A worthy investigation

Thursday, Oct. 9, 2008 | 2:07 a.m.

Shortly before the 2004 general election, Nevada Democrats accused Voters Outreach of America, an organization funded by Republicans, of committing voter registration fraud by trying to stop Democrats from registering, but the group escaped punishment. The state Investigations Division, in a report to the secretary of state’s office, found forged registration documents with fictitious names and addresses during the same election but no evidence of organized fraud.

With next month’s election rapidly approaching and with Nevada once again considered a battleground state, the state is dealing with fresh allegations of voter registration fraud. This time fingers are being pointed at the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, an anti-poverty group whose registration operations have been criticized by Republicans.

An affidavit for a search warrant of the group’s Sahara Avenue office that was enforced Tuesday said there was reason to believe ACORN employees had submitted falsified registration forms to the Clark County registrar of voters.

ACORN’s interim chief organizer, Bertha Lewis, said the group immediately dismisses employees who are suspected of fraud and it had cooperated with county and state authorities, but called the office raid “a stunt that serves no useful purpose.” We disagree. The secretary of state’s office should be commended for launching the investigation.

Any allegation of voter registration fraud where evidence is available is worthy of a state investigation. We are also troubled in this particular case that ACORN’s registration effort allegedly involved inmates of the state’s Casa Grande transitional housing center in Las Vegas for convicted felons who are about to be released into the community.

Voters need to be assured that elections are clean and that everyone who goes to the polls is eligible to do so.