ARRA News Service
News Blog for social, fiscal & national security conservatives who believe in God, family & the USA. Upholding the rights granted by God & guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, traditional family values, "republican" principles / ideals, transparent & limited "smaller" government, free markets, lower taxes, due process of law, liberty & individual freedom. Content approval rests with the ARRA News Service Editor. Opinions are those of the authors. While varied positions are reported, beliefs & principles remain fixed. No revenue is generated for or by this "Blog" - no paid ads - no payments for articles. Fair Use Doctrine is posted & used.
Blogger/Editor/Founder: Bill Smith, Ph.D. [aka: OzarkGuru & 2010 AFP National Blogger of the Year]
Contact: editor@arranewsservice.com (Pub. Since July, 2006)
    Home Page
   

One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors. -- Plato (429-347 BC)

Thursday, August 04, 2016

What’s Wrong with Honest Elections?

by Ken Blackwell, Contributing Author: Again state legislatures have approved new rules to prevent election fraud. Again federal courts have struck the laws down. Much of America's political and legal establishment is resolutely opposed to election integrity. It makes you wonder what they believe democracy is all about.

Obviously, there is no excuse for racial discrimination. But protecting elections against cheating has nothing to do with race. Democracy doesn't work unless the votes are counted accurately.

There has been election fraud as long as there have been elections. Great Britain was the fount of parliaments around the world, but it was infamous for such abuses as "rotten boroughs." It took centuries to clean up the process, and even today many parliamentary districts are unfairly drawn.

The U.S. long suffered through manifold abuses of ethnic and urban "machines." Party bosses ruled in Chicago, New York City, other big cities, and even some rural areas.

They continued to manipulate elections into the 20th century. Lyndon Johnson was known as "Landslide Lyndon" because of his narrow victory in a fraud-tainted Senate primary. The Illinois cemeteries voted in 1960, propelling John F. Kennedy into the White House. While Republicans were not blameless, Democratic organizations were far more effective at subverting democracy.

Still, one would expect America to have put such problems behind us by the 21st century. After all, Washington officials circle the globe promoting democracy. They act as if they believe in the process. You would think they would guarantee honest elections at home.

However, the credibility of U.S. diplomats is our least important concern. All Americans have an interest in the integrity of the system that selects those who make and enforce our laws.

Government impacts all of our lives. We all deserve an equal opportunity to choose our leaders and influence public policies. Election fraud cheats Americans of their basic rights as citizens in a democracy.

Indeed, the moral authority of democracy is based on the fact that it is the only system based on the consent of the governed. But that is true only if the poll is free, fair, and accurate.

Which in turn means that only registered voters should be able to vote, and vote just once. Election integrity isn't an attempt to discourage legitimate votes. It is a mechanism to ensure that all votes are legitimate.

But passing the right laws is not enough to safeguard American democracy. We need a revival of civic commitment and involvement. A democracy depends not just upon process, but people.

The best safeguard for a republic like our own is participation. Disappointment with politicians has made Americans understandably cynical. Many are tempted to give up. Especially this year.

But failing to vote doesn't stop bad people from running. Staying home makes it more likely that bad people will not only run but win.

Good citizens who give up also make close outcomes more likely. And close elections are the easiest to steal.

Obviously, there will always be tight races and narrow victories. But the best way to thwart election fraud is for more people to vote legally. Any attempt at election fraud will have less impact as the number of valid votes increases. Cheaters thrive when good people stay home.

That is obviously the case at the local level where contests sometimes are decided by just a few votes. But it also is the case at the presidential level.

No amount of election shenanigans could have overturned the landslides enjoyed by Ronald Reagan in 1980 and 1984. In contrast, the 2000 recount in Florida took so long because the outcome was so close in one state, which decided the presidential race. The problem turned out to be incompetence rather than fraud, but the experience was similar. Americans divided bitterly over whether their democratic decision had been thwarted or affirmed.

There are many issues of concern this election cycle. One of the most important is election integrity, even though it has received virtually no media attention. Indeed, the little notice that it receives tends to be negative, as the Democratic coalition and its journalistic allies do their best to block efforts to ensure an honest vote.

We need a renewed campaign to protect election integrity. Legislators should adopt the old Reagan principle: trust but verify.
All legally registered voters should vote, but only registered voters should vote. Election officials should be able to verify that only legally registered voters vote. We also need judges willing to sustain these efforts.

The Constitution can survive only if the people retain ultimate authority over their government. And that is based on their right to choose those who govern. Without free and honest elections, republican government cannot survive.
------------------
Ken Blackwell (@kenblackwell) is a former ambassador to the U.N., Ohio Secretary of State and mayor of Cincinnati. He is a senior fellow at the American Civil Rights Union and contributing author to the ARRA News Service.

Tags:  Honest Elections, renewed campaign, protect election integrity, Reagon principles, trust but verify, Ken Blackwell To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. and "Like" Facebook Page - Thanks!
Posted by Bill Smith at 9:00 AM - Post Link

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home


View U.S. National Debt

Don't miss anything!
Subscribe to the
ARRA News Service
It's FREE & No Ads!

You will receive a verification email
& must validate you subscribed!

You Then Receive One Email Each AM
With Prior Days Articles / Toons / More


Also, Join & leave conservative posts & comments on
Facebook.com/ARRANewsService


Recent Posts:
Personal Tweets by the editor:
Dr. Bill - OzarkGuru - @arra
#Christian Conservative; Retired USAF & Grad Professor. Constitution NRA ProLife schoolchoice fairtax - Editor ARRA NEWS SERVICE. THANKS FOR FOLLOWING!

Action Links!
State Upper & Lower House Members
State Attorney Generals
State Governors
The White House
US House of Representatives
US Senators
GrassFire
NumbersUSA
Ballotpedia

Facebook Accts - Dr. Bill Smith
Pages:
ARRA News Service
Arkansans Against Big Government
Alley-White Am. Legion #52
Catholics & Protestants United Against Discrimination
End Taxpayer Funding of NPR
Overturn Roe V. Wade
Prolife Soldiers
Project Wildfire 4 Life
Republican Liberty Caucus of Arkansas
The Gold Standard
US Atty Gen Loretta Lynch, aka Eric Holder, Must Go
Veterans for Sarah Palin
Why Vote for Hillary (Satire)
FB Groups:
Arkansas For Sarah Palin
Arkansas Conservative Caucus
Arkansas County Tea Party
Arkansans' Discussion Group on National Issues
Blogs for Borders
Conservative Solutions
Conservative Voices
Defend Marriage -- Arkansas
FairTax
FairTax Nation
Arkansas for FairTax
Friends of the TEA Party in Arkansas
Freedom Roundtable
Pro-Life Rocks - Arkansas
Republican Network
Republican Liberty Caucus of AR
Reject the U.N.

Patriots
Exchange
Links

Request Via
Article Comment

Links to ARRA News
A Patriotic Nurse
Agora Associates
a12iggymom's Blog
America, You Asked For It!
America's Best Choice
ARRA News Twitter
As The Crackerhead Crumbles
Blogs For Borders
Blogs for Palin
Blow the Trumpet Ministry
Boot Berryism
Cap'n Bob & the Damsel
Chicago Ray Report - Obama Regime Report
Chuck Baldwin - links
Common Cents
Conservative Voices
Diana's Corner
Greater Fitchburg For Life
Lasting Liberty Blog
Liberal Isn't Amy
Marathon Pundit
Patriot's Corner
Right on Issues that Matter
Right Reason
Rocking on the Right Side
Saber Point
Saline Watchdog
Sultan Knish
The Blue Eye View
The Born Again Americans
TEA Party Cartoons
The Foxhole | Unapologetic Patriot
The Liberty Republican
The O Word
The Path to Tyranny Blog
The Real Polichick
The War on Guns
TOTUS
Twitter @ARRA
Underground Notes
Warning Signs
Women's Prayer & Action
WyBlog

Editor's Managed Twitter Accounts
Twitter Dr. Bill Smith @arra
Twitter Arkansas @GOPNetwork
Twitter @BootBerryism
Twitter @SovereignAllies
Twitter @FairTaxNation

Editor's Recommended Orgs
Accuracy in Media (AIM)
American Action Forum (AAF)
American Committment
American Culture & Faith Institute
American Enterprise Institute
American Family Business Institute
Americans for Limited Government
Americans for Prosperity
Americans for Tax Reform
American Security Council Fdn
AR Faith & Ethics Council
Arkansas Policy Foundation
Ayn Rand Institute
Bill of Rights Institute
Campaign for Working Families
CATO Institute
Center for Individual Freedom
Center for Immigration Studies
Center for Just Society
Center for Freedom & Prosperity
Citizens Against Gov't Waste
Citizens in Charge Foundstion
Coalition for the Future American Worker
Competitive Enterprise Institute
Concerned Veterans for America
Concerned Women for America
Declaration of Am. Renewal
Eagle Forum
FairTax
Family Research Council
Family Security Matters
Franklin Center for Gov't & Public Integrity
Freedom Works
Gingrich Productions
Global Incident Map
Great Americans
Gold Standard 2012 Project
Gun Owners of America (GOA)
Heritage Action for America
David Horowitz Freedom Center
Institute For Justice
Institute for Truth in Accounting
Intercollegiate Studies Institute
Judicial Watch
Less Government
Media Reseach Center
National Center for Policy Analysis
National Right To Work Foundation
National Rifle Association (NRA)
National Rifle Association (NRA-ILA)
News Busters
O'Bluejacket's Patriotic Flicks
OathKeepers
Open Secrets
Presidential Prayer Team
Religious Freedom Coalition
Renew America
Ron Paul Institute
State Policy Network
Tax Foundation
Tax Policy Center
The Club for Growth
The Federalist
The Gold Standard Now
The Heritage Foundation
The Leadership Institute
Truth in Accounting
Union Facts



Blogs For Borders

Reject the United Nations

Presidential Prayer Team

Thousands of Deadly Islamic Terror Attacks Since 9/11


FairTax Nation on FaceBook
Friends of Israel - Stand with Israel
Blog Feeds
Syndicated - Get the ARRA News Service feed Syndicated!
ARRA Blog Feed

Add to Google Reader or Homepage

Add to The Free Dictionary

Powered by Blogger


  • To Exchange Links - Email: editor@arranewsservice.com!
  • Comments by contributing authors or other sources do not necessarily reflect the position the editor, other contributing authors, sources, readers, or commenters. No contributors, or editors are paid for articles, images, cartoons, etc. While having reported on and promoting principles & beleifs beliefs of other organizations, this blog/site is soley controlled and supported by the editor. This site/blog does not advertise for money or services nor does it solicit funding for its support.
  • Fair Use: This site/blog may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made available to advance understanding of political, human rights, economic, democracy, and social justice issues, etc. This constitutes a 'fair use' of such copyrighted material as provided for in section Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107 of the US Copyright Law. Per said section, the material on this site/blog is distributed without profit to readers to view for the expressed purpose of viewing the included information for research, educational, or satirical purposes. Any person/entity seeking to use copyrighted material shared on this site/blog for purposes that go beyond "fair use," must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
  • © 2006 - 2020 ARRA News Service
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.