Orlando Sentinel: ACORN's voter registration sloppiness could create problems come Election Day

The community organizing group known as ACORN has been getting kicked around quite a bit on the presidential campaign trail lately. The group has no one but itself to blame.

The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now says it has registered 1.3 million people for the Nov. 4 election. But its pattern of turning in some applications with false names and made-up addresses has spurred investigations in at least a half-dozen states.

ACORN says it has signed up 140,000 voters in Florida. Elections officials in Orange and Seminole counties have reported problems in hundreds of forms submitted by the group. Even if that's the extent of the trouble, instead of the tip of the iceberg, it's not insignificant in a state where 537 votes wound up deciding the 2000 presidential election.

ACORN says it's required by law to turn in all its applications and flag the few with problems. But good intentions don't excuse what's at best a sloppy operation -- especially because the group's employees have been caught in prior elections submitting bogus registrations. Its practice of paying employees bonuses to sign up new voters invites phony applications. States should bar that practice, if ACORN won't.

ACORN aims its registration drives at lower-income voters, who tend to vote Democratic. The group's most vocal critics are, naturally, Republicans. ACORN and its supporters contend its opponents are trying to distract attention from efforts, often pushed by Republicans, to suppress voting. Investigators need to be on guard against both.

Meanwhile, the controversy over ACORN may be priming the pump for another legal battle royal if the election is close. Anyone up for a rerun of Florida 2000? We didn't think so.

View the editorial here