In September of this year, John McCain sent a letter to the Chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary John Conyers(D).

Two parts of the letter stand out. ACORN and the Military vote. John McCain clearly sees that these two issues could affect the outcome of the 2008 election. It is this kind of insight that makes John McCain who he is and why he is ready to lead. Wisdom comes with experience and experience allows you to recognize flaws in the policies, of which, you are charged to forge and uphold. Barack Obama does not have that wisdom. John McCain has certainly earned his and it shows.

VIA EMAIL AND U.S. MAIL
The Honorable John Conyers United States House of Representatives Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary
2138 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515-6216
September 23, 2008

Dear Chairman Conyers:
Thank you for your letter of September 18 regarding the foreclosure crisis and alleged plans to base challenges to voter eligibility on lists of foreclosed homes. I have asked the Co-Chairs of my campaign’s Honest and Open Elections Committee, former Senators John Danforth and Warren Rudman, to address the many specific claims in your letter. But I thought it was important that you hear the bottom line from me directly: Governor Palin and I absolutely reject any plan to challenge voter eligibility based on lists of foreclosed homes, and we condemn any such plan by officials of any party. I do not believe there is any credible evidence any such plan ever existed in Michigan or elsewhere. More importantly, the Republican National Committee has stated that it will instruct Republican party committees nationwide not to tolerate such improper actions. Americans who face challenges from this nation’s continuing foreclosure crisis of course have the same right to vote as other citizens, and they have my sincere pledge to use the power of the Presidency to strengthen the American economy, and put long-term safeguards in place to protect current and aspiring homeowners.
It is unfortunate that you have chosen to focus on a discredited allegation of foreclosure-based vote challenges when there are real issues of election administration that demand immediate attention. For example, state and local election officials across the nation have reported being overwhelmed with fraudulent or incomplete voter registration applications gathered by activist groups with a history of such registrations, such as ACORN. While my campaign welcomes the participation of every possible new and qualified voter, we have read with concern reports that the large numbers of these new duplicate, incomplete, and downright fraudulent applications will slow the processing of legitimate new registrations, resulting in confusion and long voting lines on Election Day as polling officials struggle with incomplete registration lists, and have to resort to provisional ballots (which present possible post-election complications of their own). This is exactly the confusion that the Help America Vote Act mandate of accurate state-wide electronic voter registration lists, cross-checked and verified before Election Day, was supposed to combat. The widespread and repeated nature of such
improper voter registration activity, and the likelihood that it will impede the voting process, demands a federal response. I am also troubled to learn that servicemembers who are stationed overseas are in some cases not being afforded sufficient opportunity to receive and cast absentee ballots in this year’s election. Unfortunately, Congress has not seen fit to enact much-needed legislation to ease the difficulties associated with overseas ballot-delivery for servicemembers, even though several of my colleagues in the Senate and House have proposed viable solutions. I am sure you would agree that those serving their country overseas, particularly in time of war, deserve better. Representatives of my campaign are available to discuss these issues with you, and to work with you to advance our common goal of having a clean, honest, and open election. Very truly yours, John S. McCain