Latest Republican election fraud fantasy is now playing out in Fresno County

Voter fraud. Election integrity. They are ominous-sounding words that make it seem American democracy itself is at risk.

The specter of such a problem is clear to Fred Vanderhoof, chairman of the Fresno County Republican Party. He says in a video blog posted April 1 on the party’s website that “the No. 1 issue that I am hearing from voters around this county and across the state is voter fraud. This issue is huge. And it is not being dealt with adequately.”

Then, this past Tuesday, the conservative-leaning Fresno County Board of Supervisors discussed the possibility of spending taxpayer money to verify that the the county’s voter registration rolls are accurate. The price for such work? From as little as $60,000 to as much as $4 million.

“I think we’re losing a lot of confidence from the public,” said Supervisor Steve Brandau.

Actually, what the public is losing faith in is the GOP and its ability to take a loss and move on for the good of the nation. Any decline in confidence in the county’s election system is an outgrowth of the distrust sown by former Republican President Donald Trump in his defeat to Democrat Joe Biden.

There simply are no credible examples of election fraud — nationally, at the state level, or in Fresno County. The idea is itself a fantasy.

Or, to say it another way: If there was fraud, especially in local races, then provide specifics. And in making the claim, any GOP wins in the last election are also suspect.

But that would be absurd, just as it is to claim that voter fraud is a massive problem plaguing America. It is only a problem conjured up by one wealthy man who lost an election and now lives in an exclusive compound in Florida and spends most of his time playing golf.

Election fraud?

Brandau admitted that, while some in the public have lost confidence in the integrity of local elections, “some of it is unjustified, but the only way you can repair that is to go to an extent that most would deem a valuable effort.”

Wrong. The way you fix that misunderstanding is to make clear to the public there is no problem. That is leadership.

Brandau was not alone. Supervisor Nathan Magsig said he wants a third party hired to audit the process. “To the extent that we can show the public that we are doing everything possible to make sure the appropriate people are voting, I think that is great.”

So, the supervisors are now considering spending taxpayer revenues — potentially, lots of money, even if from federal sources — on what will amount to a goose chase.

Fresno County Registrar of Voters James Kus was charged in February by the Board of Supervisors to find ways to re-instill faith with all of Fresno County voters. Kus has said there is no evidence locally of anyone rigging elections. Voters who have moved may get more than one ballot, but their votes are never counted more than once, Kus said on Tuesday.

Trump drama

This local drama is playing out against a national stage where GOP-led legislatures like the one in Georgia are changing voting rules to make it harder to cast ballots under the guise of “election integrity.”

Never mind that secretaries of state and judges across the nation — including the U.S. Supreme Court — found that Trump’s claims of a stolen election had no merit. Of the 62 cases he filed alleging fraud, he prevailed in only one, and that was on a minor issue that did not change the outcome in Pennsylvania.

How can someone like Vanderhoof come to believe in a lie? He’s not alone. A Reuters-Ipsos poll taken at the end of March found that 6 in 10 Republicans believe “the false claim put out by Trump that November’s presidential election ‘was stolen’ from him due to widespread voter fraud.”

What is the way out of this mess? Leaders have to stand for the truth. Supervisors Brandau and Magsig must get a grip. There is no credible evidence of fraud or irregularities in local elections the dedicated people who work for you administer.

For politicians like Brandau and Magsig to hint otherwise is pandering to misinformed, mistaken partisans who believe a bogus narrative fed by Trump and his enablers.

This story was originally published April 30, 2021 at 5:00 AM.