US election officials believe they have uncovered massive attempted voter fraud less than a month before the country goes to the polls to choose its new president.
Eleven separate investigations have now been launched into a voter registration group called the Association of Community Organisations for Reform – or Acorn.
The authorities believe they may have duplicated voter forms, employed convicts to register people and even stolen the names of the American football team the Dallas Cowboys in order to create fake voters.
The suspicions started when authorities in Las Vegas raided the organisation's offices, removing eight computer hard drives and several boxes of documents.
Acorn called the raid "a stunt that serves no useful purpose other than discredit our work".
They suggested the investigations into them were politically motivated.
But the concerns about dodgy election papers started to spread to other states.
Authorities in Indiana said they had concerns about roughly a thousand voters registered by the group there.
And Fox News reporters in the state of Missouri found 10 registration documents with the same name and signature.
Acorn has registered up to 1.3 million voters across the US so far.
It's claimed the Dallas Cowboys were signed up without their knowledge
They have offices in 41 states and Washington DC and focus on low income, African American and Latino communities.
They claim to be a politically neutral organisation but many commentators describe them as left wing.
And their workers have been found guilty of voter fraud in the past.
Last year five Acorn employees were sent to prison in Washington State after they went into the Seattle public library and used records to create 1,800 fake registration documents.
Before the raid in Las Vegas, lawyers acting for the state authorities tracked down former Acorn workers.
They found the group had employed 59 convicts from Nevada prisons who were supposed to be supervised and banned from using the phone or the internet.
One former prisoner named Jason Anderson described many of them as "lazy crack-heads who were not interested in working and just wanted the money".
He went on to say they were required to sign up 20 people to vote each day – but couldn't meet the quota – so they started to ask people in the street to fill out several applications. In a bizarre twist to the tale, the lawyer who uncovered the evidence – Colin Haynes - is a British citizen and a former London policeman who worked as a detective for 11 years.
The Nevada Secretary of State’s department confirmed his past, telling Sky News: "Yep he's a Brit, he's one of our best."
In the town of Independence, Missouri, there was more evidence of dodgy election papers.
Fox news correspondent Eric Shawn obtained 10 voter registration papers filled out in the name of one person – Monica Ray.
He said: "She has three birthdays and four social security numbers."
And he warned the investigation would become even more serious, adding: "The voter registration forms here that are suspect, will be going to the FBI by the end of the week."
The concern over possible voter fraud may re-ignite the debate about voters being forced to bring identification to the polls.
Civil liberties groups have claimed in the past that such a rule would disadvantage poor and minority voters.
However, former Missouri Senator John Danforth offered a lighter side to the affair.
He explained that voter fraud had been a problem in his state before – but struggled to keep a straight face when he told how a dog had been signed up to vote in the presidential elections four years ago.
shipoker58: But when a person shows up to vote...an ID must be presented. That(Acorn) may be successful in registering new voters, but won't help on election day!
I dont really know that much about it all Ship, I have sky news on in the background, heard this report and was surprised somebody here hadnt mentioned it - Im really getting pretty concerned for all of you - am I right that a President isnt allowed to serve a third term? if so, at least you wont have to deal with another term of Bush.........
livinglargein a good place, Kildare Ireland5,879 posts
trish123: I dont really know that much about it all Ship, I have sky news on in the background, heard this report and was surprised somebody here hadnt mentioned it - Im really getting pretty concerned for all of you - am I right that a President isnt allowed to serve a third term? if so, at least you wont have to deal with another term of Bush.........
Fab post !! yep a pres cant serve a third term in office
trish123: I dont really know that much about it all Ship, I have sky news on in the background, heard this report and was surprised somebody here hadnt mentioned it - Im really getting pretty concerned for all of you - am I right that a President isnt allowed to serve a third term? if so, at least you wont have to deal with another term of Bush.........
A president can not serve more than two CONSECUTIVE terms. It doesn't preclude a president from being elected after a term out of office. I believe FDR served a third term
shipoker58: A president can not serve more than two CONSECUTIVE terms. It doesn't preclude a president from being elected after a term out of office. I believe FDR served a third term
shipoker58: A president can not serve more than two CONSECUTIVE terms. It doesn't preclude a president from being elected after a term out of office. I believe FDR served a third term
Close. No President can serve more than 2 terms as President and FDR died during his 4th term.
Trish, voter fraud, voter suppression is nothing new to elections. There has been a huge discussion going about this in the Obama thread. Both parties practice it, and it's more of a case of who does not get caught....it's been going on for a long time...the 60's had some controversies as well.
I have to go and work out now, but I'll be back to contribute more. Search is your friend....
In August 2003, Walden O'Dell, chief executive of Diebold, announced that he had been a top fund-raiser for President George W. Bush and had sent a get-out-the-funds letter to Ohio Republicans. In the letters he says he is "committed to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to the president next year." Although he clarified his statement as merely a poor choice of words, critics of Diebold and/or the Republican party interpreted this as at minimum an indication of a conflict of interest, at worst implying a risk to the fair counting of ballots. He has responded to the critics by pointing out that the company's election machines division is run out of Texas by a registered Democrat. Nonetheless, O'Dell vowed to lower his political profile lest his personal actions harm the company. O'Dell resigned his post of chairman and chief executive of Diebold on December 12, 2005 following reports that the company was facing securities fraud litigation surrounding charges of insider trading."
livinglargein a good place, Kildare Ireland5,879 posts
StressFree: Trish, voter fraud, voter suppression is nothing new to elections. There has been a huge discussion going about this in the Obama thread. Both parties practice it, and it's more of a case of who does not get caught....it's been going on for a long time...the 60's had some controversies as well.
I have to go and work out now, but I'll be back to contribute more. Search is your friend....
In August 2003, Walden O'Dell, chief executive of Diebold, announced that he had been a top fund-raiser for President George W. Bush and had sent a get-out-the-funds letter to Ohio Republicans. In the letters he says he is "committed to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to the president next year." Although he clarified his statement as merely a poor choice of words, critics of Diebold and/or the Republican party interpreted this as at minimum an indication of a conflict of interest, at worst implying a risk to the fair counting of ballots. He has responded to the critics by pointing out that the company's election machines division is run out of Texas by a registered Democrat. Nonetheless, O'Dell vowed to lower his political profile lest his personal actions harm the company. O'Dell resigned his post of chairman and chief executive of Diebold on December 12, 2005 following reports that the company was facing securities fraud litigation surrounding charges of insider trading."
trish123: I dont really know that much about it all Ship, I have sky news on in the background, heard this report and was surprised somebody here hadnt mentioned it - Im really getting pretty concerned for all of you - am I right that a President isnt allowed to serve a third term? if so, at least you wont have to deal with another term of Bush.........
In fairness, Indyfella has mentioned it many times in the Obama threads.
PS: Roosevelt served into a fourth term in the 1940s but then they changed the law to prevent more than two terms.
Yes this is the one they are trying to tie to Obama because he once was a trainer for the organization...personally while ACORN sounds like a dodgy organization...I think they are reaching in attempting to tie Obama to it....
If it's not one thing it's another...when one accusation is proven wrong...they come up with another...I mean my god.....
Fallingman: In fairness, Indyfella has mentioned it many times in the Obama threads.
PS: Roosevelt served into a fourth term in the 1940s but then they changed the law to prevent more than two terms.
I meant that somebody hadnt mentioned the current one, the one I just pasted above - I actually did a thread myself a few weeks ago on the voting machines as I remembered troubles with them from last time
I cant actually read too much of the Obama threads cos people get so hostile with each other - so I just look in from time to time
trish123: I meant that somebody hadnt mentioned the current one, the one I just pasted above - I actually did a thread myself a few weeks ago on the voting machines as I remembered troubles with them from last time
I cant actually read too much of the Obama threads cos people get so hostile with each other - so I just look in from time to time
Yes that current one is the one Indyfella has been harping on about. You are right about the Obama threads. It is like being back in the caves with the cavemen! lol
Fallingman: Yes that current one is the one Indyfella has been harping on about. You are right about the Obama threads. It is like being back in the caves with the cavemen! lol
StressFree: Trish, voter fraud, voter suppression is nothing new to elections. There has been a huge discussion going about this in the Obama thread. Both parties practice it, and it's more of a case of who does not get caught....it's been going on for a long time...the 60's had some controversies as well.
I have to go and work out now, but I'll be back to contribute more. Search is your friend....
In August 2003, Walden O'Dell, chief executive of Diebold, announced that he had been a top fund-raiser for President George W. Bush and had sent a get-out-the-funds letter to Ohio Republicans. In the letters he says he is "committed to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to the president next year." Although he clarified his statement as merely a poor choice of words, critics of Diebold and/or the Republican party interpreted this as at minimum an indication of a conflict of interest, at worst implying a risk to the fair counting of ballots. He has responded to the critics by pointing out that the company's election machines division is run out of Texas by a registered Democrat. Nonetheless, O'Dell vowed to lower his political profile lest his personal actions harm the company. O'Dell resigned his post of chairman and chief executive of Diebold on December 12, 2005 following reports that the company was facing securities fraud litigation surrounding charges of insider trading."
Sparky55: Close. No President can serve more than 2 terms as President and FDR died during his 4th term.
Yes, this is what I thought. he had served out three terms. But I had forgotten (or didn't know?) about the law being changed!! NOBODY CONSULTED WITH ME BEFORE CHANGING THIS LAW!!!
At first, during the primaries, he said he was going to bring home the troops from Iraq. Butr after clinching the nomination he said he would move the troops from Iraq to Afghanistan!! . What is the difference if they are killed in Iraq or Afghanistan? What is the difference if we spend all that money (needed in this country) in Iraq or Afghanistan?
He, along with McCain, supported that 700 billion Wall Street buy-out. And Bush signed it.
shipoker58: At first, during the primaries, he said he was going to bring home the troops from Iraq. Butr after clinching the nomination he said he would move the troops from Iraq to Afghanistan!! . What is the difference if they are killed in Iraq or Afghanistan? What is the difference if we spend all that money (needed in this country) in Iraq or Afghanistan?
He, along with McCain, supported that 700 billion Wall Street buy-out. And Bush signed it.
Does that have something to do with the recent news that theres no way the war in Afghanistan can be won anyway?
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Eleven separate investigations have now been launched into a voter registration group called the Association of Community Organisations for Reform – or Acorn.
The authorities believe they may have duplicated voter forms, employed convicts to register people and even stolen the names of the American football team the Dallas Cowboys in order to create fake voters.
The suspicions started when authorities in Las Vegas raided the organisation's offices, removing eight computer hard drives and several boxes of documents.
Acorn called the raid "a stunt that serves no useful purpose other than discredit our work".
They suggested the investigations into them were politically motivated.
But the concerns about dodgy election papers started to spread to other states.
Authorities in Indiana said they had concerns about roughly a thousand voters registered by the group there.
And Fox News reporters in the state of Missouri found 10 registration documents with the same name and signature.
Acorn has registered up to 1.3 million voters across the US so far.
It's claimed the Dallas Cowboys were signed up without their knowledge
They have offices in 41 states and Washington DC and focus on low income, African American and Latino communities.
They claim to be a politically neutral organisation but many commentators describe them as left wing.
And their workers have been found guilty of voter fraud in the past.
Last year five Acorn employees were sent to prison in Washington State after they went into the Seattle public library and used records to create 1,800 fake registration documents.
Before the raid in Las Vegas, lawyers acting for the state authorities tracked down former Acorn workers.
They found the group had employed 59 convicts from Nevada prisons who were supposed to be supervised and banned from using the phone or the internet.
One former prisoner named Jason Anderson described many of them as "lazy crack-heads who were not interested in working and just wanted the money".
He went on to say they were required to sign up 20 people to vote each day – but couldn't meet the quota – so they started to ask people in the street to fill out several applications.
In a bizarre twist to the tale, the lawyer who uncovered the evidence – Colin Haynes - is a British citizen and a former London policeman who worked as a detective for 11 years.
The Nevada Secretary of State’s department confirmed his past, telling Sky News: "Yep he's a Brit, he's one of our best."
In the town of Independence, Missouri, there was more evidence of dodgy election papers.
Fox news correspondent Eric Shawn obtained 10 voter registration papers filled out in the name of one person – Monica Ray.
He said: "She has three birthdays and four social security numbers."
And he warned the investigation would become even more serious, adding: "The voter registration forms here that are suspect, will be going to the FBI by the end of the week."
The concern over possible voter fraud may re-ignite the debate about voters being forced to bring identification to the polls.
Civil liberties groups have claimed in the past that such a rule would disadvantage poor and minority voters.
However, former Missouri Senator John Danforth offered a lighter side to the affair.
He explained that voter fraud had been a problem in his state before – but struggled to keep a straight face when he told how a dog had been signed up to vote in the presidential elections four years ago.