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Ken Blackwell: Stranger Danger — Protect Vulnerable Voters from Fraud

Posted on Thursday, March 31, 2022
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by Outside Contributor
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“Stranger Danger.” This phrase is used by parents to warn their children about predators. In this election year, it is also an appropriate warning for vulnerable citizens who could be targeted by activists who will try to suppress or steal their votes.

The danger is real. Anyone who has been paying attention to election security issues for the last couple of decades knows that election fraud, fraud in nursing homes, group homes and other residential facilities has been an open secret.

In just the last few weeks the headlines have unveiled the corruption. In Macomb County Michigan an employee at the Father Murray Nursing Center was recently sentenced to jail for forging signatures on absentee ballot applications. Vote fraud is criminal but vote fraud against the mentally disabled is heinous.

In Wisconsin, the state assembly appointed a special counsel to investigate possible vote fraud in nursing homes after an investigation by the Racine Sheriff’s Office uncovered evidence indicating vote fraud in a Racine nursing home. In a move that indicated the seriousness of the investigation, the legislators chose Michael Gableman, a former Wisconsin Supreme Court justice, as the special counsel.

The Office of Special Counsel’s second interim report was released this month indicating, “rampant fraud and abuse occurred statewide at Wisconsin’s nursing homes and other residential care facilities.” After investigating more than 90 nursing homes in five counties the Special Counsel concluded that there was specific evidence of fraud including illegally assisting and marking ballots and possible forgery.

There were also improbably high voting rates in some nursing homes which could indicate widespread fraud. In three counties, 100% of nursing home residents voted. Since most nursing homes have a significant number of residents who suffer from dementia, the likelihood of every person being capable of requesting an absentee ballot and filling it out is almost zero.

None of this came as a surprise to the American Constitutional Rights Union (ACRU). Our Protect Vulnerable Voters project was fully operational in the 2020 election season. The results of our extensive efforts led us to conclude that widespread vote fraud in residential facilities for elderly and disabled Americans is a national disgrace.

ACRU reached out to directors of residential facilities across the nation offering assistance in educating staff, residents, and family members on how to protect vulnerable residents from vote suppression, coercion, and outright theft. This included a Senior Citizen Voting Bill of Rights.

ACRU also reminded facility directors of the criminal penalties for election fraud, as well as high likelihood of a PR disaster if ACRU should receive credible complaints to our Vote Fraud Hotline.

This direct outreach was coupled with an extensive radio campaign promoting the ACRU Vote Fraud Hotline and warning senior citizens of the danger of allowing strangers to touch their ballots.

The ACRU hotline received tips that leftist activist organizations were taking completed ballots from nursing homes with a promise that they would make it to the election office. This completely insecure process was a prescription for fraud.

There were many allegations received through our hotline that nursing home workers were filling out ballots for residents who were mentally impaired. After the 2020 election, a Texas daughter who was the guardian of her mentally incapacitated mother, searched the state voter website to determine that her mother’s voter registration address had been changed without authorization and she had “voted” while in the memory care wing of a nursing home. We assisted this family with sworn affidavits and a formal complaint to the Texas Attorney General’s Office.

In 2020, a Texas social worker was indicted on 134 felony counts of vote fraud for registering mentally incapacitated citizens to vote without their consent. Registering people to vote or requesting mail-in ballots without their consent, is illegal.

This is an area of election integrity in which citizens can play a big role in preventing fraud. If a loved one is in a residential facility, they can be protected by an engaged family member.

If a loved one is cognizant and able to vote, ask them if anyone has talked to them about voting. Find out if they have been coerced in any way or if someone has offered to help them fill out their ballot. Talk to the residential facility director about how they intend to protect your loved one’s right to vote freely and securely if they are capable of voting.

Nursing home residents who are mentally incapacitated are at great risk of vote theft by dishonest activists who will request a mail-in ballot and fill it out for them. Family members should ask facility directors if they have trained their staff on proper protocols around voting and the criminal penalties for vote fraud. Directors should be asked how they plan to ensure that no one fills out a ballot for residents.

Each state has different laws governing mail-in ballots, assistance with ballots, and ballot harvesting (outsiders collecting ballots for others). Citizens can contact local election officials with specific questions. But generally speaking, “Stranger Danger” is a simple way to remember how to protect ballots. In most instances, there is no reason why a stranger should transport or tamper with a ballot before it gets to the election office or a secure U.S. Postal Service mailbox.

Vote fraud committed against vulnerable voters is a despicable crime and should be punished to the fullest extent of the law. ACRU will leave no stone unturned in presenting such cases for prosecution.

Ken Blackwell is a Policy Board Member of the American Constitutional Rights Union and Chairman of the Center for Election Integrity—AFPI

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Sir Nicolas Lomas
Sir Nicolas Lomas
2 years ago

Simple solution!
“Ballot Accountability” is the term we should start using.
1. Numbered ballots with tear off strips on the bottom.
2. Ballots would be handed out by random number.
3. Once elections are over, all ballots would be posted on the secretary of state web site by county.
4. Go to the secretary of state web site, go to your county, find your number and verify that it was cast properly.
Any discrepancies can be reported to your political party, the attorney general,and the secretary of state.
5. You should be able to see all the ballots cast in your county. It should also show the tallied results at the very bottom of the page. It should also show number of registered voters which should not exceed the number of votes cast in your county.
6. Now you will know whether your ballot was cast, and if it was cast the way you voted. No more having 25,000 votes for one candidate when there are only 10,000 registered voters.
This will be a great way for us to verify our ballot and keep an eye on any foul play. Now we can all become a part of the system of checks and ballances and make sure all of our ballots are counted properly regardless of which political party is in office.

Sir Nicolas Lomas
Constitutionalist

Nobody’s Business
Nobody’s Business
2 years ago

To all you Democrats out there. I still believe there are a few of you that don’t believe in winning by fraud or are for this socialist ruin the country by any and all means agenda Why do you still vote Democrat just because you and your family have been Democrats your whole life. The Democrat party has been hi jacked by extremists. It’s time for you to stand up and protest loudly against your party and get back to what’s good for our country. My dad was a Democrat but he’s probably rolling over in his grave seeing what’s going on now. Yes there are Republicans that speak out of one side of there mouths and vote out the other (RINO) We need to take our country back before it’s too late. Reading a lot of these forums I believe a Civil War is coming let’s not let it come down to this.

LiamL
LiamL
2 years ago

And never let your children or grandchildren around a DEM or most of the political class in DC. I swear they’re all sick in their behavior with children. Stranger Danger or Politician Danger?

Vietvet6769
Vietvet6769
2 years ago

It is really concerning to see voter fault creep into every phase of our lives, something must be done punish and stop.

tika
tika
2 years ago

nobody expects dems to come back to the real U.S. but, our wonderful repubs and rinos have had 16 months to making sure future elections are secure and fair and have 6 more months before we see if they are really for “the people” or for communism/globalism/totalitarianism/oligarchism/anarchism/divisionism/abotionism/themselfism. any bets we will be sorely disappointed?

Morbious
Morbious
2 years ago

These actions are laudable but its like locking up pennies in a bank and leaving twenty dollar bills on the sidewalk. The heavy cheating went on in dem districts in swing states at three am. Hopefully the midterms will be less vulnerable but in close presidential races its going to be an ongoing problem.

Rik
Rik
2 years ago

I’ll bet that 90% of all voter fraud is in favor of Democrats! . . . The “average” Democratic voter IS uneducated and just plain stupid politically!

James Young
James Young
2 years ago

Catch these people and shoot them, that will send a LOUD and CLEAR message or what voter fraud means!!!

Unfit
Unfit
2 years ago

Democrats will do anything when it comes to cheating. There needs to be conservative election officials at every voting area. ID required using only paper ballots. Ballots sealed at the end of voting.

Terry
Terry
2 years ago

There are numerous and multifaceted examples of cheating and fraud during this last election, anyone , agency or political leader or party that says different is running an op . This is the wave of the future unless a lot of heavy lifting takes place and overt change takes place . I for one don’t believe that will happen because we, as a country
, lack the will to change this paradigm. Welcome to the New Banana Republic !

Hal
Hal
2 years ago

Mail in ballots should be illegal. It would be nice if people in assistance homes and hospices should be allowed to vote … BUT IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT IT BE DONE IN SUCH A WAY THAT ONLY THE VOTER MARKs THE VOTE (PRIVATELY, WITHOUT ANY WITNESS, including family members, AS TO HOW THEY MARKED THEIR BALLOT). The filled ballot should have no way it can be read by anyone else, including family and care workers. It (the process should be monitored by at least two members, each of opposing partisanship. And such balloting should be available only on a few designated days PRIOR to the public election process date.

Mrs. Betty Dunkel-Hernon
Mrs. Betty Dunkel-Hernon
2 years ago

I would like to have more information on how we can educate the nursing homes, elder communities, on the proper and legal way to vote.

Sir Nicolas Lomas
Sir Nicolas Lomas
2 years ago

Simple solution!
“Ballot Accountability” is the term we should start using.
1. Numbered ballots with tear off strips on the bottom.
2. Ballots would be handed out by random number.
3. Once elections are over, all ballots would be posted on the secretary of state web site by county.
4. Go to the secretary of state web site, go to your county, find your number and verify that it was cast properly.
Any discrepancies can be reported to your political party, the attorney general,and the secretary of state.
5. You should be able to see all the ballots cast in your county. It should also show the tallied results at the very bottom of the page. It should also show number of registered voters which should not exceed the number of votes cast in your county.
6. Now you will know whether your ballot was cast, and if it was cast the way you voted. No more having 25,000 votes for one candidate when there are only 10,000 registered voters.
This will be a great way for us to verify our ballot and keep an eye on any foul play. Now we can all become a part of the system of checks and ballances and make sure all of our ballots are counted properly regardless of which political party is in office.

Sir Nicolas Lomas
Constitutionalist

Nobody’s Business
Nobody’s Business
2 years ago

To all you Democrats out there. I still believe there are a few of you that don’t believe in winning by fraud or are for this socialist ruin the country by any and all means agenda Why do you still vote Democrat just because you and your family have been Democrats your whole life. The Democrat party has been hi jacked by extremists. It’s time for you to stand up and protest loudly against your party and get back to what’s good for our country. My dad was a Democrat but he’s probably rolling over in his grave seeing what’s going on now. Yes there are Republicans that speak out of one side of there mouths and vote out the other (RINO) We need to take our country back before it’s too late. Reading a lot of these forums I believe a Civil War is coming let’s not let it come down to this.

LiamL
LiamL
2 years ago

And never let your children or grandchildren around a DEM or most of the political class in DC. I swear they’re all sick in their behavior with children. Stranger Danger or Politician Danger?

Vietvet6769
Vietvet6769
2 years ago

It is really concerning to see voter fault creep into every phase of our lives, something must be done punish and stop.

tika
tika
2 years ago

nobody expects dems to come back to the real U.S. but, our wonderful repubs and rinos have had 16 months to making sure future elections are secure and fair and have 6 more months before we see if they are really for “the people” or for communism/globalism/totalitarianism/oligarchism/anarchism/divisionism/abotionism/themselfism. any bets we will be sorely disappointed?

Morbious
Morbious
2 years ago

These actions are laudable but its like locking up pennies in a bank and leaving twenty dollar bills on the sidewalk. The heavy cheating went on in dem districts in swing states at three am. Hopefully the midterms will be less vulnerable but in close presidential races its going to be an ongoing problem.

Rik
Rik
2 years ago

I’ll bet that 90% of all voter fraud is in favor of Democrats! . . . The “average” Democratic voter IS uneducated and just plain stupid politically!

James Young
James Young
2 years ago

Catch these people and shoot them, that will send a LOUD and CLEAR message or what voter fraud means!!!

Unfit
Unfit
2 years ago

Democrats will do anything when it comes to cheating. There needs to be conservative election officials at every voting area. ID required using only paper ballots. Ballots sealed at the end of voting.

Terry
Terry
2 years ago

There are numerous and multifaceted examples of cheating and fraud during this last election, anyone , agency or political leader or party that says different is running an op . This is the wave of the future unless a lot of heavy lifting takes place and overt change takes place . I for one don’t believe that will happen because we, as a country
, lack the will to change this paradigm. Welcome to the New Banana Republic !

Hal
Hal
2 years ago

Mail in ballots should be illegal. It would be nice if people in assistance homes and hospices should be allowed to vote … BUT IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT IT BE DONE IN SUCH A WAY THAT ONLY THE VOTER MARKs THE VOTE (PRIVATELY, WITHOUT ANY WITNESS, including family members, AS TO HOW THEY MARKED THEIR BALLOT). The filled ballot should have no way it can be read by anyone else, including family and care workers. It (the process should be monitored by at least two members, each of opposing partisanship. And such balloting should be available only on a few designated days PRIOR to the public election process date.

Mrs. Betty Dunkel-Hernon
Mrs. Betty Dunkel-Hernon
2 years ago

I would like to have more information on how we can educate the nursing homes, elder communities, on the proper and legal way to vote.

Daniel Penny
biden and harris speaking in black and white
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President Joe Biden, son Hunter Biden and sister Valerie Biden walk across the South Lawn of The White House on July 28, 2024 in Washington, DC. President Biden is returning from a weekend trip to Camp David. (Photo by Michael A. McCoy/Getty Images)

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