# Voter fraud charged in CO **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [March 23, 2017, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voter-fraud-charged-in-co/782865 "2017-03-23T21:24:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Anny\_Middon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc79bd/32.png) [@Anny\_Middon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anny_Middon)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voter-fraud-charged-in-co/782865/1 "2017-03-23T21:24:25Z")
(Apologies if this has already been posted.) The former GOP chairman of Colorado has [been charged with voter fraud.](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/03/22/ex-colo-gop-leader-said-only-democrats-committed-voter-fraud-now-hes-charged-with-voter-fraud/?utm_term=.dd69a8aea410) In an ironical twist, Curtis said on a talk show that virtually every case of voter fraud was committed by Democrats. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voter-fraud-charged-in-co/782865/2 "2017-03-23T22:56:00Z")
I’m sure Republican politicians will be tripping over themselves in an attempt to make an example of this guy, and push for the toughest sentencing if he’s convicted. Because Republicans are “tough on crime” and really really hate voter fraud. I hear it’s the principle, nothing racial. They just really really **really** hate voter fraud. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voter-fraud-charged-in-co/782865/3 "2017-03-23T23:20:29Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > I’m sure Republican politicians will be tripping over themselves in an attempt to make an example of this guy, and push for the toughest sentencing if he’s convicted. Because Republicans are “tough on crime” and really really hate voter fraud. I hear it’s the principle, nothing racial. They just really really **really** hate voter fraud. Whoosh? I suspect they will distance themselves from him, and that Curtis will give the ‘excuse, defense’ that he knew how his x-wife would vote, and was just doing it for her. Or that it was just a misunderstanding. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voter-fraud-charged-in-co/782865/4 "2017-03-23T23:23:38Z")
My dad used to say that those who mistrust the most should be trusted the least. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voter-fraud-charged-in-co/782865/5 "2017-03-23T23:25:12Z")
Yeah, no whoosh. I was being entirely sarcastic. But from what I hear, Republicans really do hate voter fraud. It’s like a threat to democracy or something. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voter-fraud-charged-in-co/782865/6 "2017-03-23T23:36:26Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > Whoosh? > > I suspect they will distance themselves from him, and that Curtis will give the ‘excuse, defense’ that he knew how his x-wife would vote, and was just doing it for her. Or that it was just a misunderstanding. FoxNews will identify him as a Democrat. Problem solved. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2017, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voter-fraud-charged-in-co/782865/7 "2017-03-24T00:48:00Z")
Quote from the linked article in the OP: > [@](#): > > “I expect any day now that I’m going to be getting my ballot in the mail,” Curtis said. “This is one year I’m gonna jump right on it. I’m gonna make sure that if I get hit by a bus in the next 30 days that my vote for Donald Trump is already in the system.” I thought that if he died before election day, his vote would be pulled. Is that wrong? ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2017, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voter-fraud-charged-in-co/782865/8 "2017-03-24T10:32:29Z")
> [@Yllaria](#): > > I thought that if he died before election day, his vote would be pulled. Is that wrong? Technically, that’s not wrong. A dead person’s vote should not count. I don’t know of anywhere that scours the obituaries to make sure they are not counted though. It doesn’t happen enough to make a difference, really. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2017, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voter-fraud-charged-in-co/782865/9 "2017-03-24T11:22:21Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > My dad used to say that those who mistrust the most should be trusted the least. “It’s not secret that a liar won’t believe anyone else.” -Bono ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2017, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voter-fraud-charged-in-co/782865/10 "2017-03-24T13:50:06Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > Technically, that’s not wrong. A dead person’s vote should not count. I don’t know of anywhere that scours the obituaries to make sure they are not counted though. It doesn’t happen enough to make a difference, really. I have a vague memory of the subject coming up in a previous voter fraud thread, but don’t remember the details. This is exactly the sort of voter fraud that I think is most likely to be going on, btw. Although I’d expect it to mostly happen when an elderly person’s ballot arrives automatically after they’ve had a decline. Voting for an ex who’s moved, but is still in the state, is kind of ballsy. Also stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Chisquirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@Chisquirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chisquirrel)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2017, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voter-fraud-charged-in-co/782865/11 "2017-03-24T13:53:30Z")
This is my surprised face…A month after the election, there were 4 cases of certain voter fraud. This makes it 5. You get three guesses on the political affiliation of the majority of those, but the first two don’t count. This guy does seem to be a special kind of hypocritical asshole, though. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2017, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voter-fraud-charged-in-co/782865/12 "2017-03-25T15:58:59Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > Technically, that’s not wrong. A dead person’s vote should not count. I don’t know of anywhere that scours the obituaries to make sure they are not counted though. It doesn’t happen enough to make a difference, really. It depends on the state. In Florida, Tennessee, Texas, California, Ohio, and West Virginia, for instance, the vote is counted so long as the person was alive when the vote was postmarked. Other states are different. In South Dakota, for instance, the Board of Health has to give each county a list of registered voters who died each month, which is used to update voter registration. This information is all courtesy of Slate’s Explainer, which can be found here: > **[Does an absentee voter count if she dies before Election Day?](https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2008/05/does-an-absentee-voter-count-if-she-dies-before-election-day.html)** > > At the conclusion of her victory speech in Charleston, W.Va., on Tuesday night, Hillary Clinton told the story of a supporter named Florence Steen,... ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2017, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voter-fraud-charged-in-co/782865/13 "2017-03-25T19:27:06Z")
Ironically, this won’t hurt the “There is voter fraud in America” camp, because, even if it’s Republicans committing voter fraud, it will still draw public attention to the issue of voter fraud. So even though it’s a Pyrrhic victory (or Pyrrhic defeat?) for the GOP, it will still put “voter fraud” in the headlines, which is what the Voter-ID camp wants. ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2017, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voter-fraud-charged-in-co/782865/14 "2017-03-25T20:58:31Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > … the GOP, it will still put “voter fraud” in the headlines, which is what the Voter-ID camp wants. This even though it like most instances of voter fraud are exactly the type that voter-ID won’t help because it’s with mail in ballots. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2017, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voter-fraud-charged-in-co/782865/15 "2017-03-25T21:54:00Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Ironically, this won’t hurt the “There is voter fraud in America” camp, because, even if it’s Republicans committing voter fraud, it will still draw public attention to the issue of voter fraud. So even though it’s a Pyrrhic victory (or Pyrrhic defeat?) for the GOP, it will still put “voter fraud” in the headlines, which is what the Voter-ID camp wants. The important thing is to remember: **Voter ID laws do nothing to stop fraudsters like this**. ---
**Author:** ![Thing\_Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@Thing\_Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing_Fish)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2017, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voter-fraud-charged-in-co/782865/16 "2017-03-26T08:39:44Z")
Wow, a Republican Party official turned out to be a hypocritical, law-breaking. lying asshole? WHO COULD HAVE POSSIBLY IMAGINED?:eek: ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2017, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voter-fraud-charged-in-co/782865/17 "2017-03-27T14:17:05Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > The important thing is to remember: **Voter ID laws do nothing to stop fraudsters like this**. Yes, but the average voter may not realize that. He/she may just see, “Person caught committing vote fraud” and think “That’s it, we need voter ID.” ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2017, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voter-fraud-charged-in-co/782865/18 "2017-03-27T15:13:30Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > It depends on the state. In Florida, Tennessee, Texas, California, Ohio, and West Virginia, for instance, the vote is counted so long as the person was alive when the vote was postmarked. Other states are different. In South Dakota, for instance, the Board of Health has to give each county a list of registered voters who died each month, which is used to update voter registration. > > This information is all courtesy of Slate’s Explainer, which can be found here: > > [Does an absentee voter count if she dies before Election Day?](http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2008/05/can_a_dead_woman_vote.html) Thanks. I should have expected that it would vary. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2017, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voter-fraud-charged-in-co/782865/19 "2017-03-27T19:38:45Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Yes, but the average voter may not realize that. He/she may just see, “Person caught committing vote fraud” and think “That’s it, we need voter ID.” Right. That’s why it’s important to remember it in talking about it. It’s very hard for me to believe that the Republican drive for Voter ID laws is motivated by anything approaching a sincere concern for electoral integrity. I absolutely suspect that they’ll try to spin stories like this in exactly the way you’re suggesting folks’ll understand them. It’s incumbent on honest folk not to go along with such spin, and to mention at every turn that the sort of voter fraud that appears to occur for real is the sort that’s not stopped by Voter ID laws. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2017, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voter-fraud-charged-in-co/782865/20 "2017-03-27T20:42:44Z")
I don’t see it as much of anything at all. Shouldn’t have done it, true, but its one damn vote. The disapproval generated by the revelation is likely more than enough punishment. I would expect to hear more about the liberal hypocrisy of howling about this while we bus thousands of Ukranians from polling place to polling place. I know, it used to be Mexicans. That was then, this is now. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voter-fraud-charged-in-co/782865.md?page=2)