Former Republican state legislator Austin Smith pleaded guilty Monday to what he previously called “ludicrous” charges that he personally forged more than 100 signatures on his petitions for reelection last year.
Former Republican state legislator Austin Smith pleaded guilty Monday to what he previously called “ludicrous” charges that he personally forged more than 100 signatures on his petitions for reelection last year.
Fuck this. He should not be able to see a ballot again in his life.
I think disenfranchising anyone is immoral and counterproductive to a thriving democracy.
But someone who attempted to commit voter fraud should be banned from any position of public trust. Ban him from public office, from the election board, etc. Don’t even let him volunteer as a poll worker.
Normally, I agree with that stance. However, in attempting to subvert an election, he stands to disenfranchise hundreds if not thousands of peoples’ votes. You’re more correct, but I hate the idea of someone like this getting the ability to vote for more people like him into power after he’s already done something so egregious.
Anyway, I don’t disagree with your position, just that this dick weasel is anathema to free and fair elections.
I’m not really sure that I think disenfranchising anyone is cool, but this rubs me wrong.
No American citizen should ever lose their right to vote, for ANY reason, not even incarcerated prisoners. Hell, prisoners probably need governmental representation more than anyone.
These are supposed to be God-given, inalienable rights, according to the Declaration of Independence, so how does a human-conceived entity presume to veto God?
I’m not sure I have a strong opinion for disenfranchising voters, since I believe everyone deserves a right to vote, but there has to be a point at which someone forfeits their own ability to vote? I think cheating the system (and by proxy, other voters) might be a good case for that.
Maybe not fully prevent them from voting, but curtail the means by which they can cast a vote to some minimum. For example, require them to cast an in-person ballot at a pre-defined time and location, under court-appointed supervision.
This would be in addition to being prohibited from running, campaigning, volunteering, or doing anything else in the election process besides cast their single vote.
Especially with the intent to cause the amount of destruction that has already been carried out that was known when the crime occurred
Yeah, campaign fraud is a slice of narrow instances someone should lose their right to participate in democracy.