United States to be so insecure … to suggest and to undermine the integrity of our voting system, is really strange,”
House Speaker Paul Ryan and Sen. Lindsey Graham both say there is no evidence to support it.
Senator Bernie Sanders said Trump “is telling Republicans to accelerate voter suppression, to make it harder for the poor, young, elderly and people of color to vote.” {source}
What supporters are saying
More than 700 Pennsylvania voters may have cast two or more votes in the last election. {source}
In Colorado, there were multiple cases of dead people voting. {source}
According to a Pew Charitable Trust report from February 2012, one in eight voter registrations are “significantly inaccurate or no longer valid.”
This evidence leads supporters of the voter fraud theory to believe that it is quite possible that people may be abusing the system.
What polls are saying
A Gallup poll taken in August revealed that 52 percent of Republicans believe that voter fraud is a “major problem,” as compared to 26 percent of Democrats. {source}
A Washington Post poll taken in October showed that 60 percent of Republicans believe that illegal immigrants and other ineligible people vote in “meaningful amounts,” compared to less than 25 percent of Democrats and less than 40 percent of independents. {source}
My personal opinion: Regardless of what you believe, it is interesting to note that there is no I.D. requirement in 38% of the states (see map above). That means that you can show up to a polling place, say you are someone, and vote without anyone verifying that.
This seems a bit odd, when a valid I.D. is required for:
⇢ Buying Cigarettes or Alcohol
⇢ Applying for food stamps
⇢ Opening a bank account
⇢ Driving/Buying/Renting a car
⇢ Getting on an airplane
⇢ Adopting a pet
⇢ Visiting a casino
⇢ Buying a video game rated “Mature”
I dunno. It seems logical to require a photo ID to, you know, vote for President of the United States. Thoughts?
Monica says
I didn’t know about the I.D. thing, that is insane.
Sarah Malone says
Um, I’m embarrassed to admit this, but I had NO idea about the fact that some states don’t even require an ID to vote?? That is insane–how can that be justified? If you need an ID to drive, why wouldn’t you need one to vote?