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Voter Fraud Probe Heats Up
October 26, 2009 - 3:59 PM | by: Eric ShawnThe voter fraud investigation of allegedly forged absentee ballots in Troy, New York is gaining national attention.
Bob Mirch, the Republican Majority Leader of the Rensselaer County legislature appeared on the Fox News Channel at 11:40 a.m. on Sunday, October 25th and said he met with the New York State police regarding the investigation. The State Troopers are not talking, referring any public statements to the special prosecutor, Trey Smith, who is mum on the unfolding investigation in which "Democratic and Working Families Party" operatives have been accused of trying to throw the general election next week by allegedly forging ballots from the September 15th primary.
Troy Democratic Chairman Frank LaPosta also appeared on Fox News, claiming any wrongdoing was conducted by what he called "rogue Democrats."
Democratic candidates often try to secure the endorsement of the Working Families Party line in order to secure the extra votes the WFP can bring on election day. The party has recently become a more politically potent presence in New York State, eclipsing the Liberal party in its role as a companion to many Democratic candidates. The W.F.P does not come without controversy, it's co-Founder is Bertha Lewis, the C.E.O. of the embattled activist group ACORN, and President Obama's political director, Patrick Gaspard, "worked with ACORN in New York to set up the Working Families political party and sat on the party's board with Ms. Lewis," according to "The New York Times."
The Rensselaer Democratic County Chairman, Tom Wade, told Fox News that he wants an investigation of the Republicans, including the handling of absentee ballots for the whole county, not just the recent primary.
The Chairman of the W.F.P. would not comment on the scandal, but it has become a hot political issue. This follows recent absentee ballot fraud allegations in Atlantic City, New Jersey and Inglewood, California.
Jan Tyler, a former Denver Elections official who runs the website "Election Neutrality Now," notes absentee ballot fraud is a "simple strategy employed by mostly Democratic activists and their community organizing allies." She notes: "That easily accessible strategy uses bloated voter lists, where names of voters who have moved can be easily located. Applications are then requested by activists, who in some states may even have ballots mailed to a separate address, making the fraud more convenient. Since signature verification procedures are often lax or poorly administered, one activist can sign for hundreds, even thousands of ballots."
The Troy case doesn't even seem that complicated. Troy voters told Fox News that they never signed absentee ballot forms that were submitted in their names. Some told us men knocked on their doors asking them to sign applications, and they never even knew those were allegedly used to fill out ballots that were then submitted as real votes. 38 of the ballots have been thrown out by a New York State Supreme Court Judge, who ruled that there were "significant election law violations that have compromised the rights of numerous voters and the integrity of the election process."
The investigation continues and the Fox News Voter Fraud Unit will report further updates. If you suspect voter problems where you live, our address is: Voterfraud@Foxnews.com
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