Voter fraud is a real and pressing issue in many parts of the United States, and Chicago is no exception. In recent years, the Windy City has seen a number of high-profile cases of alleged voter fraud, with many of them involving the use of prisoners to cast illegal ballots. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the issue of voter fraud in Chicago, as well as the claims that prisoners are being pressured to vote.
What is Voter Fraud?
At its most basic level, voter fraud is any type of illegal activity that is used to influence the outcome of an election. This could include anything from casting multiple ballots, to registering fictitious voters, to tampering with voting machines. In the United States, voter fraud is a federal crime and can carry severe penalties.
Voter fraud in Chicago
In recent years, Chicago has seen a number of high-profile cases of alleged voter fraud. In 2016, for example, a Chicago man was indicted for registering dozens of fictitious voters in an effort to sway the outcome of a local election. In 2018, two men were indicted for casting multiple ballots in an effort to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election.
In both of these cases, the men were charged with multiple counts of voter fraud and could face up to five years in prison if convicted.
Prisoners Say They Are Being Pressured To Vote
In addition to these high-profile cases of voter fraud, there have been reports that prisoners in Chicago are being pressured to vote. In particular, prisoners have alleged that they are being offered incentives and threatened with punishment if they do not cast ballots in certain elections.
For example, in 2018, a group of prisoners at the Cook County Jail in Chicago filed a lawsuit claiming that they were being pressured to vote for certain candidates. The lawsuit alleged that the prisoners were offered cigarettes and other incentives if they voted for certain candidates, and threatened with solitary confinement if they did not.
The lawsuit was eventually dismissed, but the allegations raised serious questions about the use of prisoners to influence elections in Chicago.
Potential Impact of Prisoner Voting
The potential impact of prisoners being used to influence elections in Chicago is significant. For one thing, it could give certain candidates an unfair advantage over their opponents. It could also lead to a situation where the votes of prisoners are given more weight than those of other citizens, which could be seen as a form of voter suppression.
Furthermore, it could lead to a situation where prisoners are seen as a political commodity, which could have a negative effect on their rehabilitation.
Conclusion
Voter fraud is a real and pressing issue in Chicago, and the allegations that prisoners are being pressured to vote are concerning. While the potential impact of such activity is significant, it is important to remember that these allegations have yet to be proven in court. As such, it is important that the issue of voter fraud in Chicago be taken seriously and investigated thoroughly.
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