Across Country, Republicans Push Photo ID At The Polls

[Faygo Kid]

This is a full-out coordinated assault; state after state has seen their GOP-dominated legislatures vote for this in the past two weeks alone.

Some claim that you show ID for other purposes; what's the big deal? Well, voting isn't just buying a plane ticket; it's about as fundamental a Constitutional right as you can get. Anything - anything - that impinges upon that right must come under the absolute strictest scrutiny. So you would think this is being done in response to widespread fraud. And yet, photo ID is actually a "solution" in search of a problem; voter fraud at polling places just doesn't exist, as this article and many others have made abundantly clear.

They can't find any instances. They CAN use this against the elderly, poor and minorities, however.

Funny how they act in lockstep, isn't it? You think some powerful people (koch, koch - excuse me) just might be pulling the strings to have this timed coincidentally in multiple states? Anyway: https://access.aarp.org/2011/03/25/,DanaInfo=.awxyClzlmqwq400338-Rv87+across-country-republican_n_840705.html

RALEIGH, N.C. — Empowered by last year's elections, Republican leaders in about half the states are pushing to require voters to show photo ID at the polls despite little evidence of fraud and already-substantial punishments for those who vote illegally.

Democrats claim the moves will disenfranchise poor and minority voters – many of whom traditionally vote for their candidates. The measures will also increase spending and oversight in some states even as Republicans are focused on cutting budgets and decreasing regulations. . .

. . . In the South, the issue comes with a burden of history for black residents who recall past barriers to voting such as violence, literacy tests and other methods. The Voting Rights Act still requires a number of Southern states to get Justice Department approval of redistricting efforts to ensure that minorities' voting strength is upheld.

William Barber, president of North Carolina's chapter of the NAACP, said the photo ID measure amounts to "nothing but nuanced, 21st Century Jim Crow." . . .

In Georgia, which has had a strict voter ID law on the books for years, Republican Secretary of State Brian Kemp said he's not aware of anyone caught committing fraud. He argues that the rules help prevent people who try to file improper votes from having them counted.

Republican Secretary of State Brian Kemp said he's not aware of anyone caught committing fraud because of the law but argued that it has helped make elections more secure. . .

No doubt the elections he REALLY wants to make more secure are his and those of his Rethuglican colleagues.

[LonePirate]

1. Isn't this requirement an indirect poll tax? Voters must pay for an ID before they can vote.

Surely there is an argument to be made that this photo ID requirement is unconstitutional or violates federal law.

[Faygo Kid]

2. They're counting on 5-4 at the Supreme Court.

With this court, they are likely to get it, Constitution be damned.

[dragonlady]

5. The Wis. bill would give free IDs upon request

But there are so many other things wrong about this bill. And for a state that is supposedly "broke," implementing it would cost millions (training poll workers, changing voter database, increasing staff at DMV and cost of IDs).

[Old and In the Way]

3. This is how they plan to be competitive in future elections.

Make it as difficult to vote as possible. This will make GOTV that much more difficult. Will people motivate and go through the hastle of ID cards? I don't see where they are proposing a no cost solution to do this.

[SoCalDem]

4. They have been dragging this dead horse around for decades, BUT

this election season, they have some legislative clout to actually get it done in many states..

I have always wished that dem leadership would yank this one away from them by GETTING democratic voters State ID cards which are also quite useful in daily life since we all seem to need to show ID all the time anyway. Take the "threat" away from republicans, and have a fully IDed voter base, all ready to go when it's voting time:)

Republicans are very clever and they have had dems chasing their tails in many states, paying lawyers to fight in court about all these "laws" that pop up from time to time.. If that same lawsuit money had been spent GETTING the IDs, everyone would "win"....poor people would have a valid, acceptable ID, republicans would lose interest and move on to something else, and when people showed up to vote, they would not be as turn-away-able.

Personally, I think the US should have used some stimulus money to provide every US citizen with a passport card.

[Billygoat Gruff]

6. Not a real problem.

I have to show a photo ID to see a Doctor. Have to show one to open a Bank Account and a lot of other things. Do you folks really want people voting who shouldn't?

[golfguru]

7. That is 1 item I can agree with GOP

I jumped through hoops to acquire US Citizenship, and value it immensely
and the right to vote which comes with it. I certainly do not want people
who are not US Citizens to be able to vote. The ONLY way that can happen
is if there is a national ID card issued FREE to all those who have a birth
certificate from US and those who are naturalized citizens such as myself.

[Faygo Kid]

8. Bullshit.

Welcome to the USA.

Our goal is not to limit voting based on problems that do not exist.

[golfguru]

9. Thank you, the luckiest thing ever happened to me

to be sponsored for a permanent visa by my employer and then becoming eligible
for citizenship after 5 years of clean record.

And I can't see a thing wrong with validating citizenship. Otherwise we
are no better than a banana republic where elections are rigged every chance
they get. We win based on our populist ideas, not by diluting credibility
of our elections.

And speaking of credibility, there has to be a backup paper trail for electronic
voting machines.

[Tesha]

10. I *MIGHT* support a *NATIONAL* voter-ID card.

Here in New Hampshire, I suspect we have more than
a trivial number of snowbirds who vote absentee in
NH and vote in person in (say) Florida.

A national voter ID card with appropriate data
computer bases backing it up would stop that
straight-away!

Tesha