You want my vote? Then protect it.

(Welcome visitors from Mudville Gazette open post.)

David Boyd mentions that Mr. C. at Peer Review is teaming with another blogger to develop a set of proposals for Republicans to use in ‘06; much the way the Rs in 1994 used the Contract with America to get their message across and beat the Democrats.

Mr. C. says:

"(my) premise is the GOP has lost sight of the original tenets of the Contract and the democrats are supposed to put one out next year.
<...>
I will be posting (some ideas) but if any of my more conservative, or Republican, readers would like to contribute an idea then pass it on.

If Mr. C. will also accept ideas from independents, here's something I'd like to see in the contract: A pledge to put in place a strong vote protection plan.

Every time someone votes illegally through false identification, fraudulent registration or multiple voting they're attacking the foundation of democracy. Such people and the groups that support them are vote thieves who deserve punishment.

I hope both major parties can agree that ensuring fair and honest elections is really an important civil rights issue. As John Fund, who's written extensively on vote fraud, has said:

when voters are disfranchised by the counting of improperly cast ballots or outright fraud, their civil rights are violated just as surely as if they were prevented from voting.

If only one party strongly supports vote protection, at election time I'll be looking favorably at that party.

I like merchants who ask for identification when I use my credit cards. They're protecting my money. Our votes need to be protected even more aggressively. If that doesn't happen, we won't have democracy.

BTW - David offers an interesting set of suggestions for the proposed contract.