ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, has come under recent scrutiny for their involvement in voter registration fraud. However, the accusation of "voter fraud" is misleading because the fraudulent forms in question were submitted to the government by ACORN. It takes a particularly dumb criminal to turn himself in...before a crime has actually been committed. Also, unless "Mickey Mouse" shows up to vote in November, the forged form with a voter registered as the famous Disney mouse remains an example of "registration fraud," and not "voter fraud." No vote has been cast, so no real harm has been done.

It is ACORN's policy that any case of form fraud has to be flagged, reported, and delivered to the government, along with the employee who forged the document.

Because so many vicious rumors are circulating about the organization, here is first a brief summary of what ACORN does. The group is a grassroots organization that fights for basic citizen rights, such as the right for affordable housing and the right to vote. ACORN has led communities around the country to rally behind living wage ordinances. These ordinances often require employers to pay not just the minimum wage, but a living wage, which is an important distinction for anyone who has ever had to choose between buying their medicine and paying the heating bill.

ACORN has been very successful in helping to implement the "living wage standard." More than 70 communities have now adopted this standard.