ACORN target to season of mud-slinging

Accused of voting registration fraud and with 1.3 million new low-income and minority registered voters, ACORN, Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, is trying desperately not to lose credibility among the American voters with less than a month to election day. “The real issue that the secretaries of state were concerned about for years was the low levels of participation, this is the year we can break through that,” said Miles Rapoport, President of Demos, as he joined other voting experts at the National Press Club to discuss this elections voting registration issues.

According to Rapoport, allegations and fraud should be investigated and prosecuted if needed. “… The actual incident of [voting fraud] is so small, that to use it as an excuse to try to discourage people.. I think is a serious disservice to our democracy,” Rapoport said. He highlighted that the voting registration fraud issue should be taken seriously but not “blown out of proportion”.

According to Kevin Whelan, spokesman for ACORN, the organization took responsibility for the applications they suspected were invalid and incorrect also admitting it was unacceptably high amount of applications with problems.

As recent as in 2006, Sen. John McCain supported ACORN and the organizations efforts in registering new voters, now saying he instead oppose them. According to Reverend Gloria Swierenga, President, Maryland ACORN, the organization has been a target to a “season of mud-slinging” saying that they are fully aware of the possibility of errors in the voting process. “When we explain to people; this is how you can help build an America that is truly one nation… I think most people take that seriously. ”I think the Pailn-campaign speaks for itself,” Swierenga said.