Bookmark this, send it to your friends and family, and keep it in your arsenal to combat the lies. From FactCheck.org:
The McCain ad accuses ACORN of "massive voter fraud." In the final presidential debate, John McCain added that ACORN "is now on the verge of maybe perpetrating one of the greatest frauds in voter history in this country, maybe destroying the fabric of democracy." Sounds scary, but is it true?
There's no evidence of any such democracy-destroying fraud.
The AP also sets the story straight:
hMcCain is correct that at least a handful of ACORN canvassers are currently being investigated across the country by local officials on suspicion of submitting false registration cards, some with names like "Mickey Mouse" or "Donald Duck."
But in alleging voter fraud, McCain goes too far. To commit fraud, a person would have to show up on Election Day with identification bearing the fake name.
The Washington Post's fact checker:
McCain said that ACORN, the large anti-poverty and affordable housing organization, is perpetrating one of the greatest voter frauds in the history of the country.
This is greatly overstating the allegations that have been brought against the group in recent weeks. Nearly all of the handful of investigations that are now underway around the country involve charges that ACORN workers submitted fraudulent registration forms to election officials. Some of the forms were obviously fraudulent -- one for "Mickey Mouse," others with the names of the Dallas Cowboys. But there is a difference between submitting bogus forms and actual voter fraud. It is not voter fraud until someone shows up at the polls pretending to be Tony Romo or Mickey Mouse and tries to vote. And there is no evidence yet of a wholesale push to send people to the polls under bogus names. At this point, the primary target of the fraudulent registrations has been ACORN itself, which is being tricked by workers into paying them for bogus forms. ACORN has itself reported some of the bogus forms after filing them and is cooperating with investigators, since in some states it is required by law to submit all forms that it receives from workers instead of screening them itself.
CNN's Drew Griffen also fact checks the lies:
"Our research is showing — this more looks like a fraud perpetrated on ACORN."
And some perspective from MSNBC:
Voter fraud is rare in the United States, according to a 2007 report by the nonpartisan Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law. Based on reviews of voter fraud claims at the federal and state level, the center's report asserted most problems were caused by things like technological glitches, clerical errors or mistakes made by voters and by election officials.
"It is more likely that an individual will be struck by lightning than he will impersonate another voter at the polls," the report said.