Bills threaten integrity of Maryland electoral process
RE: "Early voting increases access for Marylanders," May 18
Daily Times
May 25, 2006

I must respond to a recent letter dealing with elections legislation passed by the General Assembly this year.The letter is grossly misleading and does not adequately describe the threats that exist to the integrity of the electoral process.

First, Gov. Robert Ehrlich vetoed a piece of legislation on this issue last year, but because Democrats have become so spoiled and comfortable and because there is no balance of power in Maryland, Democrats in the General Assembly overrode the veto.

Now they want to prevent law-abiding voters from having the final say by trying to thwart petition efforts for a referendum.

Democrats have launched attempt after attempt to have the mantra "vote early, vote often" engraved as part of Maryland law.

If those who walk in lockstep with House Speaker Michael Busch and Senate President Mike Miller get their way, anyone will be able to vote in any precinct in the state, regardless of registration or residency status, without proof of identity. Those ballots will be counted, no questions asked.

The wheels are already in motion.

If a single person can jaunt from polling location to polling location and cast multiple ballots that, according to this legislation, must be counted, and the election is certified by Maryland law before fraud is detected, what has one person done to honest votes cast by others?

The felons to whom Sen. Richard Colburn was said to have referred are the same ones for whom Democrats have made attempt after attempt to regain voting privileges.

Imagine -- convicted rapists, murderers and child molesters casting ballots for sheriffs, judges, state's attorneys, lawmakers and the governor -- the very people who wrote, signed and enforced the laws they broke.

And no, Hillary Spence, unfortunately they aren't all in jail, thanks in large part to Del. Joseph Vallario for blocking passage of a Jessica's law requiring minimum sentencing guidelines for child sexual predators and child rapists.

I guess the next bill will be to place voting machines inside prisons.And how will that work? Will correctional officers have to play election judge and wheel the machine from cell to cell, like an ice cream cart?

I don't know how much easier and more accessible voting can get.Perhaps Spence meant to open her letter with, "Shouldn't fraudulent voting be made easier in the state of Maryland?"

If these laws take effect for this year's elections, it no doubt will be.

Jessica L. Massey

Princess Anne