Kim Strach, director of the North Carolina Board of Elections, presented suggestions to the state House Committee on Elections and Ethics Law Wednesday to prevent the alleged absentee ballot fraud in the 9th District from ever happening again.
Some of her offerings included prepaid postage for absentee ballots, as the expense or hassle of finding a stamp is an “incentive” for ballot collection. She also called for more staff and funding for emergency monitoring and compliance, especially for smaller counties.
Besides the more logistical fixes, Strach suggested imposing stiffer penalties on people who interfere in the election process.
Strach’s board released its findings so far in the 9th District investigation earlier on Wednesday, nearly 50 pages of damning details about how McCrae Dowless, campaign operative for Republican Mark Harris, manipulated the absentee ballot voting process in the 2018 congressional election. The order puts Harris in an extremely unflattering — and possibly criminal — light as well, and promises further action.
May I suggest a minimum of 7 years in the state penitentiary – with no reduction for good behavior, etc. Additionally, the guilty will lose the right to vote for the remainder of their natural lives.
Did she also propose that in the event of a fraudulent election the fraudster forfeits and the actual winner is sworn in?
Because if not the risk / reward ratio still entices Republicans.
She did not, for the as previously discussed here reason that it is too easy to fake an opponent’s cheating or plant a mole with one’s opponent to commit some cheating.
Risk / reward is less important than rigorous enforcement.
The fact is, what Dowless did was already illegal and already carried real penalties. It went undetected until the election was over because the detection and enforcement regime is woefully underpowered.
If justice were swift and sure, we wouldn’t need a billion-year prison term as a disincentive.
Criminals think they won’t get caught. Prove them wrong.
OT:
Does she (whoever that is in the uncaptioned photo) match her hair to every sweater, because that would be cool. And crazy, depending on the sweater.