ACLU adds reward to voter ID debate
The American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota contends a proposed constitutional amendment for a voter identification requirement is unnecessary, and it's using a cash reward to emphasize that point.
During a news conference today, ACLU Executive Director Chuck Samuelson offered to pay $1,000 to anyone who could show a recent case of voter impersonation that the ID requirement would have stopped. It has to be a prosecuted case within the past 10 years. Samuelson said he's already certain that there were none during that time frame.
"The bill has it is currently envisioned would not prevent the voter fraud that we know exists, and that is felons who are out of jail but no off parole, who have voted or who have registered to vote," Samuelson said.
Dan McGrath, executive director of the election watchdog group Minnesota Majority, said he's seen evidence of voter impersonation. But McGrath said it is impossible to catch someone who has used a fictitious identify to vote.
"If I go into the polling place, my name is Dan McGrath and I represent myself as Bob Smith, they're now looking for Bob Smith," McGrath said. "They might be able to fugure out there is no Bob Smith, but how are they ever going to find me?"
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