Looking for Fraud in All the Wrong Places

There’s much more opportunity for voter fraud with absentee ballots than at the polls.

There are four seasons in the coal region, according to the terrific web site CoalRegion.com: Almost winter, winter, still winter and construction. That observation came to mind during this past election season, which seemed to have the longevity of a coal region winter. At the risk of prolonging a season that many want to forget, I’d like to revisit one issue that is sure to come up again in future elections: Voter ID. There were complaints at some polls in Lehigh and Northampton counties that voters were being asked for identification even though a Commonwealth Court judge issued an injunction Oct. 2 that said photo identification wasn’t required this election (except for first-time voters.) The judge’s ruling, however, allowed the state…

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Amend Wun

9:44 am on Friday, November 16, 2012

@Carl- the free IDs were only offered up a few weeks prior to the election and only as a reaction to the fact that voters would have incurred a fee otherwise. I haven't yet heard that those IDs are still being offered since this legislation was put on hold. And it's still incumbent on those seeking to enact this legislation to prove the need. How would presenting an ID keep dead people, felons …   more ›

Voter Integrity Issues Linger Post Election

Some voters were turned away Tuesday for not having photo ID even though the voter ID law was put on hold

By Melissa Daniels | PA Independent HARRISBURG — The elections are over, but the discussion about voting integrity continues. In the Lehigh Valley, problems Tuesday included: controversial signs at Easton polls, questions that made voters uncomfortable in Nazareth and voters turned away in southside Bethlehem. House Speaker Sam Smith, R-Jefferson, told reporters Wednesday afternoon that he’s heard stories about 90 percent of precincts reporting 90 percent voter turnout. Smith called the numbers “questionable,” but would not call them evidence of fraud. Attempts to verify Smith’s claims were unsuccessful, but the comment alone was enough to anger state Sen. Vince Hughes, D-Philadelphia. Hughes said he was at a number of polling places on …

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Voters Reportedly Turned Away at SouthSide Poll

A Bethlehem councilman said the judge of elections in Ward Five at St. John's Windish Lutheran Church did not follow proper procedures for voters who aren't on the rolls.

Voters Reportedly Turned Away at SouthSide Poll

A Bethlehem councilman said the judge of elections in Ward Five at St. John's Windish Lutheran Church did not follow proper procedures for voters who aren't on the rolls.

  A number of voters in South Bethlehem were forced to cast provisional ballots because of confusion and a failure to adhere to proper protocol on the part of some poll workers, according to on-site observers. City Councilman Michael Recchiuti said that the judge of elections in the Fifth Ward was handing out the provisional ballots to voters who did not appear on the voter rolls instead of placing a call first to the Northampton County Election Bureau, which is the proper procedure. Some voters walked away, Recchiuti said. “We could call 10 times and all we’d get was a busy signal,” said Dick Jones, the Fifth Ward judge, pointing to a cell phone on the table where he worked in the auditorium of the St. John’s Windish Lutheran Church. “We’…

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Great-Grandmother Will Fight Pa. Voter ID Law

Joyce Block, 90, was part of the lawsuit against Pennsylvania’s Voter ID law and said she isn’t giving up, even after a state court upheld the law.

A Doylestown great-grandmother involved in the lawsuit against Pennsylvania’s Voter ID law said she is not giving up, despite a state court’s ruling Wednesday. Joyce Block said she was disgusted by the state court’s upholding of the law which requires Pennsylvania voters to show an approved identification card before they can vote. “This is disgraceful. They disenfranchise so many people, and I’m just thoroughly disgusted,” Block said Wednesday morning. “I’m glad we’re going to appeal it. It isn’t over yet.” Block, who is 90, tried to get an identification card from the PennDOT office in Dublin, Bucks County, but was denied. Her birth certificate and Social Security card are in her maiden name, Joyce Lucille Altman, but her Medicare card …

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John

11:38 am on Friday, August 31, 2012

@Amend....I agree with your point, however, imagine if there wasnt an "intent"? What if the common person recognized we have considerably more crime, more illegal acts being done in this country by illegals than ever before, we are simply being precautious, taking a proactive defense where voter fraud could not be a concern? Its not political, as it is not infringing upon any specific group's …   more ›

Poll: Bethlehem Reacts to Pa Voter ID Ruling

Take our poll and add your comments on a court ruling upholding Pennsylvania's controversial new Voter ID law

Commonwealth Court ruled Wednesday morning not to stop Pennsylvania's controversial new voter identification law from going into effect. Judge Robert Simpson of Nazareth will not grant an injunction that would have halted the law requiring each voter to show a valid photo ID. Opponents are expected to file an appeal within a day or two to the state Supreme Court as the Nov. 6 presidential election looms, according to the Associated Press. The challenge to the law was brought by voter advocacy groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union and the NAACP. Pennsylvania passed a law in March requiring all registered voters to show a valid and “acceptable” photo ID before voting. This is one of the strictest voter ID laws in the nation.  …

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Alternative Ballots: Voter ID Loophole For Seniors, Disabled?

Some Pa. voters may be eligible for alternative ballots - a potential loophole in the state's controversial new Voter ID law.

While we wait for a ruling this week on the controversial Voter ID bill, there appears to be a loophole, according to Philly.com, in the form of the alternative ballot. The alternative ballot is basically an absentee ballot for those with a disability or who are older than 65 and who have a polling place deemed inaccessible by the County Board of Elections. Although the application for absentee ballot now asks for your driver's license number, Social Security number or other acceptable form of identification, the alternative ballot application does not ask for that. If you are planning on voting by absentee ballot or alternative ballot, be sure to plan ahead. Applications for either must be received no later than 5 p.m. on Oct. 30 and the …

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