It isn't difficult to find Republicans in Orange County, but finding new, unregistered-to-vote Republicans these days is a struggle, even in a Republican stronghold. Desperate to register new Republican voters, a group of brainiacs hired by the Orange County Republican Party hit upon a scheme to improve their success rate: they tricked Democrats and Greens into registering as Republicans.

The recruiters visited shopping centers and college campuses and were paid $10 a head for newly registered Republicans in a district represented by U.S. Rep. Loretta Sanchez, a Democrat, prosecutors said. Voters were asked to sign petitions for lower taxes or stricter sex offender laws, then tricked into signing voter registration cards, Orange County prosecutor Anthony Rackauckas said. ... County Democratic Party officials said they have filed more than 500 verified complaints of fraud in the drive.

A dozen recruiters have been charged with felonies for falsely completing affidavits of registration. The OC Republicans have been up to other dirty tricks in the Sanchez race, as recounted here.