By Sean Steffen
Cocaine for votes? If there is a more compelling case of voter fraud in Texas, we have yet to hear one, and hope we never do.
Those who claim voter fraud is nonexistent in Texas need to listen to Texas Attorney General and GOP gubernatorial candidate Greg Abbott -- because he tells a different story.
Abbott, who visited with the Amarillo Globe-News editorial board Wednesday, made the case for the state's voter ID law by detailing how voters in south Texas and the Rio Grande Valley support the law.
Why? Because of individuals in that part of the state who "were buying votes by using cocaine," Abbott said.
According to the attorney general and gubernatorial hopeful: "Within this last month, there has been a massive FBI operation that has led to the arrests and guilty pleas" of at least one person who was using cocaine to obtain votes in a local election.
"That kind of voter fraud undermines the integrity of the election process," Abbott said.
Yes, it does. And speaking of fraudulent or fake votes, the reality is that voter fraud does exist, unfortunately.
How does Abbott counter the criticism that the state's voter ID law is discriminatory against minorities and/or the poor?
"With facts," Abbott said matter-of-factly. "The facts do not show that. The facts are these. We have had voter ID laws in the state of Texas for several elections now. It has in no way suppressed the votes of minorities.
"In fact, not just in Texas, but in other states that have implemented voter identification laws, you have actually seen an increase in turnout among minority voters."
By the way, for those in Amarillo without any of the several state-approved forms of ID for voting, Amarillo will have a mobile station for free election identification certificates on Oct. 14 and 15. The station will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Wesley Community Center.
As Abbott said, voter ID laws "instill a sense of integrity in the election process."
And sometimes, this is needed.