GodsendJen

A 300-page indictment detailing more than 1,000 allegations of election fraud was returned in February by a grand jury investigating the coal-mining town of Appalachia, Va., following reports of absentee-ballot bribery by two town officials. Prosecutors accused candidates' operatives of offering the locals such goodies as beer, moonshine and cigarettes and, in one case, a supply of pork rinds. [Roanoke Times, 3-3-06]

Who knew buying votes was so inexpensive?  I'm not from the town of Appalachia, they are a bit northwest of my village, but saddly it could probably happen in many rural appalachain communities.  When dad first got into local politics the thing that surprised me most was the number of people (neighbors, friends, business associates) who told us they registered just to vote for him.  These weren't young people new to voting, these were middle-aged men and women who had reached their 40s without ever visiting the polling place.  Would a pack of cigarettes and a bag of pork rinds have been enough for them to register and vote for someone else?  As far as I know we never tried bribing anyone to register or vote.  The guy who inspected our migrant worker housing each spring?  I don't know that he was bribed, but he never left without a fresh supply of homebrew and we never had any violations. Wonder if he would have been as happy with the junk food?