Double Trouble Editor’s Blog – Talking Points Memo / by David Kurtz

Double Trouble

Editor’s Blog – Talking Points Memo / by David Kurtz / 9h

In Arizona, an key 2020 state, the Republican attorney general is launching a new “election integrity” unit. Among the first hires? A Tea Party voter fraud alarmist.

The AG’s office is taking pains to say that it will not just prosecute voter fraud (reminder: super rare!) but also help to restore public confidence in elections by debunking bogus claims.

You can see again the vicious cycle where those making bogus voter fraud claims (including the president himself) create an environment where “confidence” becomes an issue, and elected officials respond to the supposed climate of concern. It basically rewards those making the most outlandish bad faith voter fraud claims.

But beyond that, it’s important to note the difference between good election administration practices (usually performed by secretaries of state) and the introduction of law enforcement into the mix, as is happening in Arizona. The threat of criminal prosecution for an exceedingly rare crime like voter fraud is a disproportionate response to the small underlying threat, with serious knock-on effects from creating the public perception that there is some risk associated with voting.

All of those concerns would persist even if you stood up the most stalwart, careful, sober election integrity unit. But when you staff it with people who have championed the myth of rampant voter fraud? Come on.

This isn’t hard. You either favor widespread participation in the electoral process and taking reasonable steps to encourage and enable it or you have partisan political reasons for opposing it. The choice is pretty simple.

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