Requiring Photo ID to Vote - thoughts?

[Chadman]

As many of you know, I tend to lean a little to the left on many issues. There is one currently that is a little hard for me to really understand, though, and maybe some further left leaners can explain a different opinion.

The Supreme Court just upheld the right of states to require a photo ID to be able to vote. For the life of me, I cannot see why this is a big issue for people to adhere to, and as I care as much as I can about fair elections, I think it's a good - and sensible idea.

The only reason given, that I have heard of, is that it is some kind of negative to democrats and the poor, because an ID costs money. In fact, the following comment was made in an article essentially suggesting the Supreme Court just won the election for McCain, with this ruling:

"Voting rights activists have long argued that since photo ID can cost money, or may demand expensive trips to government agencies, the requirement constitutes a "poll tax."

My question is this. How much does a photo ID cost, and I would think that most people that care about voting would be at least able to afford a bus ride to obtain one of these. What would the total cost be? $10? $20 - at most? I guess in rural areas, that could be a bigger number, but I just don't get this. People have to get a photo drivers license to drive, or a photo ID card to gain employment or accomplish some other things.

I think that if I rail on republicans and the Diebold situation - which I do - then I think I have to agree that this minimum requirement is the way to go.

Thoughts?

 

[Toledo Prophet]

I dont have a problem with the law. Never did.

What I have a problem is instead of enacting measures to make it easier to get these photo ids, or setting aside monies to help get these IDs to the right people, or setting up photo ID voter registration drives, we are just enacting a new law. Nothing more, nothing less.

Seems the Dems, or whomever, would be better off fighting for those compromises in the bill and making that happen rather than letting it pass and fight it in court.

There are a lot of voting abuses that reps of both parties are guilty of. This is one sided as far as a solution to one aspect of the problem.

But, I dislike both parties and this is one reason why. Both would rather whip up their bases by playing the martyr (sp, yikes that is way off, i think!) rather than enactiing comprehensive reform and legislation on anything.

Is this opinion all over the map? Yes. But, the rubber business is hopping today and my sales phones keeps on ringing, so it took about an hour just to spit this out! :mj07:

 

[Chadman]

the rubber business is hopping today

:142hump: :shrug:

 

[Toledo Prophet]

So, that caught your eye, but not me spelling enacting with three i's. :mj07:

Well, what can I say it has been busy. Some guy named T. Haggard called in, said he was having a relapse and need a box of our best stuff for a party at the men's club tomorrow. He needs it sent next day air, so it also sent our shipping department into a frenzy as well.


Actually, it is a sheet rubber business. Viton. Expansion Joints. Belts. We manufacture and distribute. And, we love the green movement because it requires all these old power plants and factories to upgrade for newer cleaner expansion joints. And, we are the best in the business. Funny thing, our CFO (really, he's just a comptroller as this is too small a business for your typical CFO) hates anything thats pro-environment, rails against the green movement as killing our economy, listens to rush in his office all day and walks around the office repeating what he just heard on his show. He fails to see how it helps our business. My brother and I (its a family business) just laugh at him and roll our eyes. But, he's also a cincy bengal fan, so his common sense left him a long time ago.

 

[djv]

This still AMERICA. Then we don't need to act like some Commie country. Bad Idea. I worry more about no paper follow up to these voting machines that work for chit. That's a much bigger problem.

 

[The Sponge]

This still AMERICA. Then we don't need to act like some Commie country. Bad Idea. I worry more about no paper follow up to these voting machines that work for chit. That's a much bigger problem.

There you go DJ. This is nothing but to screw with one base. Let the dumb dems say okay and put what you are suggesting in the same bill. When i vote i come in and they cross my name off, i vote and that is it. Nobody can use my name again. What in the world would a voter ID stop? If people are letting people vote under someone elses name they surly will let them vote under the same name without a voter ID unless their was some type of scanner. A voter ID is to discourage older and lazy people from voting. While we are at it DJ isn't it time we vote on a Sunday or Saturday? Instead of people having to disrupt there lives and voting after work? Another thing that would be truly helpful is to take these campaigners away from the building because nobody wants to be bothered by them or their literature. Why is it the most annoying person in the neighborhood seems to man these post? Some people won't vote because they don't want to deal with talking to them.

 

[MadJack]

Why is it the most annoying person in the neighborhood seems to man these post?

true

:mj07:

 

[IntenseOperator]

But, he's also a cincy bengal fan, so his common sense left him a long time ago.

vicious

:mj07:

 

[The Sponge]

true

:mj07:

Are people making decision right there on the spot? I can't understand why we need these people's nudge? If you don't know who you like by then maybe you shouldn't be voting. We got a guy who isn't ashamed to ask for anything. Hey "Sponge we need a guy to coach little league" Hey Sponge we need a guy to chip in and help clean up the fields" Hey Sponge we are having a charity event for so and so can you make it?" Now i have a choice. Do i want to be bother by this guy the rest of the year? Do i want to tell him no and let him keep coming at me, making me feel ashamed? Or do i not vote? I chose to not vote and my gas went up quadriple, my health care went up triple. Home heating went up triple, and the country is a mess. I should have went and cleaned those freaking fields but i would have gotten another job after that one. I don't know what was worse. All options sucked.

 

[SixFive]

:shrug: I lived at home until I bought my first house at age 23. I have since moved from there, and my voting district has been changed 3 other times on top of that because of rezoning. I never had to show ID when I lived at home because the lady that manned the voting booth was a family friend, and she knew me. I've had to show my driver's license every time since in the last 13 years because I didn't know the seniors manning my voting booth.

I'm not sure what the official rule is for the voting officials here, but it seems if they know you, no id. If they don't, u have to show your id. Fine with me. I don't see why this is an issue :shrug: I guess since there is no public transit here and most everybody at some point has had a driver's license, it's no big deal here, and it's hard for me to relate.

Do you all from bigger urban areas know any adults who don't have a form of a photo id? I can't say I know a single adult who doesn't have a photo id. I've even worked with some mentally challenged adults, and they have photo id cards too that they can utilize.

agree about the people running the booths being annoying :mj07: They even have some special name; I think their nametags say, "ELECTION PROCTOR". The old men usually just stand there like security guards, and the old women that sit at the tables where you check in can't ever see until you point out your name. I always have to help them.

The other annoying thing about voting is that some of the districts will have no line. Mine is always at least an hour deep. Gotta hate that! They redistrict all the time but still have some that are always slammed and some that are always dead.

 

[ImFeklhr]

I tend to be against it. I just hate the thought of being required to "have papers" to excercise the most basic right of US citizenship.

I sign my name on the voter roll when I walk in to get my ballot. That is my word that I am who I say I am. Just like I do when I pay taxes, or show up for jury duty.

I guess that just is an old fashioned concept. :shrug:


And couldn't fraudulent voters just use an absentee form to get around the ID requirement?

 

[gardenweasel]

I tend to be against it. I just hate the thought of being required to "have papers" to excercise the most basic right of US citizenship.

I sign my name on the voter roll when I walk in to get my ballot. That is my word that I am who I say I am. Just like I do when I pay taxes, or show up for jury duty.

I guess that just is an old fashioned concept. :shrug:


And couldn't fraudulent voters just use an absentee form to get around the ID requirement?

it`s not an old fashioned concept...it`s an irresponsible concept...

given the situation in this country regarding illegal aliens,you aren`t serious are you?...

i`d think we`d need to tighten up the requirements to ensure each citizen`s vote isn`t cancelled out by the vote of someone here illegally....

i happen to have it on good authority that djv`s imaginary friend "satchmo" voted in the last election....:SIB

 

[DOGS THAT BARK]

How you going to counter orgs like this without ID' :shrug:


acorn org is airing ads about how new law passed permitting voter ID disenfranchises the blaclk and poor--

ioronic as they are one of primary reasons for law -as several were convicted of felonies in submitting 1800 fictitious voter regerstrations in 06 election

http://www.metrokc.gov/proatty/news/...0Statement.htm


Today I am announcing the filing of criminal charges against seven defendants for submitting over 1,700 fraudulent voter registration forms to King County Elections Department in October of 2006.

While the actions of these individuals are extremely serious, I want to begin by assuring the public that no one has voted under these false registrations in any election.

Indeed, a joint federal and state investigation has determined that this scheme was not intended to permit illegal voting.

Instead, the defendants cheated their employer, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (or ACORN), to get paid for work they did not actually perform. ACORN's lax oversight of their own voter registration drive permitted this to happen.

Voter fraud will not be tolerated in King County.

This is a crime that undermines public confidence in our democratic process, and we take it very seriously.

Both the group of individual defendants and the ACORN corporation will be held to account by our actions today.

The individuals will be criminal defendants -- facing felony charges.

ACORN will be the subject of a strict Settlement and Compliance agreement, designed to ensure that this type of negligent supervision does not occur again. ACORN has also agreed to pay King County $25,000 in compensation for the time and effort it took to clean up our voter rolls of these false registrations------

 

[djv]

Come on guys don't come with to much BS. If everyone here does not know that screwed up voting machines have cost more folks election. Then some one voting who should not have. Bring on the fear BS. And anyone by the way can get false ID.
The funny thing was when I told my 90 year old mother about this. She said what I have to buy a 7 dollar ID card to vote. Thats what they cost in Wisconsin. She said dear me how we survive so long. Good Question.

 

[The Sponge]

Come on guys don't come with to much BS. If everyone here does not know that screwed up voting machines have cost more folks election. Then some one voting who should not have. Bring on the fear BS. And anyone by the way can get false ID.
The funny thing was when I told my 90 year old mother about this. She said what I have to buy a 7 dollar ID card to vote. Thats what they cost in Wisconsin. She said dear me how we survive so long. Good Question.

Dj never once when i voted did the person helping me say "hey someone already voted in your name?" Listen to your mother. Now she has to have another bill she didn't need. How about the people who are in real deep shit? You think they are gonna pony up the 7 dollars? Here is an idea. Tell the right wingers to send out those applications for the ID and make them free of charge. Then tell them we are gonna raise their taxes .001 percent since it is their idea. When they hear this idea it will be filed in the circular file along with any other idea were they might have to fork over a few pennies to pay for. These creeps are going after a base and its sad people can't see it. Send them out free

 

[ImFeklhr]

it`s not an old fashioned concept...it`s an irresponsible concept...

given the situation in this country regarding illegal aliens,you aren`t serious are you?...

i`d think we`d need to tighten up the requirements to ensure each citizen`s vote isn`t cancelled out by the vote of someone here illegally....

I'm not trying to be crazy about this. My objection is mostly just philosophical.

But I DO wonder how they prevented immigrants who had not yet become citizens from voting "back in the day"?

Don't a lot of illegal immigrants have fake ID's anyway?

I would love to see them NAIL a few fraudulent voters to serious prison terms. I can't imagine someone risking going to jail, for just ONE vote. I mean the risks outweight the gains. Most citizens don't even think their vote counts for much in the grand scheme of things. I have to imagine non-citizens, by and large, aren't going to risk their lives for one vote.

I'm NOT saying there isn't a problem. I'd just like to know exactly how big of a problem it is, in comparison to voter fraud in the past, and what percentage of fraudulent voting that requiring ID cards would actually prevent.

 

[DOGS THAT BARK]

Come on guys don't come with to much BS. If everyone here does not know that screwed up voting machines have cost more folks election. Then some one voting who should not have. Bring on the fear BS. And anyone by the way can get false ID.
The funny thing was when I told my 90 year old mother about this. She said what I have to buy a 7 dollar ID card to vote. Thats what they cost in Wisconsin. She said dear me how we survive so long. Good Question.

Voting machines aren't partisan--your acorn heads and others like them are.

It's not like one party has to have ID's -its tit for tat
-- however when you only have one party that doesn't want them--and their getting caught enrolling fictious people- it's a no brainer

 

[djv]

This has nothing to do with parties.

 

[gardenweasel]

I'm not trying to be crazy about this. My objection is mostly just philosophical.

But I DO wonder how they prevented immigrants who had not yet become citizens from voting "back in the day"?

Don't a lot of illegal immigrants have fake ID's anyway?

I would love to see them NAIL a few fraudulent voters to serious prison terms. I can't imagine someone risking going to jail, for just ONE vote. I mean the risks outweight the gains. Most citizens don't even think their vote counts for much in the grand scheme of things. I have to imagine non-citizens, by and large, aren't going to risk their lives for one vote.

I'm NOT saying there isn't a problem. I'd just like to know exactly how big of a problem it is, in comparison to voter fraud in the past, and what percentage of fraudulent voting that requiring ID cards would actually prevent.

it`s all good,my brotha`...

 

[Chadman]

Voting machines aren't partisan--your acorn heads and others like them are.

This is patently, and proven to be, false. The fact is that a major company has a major role in the elections in this country, and is fully invested in both the campaigns of one party, and those same candidates remaining in power to prevent their company from more responsibility and examination.

If you can't even allow for the possibility of misuse and fraud in this situation, then you have zero credibility on this issue. I think it's important to do everything we can to ensure fair elections. I think the ID card is one sensibly good way, and not relying greatly on results from a proven financier of one party is another.