(PART FOUR, 2024 Campaign Platform)
The PART ONE essay provided a concept of operations for establishing lasting world peace.
PART TWO provided for a simple fix to the illegal immigration crisis.
PART THREE provided a concept that will fix education and race relations.
There are ten current crises that can and should be part of the 2024 Campaign Platform but the Republican National Committee has not published a Platform since 2016 and has no intention of doing so until at least July of this year. Too late, we needed it yesterday!
PART FOUR, VOTER FRAUD.
The 2024 election has the potential to be a threat to America. Mail-in ballots, drop boxes, ballot harvesting and out of date error-ridden voter registration rolls will be in-play and threaten, as a minimum, to further divide the nation and as a worse-case scenario further crumble a critical foundational element that has, until recently, set us apart and above from most of the countries of the world, that is, free and honest elections.
There are two issues here. One is making this subject a part of the 2024 Republican Campaign Platform. But even before that, Republicans need to present to Congress a simple (just a few pages) bill that will immediately reboot the voter registration rolls maintained by all the states.
THE PROBLEM:
The Covid pandemic in 2020 unleashed a tsunami of mail-in voting; understandable. The problem is that the validity of the mail-in ballot is directly linked to the validity of the mail-out ballot. Voter registration rolls are the source of addressing the mail-out ballots and across the country the voter registration rolls are in pathetic condition involving millions of “voters.”
FACTS SUPPORTING THE PROBLEM STATEMENT:
Los Angeles County, the most populous county in the U.S. had a 2022 population of 9,861,224 residents. So far so good, it’s just a big number. Of those 9.9 million folks, about 4.3 million of them are supposedly registered voters. OK so far, what could possibly go wrong? During the 2022 election cycle L.A. County election officials mailed out about 5.7 million vote-by-mail ballots to those 4.3 million registered voters.
September, 2021 Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 37 making California the eighth state in the nation with a law on the books requiring every voter (that is, voter name on the registration rolls) to be mailed a ballot.
The states are in charge of their voting rules which is a good news/bad news situation. States’ rights is a good thing. When taken to an extreme it can be bad, harmful and out of control. There are two distinct voting processes in play going into the 2024 election cycle:
One, though all states offer some form of voting by mail, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, Washinton state and Washington, D.C., now mandate that every registered voter be mailed a ballot ahead of an election by default; it’s called all-mail voting.
The second system in play is request-required mail-in ballot systems, traditionally known as absentee voting. It requires eligible voters to initiate the process of receiving a mail-in ballot. Dozens of states allow voters to mail in their ballots without specifying why they are doing so, but several states, mostly in the South, require voters to provide an “excuse” for mailing in their ballots, forcing more people to vote in person at polling places.
All of the above could be OK if, and this is the big IF, the voter registration rolls were up to date (no dead people), correct (actually living at the recorded address) and are in fact eligible to vote (U.S. citizens).
Fact: across the nation, voter registration rolls need to be correct if mail-in voting is going to be free of potential massive voter fraud.
The mail-out and mail-in voting system has one huge hole in it that can lead directly to voter fraud. The hole has to do with ballot verification. If there is no verifying number (a voter’s voter ID number, a voters “real ID” number or a voter’s social security number, all that remains is to attempt to verify the voters’ signature. That is a subjective process and each individual task is time consuming and somewhere between difficult and impossible. From a timing standpoint it is likely impossible to deal with the mass of ballots arriving at the voting stations near election day.
When there are more names on the county and state voter registration rolls (the source of mail-out) than there are eligible voters in that jurisdiction, then you know there is a train wreck about to happen. Here is a snapshot of the states and counties contributing to the problem. No need to read it, just scan down to get a sense of the magnitude of the problem.
STATES AND COUNTIES WITH VOTER REGISTRATION RATES EXCEEDING 100%
OF ELIGIBLE VOTERS
Alabama: Lowndes County (130%); Macon County (114%); Wilcox (113%); Perry County (111%); Madison County (109%); Hale County (108%); Marengo County (108%); Baldwin (108%); Greene County (107%); Washington County (106%); Dallas County (106%); Choctaw County (105%); Conecuh County (105%); Randolph County (104%); Shelby County (104%); Lamar County (103%); Autauga County (103%); Clarke County (103%); Henry County (103%); Monroe County (102%); Colbert County (101%); Jefferson County (101%); Lee County (100%); Houston County (100%); Crenshaw County (100%)
*Alaska: Statewide (111%)
Arizona: Santa Cruz County (107%); Apache County (106%)
*Arkansas: Newton County (103%)
Colorado: Statewide (102%); San Juan County (158%); Dolores County (127%); Jackson County (125%); Mineral County (119%); Ouray County (119%); Phillips County (116%); Douglas County (116%); Broomfield County (115%); Elbert County (113%); Custer County (112%); Gilpin County (111%); Park County (111%); Archuleta County (111%); Cheyenne County (111%); Clear Creek County (110%); Teller County (108%); Grand County (107%); La Plata County (106%); Summit County (106%); Baca County (106%); Pitkin County (106%); San Miguel County (106%); Routt County (106%); Hinsdale County (105%); Garfield County (105%); Gunnison County (105%); Sedgwick County (104%); Eagle County (104%); Larimer County (104%); Weld County (104%); Boulder County (103%); Costilla County (103%); Chaffee County (103%); Kiowa County (103%); Denver County (103%); Huerfano County (102%); Montezuma County (102%); Moffat County (102%); Arapahoe County (102%); Jefferson County (101%); Las Animas County (101%); Mesa County (100%)
*Florida: St. Johns County (112%); Nassau County (109%); Walton County (108%); Santa Rosa County (108%); Flagler County (104%); Clay County (103%); Indian River County (101%); Osceola County (100%)
*Georgia: Bryan County (118%); Forsyth County (114%); Dawson County (113%); Oconee County (111%); Fayette County (111%); Fulton County (109%); Cherokee County (109%); Jackson County (107%); Henry County (106%); Lee County (106%); Morgan County (105%); Clayton County (105%); DeKalb County (105%); Gwinnett County (104%); Greene County (104%); Cobb County (104%); Effingham County (103%); Walton County (102%); Rockdale County (102%); Barrow County (101%); Douglas County (101%); Newton County (100%); Hall County (100%)
*Indiana: Hamilton County (113%); Boone County (112%); Clark County (105%); Floyd County (103%); Hancock County (103%); Ohio County (102%); Hendricks County (102%); Lake County (101%); Warrick County (100%); Dearborn County (100%)
Iowa: Dallas County (115%); Johnson County (104%); Lyon County (103%); Dickinson County (103%); Scott County (102%); Madison County (101%); Warren County (100%)
*Kansas: Johnson County (105%)
Maine: Statewide (101%); Cumberland County (110%); Sagadahoc County (107%); Hancock County (105%); Lincoln County (104%); Waldo County (102%); York County (100%)
Maryland: Statewide (102%); Montgomery County (113%); Howard County (111%); Frederick County (110%); Charles County (108%); Prince George’s County (106%); Queen Anne’s County (104%); Calvert County (104%); Harford County (104%); Worcester County (103%); Carroll County (103%); Anne Arundel County (102%); Talbot County (100%)
*Massachusetts: Dukes County (120%); Nantucket County (115%); Barnstable County (103%)
*Michigan: Statewide (105%); Leelanau County (119%); Otsego County (118%); Antrim County (116%); Kalkaska County (115%); Emmet County (114%); Berrien County (114%); Keweenaw County (114%); Benzie County (113%); Washtenaw County (113%); Mackinac County (112%); Dickinson County (112%); Roscommon County (112%); Charlevoix County (112%); Grand Traverse County (111%); Oakland County (110%); Iron County (110%); Monroe County (109%); Genesee County (109%); Ontonagon County (109%); Gogebic County (109%); Livingston County (109%); Alcona County (108%); Cass County (108%); Allegan County (108%); Oceana County (107%); Midland County (107%); Kent County (107%); Montmorency County (107%); Van Buren County (107%); Wayne County (107%); Schoolcraft County (107%); Mason County (107%); Oscoda County (107%); Iosco County (107%); Wexford County (106%); Presque Isle County (106%); Delta County (106%); Alpena County (106%); St Clair County (106%); Cheboygan County (105%); Newaygo County (105%); Barry County (105%); Gladwin County (105%); Menominee County (105%); Crawford County (105%); Muskegon County (105%); Kalamazoo County (104%); St. Joseph County (104%); Ottawa County (103%); Clinton County (103%); Saginaw County (103%); Manistee County (103%); Lapeer County (103%); Calhoun County (103%); Ogemaw County (103%); Macomb County (103%); Missaukee County (102%); Eaton County (102%); Shiawassee County (102%); Huron County (102%); Lenawee County (101%); Branch County (101%); Osceola County (101%); Clare County (100%); Arenac County (100%); Bay County (100%); Lake County (100%)
*Missouri: St. Louis County (102%)
*Montana: Petroleum County (113%); Gallatin County (103%); Park County (103%); Madison County (102%); Broadwater County (102%)
*Nebraska: Arthur County (108%); Loup County (103%); Keya Paha County (102%); Banner County (100%); McPherson County (100%)
Nevada: Story County (108%); Douglas County (105%); Nye County (101%)
*New Jersey: Statewide (102%); Somerset County (110%); Hunterdon County (108%); Morris County (107%); Essex County (106%); Monmouth County (104%); Bergen County (103%); Middlesex County (103%); Union County (103%); Camden County (102%); Warren County (102%); Atlantic County (102%); Sussex County (101%); Salem County (101%); Hudson County (100%); Gloucester County (100%)
*New Mexico: Harding County (177%); Los Alamos County (110%)
New York: Hamilton County (118%); Nassau County (109%); New York (103%); Rockland County (101%); Suffolk County (100%)
*Oregon: Sherman County (107%); Crook County (107%); Deschutes County (105%); Wallowa County (103%); Hood River County (103%); Columbia County (102%); Linn County (101%); Polk County (100%); Tillamook County (100%)
Rhode Island: Statewide (101%); Bristol County (104%); Washington County (103%); Providence County (101%)
*South Carolina: Jasper County (103%)
South Dakota: Hanson County (171%); Union County (120%); Jones County (116%); Sully County (115%); Lincoln County (113%); Custer County (110%); Fall River County (108%); Pennington County (106%); Harding County (105%); Minnehaha County (104%); Potter County (104%); Campbell County (103%); McPherson County (101%); Hamlin County (101%); Stanley County (101%); Lake County (100%); Perkins County (100%)
Tennessee: Williamson County (110%); Moore County (101%); Polk County (101%)
Texas: Loving County (187%); Presidio County (149%); McMullen County (147%); Brooks County (117%); Roberts County (116%); Sterling County (115%); Zapata County (115%); Maverick County (112%); Starr County (110%); King County (110%); Chambers County (109%); Irion County (108%); Jim Hogg County (107%); Polk County (107%); Comal County (106%); Oldham County (104%); Culberson County (104%); Kendall County (103%); Dimmit County (103%); Rockwall County (102%); Motley County (102%); Parker County (102%); Hudspeth County (101%); Travis County (101%); Fort Bend County (101%); Kent County (101%); Webb County (101%); Mason County (101%); Crockett County (101%); Waller County (100%); Gillespie County (100%); Duval County (100%); Brewster County (100%)
Vermont: Statewide (100%)
Virginia: Loudoun County (116%); Falls Church City (114%); Fairfax City (109%); Goochland County (108%); Arlington County (106%); Fairfax County (106%); Prince William County (105%); James City County (105%); Alexandria City (105%); Fauquier County (105%); Isle of Wight County (104%); Chesterfield County (104%); Surry County (103%); Hanover County (103%); New Kent County (103%); Clarke County (103%); King William County (102%); Spotsylvania County (102%); Rappahannock County (102%); Albemarle County (101%); Stafford County (101%); Northampton County (101%); Poquoson City (100%); Frederick County (100%)
Washington: Garfield County (119%); Pend Oreille County (112%); Jefferson County (111%); San Juan County (108%); Wahkiakum County (108%); Stevens County (103%); Pacific County (103%); Clark County (102%); Island County (102%); Klickitat County (102%); Thurston County (102%); Lincoln County (101%); Whatcom County (100%); Asotin County (100%)
*West Virginia: Mingo County (104%); Wyoming County (103%); McDowell County (102%); Brooke County (102%); Hancock County (100%).
WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT:
Right now, only a few months from the election, we seem to be in a state of expecting the worst and hoping for the best. Considering the potential downside of contested election results throughout the country, doing nothing is distasteful, irresponsible and cowardly.
Having defined the base of the voter fraud problem as the pathetic state of voter registration rolls throughout the country, while not interfering with states’ rights to define their election processes, the federal government should pass a law right now that mandates two things. First, as of 1 July, 2024 every voter registration roll in every state will become null and void. Secondly every eligible voter who wishes to vote in 2024 must reregister between 1 July and 5 November, 2024; election day. Simply stated, we desperately need a one-time, 100% reboot of the voter registration system.
The law will then go on to specify how the voter will go about proving in person that they are in fact, an eligible voter.
THE REAL ID ACT 2005:
In accordance with that law (finally) on May 7, 2025, U.S. travelers must be REAL ID compliant to board domestic flights in the U.S.
Secure driver’s licenses and personal ID cards are a vital component of our national security framework. The REAL ID Act enacted the 9/11 Commission’s recommendation that the Federal Government “set standards for the issuance of sources of identification, such as driver’s licenses.” Every state is required by this federal law to provide the facilities capable of providing REAL ID drivers licenses or personal ID cards. The applicable parts of that law are:
(1) The person’s full legal name.
(2) The person’s date of birth.
(3) The person’s gender.
(4) The person’s driver’s license or identification card number; critical.
(5) A digital photograph of the person.
(6) The person’s address of principle residence.
(7) The person’s signature.
(8) Physical security features designed to prevent tampering, counterfeiting, or duplication of the document for fraudulent purposes.
(9) A common machine-readable technology, with defined minimum data elements.
(10) An expiration date.
Does anyone believe we should have anything less to prove that we are eligible to vote?
As millions of Americans already know, when you appear to get the REAL ID, you must have in your possession proof of all the above information; birth certificate, U.S. passport, social security card, a current bill addressed to you at your legal address, etc.
Here is how the existing REAL ID law can be used for the voter registration reboot. At some point after 1 July 2024, every eligible voter will appear at a voting office in their area or download their REAL ID data onto an online application form that can be mailed to their local election office. The name, address, expiration date and most importantly the number on the driver’s license or personal ID will be entered into the new state voter registration data base.
It is the number on the ID that will make voter fraud very difficult. As part of this new voter fraud law, every single ballot, either mail-in or in-person voting will have a number on it; a REAL ID number, a Voter ID number if required by that state or a social security number. Every single ballot will have a number on it that directly links it to one eligible voter. Period.
This new law, let’s call it SECURE THE 2024 ELECTION ACT, will also specify that every voting machine in the nation will be updated to reject any ballot that does not contain a voter number, that the number corresponds to a particular individual whose name and address is on the ballot and that the number has not been previously used in that election cycle.
Under this system, part of the on-going process with the voter registration roll is that upon reaching an expiration date, that person will be dropped from the rolls. Also, each time a license or ID is renewed, that data will be automatically forwarded to the state voter registration to put that individual back on the voter rolls. On a continuous basis, this cleans out the dead voters.
THE PERSON WHO DOES NOT WANT TO GET A REAL ID BUT DOES WANT TO VOTE.
The SECURE THE 2024 ELECTION ACT will provide for in-person election day voter registration (to include early in-person voting dates). That voter must present the same documentation required for a REAL ID and present it at the voting venue. The documentation must include a Social Security card and the social security number will become the voter number used on the ballot.
CONCLUSIONS:
What this all boils down to is this question; are eligible citizens at least patriotic enough that they will make the same effort for the right to vote that they would make for eligibility to get on a U.S. airliner?
Biden, the VP and loyal Democrats across the county have called voter ID “racist and discriminatory.” That statement, implying that minorities are incapable of getting a Real ID is , in and of itself, racist.
Whether successful voter fraud helps a democrat or republican candidate is not the issue. The issue is that trusting that our voting system is open and honest safeguards one of the key foundational elements of our great nation and must never be compromised or doubted.
BOTTOM LINE:
This law, SECURE THE 2024 ELECTION ACT, can/should be an easy, quick fix to offset what could/might end up being an election that completely crumbles one of the most sacred foundational elements of this country; free and honest elections.
The basis for this new law is already on the books, THE REAL ID ACT. The states are already performing the functions to produce IDs for eligible voters. Tens of millions of Americans already have a Real ID. All that is needed is a requirement to reboot the voter registration rolls during 2024.
Note to subscribers: If everyone who believes this will be a positive move sends a copy to their Congressperson, perhaps one of them will take the concept and run with it. Thank you.
In the book, FIX THE SYSTEMS, TRANSFORM AMERICA, see Chapter 3, FIX THE VOTER REGISTRATION SYSTEM, for a few more details on how to implement this reform concept.
If you know a candidate for office, please pass this on to them. Thank you.
Marvin L. Covault, Lt Gen US Army, retired, is the author of VISION TO EXECUTION, a book for leaders, FIX THE SYSTEMS, TRANSFORM AMERICA as well as the author of a blog WeThePeopleSpeaking.com.