Of Course They’re Wrong; But We Can Make It Right

By Don Mohler

Nothing makes me angrier than Republicans weaponizing the idea of voter fraud in the United States. It is destroying the glue that holds our nation together. This visit to the porch is going to have quite a few twists and turns, so I need you to stay with me. My guess is that I will pretty much tick off everyone by the time we’re done.

Let’s start with one of the biggest lies that Donald J. Trump and his sycophants spread over and over and over again: that lie of course is that elections in the United States are overcome with voter fraud. Fact: They are not. How do we know that? Because over the past two decades, a wide range of independent studies, audits, and academic reviews have consistently reached the same conclusion: widespread voter fraud in U.S. elections is largely nonexistent. Study after study has shown that modern election systems include safeguards like voter registration checks, signature verification, secure ballot handling, and post-election audits.

In 2020, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency reported that the 2020 election was “the most secure in American history.” It found no evidence that any voting system deleted or lost votes, changed votes, or was compromised. The FBI and Department of Justice came to the same conclusion.  And who doesn’t love those wild and crazy Ninjas? No, not the mutant turtles silly. I’m talking about the Cyber Ninjas commissioned to swoop into Maricopa County in Arizona to uncover its rampant voter fraud and deliver the state to the Orange Man.

In the aftermath of the 2020 U.S. presidential election, Arizona became a focal point for election integrity

debates. Central to this was the audit of Maricopa County’s election results, led by a Florida-based firm, Cyber Ninjas. Hadn’t there already been multiple audits of the vote tally in the state showing no discrepancy?  Of course. Did the Cyber Ninjas have any experience in election audits? Come on now. Did any of that stop the MAGA warriors from trying one more time to overturn the election? What do you think? This is the group that was looking for bamboo in the ballots because of foreign influence. Bamboo? Well, in September 2021 those crazy Ninjas released their report showing that President Biden increased his vote total by 360 votes in the county. Oopsie. And just like that, the company ceased to exist. Go figure.

So, despite all the histrionics and middle-of-the night tweets, there is no voter fraud in the United States. There never has been. Roy Cohn once told Donald Trump, “No matter what happens, you claim victory and never admit defeat,” a lesson that drives the President to this day. He and his followers promote it to divide us and to cast doubt on any election result that does not go their way. They fear that they cannot win elections if a large number of Americans, particularly black and brown Americans, go to the polls. That is a fact!

But here is where it gets a little more complicated: just because there is no widespread voter fraud in the nation, that does not necessarily mean that we should not do all that we can to secure our elections. Not because the Republicans are right, because they are not. But because it is right.

The American public agrees. Recent polls show that 84% of Americans favor requiring identification to vote. That includes 95% of Republicans and 71% of Democrats. The support is equally strong along racial and ethnic groups. 85% of white adults, 82% of Hispanics, and 76% of African Americans all support some form of voter identification. Public sentiment is overwhelming on this topic.

Why do Americans feel so strongly about this? Perhaps from time to time, they don’t overthink an issue and just apply a little common sense. In everyday life, Americans are routinely asked to present identification for a wide range of ordinary activities. You cannot board a commercial flight without showing a government-issued photo ID. Similar proof is required to enter many federal buildings or military installations. Basic financial activities such as opening a bank account, cashing a check, or applying for a loan—require identity verification under federal law. Landlords and hotels almost always ask for ID before renting an apartment or a room, and employers must verify identity when completing federal hiring paperwork. The list goes on. Taken together, these examples illustrate that providing ID is common practice and not an onerous task.

Currently that issue is before Congress in the form of a piece of legislation known as The SAVE Act (H.R. 8281). The bill would require that all Americans provide proof of citizenship when registering to vote. Under the legislation, to register to vote, an individual must present a passport, birth certificate, or proof of naturalized citizenship. That sounds easy enough, but millions of women will tell you that their married name does not match their birth certificate, and millions more could not locate their birth certificate even if you gave them $100 to do so. Roughly 50% of Americans have a passport. It is safe to say that the SAVE Act as structured simply will not work. Of course it won’t work, because Republicans don’t care if it works. They simply want to sow division and election chaos. Once again, Republicans create a false crisis and then put forth a half-baked solution, attempting to appear serious. It’s about time we figure out that these are simply not serious people. Democrats need to kill the SAVE Act and then step forward to be the grownups in the room.

I fully recognize that addressing this issue is maddening because Republicans are totally disingenuous. They know there is no voter fraud. They are interested in short-term chaos while convincing gullible voters that their vote is being taken away. I also recognize that doing the right thing won’t shut Donald Trump up. That ship sailed long ago. Let’s call it what it is- despicable. It’s easy to become furious and shake our fists, but forget him, and let’s call their bluff instead.

While there is no voter fraud, and the only threat to free and fair elections is the President himself, Democrats should still propose a voter identification plan that gets phased in over the next six years, with full implementation beginning in 2032. Create a blue-ribbon commission with the brightest minds in the nation coming together to develop a system that addresses all the flaws of the current SAVE Act.  Provide the country with a voter identification process that is based on common sense and makes us all proud, a voter ID program that won’t disenfranchise millions of voters. There are many ways to do this, and with six years to plan, both parties will have plenty of time to ensure that each of their voters has the proper identification

come election day. If Democrats are smart, they will use the opportunity to ensure that every voter has the proper ID and create the largest get-out-the-vote effort in American History.

Will this be easy? Of course not, but like Lloyd Christmas always says, “So you’re saying there’s a chance?” Let’s get to work.

Don Mohler is the former Baltimore County Executive and President and CEO of Mohler Communication Strategies. He may be reached at don@donmohler.com.(Photos generated by AI)