Mail-in vote fraud: here we go again - this time in Virginia

 

I note with disgust that the Democratic Party in Virginia is asking Governor Northam to waive security requirements for mail-in ballots.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is asking Gov. Ralph Northam to waive the witness signature requirement for absentee ballots cast by mail in this fall’s election.

The board voted 9-1 for the proposal by Chair Jeffrey McKay to send a letter to Northam, with Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity, the board’s only Republican, casting the only vote against the motion. 

McKay said that waiving the witness signature requirement – as was done during the 2020 election – is necessary due to the continued threat of COVID-19.

. . .

Herrity said that waiving the requirement would be a “blow to election integrity.” 

“Witness signatures are important as they provide another line of defense against voter fraud,” he added. “They've been deemed important enough by the General Assembly that they were reestablished outside the state of emergency.”

He also argued that waiving the requirement now would be “problematic” because early voting began in mid-September and many absentee ballots have already been mailed. 

“To do this in the middle of an election process in the name of COVID I think is nonsensical,” he said.

There's more at the link.

So, what's going on here?  Let me ask a not-so-rhetorical question.

Question:  Why would you change the security rules for mail-in ballots in the middle of an election that's already under way?

Most likely answer:  Because you've looked at the ballots that have already been received, and realized that you're losing.

That's what I'm sure is going on here.

Mail-in ballots are inherently insecure, and stringent security measures are necessary to prevent electoral fraud, as much of the rest of the world realized long ago.

Besides the United States, there are 36 member states in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Forty-seven percent ban mail-in voting unless the citizen is living abroad, and 30 percent require a photo ID to obtain a mail-in ballot. Fourteen percent of the countries ban mail-in voting even for those living abroad.

In addition, some countries that allow voting by mail for some citizens living in the country don't allow it for everyone. For example, Japan and Poland have limited mail-in voting for those who have special certificates verifying that they are disabled ... Brazil and Russia ... completely ban mail-in voting and require photo IDs for in-person voting.

Among the 27 countries in the European Union, 63 percent ban mail-in voting unless living abroad and another 22 percent require a photo ID to obtain a mail-in ballot. Twenty-two percent ban the practice even for those who live abroad.

There are 16 countries in the rest of Europe, and they are even more restrictive. Every single one bans mail-in voting for those living in the country or require a photo ID to obtain a mail-in ballot. Sixty-three percent don't allow mail-in ballots even for citizens living outside of the country.

. . .

These countries have learned the hard way what happens when mail-in ballots aren't secured. They have also discovered how hard it is to detect vote buying when both those buying and selling the votes have an incentive to hide the exchange.

Again, more at the link.

If I hear anyone arguing to reduce or eliminate security measures to prevent mail-in ballot fraud, I assume that they're motivated by a desire to cheat.  No other explanation is as likely, or has so much historical precedent.  As for those claiming that their sole desire is to make it easier to vote, or ensure that "every vote is counted" - suuuuure it is.  "Counting every vote", in their book, includes the fraudulent ones, and I'm sure they don't want to miss a single one of those.

Stand by for the Virginia election to be stolen by manipulated or fraudulent mail-in ballots.  You don't agree?  You still expect it to be free and fair, even with unrestricted and demonstrably insecure voting by mail?  In that case, my friend, I've got this wonderful bridge in Brooklyn, NYC, that I'd like to sell you.  It's a real bargain!  Cash only, please, in small bills.

Peter