Disenfranchise this

There's a new sheriff in town.

No, I'm not talking about the Hennepin County's number one lawman, Sheriff Rich Stanek, whom I will be voting to re-elect. Actually, I'm talking about an entire posse of election integrity deputies, sworn into service by Minnesota Majority. The organization announced Tuesday that it will begin offering rewards of up to $500 for information leading to the conviction of organizers of voter fraud.

“We are putting a price on the heads of anyone who would attempt to organize people with the intent of cheating in our election,” explained Jeff Davis, president of Minnesota Majority. “We've received reports of organizers enticing people to vote fraudulently with small financial incentives such as gift cards. We’ve also seen evidence of this illegal practice in the official incident logs from the 2008 election. We will now offer individuals a more lucrative incentive for turning-in these organizers of voter fraud.”

This effort takes election judges and poll watchers to the next level, arming volunteers with training, a media awareness campaign, and a call center to take reports of suspicious activity. “We’ve got a really robust program here,” said Randy Liebo, an organizer with the North Star Tea Party Patriots, which is also participating in the program.

“This is serious business,” said Andy Cilek, president of the Minnesota Voters Alliance, in the press release. “Voter fraud is a felony with penalties up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. We’re hoping people will see it’s not worth the risk with so many people on guard this year.”

To participate, see the Election Integrity Watch web site (http://www.electionintegritywatch.com).