Too much voting

Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people voted in North Carolina and another state in 2012. Or maybe they didn’t.

Wednesday’s report by State Board of Elections Executive Director Kim Strach to a legislative oversight committee opened eyes and drew strong reactions.

A cross-check of voting rolls in 28 states found 765 registered voters in North Carolina who shared specific identifying information with registered voters in another state — same name, same date of birth and same last four digits of their Social Security number. They were almost certainly the same person. And in all 765 cases, the person was recorded as voting in North Carolina and another state. In thousands more cases, names and dates of birth matched.

Republicans declared this proves widespread voting fraud, justifying the requirement that voters produce photo ID at the polls beginning in 2016.

Strach, appointed to her post by the GOP-majority state board, urged caution. “We have to ensure this is what happened, and it wasn’t an error on someone’s part,” she said.

Poll workers could mark the wrong name on a precinct roll indicating someone voted when he or she didn’t. That might account for some of the apparent double voting but not likely all.

Strach promised close examination of each voter who appeared to cast more than one vote. If that turns up evidence of fraud, criminal prosecutions are warranted.

This effort was directed by last year’s election reform law, and it was overdue. Registration rolls have never kept up with people’s movements. People rarely inform their local elections office when they move. If they register to vote in a new state, they are then on the books in both.

That creates the opportunity to vote in both places, if the voter wants to go to the trouble and take the risk. It would take someone who is dishonest, bold and highly motivated to try. Few would be dishonest and bold enough. What about motivation? The desire to cast one additional vote among millions in a statewide or national election?

Still, any fraudulent voting is a serious offense and should be prevented if possible. Would a photo ID accomplish that? Perhaps in some cases, although someone moving from North Carolina isn’t required to turn in his or her driver’s license. It could still be used, until its expiration date, for identification at the polls. For most drivers, a license is valid for eight years.

It might be more common, anyway, for someone to cast an absentee ballot by mail after moving out of state.

Strach admitted there are problems. “We have a vulnerability with our voter rolls when we have people on there that should not be on there,” she told lawmakers.

One necessary step is to share data with other states. When someone applies for voter registration, ask for his former address and inform election officials there. Then, if he’s registered, he can be stricken immediately.

Other actions depend on the outcome of further investigation. Did double voting occur in person or by absentee ballot? Were the offenders college students or military personnel who may be more transient? Did same-day registration create a special vulnerability? Reasonable remedies should fix specific problems. It’s too soon — and likely wrong — to declare that the photo ID requirement would help.