US Elections - Is the Fox Guarding the Henhouse?

As the US presidential election heads towards the final stretch, voter fraud and voter registration issues have hit the headlines. Republicans claim they are trying to protect the integrity of the voting process and the electorate, while Democrats accuse Republicans of voter suppression, putting up roadblocks, to disenfranchise voters Republicans think will vote Democrat. According to Overton, "Claims about voter fraud are exaggerated and irresponsible."

At the source of this issue is that fact that, "We've got politicians making the rules about elections" says Overton, a conflict of interest within a democratic system. An example of how an effective electoral system should work can be seen in the newly formed democracy in Iraq that has an independent election administration.

Professor Spencer Overton states that there are, "Several examples of partisan election administration officials who are making decisions, and there is a cloud over their decisions, because of their partisan motivations that may be behind it."

"We don't want a repeat of the abuse of the Justice Department for political purposes that we saw before," says Overton. A tactic that is all too common within the U.S. political arena.

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