Criminals go to nice lengths to acquire issues of worth. That’s value remembering with common mail ballots.
This month, thieves stole crown jewels from the Louvre. The brazen daytime heist came about whereas the museum was open. The thieves drove a truck with an electrical ladder as much as the museum and entered by way of a window. They then smashed show circumstances containing crown jewels and stole a number of items related to Napoleon. They escaped on motorbikes.
Regardless of all the consideration this crime obtained, there was little dialogue of the motive. That’s as a result of it’s apparent. The jewels, even when the thieves must recut them, are value an immense amount of cash.
However there’s one thing value much more than Napoleonic crown jewels — authorities energy. Many native governments management budgets within the billions. For the federal authorities, it’s within the trillions. Politicians decide insurance policies that have an effect on tens of millions of individuals. Elected officers choose those that oversee these budgets and insurance policies.
But many states have relinquished management over the mail ballots that assist decide who wins elections. What occurred just lately in California reveals why that represents a safety danger.
Officers in Sacramento County just lately discovered practically 100 ballots whereas cleansing up a homeless encampment. Regulation enforcement officers imagine the ballots had been stolen from mailboxes. The ballots had been for California’s upcoming particular election, which asks voters to approve a gerrymandering scheme to switch congressional district strains.
It doesn’t seem that there was an try and return the ballots. Officers say they’ve voided the ballots and mailed new ones to affected residents. However this case reveals the chain-of-custody issues with common mail ballots.
Mail ballots might be stolen. The Sacramento incident doesn’t seem like an organized effort, and it’s a constructive these ballots had been discovered. However there’s no telling what number of ballots are stolen and by no means discovered. Significantly provided that this can be a particular election. Many citizens seemingly aren’t anticipating a poll and wouldn’t notice it was lacking.
It’s also attainable for somebody to illegally acquire and return a major variety of mail ballots. Signature verification is a deeply flawed safety measure.
Mail poll defenders argue there’s no proof of widespread fraud. Not but, anyway. However common mail ballots make such shenanigans extra seemingly. It’s one factor to make voting extra handy by permitting voters to request a mail poll. It’s one other to mail 1000’s of unsolicited ballots to each registered voter with no thought whether or not they find yourself within the correct palms.
Because the Sacramento fiasco reveals, there’s loads of proof that the crown jewels of American elections — ballots — are there for the taking.
Las Vegas Overview-Journal/Tribune Information Service
