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Close elections bolster anti-fraud arguments

The Oklahoman Editorial | Published: October 4, 2012 Comment on this article

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A Texas city council race was decided this year by a coin toss after two candidates tied. A Democratic primary in a Kansas state House race was decided the same way in August after a tie vote.

Oklahoma has seen its share of close races. In 2006, state Rep. Todd Thomsen, R-Ada, won his House seat by two votes, but only after four ineligible votes were thrown out. Last year, a special House election in Tulsa was tossed after irregularities made it impossible to determine the true winner; the apparent margin of victory was a single vote.

Those races show the importance of every legitimate vote. That voter fraud isn't widespread is reassuring. But that's no reason to end efforts to weed it out completely.

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