CBS:
A CBS4 investigation has found multiple cases of dead men and women voting in Colorado months and in some cases years after their deaths, a revelation that calls into question safeguards designed to prevent such occurrences.
“We do believe there were several instances of potential vote fraud that occurred,” said Colorado Secretary of State Wayne Williams after reviewing the CBS4 findings. “It shows there is the potential for fraud.”
The cases of dead men and women casting ballots ranged from El Paso County in southern Colorado to Denver and Jefferson County. CBS4 discovered the fraudulent voting by comparing databases of voting histories in Colorado against a federal death database.
The CBS4 investigation has triggered criminal investigations in El Paso and Jefferson counties along with a broad investigation by the Colorado Secretary of State’s office.
“It’s not a perfect system. There are some gaps,” acknowledged Williams.
One of the most glaring cases was that of Sara Sosa in Colorado Springs. She died on Oct. 14, 2009. However, CBS4 uncovered voting records that showed ballots cast for Sosa in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013. Her husband, Miguel, died on Sept. 26, 2008. But CBS4 unearthed records showing that a vote was cast in his name the next year, 2009.
“That’s illegal,” said El Paso County Clerk and Recorder Chuck Broerman, who called the CBS4 findings “very serious.”
“I was shocked and surprised at this,” said Broerman. “This cannot happen. We cannot have this here or anyplace in our country. Our democracy depends on it. People have spilled their blood for the values and underpinnings and beliefs of this country.”
How is it “racist” to require a valid photo ID to vote, but not racist to require a valid photo ID to cash a check, buy alcohol, or get on a plane?
Since I live in Colorado, if this was the case, it would be a very large story in the state. It is not a large story. It is not to say it didn’t happen, but I do have an issue with saying it’s impact is wide-ranging. CBS4 in Denver is notorious for exaggerating some of their stories since they are the third-rated TV station in the market, sometimes the fourth-rated station.
Also, this not an issue of a requiring a photo ID. When you vote a mail-in ballot, you must submit your driver’s license, or state ID, number. And, they do cross-check with the DMV. Leave that off, the ballot is invalidated.
@David: So it’s ok with you if dead people vote. Several states have been determined by dead people in the past. Lyndon Johnson got elected US Rep the first time by dead people.
@David: If a dead person’s vote was the opposite of your vote, your vote was illegally voided.
It’s not so much that this happens; what is more telling is WHO objects to the problem being corrected.
@Redteam @bill –
Both of you have missed the point I’m trying to get across. My point is: election fraud does happen in Colorado, but it is not on the scale as CBS4 Denver would like you to believe. We are not Chicagoland. When my mom passed away this past March, her voter registration, her state ID was automatically voided. My dad nor I didn’t have to call various agencies to get it done. In Colorado, the agencies do monitor those who have died as they come through the ME offices statewide.
And, Bill, I’m not objecting to the problem to being corrected. The Secretary of State’s office does quite a good job at monitoring the voter rolls – in knowing who’s dead, who may be registered in another state, etc. – and they’ve become more assertive. I’m glad they’re doing it. CBS4 Denver is peddling a story saying the election system has lax enforcement.
Is our system, in Colorado, perfect? No, but at least they are making an effort to keep it clean as possible.
@David: I’m not implying YOU object to the corrective action or am I implying that it is a massive problem. But every fraudulent vote is a vote stolen from someone else and whenever the effort is made to purge voting roles of the deceased, it is the left that objects, just as it is the left that objects to securing the vote with voter ID.
There is no one solution for voter fraud; there are many different ways to vote fraudulently. However, the point I am making is that those so adamantly opposed to securing the vote happens to be those who usually gain the most from voter fraud.
Will the dead be voting for Trump or do they feel closer to Hillary?
Her poor health may get a sympathy vote from the dead.
@Skookum: Skook, the dead always votes Dimocrat.
I realize Colorado is not one of the states that consistently have large numbers of dead voting. Ohio has large numbers.
@Redteam: And New York. The dead voting could make an entire Walking Dead episode, perhaps the most frightening yet.