Ahead of Tuesday midterms, investigative journalist Greg Palast said illegal voter purges went on in a number of states—including Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Nebraska and Nevada.
“I have never seen anything like it in 18 years,” he said, referring to the way Florida and the presidency were stolen for Bush/Cheney in 2000, depriving Al Gore of the state and election he won.
Black and Latino Americans are most vulnerable to be illegally purged from voter rolls in many states. Palast sued Georgia’s GOP Secretary of State/gubernatorial aspirant Brian Kemp in federal court, saying, He “cancel[led] half a million people off the voter rolls . . . given . . . no notice that they’ve been (illegally) removed.” Similar shenanigans are commonplace in many other states, the party in power purging registered voters likely to support opposition candidates.
On Monday, Trump and AG Jeff Sessions warned about voter fraud on Tuesday, DJT tweeting, “Law Enforcement has been strongly notified to watch closely for any ILLEGAL VOTING which may take place in Tuesday’s Election (or Early Voting). Anyone caught will be subject to the Maximum Criminal Penalties allowed by law,” separately roaring, “All you have to do is go around, take a look at what’s happened over the years, and you’ll see. There are a lot of people . . . that try and get in illegally and actually vote illegally. So we just want to let them know that there will be prosecutions at the highest level.”
Evidence of people willfully voting illegally is nonexistent. Plenty of evidence shows voter fraud by illegal purges, other dirty tricks to disenfranchise US citizens, and unfair laws, including felony disenfranchisement.
The 14th Amendment permits it “for participation in rebellion, or other crim[inal]” acts. States alone decide a way to strip large numbers of Blacks and Latinos from voter rolls—millions of Americans denied enfranchisement this way.
Federal legislation prohibiting this injustice doesn’t exist. Nearly all US states prohibit prison inmates from voting, Maine and Vermont the two exceptions.
In Hunter v. Underwood (1985), the Supreme Court ruled against Alabama’s disenfranchisement for felony conviction law, saying it violates the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause for its “racially discriminatory impact.”
That’s what voter roll purges and other disenfranchisement tactics are all about—to advantage candidates benefitting from fewer eligible people of color.
The 1965 Voting Rights Act was supposed to curb discriminatory practices. It prohibits states from imposing any “voting qualification or prerequisite to voting, or standard, practice, or procedure [that may] deny or abridge the right of any citizen of the United States to vote on account of race or color.”
It also established federal enforcement procedures. Most often it doesn’t matter. No national standards exist. States choose their own electoral procedures, enabling discriminatory exclusion.
False accusations about Russian midterm electoral meddling have been around since last year, China and Iran facing similar accusations—evidence backing claims not cited because none exists.
On Monday, Reuters falsely said “Russian actors believed to be connected to the government have been actively involved in spreading divisive content and promoting extreme themes in the run-up to Tuesday’s US mid-term elections, but they are working harder to hide their tracks, according to government investigators, academics and security firms.”
No evidence was cited like every time before. Without it, accusations are baseless.
What possible benefit could Russia, China, Iran, or any other countries hope to gain by trying to influence the electoral outcome of America’s one-party rule with two extremist right wings—taking turns controlling Congress and the White House?
No further elaboration is needed. The only election shenanigans going on are generated internally, not from abroad.
The above information explained some of it. Much more goes on. Past elections were rife with fraud as far back as 1824.
It’s commonplace at the federal, state and local levels—today accomplished with electronic ease.
The notion of electoral democracy and governance serving everyone equitably in America is pure illusion.
Money power runs things, assuring privileged interests are served exclusively. Both wings of one-party rule assure it.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. His new book as editor and contributor is titled “Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.” Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.
