Even a Liberal Democrat "Expert" Agrees - Virginia's Latest Effort at Vote Fraud Goes Too Far

What won’t Virginia Democrats do to promote vote fraud in Virginia?  Unconstitutional orders to enfranchise felons, including those in half way houses or prisons in other states; encouraging election officials to not ask for citizenship or felon status; refusing to clean up the voting rolls; and now allowing “selfies” (a self-portrait photograph, typically taken with a digital camera or camera phone held in the hand) of ballots, via a last-minute Advisory Opinion from the Attorney General.

  

Why is this another tool for vote fraud?  It could lead to vote buying and coercion.  Let’s quote an “election law expert” regarding an election selfie case in New Hampshire:

Similarly, the effectiveness of the selfie ban and the continued occasional prosecutions for vote buying, especially for absentee ballots, show that where there can be verification of how someone voted, this is a real — not theoretical — problem.  [A] picture of a valid voted ballot, unlike a simple expression of how someone voted, is unique in being able to prove how someone voted.  

Indeed, it is hard to imagine a more narrowly tailored law to prevent vote buying. Tell the world you voted for Trump! Use skywriting. Scream it to the heavens. We just won’t give you the tools to sell your vote or get forced to vote one way or another.  

The social-media age gives people plenty of tools for political self-expression. New Hampshire’s law is a modest way to make sure that this patriotic expression does not give anyone the tools to corrupt the voting process.

The expert quoted - Hans von Spakovsky of Heritage?  Ex-DOJ Official Christian Adams?  Another conservative?  Nope, it is noted Democrat party supporter/advocate and Election Law Professor Rick Hasen of Election Law blog.  Of course, since the article was written in 2015 and the current issue is in a target state during an election, Hasen has merely posted links on his blog and remained relatively silent.  Hopefully, Hasen will stand up strongly and decry the Virginia Attorney General's Advisory Opinion and the potential for fraud it creates:

The change certainly opens the door to “vote-buying fraud” and it impacts the privacy of other voters and election workers just who happen to be around the camera.  More importantly, election officials have long warned that allowing voters to take a selfie of their ballot during the voting process will cause long lines of voters waiting to vote, all waiting until the “utter foolishness” plays itself out.

It would be nice if Democrats interested in election administration would just once practice what they preach.