Kyle Said:

ACORN - voter registration or voter fraud?

We Answered:

No you are absolutely correct...the whole ACORN scandal was a result of the "grasping at straws" effect. If McCain supporters actually think that our government will allow Mickey Mouse to vote, then they've got way bigger issues.

Carrie Said:

Whats worse for fair and proper elections? ACORN(voter registration scandal) or VOTER Intimidation?

We Answered:

Intimidation is worse.

Bogus registrations aren't a big deal. What is a big deal is Fraudulent votes. It only matter when A leads to B, but A isn't really the problem in the case of ACORN: They are REQUIRED to register each application they receive, regardless of how bonafide (or not) it appears. The law is broken only when the bogus registrant casts a fradulent vote (e.g. under a false name, in the wrong state, as a second vote, etc.)

Jennifer Said:

Am I the only one who thinks the Republicans are behind this Acorn voter registration thing? ?

We Answered:

A lot of it is coordinated nonsense. In the Nevada case, the ACORN organization there seems on the up and up. The source of the investigation is the fact that this particular ACORN branch does verify registration information. Any information they can't verify, they flag and ask the election officials to investigate. In that case, they asked them to investigate, then called a special meeting to raise concerns that the election officials weren't taking their alerts seriously. In response to that meeting, they sent the election officials the questionable registrations a second time. Then out of the blue, they were supoenaed.... for the records they already supplied TWICE. Then they were raided. If they already supplied the records three times, and initiated the investigation themselves, why raid the office? For show.

In Missouri, the election official claimed that their office was being bogged down by hundreds or even thousands of last-minute bogus registrations by ACORN. ACORN actually hadn't turned in any registrations since late August, and were told by the officials three week prior there were only 135 questionable ones, of which 85 were duplicates. So why, in October, weeks later and over a month after they had done anything did this Republican official make this claim?

In Ohio, two Republican officials with ties to McCain said they were starting an investigation. Based on bogus registrations? Nope. They got some phone calls from concerned Republicans asking about voter fraud - asking, not even alledging. So in that case, there isn't even an actual allegation of wrongdoing. So why the investigation, in October, when it just happens that all these other questionable cases are getting big headlines? You connect the dots.

In the meantime, thousands of voters are being dropped from voting rolls or are being flagged, most against federal laws. Which is more serious? And, yet, which get the media play?

I'm guessing this is a setup for the usual voter intimidation tactics the Republicans employ near election day. Instead of telling minority and poor voters they will be arrested at the polls if they have outstanding parking tickets, this publicity will set up the bogus claim that legitimate voters risk federal charges if they registered through ACORN and try to vote.

Note that almost all the allegations are in critical swing states where suppressing the turnout can have an election changing impact, much like the voter suppression efforts in past presidential elections in Florida and Ohio.

Suzanne Said:

What is wrong with Acorn and other voter registration organizations?

We Answered:

The ACORN "scandal" is a GOP scam. Less than 1% of their forms have been questionable. ACORN has flagged questionable form, alerted authorities and fired lame workers.