November 8, 2000

7:00 AM

Writer Guilty of Voter FraudFrom his stunt during the primaries, Salon writer Dan Savage has plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge of voter fraud to avoid trial on a felony charge.
posted by Dreama (12 comments total)

How can they deny the caucuses have a security problem when the only reason they knew about Dan Savage and his fraudulent vote was a column that got national attention.
posted by alan at 7:10 AM on November 8, 2000

I get "page not found". Anybody have a working link for this one?
posted by beth at 10:14 AM on November 8, 2000

try http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20001108/el/eln_campaign_infiltration_1.html
posted by Outlawyr at 12:42 PM on November 8, 2000

I am really at a loss as to why this should be
considered a crime at all. The Iowa straw
poll isn't binding to either party -- it's a
popularity contest. No delegates are
elected, and it is not a secret ballot. This
talk about security problems avoids the fact
that there shouldn't be a straw poll in the
first place.
posted by UrineSoakedRube at 1:47 PM on November 8, 2000

Except this wasn't a straw poll, it was the actual Republican caucus.
posted by alan at 2:03 PM on November 8, 2000

UrineSoakedRube you have the most vile Metafilter name I have ever seen. Go stand in the corner.
posted by thirteen at 2:05 PM on November 8, 2000

All right, I went to salon.com and checked the original
story, "Stalking Gary Bauer," and it used the term
caucus instead of straw poll. But my point remains
that the results of the Iowa causus/straw poll/whatever
were not binding in any real sense. No delegates to
the Republican convention were chosen as a result
of the outcome.

So why is Dan Savage's caucus voter fraud punishable
at all? If, say, I lied to an exit pollster on my way out
of the polling place, could I be arrested? What if I
only pretended that I had voted and then told an
exit pollster that I voted for Gore? Could I be arrested
then?

I'm not sure why Iowa is able to bring criminal charges
against Savage. I may be able to see the Iowa
Republican party bringing a civil suit against him, but
I imagine that they wouldn't bother.

thirteen -- Really? The most vile Metafilter name that
you've seen? Thanks!
posted by UrineSoakedRube at 7:21 PM on November 8, 2000

Was it ever even proved that he did what he claimed to have done in his column? How do we know he didn't just make the whole story up?

The page at the link listed above no longer seems to work, so I can't check to see if the article explains this.

-Mars
posted by Mars Saxman at 9:34 PM on November 8, 2000

Dan Savage, 36, had been charged with two counts of voter fraud for casting a ballot using a Des Moines hotel address. He pleaded guilty Tuesday to fraudulently voting in a caucus, a misdemeanor.

By pleading guilty, Savage was spared a trial on a felony voter fraud count. He could have faced up to six years in prison. He was sentenced instead to a year's probation, 50 hours' community service and a $750 fine.

No burden of proof if guilt is admitted. Is bad advice a just a misdemeanor?
posted by capt.crackpipe at 10:23 PM on November 8, 2000

The man essentially got slapped on the wrist compared to what he could have got. Binding or not, it's still a vote and you don't tamper with that.

I like Savage generally, but geez, this was one of the dumbest stunts I've ever seen anyone brag about in print.
posted by kindall at 12:30 AM on November 9, 2000

It was a crazy, hack-the-system stunt. Bravo. And how, how stupid....
posted by dhartung at 8:14 AM on November 9, 2000

D'Oh! A Retraction

Oops. After some research, I realized that I
completely misunderstood what had happened.
The straw poll is not the caucus. Savage voted
in the caucus.

Still, I am a bit confused as to some details of
the story: Savage told the woman who gave him
the ballot that you have to be a registered Iowa
Republican, but other sources note that anyone
who is a registered voter may participate in a
caucus.

Anyway, I take it back: I do see how this can be
considered illegal. Mea maxima culpa
posted by UrineSoakedRube at 3:21 PM on November 9, 2000