Posted on 1/11/2017, 1:55:37 PM by IBD editorial writer
Voting: In yet another move by the Obama administration to stick its thumb in the nation's eye on the way out, it has decided to have the federal government meddle in state and local elections. It's yet another terrible decision that Donald Trump is going to have to undo.
With almost no notice, Homeland Security chief Jeh Johnson announced that his department was designating the nation's elections system as "critical infrastructure," thereby giving DHS greater control over how states run their own elections.
This is a classic example of a government solution in search of a problem, one that will itself end up creating actual problems.
There's been no evidence of any foreign government tampering with election outcomes — although there were reports of attempts to gain access to registration databases.
And, given the fact that election systems are highly decentralized — there are 9,000 separate jurisdictions in a presidential election that vary throughout the country — there's little hope that such a plan could be carried out on a wide scale.
(Excerpt) Read more at investors.com ...
The Federal Government has NO BUSINESS being involved in our elections at the State level. Our system of Government was set up the way it was for a reason. We have 50 STATES for a reason
Trump will overturn it.
I’m divided. I do support states rights and I do see elections as a state issue, so I do think Obama is out of line, as usual.
But I also do want to see photo IDs required in elections, and purple ink, and voter roll purges, and mandatory penalties for voter fraud.
Oh no. We can’t have that! President Trump will correct this.
I pray that Trump will overturn EVERYTHING Obama’s minions have done to Federalize previous State’s right issues. But will he be able to root out all those who will stay loyal to Obama and who will work to undermine everything Trump is planning on doing? We must be vigilant.
Voter ID is a states’ issue. The Federal gov’t needs to stay out of it.
What you say is true. So I’m not going to argue.
But I have to point out that the states with the problems (CA, MI, PA, NY, etc) are certainly NOT going to require photo IDs. They like the fraud. The fraud keeps them in power. They are no longer capable of self-correction.
The solution to voter fraud is — Any federal election MUST require a VALID ID that requires proof of citizenship in order to obtain/cast a ballot.
If states wish to continue this BS for local elections fine, but any election that involves a candidate for federal office will at a minimum require a VALID ID that requires proof of citizenship in order to obtain/cast a ballot.
The NEW and IMPROVED Department of Homeland Security Secretary, Retired Marine General John Kelly can UN-F this. And as soon as we get a replacement for Justice Scalia the Supreme Court can make it the LAW.
Elections BETTER have consequences...Otherwise, why vote!?!
So now we know why this incessant harping about the Russians. What if this was all part of the set up to get Americans to accept the federal government, DHS, to step in and take control of elections and away from states? What if?
Another black mark against the worst eight years in our presidential history.
I like the term “critical infrastructure”, because in the right hands, it can be justification for any number of improvements, such as:
1) National Voter ID. We keep being told that there is no voter fraud problem. Our answer now: “Maybe so, but since voting is now CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE we must be absolutely sure that there never can be voter fraud in the future.”
2) Proof of Citizenship to Register to vote, and in-person Registration. We keep being told that Illegals don’t vote. Our answer now: “Maybe so, but since voting is now CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE we must be absolutely sure that Illegals will always be prevented from voting in the future.”
Lots more related.
I think we’ve just been handed a gift. The problem is that our side probably won’t figure it out.
Polls to be open on the first Saturday, Sunday & Monday after the first Monday in November - 7 am to 7 pm in every state.
Here we have books with registration signatures and I have to sign in. We need something similar for every state.
By declaring elections “critical infrastructure” homeland security can say they must be “gun free zones”.
Some states ban guns at polling places. Others do not.
The practice seems to have started with the New York Sullivan act, designed to disarm political foes while allowing the Tammany gang to keep its enforcers armed.
On His Way Out, Obama Moves To Make National Elections Less Secure
Say bye, bye
To the turd in a tie.
Here’s more of that smooth transition.
Well said, Chief.
...and yet another way in which the so-called Patriot Act (which is anything BUT patriotic) is being used to subvert the Constitution.
“I’m divided. I do support states rights and I do see elections as a state issue, so I do think Obama is out of line, as usual.
But I also do want to see photo IDs required in elections, and purple ink, and voter roll purges, and mandatory penalties for voter fraud.”
The Congress passes a law, and Trump signs it, which indicates that in a representative republic such as ours, it is utterly critical that the people of the nation have confidence in the integrity of the electoral process. A critical part of that is to make sure that:
1) Only those eligible to cast ballots are permitted to do so.
2) The person showing up at the polls to vote is ACTUALLY the person registered to do so; and
3) That each eligible voter only votes once in each election.
Mandate such things as the purging of dead people off of voter rolls within a few days of their death (EASY to do, Social Security gets this information from each county or state health department as a death certificate is produced), purging a voter from his/her old state when they show up to get a drivers license in their new state; coordinating with the INS (or whatever it is called these days) to make sure that no non-citizens can even register, etc., etc. THEN the feds have to pay the states back whatever the costs associated may be.
This will, I believe, pass Constitutional muster - it is something that deals with interstate commerce (people move, and immigrants come in from other nations and also move around the nation), but leaves up to the states who is eligible in their own jurisdiction. Also, the feds won’t be seeing, let alone touching, any voter rolls, inspecting IDs, etc.
With almost no notice sounds like his next job will be with the media.
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