Ga. Court tosses voter ID challenge

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

Ga. Court tosses voter ID challenge

By GREG BLUESTEIN, Associated Press Writer
7 minutes ago

ATLANTA - The Georgia Supreme Court threw out a challenge
Monday to the state's voter ID law, but sidestepped a decision
on the law's validity by ruling that the plaintiff didn't have
the legal standing to challenge the law.

The court's unanimous opinion reversed a decision in September
by Fulton County Superior Court Judge T. Jackson Bedford, who
ruled the law was unconstitutional and an undue burden on
voters. After that ruling, the State Election Board decided not
to require voters to show a photo ID card to cast a ballot in
the November elections.

With a federal challenge to the law still pending, it was unclear
if the state could begin requiring voters to show identification
at the polls.

For months, lawyers have been battling over the law, one of
several passed recently across the country.

-snip-

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070611/ap_on_re_us/voter_id

[CottonBear]

1. "The law's mostly Republican supporters say it is needed to prevent voter fraud, ..."

No examples of in-person voter fraud have been presented, though the proposal's backers often mention the threat of non-citizens casting illegal ballots.

Goddamn Republics only want certain classes and colors of people to vote here in Georgia.
They are determined to drag us back to the 19th century.
:grr:

[underpants]

2. Smoke and mirrors

can they vote?

It's hardly ever happend but it could so let's act like it does all the time :eyes:

[walnutpie]

3. I don't understnad why this is an issue

Here in Connecticut, they have always asked for ID.

[MH1]

4. One more obstacle to voting, plus poll tax

If it costs money to get the necessary id, than it is a poll tax and it is illegal.

Just because it is done that way somewhere and accepted, doesn't make it legal.

Anyway, welcome to DU! :hi:

[walnutpie]

7. Thanks! I'm glad to be here.

How does voting work in other states? In CT, they check your ID against a list of voters, then they check you off the list so you can't come back and vote more than once.

[CottonBear]

9. In GA you show one of the accepted IDs (like a utility bill), you're checked against the list,

you fill out a form (Repulbic or Democrat) on which you write your name and address and you sign it. You take this form from the first poll worker and go to the voting area. This is where the next poll worker checks your name and address against the voter list for that precinct.

Then you vote on Diebold machines. Ughhh! :(

edit: Welcome to DU! :hi:

[walnutpie]

10. Got it

That's pretty much exactly what we do, but they ask for ID here. It seems to me, that with the utility bill, it would be harder for households with multiple members to vote, they would need to get their bills issued in different names.

[CottonBear]

11. There are over 10 forms of accepted IDs so everyone can vote. n/t

[NoodleyAppendage]

5. It is an issue ONLY to dissuade votes from minorities, who often vote Democratic. Period.

The policy is meant to dissuade minority voters. That's it.

J

[Eugene]

6. The Georgia law requires a state photo ID costing $20.

That can be a burden for poor people. Critics call it
an unconstitutional poll tax. The law's mostly GOP
supports have also spoken derisively about minority
voters and the need to prevent "voter fraud" from
that segment of the population.

[CottonBear]

8. Because this is Georgia and there is a history of voter disenfranchisement.

Georgia, in the past (1960's back to the 19th century, during reconstruction and the subsequent Jim Crow era ) has had a history of conservative (Dixiecrats, Democrats and Republicans) politicians and power brokers who have worked to make sure that only certain classes and colors of people can vote. A lot of the votes of poor white men were bought with money and whiskey and a lot of dead people (white men) voted.

The Republics (the current Republic controlled state assembly and the Republic governor) have worked to make sure that minorities, the poor, the elderly, those without access to cars or public transit, the illiterate and rural voters will have a difficult time voting due to draconian ID laws. There were about 12 kinds of IDs that were OK to use prior to the new laws (which have not yet been enforced).

The Republics have DECREASED the number of places one can get a drivers license or non-drivers ID.

In my blue city, the local chain grocery had a state patrol drivers license station which was accessible (by sidewalk, bike, bus and taxi) to many of the groups mentioned in the second paragraph. Other small towns had once a month drivers license stations.

Now, one must drive miles out of town on a state highway to get to the State Patrol station.

Only 1/3 of Georgia counties have these stations and most are in rural areas. Georgia has over 150 counties and is the biggest state east of the Mississippi River.

Can you see what they are trying to do?

[LiberalFighter]

12. They should require photo ID from Republicans. They always vote illegally