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Subscribe to RSSThe Justice Department has approved Virginia's new voter ID law, expanding the kinds of identification that will be honored at the polls while restricting the ability to vote without showing any ID.
Unlike states with the strictest photo ID requirement, Virginia will allow voters to cast a ballot if they present a student ID card issued by a state college or university as well as documents that carry no photo, including a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, or paycheck showing the voter's name and address.
Click here to read the Justice Department's letter to Virginia (.pdf)
The state already honors Virginia voter registration cards that have no photo, as well as more traditional forms of identification, including a driver's license or other government ID as well as an employee photo identification card.
The new law also ends the current practice of allowing a voter to cast a regular ballot simply by signing a sworn declaration of identity. Under the new law, someone showing up at the polls without any form of identification will be allowed to cast a provisional ballot. It will be counted only if the voter submits an approved form of identification within three days.
But that action does not need to be carried out in person. The confirmation can also be sent by e-mail, regular mail, or fax. Many states with strict photo ID requirements also permit casting a provisional ballot but require submission of proof in person for the ballot to be counted.
Virginia's Republican governor, Bob McDonnell, has ordered the state board of elections to send every registered voter a voter card, one of the forms of identification the law honors.
"This significant step ensures that every Virginia voter is guaranteed to have at least one of the many different valid forms of ID required to be presented at the polls.
"The legislation I signed into law is a practical and reasonable step to make our elections more secure while also ensuring access to the ballot box for all qualified voters," McDonnell said.
Virginia is one of 16 states covered by the Voting Rights Act, which requires them to get federal approval before changing election procedures. The Justice Department notified the state Monday night that it posed no objection to the new law.
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I'm a little surprised Virginia allows so many different types of identification. If a utility bill is acceptable in Virginia, why is Pennsylvania so adamant on government issued photo IDs only? Since voting is a national right, it seems like it should be regulated nationally, not locally.
Ursula - The GOP will try whatever they can to block a vote if they think it might be a Dem vote. For some reason, they couldn't get away with it in Va...
O&Joe 2012
Is a Death Certificate valid? major snark
I don't know if it's still valid, but the concern I've heard in the past with student ID's is they are easy to tamper with.
blackcatwhitecat
That is funny. LOL
It sure should be. But seeing as how those clowns can only agree to the naming of Post Offices these days good luck with that one. I can hear it now... "Keep the government out of my voting!"
I like it!
LMAO! Good one!
You heard?
Have you bothered to do any research or will you continue on spreading rumors?
The GOP/Tea Scum making it more difficult, if not impossible for literally millions of ELIGIBLE voters to cast their ballots, which is flagrant vote tampering and corruption.
What is it the Republicans really fear? The poor, minorities, the elderly??
The GOP/Tea Bangers know this large segment of American society will not vote for them.
More desperation, fear, intimidation and Class-warfare from the republicans....thats all it is.
**************************************
The single biggest accomplishment of the conservative movement has been to convince millions of weak minded individuals that selfishness, greed, and hate of the poor are good Christian values.
I plan to use my PETCO ID !
Feisty Redhead Roselle, IL
I hear it's easier to have your little bro help you get elected as POTUS than it is to tamper with school IDs.
I also hear that there is a Voter Fraud Mafia that is working overtime to tamper with as many college IDs as possible.
I wonder how many student ID's were tampered with to create the well documented fact that the occurrence of in person voter fraud accounts for 0.003%?
Any guesses?
Backstabbing: Many countries around the world don't even HAVE elections. Look at Iraq and Afghanistan - people walked for MILES for the opportunity to vote risking their lives and their fingers (Taliban would catch people and cut the dyed finger showing they voted as a penalty). And you and your lazy friends are too uncaring to even get a free identification to vote? All you have to do is turn off Oprah for one hour and go get the ID? With so many around the world willing to risk their LIVES for the opportunity to vote you and your lazy friends won't even put the beer and cigarettes down for one hour for the opportunity to vote.......................... What a bunch of lazy no-caring unpatriotic individuals.........
Minsule, like most Tea Bags brains.
@GT-2021701
Your disgusting avatar and commentary truly expresses your level of inteligence and complete lack of dignity.
For the rest:
How does insuring that a voting individual is who he/she says he/she is, and allowing only one vote per living person somehow stealing votes? I will have to follow the same rules as everyone else, and I don't feel "disenfranchised." I find the right to vote a sacred freedom, and will do what is necessary to exercise it, including overcoming a minor inconvenience.
Probusiness & Maingear -
I apoligize for repeating what I posted below, but it is harder than you think for some people to get a picture ID.
Most of these Voter ID Laws contain provisions that regulate the issuance of a state ID. Pennsylvania, for example, has rules that do not allow the ID to be issued if the name on your birth certificate is different from the name on your other documents (social security card, etc.)
Imagine if you are an older woman (my mother for example) whose name is spelled two different ways on your birth certificate and social security card? What if you are married - do you need to provide a marriage license? What if you were born 70 years ago in a rural area where they didn't keep birth records?
Last year in Ohio a veteran was not allowed to vote because the driver's license he presented as a form of ID was not considered valid, because since he could no longer drive he had let it expire.
And before you say it: Welfare, Social Security, Medicare, Unemployment, etc. require a social security number which is NOT a picture ID. You can write checks and pay your bills without ever using a picture ID.
Spin it however you want - there are no valid reasons for these laws other than to than to try and suppress the vote.
Paul Ryan: The Deficit? I Built That!
Romney/Ryan: Medicare? We Can
FixEnd That!Only in CHICAGO! (not intended as a snark-just a fact.)
(show me the clown nose, fisty!)
There is a reason they are nicknamed libtards. Only someone with limited brain power would think we can spend our way out of debt or that Obamacare made economic sense or that they could steal $500,000,000,000 from Medicare and think seniors would call that an improvement in elder care.
Almighty bho: "Deficit? You better believe I built that! And it only took me three and a half years to do so, so suck it previous presidents!"
Almighty bho: "Division? Yep, built that too!"
Joe Biteme: "Huh? I'm sorry, let me remove the foot from my dumb@$$ mouth..."
Obama says "When you run for President, your life is an open book".......except for me, that's why my college transcripts are never being shown....LOL
Valhalla Phil -
Only someone with NO brain power would think we could "tax-cut and spend" our way out of debt.
....or that replacing defined benefits with a voucher actually "preserves and protects" Medicare
....or that the "trickle down" economic theory which hasn't worked in 30 years will really, truly, work this time.
....or that the "job creators" are over-taxed - if we just give them some MORE money they will mercifully reward us with jobs.
NPCDan -
Do you realize that Paul Ryan voted for all the Bush deficit items: both Bush tax cuts, the Bush Medicare expansion, No Child Left Behind, the 2008 stimulus package.
Paul Ryan also voted for most of Obama's debt: TARP, the auto bailout, the stimulus plan.
That's why I say -
Paul Ryan: The Deficit? I Built That!
Val Phil there only someone of limited brain power thinks we can get out of debt by not raising taxes. We all agree that spending only will not work. BTW nicknames go both ways.
Also in Both plans, Ryan/Romney and Obama's, current seniors will not be affected.
Feisty Redhead Roselle, IL
I guess we need to ask Ron since he was the one who HEARD...
I wonder how easy it is to tamper with a gun license
Score Virginia !!!
Let me get this straight:
So your voter ID card is valid ID? Then why is this even an issue? And exactly HOW is this going to prevent voter fraud, when you have to present your voter ID card to vote anyway?
Detroit, it prevents some fraud because before now, you didn't need to show anything in order to vote, not even a voter ID card.
TNSEVOL, There are some outlying cases where it may be difficult to get a photo ID. In the case of the person who couldn't vote because he let his drivers license expire, he could have gotten a photo ID. In PA it's quite simple. You might be able to write a check without a photo ID, but I'm not sure how you get an account without one. It may take some effort to get screwed up records fixed, but the effort should be made and it can be done. For liberals, like yourself, it appears that any effort to ensure your ability to vote, is too much effort. It's unlikely that there's a large number of people out there, who don't have a photo ID, who actually want to vote. I qualify that with actual legal U.S. citizens, that want to vote.
As usual Jon Stewart explains it the best: http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-august-8-2012/wizards-of-i-d-
I love the snarky comments about voter ID laws being a Republican conspiracy to keep eligible people from voting. Never mind the fact this article states that one of the lawful forms of ID was sent to every registered voter. Most of the authorized ID's are used by people everyday.
We have to show ID for almost everything we do. Why is it so difficult to expect someone to be able to prove who they are before doing one of the most important things we do?
I am so glad to know my son can now vote in Virginia ..... even though he is not a legal resident nor is he registered to vote.
Hey son ..... whip out that student I.D. and bring a copy of your power bill !
What's the difference between this and an illegal alien student with a power bill ?
Realist -
Your name doesn't match your approach, obviously.
Sure, my 75 year-old mother can travel to a rural county in Virginia and try and get her birth certificate issue straightened out so she can vote in Ohio - a state where she has lived and voted for 40 years! We all know how easy and helpful the government is, I am sure it will be a piece of cake!
The veteran in Ohio could have gotten a picture ID but thought (reasonably so) that a drivers license, even an expired one, still proved his identity.
You make light of these issues, but they are more prevalent than you think - certainly more prevalent than voter fraud! In Ohio it is easier to purchase a gun than it is to vote - how does that make sense?
How is a law a success if it suppresses more legal votes than the "fraudulent" ones it is meant to prevent?
jim - obviously you can't vote in Virginia with a student ID unless you are REGISTERED to vote first.
And if you do not have an ID in PA you can still vote .....all you have to do is sign an affidavit that says you are who you claim. All the hype against PA is over blown by the DNC and DOJ.
I've got no problem with ID to vote, although you already have to know the precinct and name of a registered voter to vote fraudulently, as long as the ID is readily available to EVERY VOTER at no cost. Of course this would defeat the purpose of the voter ID laws being passed only by Republican legislatures. You won't find any Republican legislatures passing laws requiring paper trail ballots where voting machines are used as in when in Ohio the Diebold CEO promised to "deliver" Ohio to Bush in 04 and even when the machines were proven hackable. Funny how the long lines at Democratic leaning precincts were not seen at Republican ones in Ohio. These voter roll purges also occurred in Florida in 00. In both cases the elections in these states were seen as highly irregular, which is a polite way of saying they were stolen. Voting should be covered by a Federal statute uniform among all states.
Ursula-279622
I suspect it is because Virginia is not as important as Pennsylvania to the Republicans, they can afford to let this slide a bit from ALEX's diabolical scheming. Besides Governor McDonnell already took a beating for his vaginal probe requirement for abortion and is perhaps a bit gun-shy so to speak.
jim-1455434
thanks for showing us how little you know about voter registration process. You apparently think that by showing ID you get to vote. Tell me, do you believe like Limbaugh does, that you need to take a birth control pill EVERY TIME you have sex, too?
Any form of ID that does not require proof of U.S. Citizenship that is an acceptable form of ID to vote is worth less than the paper it is printed on. A student ID just means you are registered for classes at that institution. It doesn't even mean you are a legal citizen or legal resident of the State you attend college in. Out-of-State students should be voting by Absentee Ballot in their home State.....maybe they are and still voting again in the State they go to school in. There are more ways to commit voter fraud then just not requiring an ID.
@ govt issue 1.27 Couldn't agree more. Why is is so difficult to comprehend that all that is wanted is some form of ID that makes you ELIGIBLE to vote. The idea is to eliminate ineligible voters.
Some posts that claim voter fraud is minimal are too naive. Just because it hasn't been caught doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Do the number of speeders on the highway equal the number that are caught or do ya think that number might be higher. Do the number of drug users equal the number that have been arrested or is it possible that number is higher.
Those that claim conspiracy or voter suppression yet advocate carte blanche voting have their head screwed on backwards. How can you claim stuffing the ballot box if you are the one that sees no need or makes excuses for voter verifications?
If it's that important for you to vote or even a little inconvenient to obtain voter ID, so be it. But guess what - it is that important.
Heck, in addition to all the fraudulent driver licenses given out (800,000 more driver licenses than registered vehicle owners), another I.D. which could be used in Washington State to vote is a stub from your last Social Welfare check. Yep, here comes the Chicagoans.
Put Virignia in the Republican column now...thank goodness...
BTW, I'd like the Dems, or anyone for that matter, find a registered voter w/o a photo ID. Well, let's just say 10 registered voters w/o a photo ID. If Holder and the Dems claim that "requiring a photo ID will keep millions of Americans from being able to exercise their right to vote" fine...find me 10 people that are registered to vote and don't have a photo ID. Should be easy....
Crickets chirping...
blackcatwhitecat Death Certificate is required ID in Chicago Voting
IDO -- You ever hear of a one car family? I guess it's somewhat rare any more but it happens.
Bless the voice of reason for a refreshing change!
Maybe someone in TX can explain why a gun card is valid but a student ID isn't?
Which demographic of those two vote predominantly Democratic?
Gun Cards get a background check, student IDs don't!
Since when are background checks a voting requirement?
What have I missed?
"Gun Cards" (assumably CCW licenses') in many states are produced from the same database as DL data, and are considered "government issued" ID.
It is not a voting requirement, but you asked the question why is a gun card more valid? So the answer is because someone has to go througth more to prove who they are and it is harder to duplicate a gun card. Anyone with a decent scanner can duplicate a student ID.
Feisty, could it be because everyone in TX has a gun, but not everyone in TX goes to/has gone to school? meow
Again... more innuendo and nothing to back it up...
Thanks for playing InTheMiddle! ;oP
Face it, any form of ID is fairly easy to tamper with - the people at the polls are not law enforcement professionals.
The laws would not prevent anyone from committing voter fraud - what they will do is make it harder for some people to get to the polls and vote.
Deadhead - Those are better backed up facts than your ignorant 0.003% in-person voter fraud. No one can document the "in-person voter fraud."
Maybe loud mouth Feisty who has nothing valuable to say, ever, can explain why needing a photo ID to vote is bad, but needing a machine readable ID is good to get Obamacare. I doubt she can tho. With her face full of welfare popcorn.
Student ID's are issued to non-citizens (foreign students!)
That's a pathetic liberal lie. No one can stop a pro from committing voter fraud but all these measures will cut down on the abuse that is rampant.
And don't give me that 0.003% crap, numerous cities are notorious for voter fraud. Liberals were sure screaming it when Bush was elected, now it's suddenly disappeared? Only because Holder isn't looking for it. He did order the New Black Panther case dropped, how convenient.
IF fisty had any 'school-age kids' they would have certainly dropped out by now. (Family Tradition!)
(show me the clown nose, fisty!)
On the surface it seems that the Virginians are a reasonable people and are NOT trying to block the Democratic Vote. Pennsylvania, Ohio, Arizona and Florida are all about blocking the Democratic Vote.
I suspect the Federal Government will have to establish a Federal Law stating what Identification will be acceptable for National Elections. I also suspect that the states will make up their own Laws concerning local ans State Offices.
States that don't allow a Vererans Identification card should be disbarred from recieving any Federal Hiway Moneys.
The Legislatures of these states need to be examined for sanity. How can they prevent a Veteran from voting?
Guess we should go back to the basics to solve this problem. Go back to the way ancient Greece and Rome held voting.
if not that , then taxpayers should shoulder the ENTIRE cost of issueing ID. ANY legitamate american should not be asked to shoulder any cost nor any action that would cost them a single penny in obtaining ID.
Voter Fraud - Liberals were sure screaming it when Bush was elected, now it's suddenly disappeared?
No liberals were upset that the Supreme Court refused to count all the votes to determine the presidency in 2000. They stopped the recount - the biggest fraud in voting history.
Other little quabbles we had included the purge lists in Florida that cut thousands of potential voters off of the rolls. That stunt was so nice that the GOP are reinvigorating that tactic this go around as well.
In person voter fraud not an issue for me. In my opinion there could be more of a potential chance at computer voting machine fraud (with unscrupulous people/corporations wiping memory cards) then voter fraud by individuals.
That being said, the law that was passed and blessed by the courts in Virginia isn't the worst, at least student Id's and the voter card, utility bill are accepted. I can't really complain about what they mandated there especially if there are options to use "free" forms of id (voter id card, utility bill, student id).
At least it is not like Texas where they accept a concealed hand gun license, fishing license and or duck or rabbit season hunting license depending on the season.
It's Rabbit season! No its Duck season! Rabbit. Duck.
Student IDs are also held by foreign exchange students..
Please tell me again how it is legal for someone who is NOT a US citizen to vote???? Please tell me it is ok to let all the terrorist around the world to come in and get a student ID to jack the election?
I smell Fiesty....and she stinks
All any ID does is show that you are who you say you are. A student ID, an expired driver's license, whatever, if it has your name and picture on it and it is the same as your registration to vote means you are eligible to vote. You still have to register first!
The biggest issue today, this year, is voter suppression. Weather it is new stringent voter ID requirements, restricting early voting days and hours or shrinking the time frame (window) for absentee voting the end result will cause reduced voting not only this year but in the future.
This will especially affect young people. If the 18-21 year-old, who has never voted, finds it too difficult their first time trying to vote they may not try again for three or more cycles, 12+ years – when they are in their 30's.
Hey Dennis!
I see InTheMiddle is reborn... again! lol
Tickity... tock... little buddy!v ;o)
The only votes being suppressed are those emanating from jails and graveyards.
Both places I'm sure you hang out.
He must be speaking from experience, places he frequents for "dates" and knows well
I agree with you Ursula. There should be a national regulation that all states follow in a uniform manner.
What I'd like to know is if there is absentee voting allowed in states with new stringent voter ID requirements.
There is never a requirement to have any form of photo ID when casting a ballot by mail, so why not just opt to vote absentee?
Voter ID is still a frivolous issue. Your identity is verified when you register. Almost all instances of voter fraud take place through absentee ballots, which these "laws" do nothing to address. This is voter suppression, clear and simple.
Then why do audits continue to show dead people, dogs, even cartoon characters as registered voters? Your identity is NOT verified when you register, only the occasional audit catches these abuses.
Liberals have to cheat to win, that's why they are fighting this to the death.
I'll give you a hint: absentee ballots. Maybe the voter ID laws should focus on the real problem.
Valhalla ........you are not correct. In Fl for a number years to vote you have to produce a picture and signature id, they can be separate, the picture IDs the voter and the signature must match the register signature that is recorded when the voter originally registered to vote. If the signature doesn't match, the voter must sign an affidavit attesting it is their signature. In addition the voter must recite their current address, as to vote out of your precinct is against the law here. But again, you can fill out an affidavit if your address has changed and you are still in the same precinct, otherwise the clerk will send you to your correct precinct.
Xabre....I completely agree, absentee ballots are where the most fraud can be done. It used to be in Fl you could request one if you'd be out of town for an election or in the military. But now anyone can request a ballot. Here we have a lot of second home owners and who quite possibly have registered to vote in both locations, they can request a ballot, fill it out, whose to know if they haven't voted in two states?
I collected signatures for Maine's successful repeal of it's ban on same day registration, which had been passed by the newly-won Republican legislature. I talked to many Independent and Republican voters who felt the fewer obstacles to voting, the better. Many people mentioned times when they moved before an election, and were glad they were able to register on day they voted. Voters repealed the ban with 60% of the vote. I think the Republican Party is damaging it's brand, even in the eyes of it's own members, by continuing to try and limit voting.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/maine/articles/2011/11/09/maine_voters_restore_election_day_registration/
Sure is a sad time for the Party of Lincoln. The GOP has Bat Sh!t (see Tea Party) Crazy.
Democrats have turned into snivelling little fascists, hell bent on controlling every facet of our lives, what we eat, what we drink, what we drive, where we live, what we learn, etc. Disgusting.
Yes ValPhil, how terrible to want healthy food, healthy drinks, safe cars, safe cities and better education. Disgusting!
Phil,
You have your rights and lefts mixed up. Far left = communism, Far right = fascists. At least try to make a knowledgable statement before you post. All of us right, left and center would appreciate it!
Drop,
Please watch this video of Romney then tell us whether he is far right, moderate or liberal. He has "changed" so much over the last few years its hard to tell from day to day: http://www.upworthy.com/barack-obama-should-hire-this-guy-to-attack-mitt-romney?c=bl3
Sure you did Amy, sure you did.
Voter suppression especially in PA, FL, and Ohio could be a big problem. The real voter fraud in going with the republicans in power. I'm hoping that the civil rights marches start again, in order to bring this issue up nationally and show these republican thugs that they won't get away with it.
At worst, I hope it doesn't come to civil disobedience in which suppressed voters such as in PA are bused by the thousands to heavy republican areas, and voting in their republican locations is disrupted, by protest or a blocked sit in. Think about it, the police would be forced to arrest and id the folks being arrested and there is the proof of ID needed provided by the police.
However, that is what it takes to get some peoples attention. In this case it's known as leveling the playing field.
Yes, suppressing illegal votes could indeed be a big problem for democrats.
" bused by the thousands to heavy republican areas, and voting in their republican locations is disrupted, by protest or a blocked sit in."
Proof yet again liberals are snivelling little fascists. When they can't win in the voting booth, they take to the streets and instigate fascist mob rule. Thanks for proving my point.
You got attention with OWS, how's that working out for you.
Actually, suppressing legal votes could indeed be a big problem for democrats. However, we want let that happen. We don't get to vote, then you don't get to vote.
You mean the occupy losers don't you.. What a bunch of thugs they turned out to be. Get a life Bjob1.
The only thing missing is a note from Epstein's mother
Is it that difficult to get a government issued ID to use for voting?
Is it that difficult to understand that your identity, resident status, etc. are verified when you register?
no it's not hard at all the left just likes to make you think it is!
It is harder than you think.
Most of these Voter ID Laws contain provisions that regulate the issuance of a state ID. Pennsylvania, for example, has rules that do not allow the ID to be issued if the name on your birth certificate is different from the name on your other documents (social security card, etc.)
Imagine if you are an older woman (my mother for example) whose name is spelled two different ways on your birth certificate and social security card? What if you are married - do you need to provide a marriage license? What if you were born 70 years ago in a rural area where they didn't keep birth records?
Last year in Ohio a veteran was not allowed to vote because the driver's license he presented as a form of ID was not considered valid, because since he could no longer drive he had let it expire.
Paul Ryan: The Deficit? I Built That!
Romney/Ryan: Medicare? We Can
FixEnd That!Making those requirements more stringent is the POINT of these laws. The way you suppress the will of the majority is to reduce the sample. That's not my opinion- PA House -R- leader Turzai announced the Republicans' intention publicly. VIDEO at: youtube.com/watch?v=EuOT1bRYdK8
Registering to vote is probably one of the easiest things you can do as an American citizen. You silly liberals are scared you're going to lose the vote of the entire 1918 starting line-up of the New York Yankees, Mickey and Minney Mouse (possibly Goofy as well...), Flash Gordon, Frodo, and even the Geico Gekko. Oh, not to mention each and every group the almighty bho has cow-towed to in the past six months (read: unions, two distinct races; Afro-American and Hispanics, etc.). LMAO! This clown has no dignity...
While Mickey Mouse is registered to vote in several states, there are no cases of him showing up to vote in person. The most rampant voter fraud occurs in absentee ballots, which none of these laws do anything to address.
Getting an ID is the most simple thing to do... The only reason why the Dems go nuts is because now they can't bring in their illegal friends to vote..
Get an ID.. go down to your county court house and get an ID.. or go get a drivers license.. I think they are no more than $15.. and if you need new rims more than an ID.. you have no business voting. IMO
Voter ID laws are not voter supression.
Yes, they are. They exist for no other purpose, since voter fraud is almost non-existent.
Then explain the comments of the Majority leader in the Pa. House.
"Voter ID, which is going to allow Governor Romney to win the state of Pennsylvania: Done!”
When you create laws to favor one side that is voter suppression.
FOr a race that will come down to a few thousand votes in key states, the fraud that you claim is non existent , it is important to eliminate it. And it is reported nonexistent bc frankly we dont need to spend endless $ and time finding it out when you can simply eliminate it by requiring an ID
If eliminating voter fraud allows Romney to win how is that a bad thing? You want voter fraud to allow Obama to win and that's supposedly a good thing?
Without voter ID laws, democrats are favored, by your definition that is voter suppression. Nice try.
Explain how this stops absentee ballot fraud? I'll wait...
Phil,
You do not need a photo ID to work in this country, so why do we need one to vote! Please explain, I do not understand.
Lois, dont know where you have worked but any place that I have ever been employed at since i was 16 required a drivers lisc. and a soc sec card, which by law they have to have on record.
How is it helping Obama. Penn had zero cases of voter fraud to bring before the judge that approves this voter suppression law.
"Each of Indiana’s asserted interests is unquestionably relevant to its interest in protecting the integrity and eliability of the electoral process. The first is the interest in deterring and detecting voter fraud. Indiana has a valid interest in participating in a nationwide effort to improve and modernize election procedures criticized as antiquated and inefficient. Indiana also claims a particular interest in preventing voter fraud in response to the problem of voter registration rolls with a large number of names of persons who are either deceased or no longer live in Indiana. While the record contains no evidence that the fraud SEA 483 addresses—in-person voter impersonation at polling places—has actually occurred in Indiana, such fraud has occurred in other parts of the country, and Indiana’s own experience with voter fraud in a 2003 mayoral primary demonstrates a real risk that voter fraud could affect a close election’s outcome. There is no question about the legitimacy or importance of a State’s interest in counting only eligible voters’ votes" (P#2) JUSTICE STEVENS 2008
http://www.scotusblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/07-21.pdf
In a splintered 6-3 ruling, the court upheld Indiana's strict photo ID requirement...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24351798/ns/politics/t/supreme-court-upholds-voter-id-law/#.UDQkm91mTjJ
OilShark1,
You do not need a photo ID to get a job or prove your eligibility to work in the US. You do not know what you are talking about, So I will give you a quick lesson on verifying eligibility to work in the US. Every US employer is required to have every new employee fill out an I-9 form and also the new employee must provide two types of ID from three different lists. Most new employees choose the social security card from list C and a driver's license from list B. You can also pick a social security card (no picture ID) from list C and a voter's registration card (no picture ID) from list B. There are many other combinations of ID that can be used which do not have a photo ID on them. So, please answer my question, if we do not need a photo ID to be eligible to work in this country, why do we need a photo ID to cast our ballot?
The left has there two built in excuses when they lose in the fall. Voter supression and super pacs. I can hear them now!
xabre I registered at a summer fair had no id on me at all so maybe it depends on the state but I filled out the forms truthfully but none of the information was verified when i registered!
You're identity isn't confirmed when you fill out the forms, they're just a piece of paper. You're identity is confirmed when your county registrar (or whatever office you have in your area) processes your form and adds you to the voter rolls they. Just because you fill out the paperwork does not mean your automatically registered.
Have to have ID to register for welfare, why the uproar for voting?
Welfare, Social Security, Medicare, Unemployment, etc. require a social security number which is NOT a picture ID.
You can write checks and pay your bills without ever using a picture ID.
Spin it however you want - there are no valid reasons for these laws other than to than to try and suppress the vote.
Can you withdraw your money from a bank without a valid govt ID? Frankly if someone is to dumb to get some kind of ID do they really need to vote? Im for everyone voteing its their right, I am not for people bussing others in to vote the way the tell them to.
Let me rephrase my comment, IF you wanted to close an acct with say 5,000, could you do it without an ID
Hey, Ron1861300:
You "heard" students IDs are easy to tamper with? You mean like Michele Bachmann "heard" vaccinations will cause mental retardation -,and then spewed it out all over? Either learn the facts or shut your pie hole.
Like fascist liberals even know what facts are. PLEASE!
Phil,
You still have your rights and lefts mixed up. See earlier response to your post.
As Lois hints, fascism is a far-right system of government.
Only Republican/Tea-baggers want to stop people from voting! This is the only way they can win.
Tommy -
That is not the only way.
They can also get "non-issues" on the ballot like Gay Marriage, so they can fire up the religous-right base and trade on homophobia.
They can scare people with misleading ads and outright lies, or play the race card.
They can "divide and conquer" like Walker did in Wisconsin, foster division and envy, pit union versus non-union.
Voter Suppression is just one of their many despicable tactics.
Paul Ryan: The Deficit? I Built That!
Romney/Ryan: Medicare? We Can
FixEnd That!Why is it labeled homophobia if you do not agree with gay marriage? I am not afraid of gay people in my family, i just dont agree they should call it marrige. I am with them that they deserve to be able to share benefits and so forth, but don't degrade me because I have beliefs that dont agree with yours.
TNSEVOL- nice try but race card and outright lies are coming from the left.
OilShark, this fellow "tnsevol" is in fact, Mr. David Axlerod. I'm sure of it. Race-baiting, name calling and idiocy are the democrat/liberals trademark. I've seen it time and time again on this site! If you either don't like or agree with the almighty bho, you're a racist and a bigot. Don't agree with gay marriage? Homophobe! Think e. holder is a friggin idiot? Racist, and conspiracy theorist! Think Debbie Wasserman Shultz is a human garbage can? "Uhh, we'll let that one slide..." Lol! You silly liberals are freaking hilarious!
@tnsevol and those who think like you - get your head out. Just because Feisty and friends quote .003% voter fraud and so therefore it doesn't exist are drinking koolaid.
Do you think the number of tax cheats in this country equal the number thats been caught? Get real! Do we really know how many people are smoking weed by the number of occupied jail cells. You need to think beyond the end of your sand filled noses.
If voter fraud wasn't an issue we wouldn't even be talking about it, would we? What do you have against a fair process and eligible voters. Can't win otherwise? My momma called that cheating.
I think this is reasonable, particularly coming from a Republican. If the other states with restrictive ID laws were to adopt Virginia's approach, the whole issue would recede into the background.
I believe thats why the DOJ approved it, because they were sending out the ID they accept. Now if they actually do that in a timely manner will remain to be seen...
so simple..
NO I.D.....NO VOTE..
if you want to vote,get an ID.....and stopp the bleeding heart routine..
rules are rules
texsass-
And if we don't like the rules, we can change them to be in our favor.....
Are you allowed to enter this country legally without an ID? why should voting be different
trans v
yes you can...but you have to have an ID to vote on it
LMAO, Texas, you have to remeber hes from ten., they are not the brightest of the buch
thanks oil.
i wondered what his deal was
those who oppose voter ID are either illeagals,,,or they just dont care about laws..
The laws already in place don't require ID. The truth is that anyone who wants to impose voter ID laws are either racist or they just don't care about laws
james, does that include 6 of the members of the 2008 Supreme Court?
"In a splintered 6-3 ruling, the court upheld Indiana's strict photo ID requirement..."
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24351798/ns/politics/t/supreme-court-upholds-voter-id-law/#.UDQkm91mTjJ
WORTHLESS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Let the liberal whining begin! Ha, Ha, Ha. Kind of puts a damper on your habits of "vote early and vote often" doesn't it?
Lmfao, Mr. Steady!!! I was wondering why all these silly liberals have their collective panties in a wad!! Apparently I had forgotten their mantra, "Vote early, and often!" You can bet your bottom dollar that it WILL happen in the great state of Illinios! Ain't that right feisty and company?
she has already sent her vote in a few times. Now just waiting for the date in Nov.
Is that why the polls are showing the race so close? The Dems are already counting ballots! And Fisty already broke a record - 5 times and counting. Those voter I.D. laws can't come fast enough! Hell, with Fisty and Bev, who else needs to vote Democrat in Illinois?
Only in CHICAGO! (not intended as a snark-just a fact.)
The Norfolk Virginian Pilot columnist Kerry Daugherty's column questioned whether a person who voted early and then died BEFORE the election should count. She is known for her right wing quirky columns.
i wonder what the dems are gonna do once all 57 states adopt this law......
LMAO.....
You mean Obama can't cast his vote as Barack Obama, AND Barry Soetoro? Oh, the injustice!!!
LMAO...i thought you had to be a citizen to vote.....lol
They will be ecstatic because this law as written does very little to prevent voter fraud.
Presenting a utilty bill for identification does not prove you are the person whose name appears on the bill.
Right, none of the laws will do anything to prevent voter fraud, since in-person voter fraud was never an issue to begin with. But if you're so concerned with voter fraud, why don't you support new laws to verify absentee ballots?
In person voter fraud certainly is an issue, and how do you know I don't support a system or process to verify absentee ballots?
What laws have been proposed to curb absentee ballot fraud? None. Just voting in person, which has one reported case in 12 years.
Again ruling anyone can vote. We have laws that don't allow illegals to vote or anyone here on vacation not American. Why are we allowing students from other countries to vote? They have the required ID. We need to protect our right to vote and protect it from outsiders trying to inject their ideas into our country. Voting in American should not be a world event.
Or graveyard event, either.
well this law doesn't seem so unreasonable to me. I mean showing an ID that proves you live in the precinct you're voting in seems not unreasonable. And most common items like utility bills, mail and such certainly meet the criteria.
But when the GOP starts pushing this "We only accept THIS ID, and not THAT ID" then it quickly becomes fairly obvious that their real intent is to selectively deprive Obama's supporters of the chance to cast a ballot.
So it's come to this, a thinly veiled attempt to take an election by theft, and in so doing subvert the American Democratic process. Looks like the Republican Party has outlived it's usefulness, at least to THIS country (maybe N. Korea or russia would be better suited to their methods).
How does presenting a utility bill prove you are the person whose name appears on the bill?
Or maybe you just don't care as long as democrats win.
JJD - How does presenting ID prevent voter fraud from absentee ballots?
Or maybe you just don't care as long as republicans win.
It fairly simple, if you don't match the picture on your state issued ID, you don't vote.
And obviously you don't care or you wouldn't have asked a question with such an obvious answer.
But the truth is elections should be won honestly, by the vote of the American people, that is their right and only their right, protection of that right should be taken seriously, which obviously you don't..
I see, so like the rest of the teabaggers, you're taking the "I'm going to pretend I didn't see the words 'absentee ballots'" approach?
If you'll bother to look above you'll see I already answered that question.
And if you'll carefully read my full response you should be able to understand my position on the entire issue.
And so it begins. Now you know what the repbs meant when they said they wanted their country back......