GSPM Blog

The Iranian election fiasco reminds us that all democracies have operational problems in managing fault-free elections.  Not to equate our problems with what appears to be massive and systematic fraud on the part of the Iranian government, but we all remember Florida in 2000 and Ohio in 2004 and Minnesota in 2008.  Here  in the US, voter fraud and voter suppression constitute major ethical (and legal) problems for political managers who will cross the line in an all-out effort to win at the polls. 

The result of their actions systematically undercuts the essential legitimacy of our political institutions.  Republicans firmly believe there is rampant voter fraud, as John Fund argues in Stealing Elections.  Democrats charge that the "ballot integrity" efforts are nothing short of organized efforts to suppress turnout among loyal Democratic constituencies. 

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