Republican Ballot Harvesting

[floridafan]

Leaked videos taken from inside a secretive right-wing organization show many top conservative operatives openly advocating ballot harvesting during the 2020 presidential election, even as President Donald Trump accused Democrats of using such tactics to steal elections.

The Washington Post reports that the videos show longtime evangelical operative Ralph Reed boasting of his plans to harvest ballots from multiple places of worship for the benefit of Republican candidates.

“Our organization is going to be harvesting ballots in churches,” he said. “We’re going to be specifically going in not only to White evangelical churches, but into Hispanic and Asian churches, and collecting those ballots.”

Trump, however, tweeted earlier this year that he wanted to “GET RID OF BALLOT HARVESTING, IT IS RAMPANT WITH FRAUD.”

J. Christian Adams, a former Justice Department official and the president of the Public Interest Legal Foundation, was also shown on video attacking mail-in voting, which he said he wanted to stop by any means necessary.

“Be not afraid of the accusations that you’re a voter suppressor, you’re a racist and so forth,” he said as he encouraged conservatives to go out of their way to block mail-in ballots.

 

[T. A. Gardner]

Oh, but it's okay when the Democrats do it and even legalize it in states they control eh?

 

[Trumpet]

Oh, but it's okay when the Democrats do it and even legalize it in states they control eh?

Kind of vague on details.

 

[Jack]

We need to have some 'bullet-proof' way of Voting.

 

[Matt Dillon]

We need to have some 'bullet-proof' way of Voting.

Chit cards worked. Mail-in is pretty much "Scan-tron" technology, I guess?

Just verify that it's a real voter.

"Fill in the circle and make your mark dark." LOL!

 

[Dutch Uncle]

Oh, but it's okay when the Democrats do it and even legalize it in states they control eh?

No, Chief, it's not. It's wrong to lie, it's wrong to be corrupt and it's wrong to disenfranchise American citizens. You should know better.

 

[Dutch Uncle]

Kind of vague on details.

It's a Whataboutism defense. He's saying it's okay for the Republicans to cheat in elections because, according to him, the Democrats do it too.

Fuck any one who cheats in an election with a garden rake regardless of their political affiliation.

 

[Dutch Uncle]

We need to have some 'bullet-proof' way of Voting.

Agreed, but with our level of technology and, especially, human nature, I doubt that is possible. The best way to ensure honest elections is oversight by all parties concerned. Politicians on both sides need to both earn and maintain the trust of citizens. When their corruption is supported due to political bias then trust is lost.

Navy Chief T. A. Gardner should know that trust lost is very difficult to regain. It's divisive and against the best long-term interests of the United States of America.

 

[Tacomaman]

No, Chief, it's not. It's wrong to lie, it's wrong to be corrupt and it's wrong to disenfranchise American citizens. You should know better.

He is a trumpanzee. As such, he likely knows better but doesnt care.

 

[floridafan]

Oh, but it's okay when the Democrats do it and even legalize it in states they control eh?

You whine and cry every fucking day how terrible this is, how Democrats are using it to seal elections- all the while you do it yourself.

 

[floridafan]

You whine and cry every fucking day how terrible this is, how Democrats are using it to seal elections- all the while you do it yourself.

Steal

 

[T. A. Gardner]

Kind of vague on details.

Okay, read up on it.

https://townhall.com/tipsheet/ellie...t-how-unethical-ballot-harvesting-is-n2577928
https://azcapitoltimes.com/news/2020/07/04/hobbs-asks-high-court-to-decline-ballot-harvesting-case/
https://www.findlaw.com/voting/how-...arvesting--what-is-it--how-does-it-work-.html
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-10-13/california-gop-defends-unofficial-ballot-boxes
https://www.politico.com/states/cal...ot-harvesting-dies-in-first-committee-1284569

Ballot harvesting is a major potential means of voter fraud. It is pushed primarily by the Democrats up through the national level where Democrats in Congress have tried to put it in legislation repeatedly.

Ballot harvesting in a nutshell, allows a political operative or other third party to collect ballots from voters and turn them into election officials. This creates an opportunity for that person to manipulate or eliminate ballots they collect. It is an obvious and onerous idea that should be made entirely illegal nationally.

 

[T. A. Gardner]

No, Chief, it's not. It's wrong to lie, it's wrong to be corrupt and it's wrong to disenfranchise American citizens. You should know better.

You misread this. I was pillorying floridafan for calling Republicans out for doing this in California but ignoring that Democrats are doing it too.

 

[T. A. Gardner]

Oh, as for making mail-in balloting a bit safer...

We could do what UPS, Fed Ex, Amazon, and every other package shipper on the planet does.

1. We introduce tamper proof envelopes that you put your ballot in. This would make it tedious and difficult for someone to open one to remove or alter a ballot.
2. Introduce a bar code unique to each voter and their envelope. That is, they are mailed a ballot and the return envelope has a tracking code on it. When they seal and return that ballot, it can be tracked by the voter / state as to where it is. If it drops off the system, the state investigates the last known place the ballot was, that sort of thing. The voter can enter their envelope in the system themselves by use of a cell phone (in cases of fraud the phone used can later be traced back to the fraudulent party...) or mail it and the post office scans it upon pick up at your home like a package.
3. The ballot return system is set up to facilitate this. It becomes difficult or impossible for a third party to take the ballot without issues arising from it. That is, if your ballot goes too long outside the tracking system it gets flagged for potential problems and receives extra security attention.

 

[Phantasmal]

Oh, but it's okay when the Democrats do it and even legalize it in states they control eh?

No, it isn’t. The vote should be protected and those breaking the law prosecuted.

 

[T. A. Gardner]

No, it isn’t. The vote should be protected and those breaking the law prosecuted.

And laws allowing ballot harvesting should be struck down to prevent fraud.

 

[Phantasmal]

And laws allowing ballot harvesting should be struck down to prevent fraud.

I would allow for some collection of ballots under controlled circumstances, there may be people unable to vote in person or mail a ballot that need a third party collection agency.

 

[Dutch Uncle]

You misread this. I was pillorying floridafan for calling Republicans out for doing this in California but ignoring that Democrats are doing it too.

Disagreed on misread since you just reiterated my point: Whataboutism. If you condemn anyone who cheats in elections or seeks to disenfranchise Americans, why not say so?

 

[T. A. Gardner]

I would allow for some collection of ballots under controlled circumstances, there may be people unable to vote in person or mail a ballot that need a third party collection agency.

Then the voting commission, officials should have designated people who are used for that purpose during an election, where their job is to collect these ballots and return them the same day to the election officials and offices. A minimum of handling involved. No unknown third party should be handling someone else's ballot.

 

[T. A. Gardner]

Disagreed on misread since you just reiterated my point: Whataboutism. If you condemn anyone who cheats in elections or seeks to disenfranchise Americans, why not say so?

I do. Floridafan apparently doesn't. That's why I called him / her out on it.