January 12, 2013 08:27 AM UTC

On radio, Harvey says election-day registration would be "disaster" for GOP

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• by: Jason Salzman

( – promoted by Colorado Pols)

On KLZ’s Grassroots Radio Colorado Jan. 9, State Senator Ted Harvey said he likes to refer to “same-day voter registration” as “same-day voter fraud,” and, he added, “it’s a disaster for the Republican Party.”

Hosts Ken Clark and Jason Worley, didn’t ask Harvey for his evidence that that election-day voter registration results in increased fraud. Maybe because they know there isn’t any, and they didn’t want to embarrass themselves and Harvey.

Also, contrary to Harvey’s assertion, same-day voter registration, allowed in eight states last year, does not favor Democrats over Republicans.

SENATOR TED HARVEY:  Election reform.  They will do same sex – [correcting himself]-same day voter registration. I call it  ‘same day voter fraud’  because you’re going to have people registering to vote all over the state multiple times, and voting multiple times.  It’s a disaster for the Republican Party.  You’re going to see same – you’re going to see all-mail ballots, in all elections.  So that even in partisan elections, you’re going to get all-mail ballots. I have a problem with all-mail ballots for primaries because of the potential for fraud. I really have a problem with all-mail ballots in general elections because people can-a lot of people are worried about the fraud that we saw in the last election when we had ballot booth voting. You’re going to see a lot more of it if you have all-mail ballots, I think.

Talk-radio hosts, even the good folks a Grassroots Radio Colorado, shouldn’t throw out accusations of election fraud without evidence to back them up.

And if they have an elected official on the show, they should raise the bar for rational discourse above the low level where it normally rests in the studio.

Don’t we all want elections that are as fair and inclusive as possible? Allowing Harvey to promote hyperbolic and unsubstantiated accusations of potential election fraud won’t help get us there.

Listen to Sen Harvey on KLZ Radio Jan 9 2013