McLean County Times

Progressive Democrats display clear dedication to replacing existing election laws with laws that enable voting by illegal aliens and other ineligible voters to participate in fraudulent activities. Some will go so far as to have even the deceased vote. Critics have pointed out that the Left utilizes various tactics such as ballot harvesting, trading ballots for favors or money, and the submission of counterfeit ballots. As you will recall, the 2020 presidential election was marred by many such activities. Tom Fitton, in A Republic Under Assault: The Left's Ongoing Attack on American Freedom, identified nine problems associated with the integrity of elections. I have added a tenth. Concerned citizens must work on these at local, state, and national levels to overcome the problems and ensure election integrity.

States' Failure to Enforce the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) – Enacted by a Democratic Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1993, Section 8 of the NVRA mandates that states make "reasonable effort to remove the names of ineligible voters" from voter rolls. This stands as evidence that not too long ago, both Democrats and Republicans acknowledged the susceptibility of unclean voter rolls to voter fraud. However, in the subsequent years, numerous state and local election officials, spanning Republican and Democratic affiliations, have neglected to purge their voter rolls, often citing financial constraints. The organized Left has strategically chosen to maintain "dirty" voter lists, viewing them as an opportunity to engage in ACORN-style voter fraud. States must rectify this problem by cleaning up their voter rolls to bring them into compliance with NVRA requirements.

Mail-In Voting – "All-mail-in ballot" voting is a system in which ballots are distributed and returned exclusively through the mail. Under these all-mail-in ballot systems, ballots are sent out to those on the voter registration rolls. Because of "dirty" voter registration rolls, ballots are sent to the deceased, the unqualified, and to the wrong address. These ballots are subject to fraudulent use and ballot harvesting. Verifying Voter ID becomes challenging or non-existent with mailed ballots, and relying on the U.S. Postal Service for elections poses inherent risks such as late or non-delivery. Unethical progressive politicians, leftist groups, and aligned media outlets are advocating for the permanent replacement of traditional, in-person voting with mail-in ballots so they can manipulate election results.

Ballot Harvesting – The practice of "ballot harvesting" permits individuals to collect and deliver ballots from others for submission and counting. This is legal within Illinois (of course), but ballot harvesting poses a significant risk of voter fraud, a concern that gained validation in 2018. During that year, a ballot harvesting campaign orchestrated by Democratic operatives in California inundated election sites with ballots, resulting in the sudden transition of seven historically conservative Republican congressional seats in southern California to the Democrats. That same year, in North Carolina, a Republican congressional campaign operative employed ballot harvesting to secure a "victory" for his client. However, this victory was scrutinized as some of the collected ballots were discarded. The state elections board initiated an investigation, refused to certify the Republican "winner," and mandated a new election. "Ballot harvesting" is deemed problematic, regardless of the political party employing it.

Automatic Voter Registration – Like some 20 other Left-leaning states, Illinois practices Automatic Voter Registration (AVR). This system introduces electronic voter registration across various state agencies, including Secretary of State Driver's Services facilities. AVR aims to simplify the voter registration process during interactions with designated AVR agencies. Some critics contend that the accuracy of automatic voter registration systems is not guaranteed, potentially leading to errors in the voter rolls. This may result in the registration of ineligible individuals or the omission of eligible voters. Concerns have also been raised about the political influence on the implementation of automatic voter registration (check the list of 21 "mostly-blue" states that practice it), with suggestions that it could favor one political party over another. Critics argue that selecting government agencies for automatic registration and the criteria for determining eligibility may be susceptible to political manipulation.

Abolition of Voter ID Requirements – Indeed, the Left opposes measures that ensure only citizens participate in our elections, particularly by challenging states that aim to implement photo voter ID requirements. Despite the crucial role of Voter ID in preventing fraud, legal assaults orchestrated by George Soros-funded organizations and supported by the Biden Justice Department's left-leaning stance are a persistent hurdle. In 2022, legal battles against voter ID laws unfolded in Missouri, Montana, and North Carolina. Republicans advocate for the principle that only eligible U.S. citizens should vote.

Abolition of Voter Residency Requirements – In North Dakota, voters must present identification containing their name, birth date, and residential address. The Left is actively contesting the residential address stipulation, making unfounded claims that it discriminates against the homeless and Native Americans. The Republican party is observing this development and analogous initiatives in various regions. The focus on North Dakota is emblematic of broader Leftist endeavors to challenge residency requirements, as eliminating such requirements could potentially amplify the risks of illegal and multiple voting.

Abolition of the Electoral College – The process through which the American president is elected is called the Electoral College. The candidate who secures "the most votes in the most states" becomes the president. This system allows a candidate to win via the Electoral College while losing the popular vote, as exemplified in 2016, 2000, 1888, and 1876. After Donald Trump's win in 2016, there was a push from the Left to eliminate the Electoral College. Some groups are advocating for the National Vote Interstate Compact, a proposal urging states to legislate their commitment to aligning their Electoral College votes with the national popular vote. Currently, 16 states (including California, Illinois, New York, and the District of Columbia (all Left-leaning strongholds) have embraced this initiative. They aim to sidestep the constitutional framework to bolster their chances of securing the presidency. In an attempt to turn this nation from a representative republic to a pure democracy, they want to replace public order with tyranny. In a democracy, the emphasis is on equal power; in a republic, the focus is on equal representation. With large Left-leaning populations, a presidential election can turn on the outcomes from a handful of states like California, New York, Illinois, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, New Mexico, and Minnesota. Winning only these states can turn an election, so why campaign elsewhere? This being the case, the smaller states would effectively be prevented from influencing the outcome of a presidential election. This isn't fair, but of what concern is fairness to the Democrat party only concerned with winning elections?

Same-Day Voter Registration – Progressives contend that the implementation of same-day voter registration simplifies voting accessibility and enhances voter participation. Nevertheless, in practice, same-day voter registration poses a potential threat to the integrity of elections by creating opportunities for ineligible individuals to vote (owing to inadequate time for eligibility verification) and enabling unscrupulous individuals to cast votes at multiple locations. Currently, 22 states and the District of Columbia, predominantly Democrat strongholds, permit same-day registration. There is a notable advocacy from the Left to broaden this practice, which some argue could be seen as a potential loophole inviting instances of voter fraud.

Out-Of-Precinct Voting – This practice constitutes a modification of same-day voter registration, with proponents from the Left asserting that it will streamline the voting process and increase voter participation. However, there is insufficient concrete evidence to validate these claims. Notably, this approach makes it difficult for local precinct officials to identify voters they might typically recognize visually. These challenges present substantial risks to the fairness and integrity of elections. The Left's challenges on these fronts cannot be disregarded, particularly when they gain traction in left-leaning media and receive backing through legal actions funded by George Soros' resources, as well as through lawsuits supported by taxpayer funds via the Biden Justice Department.

Illegal Immigration – Though not directly connected to voting, what other motivation than election fraud can the radial Left have for inviting millions of illegal immigrants to cross the international border into the United States with impunity? When Governor Abbott of Texas recently shut down the border by installing razor wire along a part of the Rio Grande River, President Biden immediately appealed to the Supreme Court to allow him to re-open it! Biden and his administration are, in so doing, aiding and abetting criminal activities. He is also fighting conservative Republicans who are attempting to uphold the rule of law and defend our territorial integrity. Isn't upholding the law precisely what the president is sworn to do? The only remedies for this fiasco are impeachment of the president or, failing that, removing him from office with the next election. Let's hope one of these two happens before we find the United States engaged in a civil war.   

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In addition, what reason can the radical Left have for gerrymandering legislative districts within Illinois and elsewhere other than to provide their party an unfair political advantage in elections? What purpose can the Democrat Party have for opposing all these level-headed and reasonable protections of the vote if not for some nefarious reason such as fraudulently winning elections? What other conclusion can a fair and impartial person draw, given the Left's historical record of moral depravity?

While it's unclear how many and to what extent any of the above is happening locally, conservatives can't be too sure. It seems to this precinct committeeman and experienced poll watcher that the McLean County Clerk's Office and the Bloomington Election Commission are doing their level best to run clean and fair elections for which they should be applauded. To ensure it remains that way, we need more election judges and poll watchers to assist with the upcoming elections. Contact Republican Party officials if you are willing and ready to volunteer as a trained poll watcher. Contact the McLean County Clerk's Office or the Bloomington Election Commission if you are willing to work as a paid election judge.