February 14, 2012

There are 1.8 million dead people registered to vote in the United States — and 24 million invalid/inaccurate registrations.

A Pew Center study finds. This doesn't mean anyone actually votes in their name, just that the names are in the registries.

53 comments:

Rusty said...

One million signatures my ass.


Why lie?

Matt Sablan said...

The appearance of impropriety is often just as bad as the actual impropriety.

Remember when that rule governed behavior?

Peter said...

JFK's extremely narrow victory over Nixon in 1960 was clinched by the heavy turnout of Democratic voters in several Chicago cemeteries.

Big Mike said...

This doesn't mean anyone actually votes in their name ...

Just in Chicago and Madison, one presumes.

Patrick said...

In fairness, when I die, de-registering" will not be among my priorities.

Amexpat said...

The archaic US election registration system is very inefficient and subject to fraud.

Much better to have a central registry of all citizens in the US and no requirement to register to vote. When someone wants to vote, they show up at an election locale with proper ID and that name is checked and crossed off from a central registry.

You could also use the same registry to "sign" your name online to candidates on the ballot.

MadisonMan said...

Almost 2.5 million people died in 2010. Is it surprising their names haven't been expunged immediately from voter rolls?

I'm pretty certain my Mom is still registered to vote in PA -- and she's been dead since this past summer. The wheels of bureaucracy turn slowly.

pm317 said...

This doesn't mean anyone actually votes in their name, just that the names are in the registries.

Haha.. yes they do. In Cook county Chicago.

damikesc said...

I'm sure with our rigorous ID requirements to vote, we can say, with any measure of certainty, that they do not vote.

Oh, wait...

Almost 2.5 million people died in 2010. Is it surprising their names haven't been expunged immediately from voter rolls?

Doesn't really help build legitimacy for our election system, does it?

We have millions who are registered to vote who are dead and a party that vigorously opposes any requirement to ID yourself when you vote...and nobody can explain why it's so evil to ID yourself.

Outside of this army of the poor and minorities who don't use any form of checks for any reason, who have never bought alcohol in their lives, have never driven in their lives...you know, the "99%"

Tibore said...

Well, what's the big surprise? They won't even verify identity for live humans at the polls, so there shouldn't be any surprise that prior lists of registered voters have out of date entries. After all, I've never heard of any mechanism for removing the deceased from voter registrations.

And yes, that does open the door to abuse. That's probably a good follow-up project for the Pew Center. Or the press. Or academia.

gk1 said...

I am interested in why the dead vote for the democrats in such heavy numbers? The republicans should do more to court that vote if they have any chance of unseating obama this year.

bgates said...

Why have a registry at all? We've established why an ID requirement would be a bad idea; it would be eerily reminiscent of Jim Crow to require a black person to present a photo of himself before voting to reelect Barack Obama, and vast numbers of the poor could never afford the expense of a photograph (especially since the evil Catholics aren't buying birth control for them). But isn't a registry more of the same? Providing a name to an authority figure is exactly the kind of demeaning power play that usually happens to an African-American during a traffic stop, and historically happened to African-Americans suspected of being fugitive slaves probably.

I just don't think these pushy white (I'm assuming) precinct workers have any business demanding very personal information from people who just want to be able to participate in American democracy.

While we're at it, we might as well eliminate the laws against voter fraud, since every reliable journalist in the business from Media Matters to Organizing for America assures me that nobody ever commits those offenses.

James said...

This post is a dog whistle for Garage...


As James O'Keefe recently demonstrated in New Hampshire, its relatively easy to register and vote using a deceased person's name.

MadisonMan said...

I think a more useful metric (harder to gauge, but still) would be how many people have been dead 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, etc., on the rolls? One assumes an exponential decrease rapidly approaching zero.

Obligatory video of voter collection in Chicago.

damikesc said...

With the government, assuming basic competence is generous. Have an outside firm handle it on a contract basis

bagoh20 said...

How do we explain that the most important decisions we make, which are based on a worshiped right, are so poorly managed.

It's like somebody wants to cheat. Now, who would be fighting against cleaning up such a stupid system, because I would bet they are the cheaters.

Rusty said...

MadisonMan said...
Almost 2.5 million people died in 2010. Is it surprising their names haven't been expunged immediately from voter rolls?


There are 1.8 million dead people registered to vote in the United States — and 24 million invalid/inaccurate registrations."



Registered AFTER they were dead. See the difference? Being a democrat there might not be much of a distinction to you, but there is.

karrde said...

The easiest way for someone to impersonate a dead person for voting purposes is to request an absentee ballot in the dead person's name.

The next easiest way for a someont to impersonate a dead person for voting purposes is for the impersonator to show up at an election station that allows voting without Photo ID, and in a district large enough that the poll-workers don't personally know everyone in the district.

I speak as someone who has worked as an election-inspector in the State of Michigan, both before and after Michigan's Voter ID law.

Tyrone Slothrop said...

Thank goodness Mickey Mouse is still alive.

Fen said...

So this is what Democracy looks like?

edutcher said...

What?

You expect the Democrats to throw out all those perfectly good names?

I thought all you Conservatives hated government waste?

Ann Althouse said...

This doesn't mean anyone actually votes in their name, just that the names are in the registries.

She really is a sweet innocent, isn't she, Meade?

Matthew said...

The appearance of impropriety is often just as bad as the actual impropriety.

Remember when that rule governed behavior?


Only if it's a Republican or Conservative.

WV "thickle" When someone teases your bottom.

I ♥ Willard said...

Registered AFTER they were dead. See the difference?

What are you getting at here? Do you want to hold dead people responsible for still being registered after they pass away? Do you want to imprison or fine them?

Thorley Winston said...

I am interested in why the dead vote for the democrats in such heavy numbers?

It’s simple really – Republicans are generally pro-gun and a shot to the head is the best way to put down a zombie for good. Unless you’re Daryl, in which case a crossbow bolt is all you really need.

MadisonMan said...

Registered AFTER they were dead

Where are you getting that from? Not from the linked-to article that concerns the problem of registered voters who have died. That kinda thing happens with alarming frequency.

Did I miss a linked-to article about dead people registering to vote?

Original Mike said...

"One assumes an exponential decrease rapidly approaching zero."

That "one" would be you.

shiloh said...

Speaking of political dead men walking ...

Rasmussen Reports:

Obama 49, Romney 42 Obama +7

Obama 49, Santorum 41 Obama +8

Hence, therefore, ergo not much difference between clueless, can't get no love mittens and clueless, self-righteous, extreme conservative Santo.

Oh yea, the conservatives fav pollster has Obama job approval 51/47.

Interesting conundrum for :zzzz: mittens and Santo, whereas :zzzz: mavericky McCain picked mama grizzly as his v-p to bring a pulse to his on life support campaign, don't see close to the vest mittens or conservative Santo thinking out of the box re: their v-p pick.

Their not being any "exciting" Rep v-p picks out there anyways, notwithstanding.

But lets not put the cart before the horse as mittens/Santo continue to sling mud at each other :D while Obama continue to look presidential.

edutcher said...

2 1/2 weeks old don't count.

Zero's numbers are going down.

damikesc said...

Oh yea, the conservatives fav pollster has Obama job approval 51/47.

...until the GOP in Congress goes with what is apparently their plan now.

Give Obama whatever he wants. Let him spend whatever billions he wants. Don't offset the payroll tax cuts and all. Want to increase spending on more soon-to-fail green companies? Cool. Let's do that.

Then, in September --- well, looks like we hit the debt ceiling earlier than expected.

Would make it hard for Obama to explain his record when the MASSIVE hikes we had in 2009 and 2011 weren't sufficient for his sheer volume of spending.

...or he'd best hope the Dems in the Senate kill the spending, which makes him such a prolifigate spender that even his own party can't stand by it.

Chase said...

This doesn't mean anyone actually votes in their name, just that the names are in the registries.

"Anyone" Bullshit.

Seriously Professor. If you mean that, you have lost your fucking mind.
Absolutely Serious.

Oh . . . you were using hyperbole . . . I get it now.

shiloh said...

edutcher, the polls are recent, but as always, keep hope alive! as it's early :-P

>

damikesc, why so bitter? Rhetorical.

Chase said...

This just in:

Democrats today introduces legislation to preserve the rights of dead and invalid voters. It will be a companion to legislation determined to give the right to vote to all non-American citizens of any country in the world - except Israel and South Africa - the right to vote in American elections.

World Peace!
L.U.V. Madonna!

MadisonMan said...

That "one" would be you.

True, I assume the best in people. That's one reason I really disliked reading Lord of the Flies in 9th grade. Why assume the worst? What's it get you?

And yet I'm completely cynical!

wv: expeeple

Christopher in MA said...

But remember, there are no substantiated cases of voter fraud in America. Garage has assured us that's so.

In other news, General Francisco Franco is still dead and there are no American tanks in Baghdad.

I ♥ Willard said...

Willard may not be soaring in the polls at the moment, but that's all part of his top secret plan. Unlike Ricky, Newt, Herm, and the dumb Rick, Willard doesn't want to peak too early. He wants to romance the electorate properly.

Today Willard will be sending an appropriately sweet Valentine's Day card to America, and sometime in March, Willard and the electorate will enter the hand-holding stage of their relationship. When summertime rolls around, Willard and America will be going steady. Willard and America will become officially engaged on the 6th of November and will finally tie the knot in January 2013.

America may have a few more dates with Ricky, but the relationship is going sour. I predict that by the end of February, America won't even be answering Ricky's texts anymore.

edutcher said...

shiloh said...

edutcher, the polls are recent, but as always, keep hope alive! as it's early :-P

1/27 - 2/13 = 2 1/2 weeks.

And somebody get him a bib. He's drooling again.

MadisonMan said...

1/27 - 2/13 = 2 1/2

Is this some kind of new math?

:)

John Burgess said...

But, but... when I'm in Heaven, I'll know so much more! I'll be a better-informed voter. My votes will be for the very best candidate, always!

Why must we always go for the lowest common denominator?

shiloh said...

Repeating for my little friend, edutcher:

Rasmussen Reports ~ 2/11 - 2/13 ~ 1500 LV ~ 51/47 +4

take care, blessings

Rusty said...

I ♥ Willard said...
Registered AFTER they were dead. See the difference?

What are you getting at here? Do you want to hold dead people responsible for still being registered after they pass away? Do you want to imprison or fine them?


No. Just the people who register them after they're dead.

I ♥ Willard said...

No. Just the people who register them after they're dead.

Oh, I get it now... you didn't read the article.

Moral: Commenting on an article you didn't read can make you look very foolish!

shiloh said...

"you didn't read the article"

And even after reading, many of Althouse's troops have trouble comprehending. It's really sad!

I ♥ Willard said...

And even after reading, many of Althouse's troops have trouble comprehending. It's really sad!

Well then, it's a good thing you and I are here to help them along.

Nathan Alexander said...

@shiloh,
After the preference cascade hits on Election Day 2012, you can console yourself with cherry-picked approval polls.
Do you really think it will make you feel much/any better?

cubanbob said...

Well we now know what margin of victory will be for the democrats.

shiloh said...

"Well then, it's a good thing you and I are here to help them along."

Indeed, as we are both empathetic to their shortcomings.

>

NA

I'm just trying to fit in ;) as Althouse's flock posts negative Obama/Dem polls 24/7.

In any event, Althouse and Meade have already decided the race (10) and (19) mos. out respectively.

Oh wait!

traditionalguy said...

That's spooky. Did they die first?

Jose_K said...

Welcome to the tird worls. We have registerd 110 yo people. Three Superman, Batman, Hitler and Tarzan in our registry.( At least one Superman is real)

damikesc said...

damikesc, why so bitter? Rhetorical.

No bitterness at all. I think it's brilliant. Give Obama everything he wants and have him explain why the deficit is so massive. Heck, let him jack up taxes and kill the economy JUST as gas prices spike up by the expected 60 cents a gallon this year.

Then campaign against him and the do-nothing Democratic Senate. Slam them mercilessly. Every interview should have multiple attacks on both. If a reporter asks how a child is doing, respond with "thousands more in debt against their will thanks to the President and his policies".

Michael said...

damikesc: Debt is meaningless to the left. The poor who could not afford debt were lured off the streets by the evil bankers who made them buy homes they could not afford using debt they could not repay. Obama and his party are anxious to help the poor borrowers who were tricked into the mortgages. Forget debt, debt is right wing bullshit to these people.

Even the dead voters cringe at this administration

damikesc said...

damikesc: Debt is meaningless to the left. The poor who could not afford debt were lured off the streets by the evil bankers who made them buy homes they could not afford using debt they could not repay. Obama and his party are anxious to help the poor borrowers who were tricked into the mortgages. Forget debt, debt is right wing bullshit to these people.

I am aware that if Obama decided to rape nuns, he'd still get a solid 40% of the vote.

This should be targeted at the "undecideds", who don't seem capable of a rational decision.

Let him spend untold MORE billions, ask him how his promise of his stimulus being a net reduction in spending (which he very much promised in one of his debates with McCain), and then start to unload on him about everything.

Put it all out in the limelight.

Fast & Furious should be mentioned anytime a Republican is seen on television. Solyndra should be mentioned even more than Enron was mentioned in 2000. Keystone should be brought up incessantly. And the 3 biggest debt ceiling hikes in history should be tied around his head.

The President is brutally weak and the media is going to bend over backwards to save him as he seems to help provide a lot of them jobs in his administration. Ruin their plans by making it impossible to avoid discussing these issues.

"Obama's policies directly killed hundreds of Mexicans and a US border agent" would play quite well on a channel like Univision, I'd imagine. Appear on business channels and harp on Solyndra constantly --- or any of the OTHER green companies he funded and politically ran.

Put it all out there. If he still wins, then this country is boned. We best pray for a Republican Senate because Obama appponting another SCOTUS justice is a terrifying idea. His first two have been mediocrities. The next one? Based on track records so far, likely will be actively terrible.

shiloh said...

"Debt is meaningless to the left."

hmm

wildswan said...

There's a disregard for votes and also for how the recall petitions were done
The recall petitions swear that the circulator "knew [the signers] respective residences given". This is impossible in those cases where the circulator turned in 3 or 4 petition sheets all dated the same day which include persons from many different zip codes. If this kind of petition was disallowed there would not be enough signatures for the recall to go forward because the big city petitions look like this - especially Madison. But the GAB is disregarding it.

Clyde said...

Necro-Americans are people, too!

(And reliable Democrat voters as well...)