Harbison: Restore Voter Confidence

Jim Harbison

I was pleased to see the Sun News recent support for Secretary of State Dianna Duran’s investigation of potential voter fraud. What started out as a few incidents has now grown to more than 64,000 cases. The perception of voter fraud that disenfranchises anyone is disturbing and it increases the lack of confidence in the integrity of our election process. Any investigation must be non-partisan and I think most of us agree the State Police is the appropriate agency to investigate it. Like most New Mexicans, I am very interested in what the state police will find and hopefully nothing will be “swept under the rug.”

Dianna Duran

Unfortunately, our election laws are so lenient it is impossible to detect the depth of the fraud that may occur during any given election. Our voter registration process is a joke. Those registering to vote do not need to present any form of identification and they can simply make up a Social Security number, name, address, and age. We know that fictitious voters have registered because county clerks occasionally catch them. Unfortunately, the odds of being caught are profoundly in favor of those who want to cheat and prosecution is rare.

Dianne Hamilton

Having worked at the polls I am convinced fictitious people have voted. Friends who also worked the polls commented that when they asked for the year of birth, some voters have had to guess multiple times. Even if it took 10 tries to get it right, our laws demand they get a ballot. It makes me wonder if someone doesn’t know the year they were born if they should be voting.

We know election fraud occurs because the perpetrators have become careless. Across the nation groups have been found to have registered non-existent people. Unfortunately, a well organized group, keeping accurate records of the mythical voters they registered, and intent on influencing an election, could cast countless fraudulent ballots without detection. There is simply no way currently to catch them.

What is most disturbing about the voter fraud question is the contempt Democrats seem to have toward the public. They indignantly demand absolute proof of voter fraud and yet oppose Voter Photo I.D. Their opposition continues to make it even easier to cheat and undermine the integrity of our election process.

Legislation is submitted by Democrats nearly every year to allow people to register without ID and enable same day voting. Democrats have repeatedly claimed that simply producing a bank statement or a utility bill should be enough to safeguard our elections. Oh, really? Using today’s technology it is easy for anyone to produce counterfeit statements, bills, or even birth certificates on a home computer. Using these phony documents individuals could complete multiple illegal registrations and vote in different precincts with impunity. With our extended early voting period, a tremendous amount of damage could be done to undermine any election.

Victor Contreras

I have long been a supporter of Hispanos Unidos, a non-partisan Dona Ana County based PAC that runs commercials statewide telling their fellow citizens of the crimes committed against our democracy by way of voter fraud. Victor Contreras, the chairman of the group, has become a good friend. Recently he told me, “The people of New Mexico are wonderful, Jim. They hear us and are joining our fight for fair elections.” Recent polls show that now more than 85% of our electorate want a photo ID requirement at the polls.

State Representative Dianne Hamilton, from Silver City, has introduced legislation for three years in a row requiring a photo ID at the polls to insure fair and clean elections. Her bills have always provided that a citizen who doesn’t have a photo ID and can’t afford one will be provided one free of charge by the state.

Sadly, she has been verbally attacked on the House floor, maligned by the liberal media, and accused of lying about the need for election reform. I applaud her for her courage and commitment to all New Mexicans as she continues to travel around the state articulating the need for photo ID at the polls. At this point, voters no longer have confidence in our election process. Our voter rolls are inflated with deceased voters, people who no longer live in our state and non-existent people. No effort will totally eliminate this problem. Voting is one of our most important and sacred freedoms and Voter Photo I.D. is not only reasonable but necessary.

Harbison: Restore Voter Confidence