Dear Ethicist: Is it a Crime to Steal an Election?

Dominion Voting Systems Machine

Dear Ethicist: Is stealing an election a felony or misdemeanor? And does the size of the election determine the sentence? Many Republicans are accusing Democrats of stealing the last election. Most elections are prominently displayed, particularly by way of television commercial, particularly when they’re for sale. So they often attract the attention of pickpockets and other petty thieves, who may steal them and then run for it, but it's rare for Democrats to steal elections. That's usually done by Republicans who attempt to limit voting rights. Sometimes however a particularly valuable election may be locked up like say suede or leather coats are when on display in a department store. To steal such an election requires a good deal of advanced planning and may result in an insurrection. But how does stealing an election compare to robbing a bank? Elections are about platforms, but banks are about money. So is it a safer bet to steal an election than to rob a bank which has safes that are protected by security guards? 

 

Poll Watcher

 

 

Dear Poll Watcher: You have asked some very timely and important questions and part of the answer depends on your particular tastes. If you're Republican who wants to prevent universal health care, stop immigration or allow greenhouse gases to flow freely into the atmosphere, then you may very well want to stop certain kinds of people from voting--what to you is tantamount to stealing. If you’re simply interested in being rich and powerful, then rob a bank.

Read "The Counter-Reformation of the GOP" by Francis Levy, The Screaming Pope