Birth Certificates and Voting

Ben Smith's blog entry Missouri Republicans push birth certificate questions to oppose 'tyranny' reports on members of Missouri's state legislature supporting a state constitutional amendment reading:

For candidates who are required by the Constitution of the United States to be natural born citizens, the secretary of state shall request an official copy of the candidate’s birth certificate. Other certifications, such as a certificate of live birth, shall not be accepted. Should any candidate fail to provide an official birth certificate within thirty days of the request by the secretary of state, his or her name shall not be placed on the ballot.

This potential amendment is under attack from those of liberal persuasion charging that this amendment stems from nothing more than conspiracy theorist charges that President Obama is not a natural born citizen, but let's look at the amendment. What it says is that for candidates who are required by the U.S. Constitution to be born on U.S. soil that the Secretary of State shall request an official copy of their record of birth and that record of being born in the United States be delivered to the Secretary of State within 30 days of the Secretary requesting it. Aside from what may have sparked the support for this amendment, it requires that candidates "officially" prove that they fulfill those requirements. What is the down side to that?

I would suggest to MO representatives that they are probably going about this the wrong way albeit that I have no problem with the amendment. Singling out the natural born citizen requirement invites opposition from those who would say that is just the latest chapter in the conspiracy theorist nut-ball attacks on the President. What MO representatives should be combating is general election reform in addition to this amendment. How many stories were there in the last few elections about voting fraud? Wherever there is an important state in national elections, groups like ACORN and lawyers descend to that state in order to boost the vote for their candidate and to get the votes they don't like thrown out by the courts. How many times do we here of possible fraud in elections? I have no doubt that people are voting more than once, undesired votes (apposed to improper votes) are thrown out, or people who are not eligible to vote are voting. I think that our voting process needs an overhaul to prevent fraud or at least the appearance of fraud.

We often hear lately of the importance of confidence in the market place. How about the voting booth? We need to make sure beyond any doubt that 1) the people who are candidates for offices are eligible to serve and 2) the people placing votes are eligible to place them. Since I live in Tennessee, here is what I would suggest for Tennessee.

Combating Illegal Voters:

Every American has a voter registration card. Lets make everyone reapply for voting eligibility every year. Here is what you will have to provide:

1. Proof that your body is linked to the name you will use to vote.
2. Proof of United States Citizenship.
3. Proof you are a resident of your state.
4. Proof you are a resident of your voting district.
5. Proof you have obtained the correct age or other qualifications to vote.
   
6. A voting database to reference applications for voting to compare the name you are applying with to names being applied for in other states and also names of deceased.
7. Failure to satisfy these requirements means you do not have the privilege of voting
8. Every new cycle, the voting "roster" is purged; to vote in a subsequent election requires reapplication.

Combating Vote Tampering:

1. I am very suspicious of electronic voting. We have so many problems with computer systems. I believe that the ease at which the 1's & 0's can be manipulated may prove too tempting to resist. With paper ballots, although more resource & time consuming, the ease and temptation to tamper with election results would be dramatically less. -- How many of you have seen what computer code is used to tally the votes? How many of you would understand that code even if you saw it? How many of you can count a stack of papers? See my point?
   
2. At least, a percentage of votes should be selected at random and audited to check for the accuracy in maintaining a sound and accurate voting process.
3. The results of such audits should be published.
   

Combating Illegal Candidates:

1. Create an office (and this may already exist) where anyone who would like to be on the ballot must prove with official documents their fulfillment of the requirements to the office for which their candidacy will seek. Age and country of birth requirements could be met with a copy of their birth certificate for example.
2. Requirements and fulfillment of those requirements by candidates will be published.
   

Combating Corruption by increasing barriers to serve:

1. I have very little patience for corruption especially in government. I figure if you are going to seek the power of government, your taxes should be audited. If you don't pay your taxes properly, you shouldn't have the power to influence how much the rest of us pay. Not only do I think this should apply to elected officials, but also to appointed ones as well.
2. Background Checks. If you can't purchase a gun without one, you cannot seek an office or be appointed to a position which has the power to wield the power of government. Let me remind you that the power of government and lethal force are one in the same.

If we don't have control of our elections, the people have no power or voice. Transparency is crucial to this process, and election policy must be oriented in the prevention of fraud from either voter, candidate, or elected official.


Really agree with what you read? Really disagree? Somewhere in the middle?....Let yourself be heard in the comments!
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