Republicans have made vote fraud an issue across the country, pushing through VoterID laws in more than half the states and toying with the idea of putting it on the ballot in California, although examples of such schemes are practically non-existent anywhere in the country.

Well, almost anywhere.

The Riverside County Registrar of Voters has been fielding complaints that Democrats are being tricked into re-registering as Republicans by petition circulators allegedly gathering signatures for issues like legalizing marijuana outside of stores and welfare offices. Some who were approached say they were simply bribed, with cigarettes or a job at the polls, to sign the documents that shifted their stated political allegiance.

Many of those complaining were Latino and African-American. A spokesman for the Democratic Party, Steve Maviglio, speculated that thousands of people may have been fooled by the scheme, which he said was perpetrated by the Golden State Voter Participation Project (GSVPP).

Democrats filed a formal complaint with the registrar last week and included 133 signed affidavits that they had been re-registered without their permission, according to California Watch. GSVPP spokeswoman Ashley Giovannettone told the publication that her organization discourages any fraudulent behavior and a scam like that “doesn't help our cause.”

Although the California Republican Party has shrunk to near obscurity, isn’t represented by a single statewide-elected official and has just 30% party identification, it has made a big push to enhance party registration. Registered Republicans still outnumber Democrats in 31 of the state’s 58 counties―although most are in sparsely populated central California―and have surged to a 51,000-registration advantage in Riverside County.

GSVPP has received $241,000 from Republican activist and millionaire Charles Munger Jr.

–Ken Broder

To Learn More:

Group Meets with County Registrar about Voter Fraud (by Jeff Horseman, Riverside Press-Enterprise)

Riverside County Democrats Claim Fraud in Voter Outreach Project (by Lance Williams, California Watch)

State GOP Down So Low, Even Voter ID Push Doesn’t Appeal to Them (by Ken Broder, AllGov)