Posted on 11/05/2006 2:13:48 PM PST by rface
CLEVELAND -- After watching the 5 On Your Side investigation on dead voters, Cuyahoga County prosecutor Bill Mason said he will prosecute anyone who knowingly cast a vote in the place of a dead person.
In his report, NewsChannel5 chief investigator Duane Pohlman uncovered dozens of votes being cast from the grave, and Mason said the trouble is just beginning for whomever is responsible for casting votes in the name of the dead.
"This really is an attack on the entire system, and it's of paramount importance that we find out how this is happening and we stop it so it can't happen again, one, and, two, find out who's doing it, so we can prosecute them if possible," said Mason.
So-called "ghost voting" is a felony, and Cuyahoga County Board of Elections Director Michael Vu has already launched an investigation into the problem.
"We will investigate that, send it to the county prosecutor's office and determine what had occurred," Vu said.
Mason said prosecution is possible only if the investigation can prove intent.
NewsChannel5 compared the county's voter registration rolls with death records from the Social Security Administration, finding 12,688 people who have died but are still registered to vote.
Many of the dead voters passed away years ago, and a good number of them more than a decade ago.
Vu said slow reporting combined with federal rules require him to keep dead people in the registry.
"It's something that needs to be corrected," he said.
Rep. Dennis Kucinich, stunned by what was uncovered, said he will help do the correcting.
Kucinich said the investigation has convinced him to introduce a bill to clean up all voter registration rolls and close the gap on corruption.
"One thing is for sure: There is an opening here for the commission of fraud that needs to be close," he said.
Glad at least one state is stepping up to the plate and ending this fraud.
In Oklahoma the local health department forwards deaths to the election board and so does the funeral home in the County where I live. They purge their voter rolls periodically. Supposed to be done across the State, but we have some counties that are Dim that have reacted very slowly to reporting.
ALmost everyone is connect to Social Security. They must be informed of a person's death. IMO they should inform the local area (state/county) where they sent the last check; (Or the same of the address of record) that the person has officially died and should be removed their files.
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