Letter - Voter fraud at the polls is an insignificant aspect of American elections

To the editor:

The voter ID ballot referendum is designed to prevent fraud at the polling place, or so say its advocates. What it will do, for sure, is to prevent eligible voters from voting.

Voter ID does not impact existing voter registration. You have to register to be eligible to vote and have your name on the roster at a polling place. A voter ID could prevent impersonation, but that is so unlikely of ever being attempted, the odds are infinitesimal (and studies have shown such). It’s a felony, and that’s why it doesn’t happen.

News21 recently conducted a nationwide survey of alleged voter fraud by contacting election officials in all 50 states. In elections since 2000, with 146 million registered voters, there were 10 – 10 – cases of voter impersonation fraud. Or about one for every 15 million voters. In Minnesota, there were no, zero, instances of voter impersonation.

“Voter fraud at the polls is an insignificant aspect of American elections,” says election expert David Schultz, professor of public policy at Hamline University.

As many before have reported, voter ID requirements are a solution in search of a problem. And a totally unnecessary multi-million dollar solution, at that.

Tom Obert

Alexandria, MN

(A paid political letter)

Tags: opinion, letter