Bear Pond Conservative Chronicles, Ray Cardello, 5/4/24, Volume 1- 24

I have had my driver’s license ready when I go to the polls to cast my vote for some time now. Longer than it has been required in New Hampshire to vote in any election. I have always believed that the opportunity to vote is one of the most significant rights afforded to citizens in America. And I am proud to present my ID to ensure that my vote is cast by me. It takes so little effort to secure the integrity of my vote.

For generations, there were few options to vote. You showed up in person on Election Day, or if there were extenuating circumstances, you cast an absentee ballot. No electronic voting. Just paper ballots and black pencils. In those days, we felt confident in the election process and knew that only in Chicago did dead people vote!

Voting has become so casual in recent years and only exacerbated by COVID. Absentee ballots are now available for people away from home and anyone who doesn’t want to wait in line on Election Day. Election Day has morphed into Election Week or Month for no significant reason but just because you can. You don’t need to turn your early ballot in at town hall when there are drop boxes all over some towns, like mailboxes. If filling out and delivering your ballot is too taxing, you can call a party worker to help you vote and deliver your ballot for you. This procedure is called ballot harvesting and helps to ruin the election’s credibility.

Many of these voting modifications arose during COVID when people’s mobility was restricted. With COVID in our rearview mirror, there is no need to ease the voting process; ballot harvesting should be stopped, and access to absentee ballots should be rolled back. We need controls on our election system, not rampant opportunities for fraud and abuse.

The Left claims that Voter ID is racist and election interference. These are two separate situations, but both are bogus. There is no foundation that minority groups have more difficult access to legal ID. The Left goes so far as to say that Black people have to travel further to obtain an ID. That is a ridiculous stretch. Adults need ID in America for a plethora of situations. Driving, buying alcohol or tobacco products, cashing a check, and traveling by air are but a few. Blacks use these services as much as their White counterparts. Stop the lousy excuses and get the ID.

The argument for election interference is even a bigger stretch. The number of Black and Brown voters has been increasing exponentially over the last few election cycles. There is no evidence to support the Voter ID inhibits minority voting. None. But there is plenty of evidence supporting voter fraud because of states that do not require IDs to cast your vote.

How about we coalesce and spend our energy on legitimate elections and not ways to bend the rules. If your candidates and policies are strong, you have no need to attack attempts to ensure a fair outcome.