4 ms·

Does this actually work? I've voted in a number of elections where my ID didn't match my address. In those situations, they didn't take my word for it, I had

Does this actually work? I've voted in a number of elections where my ID didn't match my address. In those situations, they didn't take my word for it, I had to provide an alternative means of proof I am the person I claim to be and that I live where I'm registered. Also, what states have the individual find themselves on the voter roll? I've always had to provide the proof of my ID/address to a person at the polling station and they would find my ballot.

klyrs 5y ago
I can't speak to whether or not this works, just summarizing what I know about how it's implemented. > Also, what states have the individual find themselves on the voter roll? I've added a parenthetical to clarify that. That would indeed be absurd.
tablespoon 5y ago
> Also, what states have the individual find themselves on the voter roll? I've always had to provide the proof of my ID/address to a person at the polling station and they would find my ballot. In my state you show up and give a poll worker your name, and they look it up in a binder with the list of registered voters for the polling station and cross it off. The binder's open on a card table, so if you have good eyes and can read upside down you could get a name. I'm pretty sure there was a Murphy Brown episode where the title character actually committed vote fraud in this way (to vote before she was old enough). States do provide voter databases of registered voters (at least to the major parties for electioneering), so if you had access to one you could find a name to use. My state definitely does, because I once got election mail with my voting history for the last 5 or 6 federal elections.
bastardoperator 5y ago
I've never presented an ID to vote. As a registered voter I show up to the polling place, give them my name, and sign a book with my address at the time of registration. That's it. This includes needing a provisional ballot one time because I moved. Each state is tasked with voter registration/validation. Why provide an ID at all when every single voter and vote is going to be verified against the established voter rolls anyways? Every state has a register/recorder office that validates eligibility to vote at the state and federal level that is far more thorough than asking volunteer poll workers to becoming poll police. I don't know where you live, but it sounds like people are trying to stifle your voice with what amounts to BS.
- BitwiseFool 5y ago
  >"As a registered voter I show up to the polling place, give them my name, and sign a book with my address at the time of registration. That's it." This seems awfully not-secure.
  - klyrs 5y ago
    Insecure enough to attract a significant number of people willing to risk a felony? Sounds like it would need a massive conspiracy (busloads of people faking signatures at multiple polling stations) to impact an election. Especially compared to the impact/effort of burning or "misplacing" a box of ballots.
    - BitwiseFool 5y ago
      I'd say so. It's within the wheelhouse for organized crime. It is also something a foreign adversary could pull off with some partisan local support.
  - bruceb 5y ago
    Its a felony to vote illegally. Your one vote isn't going to sway the election. The risk to reward ratio is so skewed there is not a problem of people claiming to be other people to cast a ballot.
    - BitwiseFool 5y ago
      Yes, it is a felony, but how likely is someone to get caught? How likely is it there will be an audit or investigation? All it takes is a motivated group of people to pull off election fraud. Someone wouldn't be doing this solo. You don't think mobsters, corrupt politicians, or even foreign intelligence couldn't manage to sway close elections using this method?
      - bruceb 5y ago
        I don't. I am happy to hear how it could be done if you want offer up any plausible scenario. To sway any election its needs to be done a couple thousand times at least. How exactly would that work? How many people could you recruit to do it and nobody says anything? How much would be paid per ballot cast?

klyrs 5y ago

I can't speak to whether or not this works, just summarizing what I know about how it's implemented. > Also, what states have the individual find themselves on the voter roll? I've added a parenthetical to clarify that. That would indeed be absurd.

tablespoon 5y ago

> Also, what states have the individual find themselves on the voter roll? I've always had to provide the proof of my ID/address to a person at the polling station and they would find my ballot. In my state you show up and give a poll worker your name, and they look it up in a binder with the list of registered voters for the polling station and cross it off. The binder's open on a card table, so if you have good eyes and can read upside down you could get a name. I'm pretty sure there was a Murphy Brown episode where the title character actually committed vote fraud in this way (to vote before she was old enough). States do provide voter databases of registered voters (at least to the major parties for electioneering), so if you had access to one you could find a name to use. My state definitely does, because I once got election mail with my voting history for the last 5 or 6 federal elections.

bastardoperator 5y ago

I've never presented an ID to vote. As a registered voter I show up to the polling place, give them my name, and sign a book with my address at the time of registration. That's it. This includes needing a provisional ballot one time because I moved. Each state is tasked with voter registration/validation. Why provide an ID at all when every single voter and vote is going to be verified against the established voter rolls anyways? Every state has a register/recorder office that validates eligibility to vote at the state and federal level that is far more thorough than asking volunteer poll workers to becoming poll police. I don't know where you live, but it sounds like people are trying to stifle your voice with what amounts to BS.

BitwiseFool 5y ago
>"As a registered voter I show up to the polling place, give them my name, and sign a book with my address at the time of registration. That's it." This seems awfully not-secure.
- klyrs 5y ago
  Insecure enough to attract a significant number of people willing to risk a felony? Sounds like it would need a massive conspiracy (busloads of people faking signatures at multiple polling stations) to impact an election. Especially compared to the impact/effort of burning or "misplacing" a box of ballots.
  - BitwiseFool 5y ago
    I'd say so. It's within the wheelhouse for organized crime. It is also something a foreign adversary could pull off with some partisan local support.
- bruceb 5y ago
  Its a felony to vote illegally. Your one vote isn't going to sway the election. The risk to reward ratio is so skewed there is not a problem of people claiming to be other people to cast a ballot.
  - BitwiseFool 5y ago
    Yes, it is a felony, but how likely is someone to get caught? How likely is it there will be an audit or investigation? All it takes is a motivated group of people to pull off election fraud. Someone wouldn't be doing this solo. You don't think mobsters, corrupt politicians, or even foreign intelligence couldn't manage to sway close elections using this method?
    - bruceb 5y ago
      I don't. I am happy to hear how it could be done if you want offer up any plausible scenario. To sway any election its needs to be done a couple thousand times at least. How exactly would that work? How many people could you recruit to do it and nobody says anything? How much would be paid per ballot cast?