RAMPANT VOTER FRAUD???

Um, not so much, really, according to a 2007 report from the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law School. The report is an exhaustive analysis of voter fraud claims beginning in 2000 and finds that the percentage of actual fraud os a small fraction one percent. Here are a few examples from the report:

Missouri
In some ways, the recent hunt for voter fraud began in Missouri in the 2000 election, the crucible that proved formative for Attorney General John Ashcroft and Senator Kit Bond, among others. Yet despite all the frenzy, the allegations yielded only six substantiated cases of Missouri votes cast by ineligible voters, knowingly or unknowingly, except for those votes permitted by court order. The six cases were double votes by four voters—two across state lines and two within Missouri—amounting to an overall rate of 0.0003%. None of these problems could have been resolved by requiring photo ID at the polls.

New Jersey
Just before the 2005 election, partisan actors attempted to probe the accuracy of New Jersey’s voter rolls by comparing election records for 2004 with death records and with the rolls of other states. The allegations yielded only eight substantiated cases of individuals knowingly casting invalid votes that counted—eight voters who voted twice. Given the number of votes cast in these elections, this amounts to a rate of 0.0004%. None of these problems could have been resolved by requiring photo ID at the polls.

Wisconsin
The 2004 election was hotly contested in Wisconsin, and various irregularities led to inflated claims of widespread fraud. The allegations yielded only seven substantiated cases of individuals knowingly casting invalid votes that counted—all persons with felony convictions. This amounts to a rate of 0.0025% within Milwaukee and 0.0002% within the state as a whole. None of these problems could have been resolved by requiring photo ID at the polls.

In an extremely close election, these fraud rates would be significant but as a matter of fact, they weren't. Of course we should try to minimize fraud but it is not "destroying the fabric of democracy" as McCain and the wingnuts assert.

I'd like to give the AP some credit for exposing McCain's hysteria:

ACORN controversy: Voter fraud or mudslinging?
By DEBORAH HASTINGS, AP National Writer
Sat Oct 18, 12:37 pm ET