Like a bad penny, bad legislation can always be counted on to reappear.
That's why it's particularly galling that Rep. Bob Filner (D-San Diego) is the co-sponsor of legislation to "make it easier for Americans" to register to vote by allowing same-day registration at polling places for all federal elections.
The bill does not include a single word about verifying that these walk-ins are in the country legally, and can legally vote.
This is a poisonous piece of legislation because it doesn't have a single mechanism for any checks and balances to ensure the validity of registrants on Election Day.
The proposal is custom-made for voter fraud. What's preventing a group such as, I don't know, ACORN ---- the subject of the recent undercover prostitution sting videos ---- from busing in a bunch of people into Escondido and walking them into polling locations to vote?
I'm sure there will be loads of scrutiny at the polls to establish the veracity of the voter once the polls are closed and ballot boxes are stuffed with illegal votes.
How does a ballot belonging to an ineligible voter get pulled out of the system?
Of course later, if necessary, we can always fight over how many of them should be thrown out.
That worked really well in the state that gave us Sen. Al Franken.
California does not require identification to vote. Even an effort made by Assemblyman Anthony Adams (R-Hesperia) earlier this year was rejected. State Sen. George Runner is behind a ballot initiative called the California Photo ID to Vote Initiative which may appear on the 2010 ballot, but it could very well be too late if this federal bill passes, because it would require states to comply prior to the 2010 election.
You would think Filner would, at minimum, take into consideration the aftershocks of ACORN in San Diego and its election fraud trials and tribulations elsewhere.
According to a report from the House Committee on Government Oversight and Reform, which includes Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Vista), "findings reveal ACORN to be an organization so rife with corruption, it ought to be the subject of a special prosecutor."
As far as voter registration goes, the report says, "Nearly 70 ACORN employees have been convicted in 12 states for voter registration fraud," and that "nearly one-third of the 1.3 million voter registration cards turned in by ACORN in 2008 were invalid."
Do you think just because ACORN has been denied congressional funds it's not still out there? Think again.
The Wall Street Journal reports that in New Jersey's contentious governor's race, ACORN has moved in to help push John Corzine over the top. Meanwhile the Democratic Party in New Jersey is taking advantage of a new loosely written vote-by-mail law to pressure county clerks not to vigorously use signature checks to evaluate the authenticity of absentee ballots, the only verification procedure allowed.
Filner should be called out on this bone-headed move.
SUNANA BATRA is a freelance journalist and writes from Encinitas. She can be reached at sunanabatra@gmail.com.
CORRECTION
This column by Sunana Batra incorrectly cited a Wall Street Journal report to say that ACORN and the Democratic Party were pressuring county clerks over enforcement of absentee ballot procedures in the New Jersey gubernatorial race.
The sentence should not have included ACORN.
We apologize.
