Voter ID Fraud: Put Up Or Shut Up

Exactly two weeks ago today, 335,885 Arkansans went to the polls to vote in party primaries and in non-partisan judicial elections. By all accounts, the elections went smoothly with no major problems.

Which leads to a question. Where was all the voter ID fraud the Republic Party claims to exist? Out of the 335,885 votes cast two weeks ago, surely the Republic Party can find at least ONE case of voter ID fraud?

Arkansas Republicans want to impose a law requiring voters to present identification at the polls before exercising their constitutional right to vote.  Republicans claim there is widespread fraud with people going to the polls to vote in other people’s names.

However, when you ask for one, just one, Arkansas example of this type of fraud, Republicans stammer, mumble and claim it exists but that we just haven’t caught anyone yet.  The real reason why no one has been caught is because it doesn’t happen.  No one is going take a chance of a five-year federal prison sentence just so they can vote one extra time.

Frankly, this voter ID requirement idea is nothing more than a poll tax Republicans want to impose on the poor and minorities who may vote for Democrats.

that eviscerates the Republican arguments for this needless voter ID requirement:

“Second, many conservatives contend that the reason studies show so little voter fraud is because it’s really hard to catch. It’s also hard to catch murderers, but that doesn’t mean we start locking up everyone in order to prevent people from killing one another. Americans have long subscribed to the notion of innocent until proven guilty; that, as Benjamin Franklin said, ‘It is better 100 guilty persons escape than that one innocent person suffer.’ Without proof, or even credible evidence that widespread voter fraud exists, saying that it’s difficult to detect is not enough reason to justify stripping the right to vote from millions.”

I challenge Arkansas Republicans to prove just five cases of Arkansas voter ID fraud in the past years.  Just five.

It’s put up or shut up time, Arkansas Republicans.

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