The Election Process Book

Foreword 5

Introduction 7

Chapter 1 Is the Election Process Fair and Inclusive?

1 Voter Fraud Is a Problem Affecting Fair Elections Conn Carroll 11

2 There Is No Evidence of Widespread Voter Fraud Christopher Beam 16

3 Efforts to Prevent Voter Fraud Discriminate Against Minorities Risa L. Goluboff Dahlia Lithwick 21

4 Efforts to Prevent Voter Fraud Are Not Racist Quin Hillyer 27

5 Absentee Voting and Early Voting Are Important for Democracy NAACP Legal Defense Educational Fund NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) 33

6 Extensive Absence Voting Is Not Good for Democracy John H. Fund 40

Chapter 2 How Does Money Affect the Election Process?

1 The Supreme Court Was Correct to Overturn Limits on Corporate Campaign Advertising Will Wilkinson 46

2 The Supreme Court Erred in Overturning Limits on Corporate Campaign Advertising Thomas E. Mann 52

3 Reforms to Remove the Influence of Big Money on Elections Are Necessary Nick Nyhart David Donnelly 58

4 Efforts to Implement Campaign-Finance Regulations Should End John Samples 64

5 Congress Should Pass the DISCLOSE Act Barack Obama 69

6 Congress Should Not Pass the DISCLOSE Act Jacob Sullum 74

Chapter 3 How Can the Election Process Be Improved?

1 Voters Should Be Required to Show Valid Identification Hans A. von Spakovsky 80

2 Misidentified Priorities Tova Wang 85

3 A National Popular Vote Should Replace the Winner-Take-All Electoral System Saul Anuzis Rhett Ruggerio 91

4 A National Popular Vote Should Not Replace the Current Electoral System Sean Parnell 96

5 There Are Good Reasons in Favor of Mandatory Voting William A. Galston 102

6 There Are Good Reasons to Oppose Mandatory Voting Fred L. Smith 108

Facts About the Election Process 113

Organizations to Contact 116

For Further Reading 123

Index 129

Picture Credits 136