The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Feb. 27, 2025

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

Three elected officials in the tiny Pennsylvania borough of Millbourne are being arraigned on mail and voter fraud charges relating to a 2021 attempt to manipulate a town mayoral election.

The Delaware County Daily Times reports that two borough council members allegedly recruited willing voters outside the Philadelphia suburb to support a third council member’s write-in campaign for mayor.   The town of 1,200 residents has only 549 registered voters, and one of the highest concentrations of citizens of South Asian descent in the country.  

The three allegedly solicited personal information from the outside voters, then logged in and changed their state voter registration addresses on the state voter information portal to a Millbourne address.   

The Daily Times quoted the indictment as alleging, “In total, defendants Mohammad Nurul Hasan, Mohammad Munsur Ali and Mohammad Rafikul Islam falsely registered nearly three dozen non-Millbourne residents as Millbourne voters and cast ballots for those non-Millbourne residents in the 2021 general election for mayor of Millbourne.” UNQUOTE.  Hasan still lost the election, 165 to 138.

Defendant Islam was arraigned February 25th, and Ali and Hasan face a judge February 27th.   Actual voter fraud remains exceedingly rare nationwide, and even more rarely affects the outcome of elections, despite partisan disinformation. 

Find links to local reporting at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.  Find us on Bluesky social @democracyminute.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

The Delaware County Daily Times –3 Millbourne officials charged federally with voter fraudAssociated Press –  3 politicians are accused of faking mail-in ballots in a 2021 mayoral race in a Philly suburb
Commonwealth of PA – Fact-Checking Pennsylvania-Related Election Claims
Millbourne Borough – Official Website
Brennan Center for Justice – Credible research and investigation demonstrates fraud by voters at the polls is exceedingly rare

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #Millbourne #PennsylvaniaNews #DOJ

The post Town Officials in Tiny PA Town Arraigned After Investigators Unravel Rare Case of Alleged Voter Fraud appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Nov. 12, 2024

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

November 6th, the Mesa County, Colorado district attorney’s office announced charges against two women who allegedly stole mail-in ballots, filled them out and submitted them in an attempt to test the ballot signature verification process.

News site Colorado Politics reports that a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier, Vicki Lyn Stuart, allegedly provided Sally Jane Smith with 16 mail-in ballots intended for citizens in Grand Junction Colorado. 

When county election officials found signature discrepancies, one intended voter contacted by the election office said they had not voted, and another voter, using the state’s ballot tracking system, said the system showed he had voted, when he had not.  Local officials alerted the Colorado Secretary of State’s office, and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation launched an inquiry in late October. 

Smith is accused of filling out and returning the ballots, and faces six counts of felony identity theft, two felony counts of attempting to influence a public servant, and six counts of forgery.    Mail carrier Stuart faces 16 counts of felony identity theft, 16 felony counts of forgery, and attempting to influence a public servant.   If convicted, both women face substantial fines and/or prison time.   Smith is a registered Republican, and Stuart, an independent.

Such election fraud is so infrequent, it rarely if ever affects election outcomes. 

We have links to the detailed local reporting at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

Colorado Secretary of State – Ballot Fraud Scheme Under Investigation in Mesa County
Colorado Newsline – Multiple fraudulent ballots returned in Mesa County, Colorado election officials say
Colorado Politics – Two Mesa County women arrested in alleged fraudulent mail-in ballot scheme
Colorado Newsline – 2 Mesa County women arrested in fraudulent ballot scheme

Brennan Center for Justice – Extensive research reveals that fraud is very rare.

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State

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Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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Are you a radio station?  Find our broadcast files at Pacifica Radio Network’s Audioport and PRX

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #VotebyMail #Colorado #VoterFraudArrests

The post Colorado Women Arrested for Allegedly Stealing and Submitting Mail-In Ballots to ‘Test’ Election Security appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Aug. 28, 2024

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

We have updates on two state stories today.  New reporting suggests Georgia officials may seek to remove State Election Board members for recent fringe rule changes.   And the Texas attorney general is under scrutiny for raids on the homes of pro-democracy LatinX activists.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports that Governor Brian Kemp asked the state’s attorney general for guidance on removing members of the State Election Board, a majority of whom approved new rules allowing county election board members to do their own investigations before certifying elections.  The move was widely seen as a precursor to obstructing the 2024 election results.  The Georgia Democratic Party also filed suit to dispute that decision and other changes they said were “not just unethical, but illegal.”  

The Texas Tribune reports that at least six raids on the homes of a Texas House candidate and voting advocates from the League of United Latin American Citizens, or LULAC, have LatinX civil rights organizations calling for a federal investigation.  What Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office says is the result of a two-year “election fraud” and “vote harvesting” investigation, LULAC’s Texas State Director Gabriel Rosales said was intended to, QUOTE “suppress the Latino vote through intimidation and any means necessary to tilt the electoral process in favor of his political allies.”

We’ll be following both of these stories.   We’ve linked detailed local reporting at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl. 

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

Georgia Secretary of State – Raffensperger Defends Georgia’s Election Integrity Act from Last Minute Changes Delaying Election Results

ProPublica – Officials Voted Down a Controversial Georgia Election Rule, Saying It Violated the Law. Then a Similar Version Passed.

Georgia Recorder – Critics charge GOP Georgia election board members violated state laws in rushed meeting
Georgia Recorder – Congresswoman Lucy McBath, other Dems call for removal of Trump loyalists on Georgia Election Board
Texas Attorney General – Attor­ney Gen­er­al Ken Paxton’s Crim­i­nal Inves­ti­ga­tion Divi­sion Exe­cutes Search War­rants in Frio, Atas­cosa, and Bexar Coun­ties in Ongo­ing Elec­tion Integri­ty Investigation
CBS News – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton raids Latino Democrats’ homes, including those of LULAC members

Texas Tribune – LULAC condemns Paxton’s election fraud raids as “intimidation”

Texas Tribune – Texas Latino leaders label voter fraud investigation “nonsense,” call for federal, state reviews

Texas Tribune – A Fox News host’s debunked election conspiracy appears to have prompted a state investigation

Groups Taking Action:
League of United Latin American Citizens, Fair Fight

Check Your Voter Registration

• U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State
• USA Vote Foundation – Registration, Eligibility, State Election Office Links
• Vote.Gov – Register to Vote in Your State
• Vote.Org – Check Your Registration to Vote
  
  

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #GeorgiaNews #TexasNews #VoterSuppression 

The post Fallout from Georgia State Election Board Decisions; Accusations that Texas AG Paxton’s Raids of LatinX Democracy Activists Were ‘Intimidation’ Tactic appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for April 16, 2024

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

In an announcement April 11th heralded as a major “election integrity” policy proposal, former President Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson announced their intention to require proof of citizenship to vote.  Spoiler alert:  It’s already required.

Citizenship to vote is specified in the 15th Amendment, 19th Amendment, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.   The U.S. Code Title 18 makes it a crime for noncitizens to vote in federal elections.  QUOTE, “It shall be unlawful for any alien to vote in any election held solely or in part for the purpose of electing a candidate for the office of President, Vice President, Presidential elector, Member of the Senate, Member of the House of Representatives . . ” UNQUOTE, and goes on to give exceptions for local elections.   The penalty for violators, the Code states, “Shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than one year, or both.”   

The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 ALSO makes it a crime to submit false citizenship documents, and specifies the U.S. Code just read.

In short, the announcement amounted to a misleading political stunt suggesting voting by immigrants is a widespread voting fraud issue.  It’s not. The conservative Heritage Foundation has found fewer than 50 convictions in the country over two decades, and the Cato Institute found the numbers were so small that no election could be compromised.

We have more at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
States Newsroom/Nebraska Examiner – GOP, Trump build on immigration fears to push voting restrictions in states
Bipartisan Policy Center – Four Things to Know about Noncitizen Voting

Brennan Center for Justice – Noncitizens Are Not Voting in Federal or State Elections — Here’s Why

PBS News Hour – Trump & Johnson Deliver Remarks April 11
NPR – Republicans aim to stop noncitizen voting in federal elections. It’s already illegal
BallotPedia – Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States
Cato Institute – (2020) Noncitizens Don’t Illegally Vote in Detectable Numbers
U.S. Code via Cornell Law – 18 U.S. Code § 611 – Voting by aliens
U.S. Congress via Cornell Law – Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996,
Heritage Foundation – Voter Fraud Database

Groups Taking Action
Brennan Center for Justice, Immigration Policy Center 

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #Misinformation #Disinformation #2024Election

The post Doesn’t U.S. Law Already Prohibit Non-Citizens from Voting in Federal Elections?  Yes, it Does. appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Feb. 22, 2024

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

The election denier group True the Vote is one of the loudest and most aggressive in casting doubt on the 2020 election.  In Georgia, its claims of fraudulent absentee ballots being deposited in drop boxes was used in a documentary, parroted by former President Donald Trump and his allies, and led to the banning of drop boxes in several states.  In a court filing this week, True the Vote said it had no such evidence.

According to the Associated Press, the group filed a complaint with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in 2021, saying it had, quote, “a detailed account of coordinated efforts to collect and deposit ballots in drop boxes across metro Atlanta.” 

The Georgia Board of Elections repeatedly requested the evidence from the Texas-based group, to no avail.  The Board of Elections asked a superior court judge to subpoena the information, resulting in a court filing last week obtained by the Atlanta Journal Constitution.  In response to the subpoena, the group said, QUOTE, “True the Vote has no such documents in its possession, custody or control.”

Such claims fueled the now-debunked documentary, 2000 Mules, and drove state legislatures to limit or eliminate drop boxes.  The alleged “ballot mules” shown were legitimate voters or family members delivering ballots.  Twelve states have since banned drop boxes, and many others have made absentee voting more difficult.   

We have more reporting linked at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Georgia Recorder – Georgia election board dismisses claims of ‘ballot harvesting’ in 2020 election
USA Today – Fact check: Georgia investigation into alleged ballot harvesting is not evidence of election fraud

American Democracy Minute – Defamation Lawsuit Against Producers of Debunked Drop Box Fraud Film “2000 Mules” Can Proceed in Georgia Court Ruling
Kansas Reflector – States target ballot drop boxes in fight over voting rights
Movement Advancement Project – State Policies on Drop Boxes
Associated Press – Election officials sue conservative voting group over refusal to produce ballot-harvesting evidence
Associated Press – Conservative group tells judge it has no evidence to back its claims of Georgia ballot stuffing
PBS NewsHour – How 2020 election denialism became a litmus test for the GOP

Groups Taking Action:
Fair Fight Action,  All Voting is Local Georgia, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Showing Up for Racial Justice, ACLU Georgia

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Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #ElectionDeniers #Georgia #ProtectElections

The post True the Vote’s Claim of Evidence of 2020 Ballot Stuffing in Georgia Were . . . Not True appeared first on American Democracy Minute.