May 21, 2012
CLINTON, Tenn. (WVLT) -- The Pew Center on the States says that the American election system is inaccurate, costly and inefficient. They say the American voter registration system needs an upgrade.
Online
The research found that nearly 24 million, 1 of 8, active voter registrations in the United States are no longer valid or are significantly inaccurate. It also found that 1.8 million dead people are listed still as active voters. A real problem could also be found with who is voting twice. 2.75 million people have active registration in more than one state.
Election officials in many East Tennessee counties say many of the problems will be solved with the state's new requirement for a picture ID to vote.
"There's been a lot of chatter about that around the state at a local and federal level as well as far as the law changes and that's one of the biggest ones," said Mark Stephens, Anderson County Administrator of Elections. "I think that it's a good law, I think that it's something that has been needed, you know to remove some of the loop holes in the law."
Other election administrators agree and say the law will correct problems of the past. Though none of the election officials in Anderson, Knox or Roane Counties can remember of any reports of dead people voting. They do say that it has been a problem for election officials of the past in Shelby County.
Voters say they hope people vote, but they want it to be fair and accurate.
"It's one of the rights as an American citizen that you need to exercise every chance you get," said Kim Taylor in Lake City. "Voter fraud is something that will effect the results of elections, and and we want the right out come from the people who are elligable to vote."
If you vote by absentee ballot, you will not have to show a picture ID. Voter Registration officials say they take the time to verify voters by cross referencing signatures.
Early voting starts at 11a.m. in Tennessee on Wednesday, February 15, 2012 and will end on February 25, 2012.
