Congress working to prevent the dead from voting

The House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on lessons learned from the 2004 Presidential election that can be used to improve the upcoming election. Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) said the past two Presidential elections depleted the American people’s trust in the fairness of elections.

Congressman Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) said the election process is the “lifeblood of democracy” and without its legitimacy, there can be no leaders. With a record turnout of voters expected, Congressman John Conyers (D-Mich.) said the Department of Justice should work to assure that the next election is the fairest in years.

Dan Tokaji, Associate Professor of Law and Associate Director of Election Law at the Ohio State University Michael E. Moritz School of Law, said there is significant room for improvement in elections fairness. He said that clear rules on transparency must be established before the elections. Despite admitting existent fraud, he said that legislation against it is often fueled by hyperbolic claims. Cleta Mitchell, a partner at Foley & Lardner cited the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) as the largest perpetrator of elections fraud, fictionalizing voter registrations for underage voters and dead people. She said that voter fraud is widespread and not taken seriously, threatening the accuracy and legitimacy of elections.