Yes, Virginia, there are rules

For some, there has been much weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth over 2 of the presidential candidates not being able to get on the primary ballot in Virginia, scheduled for March 6.  The issue appears to be an internal Republican issue rather than an over-all election issue in Virginia.  Still, rules are rules.

According to Politico:

Ballot access, a longtime bugaboo for third party activists, has suddenly gone mainstream: Newt Gingrich and other serious Republican candidates didn’t get their acts together to meet the onerous requirements for the Virginia ballot, something that could in theory deny them crucial delegates in a long primary.

Maggie Haberman explains:

A Gingrich campaign official prior to the move by the Republican Party of Virginia said the problem is how the rules are set up, arguing that the party is, for apparently the first time, cross-checking the addresses that signature-givers gave against the electronic voter database file for accuracies. A name without a proper address match was tossed, the official said.

“What one needs to ask is ‘what percentage of valid, registered voters self-identify a current address that matches voter rolls that the voter might not have updated since 2008”?  Are you 100 percent certain that your address — you and all of your neighbors’ — matches current voter rolls?  It strikes me that this is not an accurate means to identify registered voters signing for ANY candidate, not just Gingrich,” the official wrote.

This is not a public function; it’s an internal party function. But the practice of checking the voter rolls against existing databases has for years been a Republican cause, in the name of preventing voter fraud and impersonation. And much of the evidence of “fraud” has in fact been petitioning fraud, efforts to get around these very onerous ballot access rules.

It seems that Virginia Republicans are doing their job.  Cross-checking names, addresses against registered voter lists should eliminate much  voter fraud.  Getting Mickey Mouse and George Washington off the ballot should be something we all want, regardless of party affiliation or lack thereof.     The fact that it snagged both Gingrich and Perry should not matter.  They need to follow the rules like everyone else.  

I kept hearing on TV all day yesterday (Faux News) that at least 400 signatures had to be from each of the 11 counties.  This is completely wrong.  Virginia has at least 100 counties.  There had to be at least 400 signatures from each congressional district. 

 Anyone who doesn’t think that there can be voter intimidation must have missed the August 2011 Republican  primary right here in Prince William County.   The fact that one of the owners of this blog had her whereabouts inaccurately reported  while the polls were open speaks volumes about the level that the newly elected  Gainesville supervisor would allow his workers to go to in an attempt to discredit his opponent.  Elena didn’t work the polls for anyone during the primary.  She simply went and voted at her precinct.   For that she was reported on a blog right around lunch time.  That to me is a form of voter intimidation.  (nice work, “ladies”)

Does anyone out there think that the Republicans are playing internal party politics or are they just going by the rules? What of other election rules? I highly resent having to bellow my name and address across the room when going to vote. I have already shown picture ID. Would the poll workers take my name and address on a sheet of paper or must I SAY it? I resent a room full of strangers having access to that information. 

If Virginians don’t have the proper documentation to vote, I believe they may submit a provisional ballot which is sort of ballot.  I don’t find it burdensome to ask for a picture ID.  In fact, voting should be a priviledge and a responsibility.  I have no problem with Virginians being able to obtain a voter  ID  for free from DMV if that is what it takes.  Virginians should also be able to vote absentee with the proper safe-guards.  Perhaps it would be harder to report on a voter’s whereabouts if it were easier to vote absentee.