Without fail, every time there is debate, a hearing, or action being considered on a voter ID bill, Atty. Gen J B Van Hollen issues a press release, announcing that he is charging someone with an election law violation. The timing cannot be coincidental.
Today, as voter ID is under consideration in the legislature, Van Hollen announced that since 2008 his election task force has charged -- Ta Da! -- 20 people with voting violations.
According to figures released by the state Justice Department, six people have been charged with voter registration misconduct and 11 people have been charged with being a felon but still voting.
Two people were charged with double voting. Another was charged with obtaining an absentee ballot in his dead wife's name so he could fulfill her dying wish to vote for President Barack Obama.
What do those 20 cases -- out of more than 6-million votes cast since 2008 -- have in common?
Not a single one could have been prevented by a Voter iD law. Noone was charged with using a false identify, unless you count the man who got an absentee ballot for his wife. But he could have mailed in her ID, as would be required under the new law, and gotten a ballot anyway,
This ain't about voter fraud. It's about keeping people from voting -- from exercising what is supposed to be a right in this country. That's the real fraud.