James Sensenbrenner, October 27, 2004

On November 2, Americans will make their way to the polls to cast their votes for the President and Vice President of our nation. In parts of Wisconsin, a tight, battleground state, voter fraud allegations have surfaced thanks to the overzealous efforts of people working for groups like Project Vote. To ensure a smooth, and more importantly, fair election, every effort needs to be made to make certain that Wisconsinites are registered accurately, and that one person casts one vote.

As Americans take time out of the day to exercise the right to vote, we would do well to take a moment and reflect on the recent free democratic election in Afghanistan, where Afghans participated in democratic elections for the first time in their lives. Arguably one of the most important events to take place in that part of the world, on October 9, more than 10 million Afghans, 41% of whom were women, cast their votes to elect their President.

There were many naysayers who argued that this historic election couldn’t take place, claiming that a free and fair democratic election in a traditional Islamic country was inconceivable. "Factional fighting has touched every corner of the country, and more soldiers and aid workers have been killed this year than in the previous two. It will be difficult to ensure free and fair elections in this environment," said a Stanford University fellow three days before Afghanistan’s election, who was also a legal advisor to Afghanistan’s Constitutional and Judicial Reform Commissions from 2003 to 2004.

It’s true that in the months leading to these elections, there were widespread threats and intimidating tactics employed by anti-government groups. Nevertheless, election workers and officials held firm, and the people of Afghanistan persevered, making their way to polling sites so that they too could weigh in and be a part of democracy.

Today, just about everyone would agree that Afghans are freer than they were under the Taliban’s oppression. With the Taliban virtually banished, the press has more freedom in its reporting, and Afghan political groups and parties are able to congregate freely. Women in particular have seen their quality of life improve. Unlike just a few years ago, women in Afghanistan are allowed to walk outside without covering their face, attend school, find employment, and vote without fear of being punished and beaten. To comprehend how much life has improved, one need only consider the fact that of the eighteen candidates who campaigned for the Presidency of Afghanistan, one was a woman.

Here in America, we need to focus on holding our own fair elections, despite the disingenuous efforts of organizations that claim to be performing a public service. Recent "get-out-the-vote" efforts by leftist groups like Wisconsin Citizen Action Fund, whose parent group has endorsed Senator Kerry, raise questions about their motivations when they take children out of schools and involve them in their political activities. Partisan efforts like these cast a shadow on the integrity of our nation’s elections, particularly when one remembers Milwaukee’s 2000 "votes for smokes" fiasco, when an Al Gore supporter allegedly handed out cigarettes to Milwaukee’s homeless for their votes. The need for free and fair elections is obvious, and come November 2, I hope the outcome in our state, and indeed our nation, reflects the true and honest will of American citizens.

Congressman James Sensenbrenner, a Republican, represents the Fifth Congressional District of Wisconsin. He serves as chairman of the House Committee on the Judiciary. The Fifth District of Wisconsin forms an arc surrounding Milwaukee to the North and West, and includes parts of Jefferson, Milwaukee and Waukesha counties, and all of Ozaukee and Washington counties.