Republicans like to scream and shout about how Democrats are stealing elections via election fraud. Yet despite how how much screaming and shouting they do, real election fraud is vary rare. In fact it's almost 100% mythical. We all know it's just a smokescreen they're using to suppress the vote in order to increase their chances of stealing winning the election.

But all that Republican screaming and shouting about "election fraud" causes a bit of hyper-focus anytime a suspected case of election fraud does occur. Ironically, that's how we know that in almost every such recent case the perpetrator has been a Republican. For example, there's James O'Keefe's antics, the clerk in Oregon filling in ballots, the double-voter in Nevada, Anne Coulter registering and voting in the wrong precinct, and a small handful of other cases.

Given that the only people which ever seem to be caught committing election fraud are Republicans, it truely amazes me how shameless the Republicans continue to be about this phony issue. I can only hope that if they keep it up (i.e., their false protests, and their random election and ballot tampering) that someday soon the late-night comedians will start openly mocking them about it.

In that vein, here's my contribution of fodder for the late-night comedians.

I doubt that anyone is going to indict him for it, but this morning Rep. Ryan staged a photo-op at his polling place with his children. He went out of his way to make certain the cameras caught him showing his children his completed ballot.

Unfortunately for Ryan, Wisconsin (like many states) has a law on the books which makes it a felony to show your completed ballot to any third party. Specificially, Wisc. Stat. § 12.13(1)(f) says:

12.13 Election fraud.

(1) Electors. Whoever intentionally does any of the following violates this chapter:

(a) Votes at any election or meeting if that person does not have the necessary elector qualifications and residence requirements.

(b) Falsely procures registration or makes false statements to the municipal clerk, board of election commissioners or any other election official whether or not under oath.

(c) Registers as an elector in more than one place for the same election.

(d) Impersonates a registered elector or poses as another person for the purpose of voting at an election.

(e) Votes more than once in the same election.

(f) Shows his or her marked ballot to any person or places a mark upon the ballot so it is identifiable as his or her ballot.

(g) Procures an official ballot and neglects or refuses to cast or return it. This paragraph does not apply to persons who have applied for and received absentee ballots.

(h) Procures, assists or advises someone to do any of the acts prohibited by this subsection.

Note that there's no exception in that law for candidates staging photo-ops with their children on election day. This vote is on the books to prevent "vote selling". As such it's important that there be no loopholes or exceptions.

