Philippine lawmaker wants officials to step in to stop the dead from voting
Published: Monday, June 15, 2009 | 1:31 AM ET
Canadian Press THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
MANILA, Philippines - A Philippine lawmaker frustrated by rampant electoral fraud has proposed legislation to get the names of the dead off voter rolls.
Rep. Maria Victoria Sy-Alvarado said Monday she wants to make it mandatory for doctors and family members to report deaths to the civil registrar, which has to give the information to the Election Commission so it can update its voter lists.
The bill must go through a long legislative process before becoming law. If enacted, government officials or employees would face up to 10 years imprisonment and be disqualified from public office.
In past elections, family members have reported finding the names of dead relatives on the lists. In some cases, someone has voted using their names.
http://www.cbc.ca/cp/Oddities/090615/K061502AU.html
This is a perennial problem, the dead aren't excised from the voters list. I do not know if election officials are stupid,
incompetent or just plain lazy. Demographic data are available in the National Census Office. Maybe the tedious court process of removing a name (or
disenfranchising somebody from his right to exercise suffrage) from the voters list, whether he be dead or not stymies election officials. But how can these
people vote, one needs an ID, an accepted government or a Voters ID to vote, then an indelible ink is applied to one's right index finger. Surely very
creative and moneyed people are at work here. - Ariel





