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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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This is Voter Suppression at its finest.
Watch the video and sign the petition to end Voter Suppression.
Wouldnt it be easier to just get an id?
never..
more states need to adopt voter ID...
if your to lazy or unable to get an ID,,,then you dont deserve to vote..
you can get an id anywhere,,,most are free
What about those Black Panthers with the billy clubs?? That is voter suppression and intimidation. Did ya forget about that. Those were Obama thugs..
"more states need to adopt voter ID...if your to lazy or unable to get an ID,,,then you dont deserve to vote.. you can get an id anywhere,,,most are free"
Hmm. So in your opinion, you have the right to deny me my constitutional right to vote? In my opinion, if you cannot write a grammatically correct sentence, spell accurately, and understand the basic use of punctuation marks, you should not be able to vote.
But seriously, if all states adopt a strict voting law like PA, voters who lose their ID near the election date will be disenfranchised. I live in Colorado, where the price tag on a state ID card is $10.50. However, I no longer have my original birth certificate so I will need to order a duplicate from out of state. To order online, the birth certificate will cost $25.00 and another $25.00 to have it delivered express mail (assuming it is close to election day). This leaves me an out of pocket expense of $60.50. However, because I drive, I would need to purchase a replacement driver's license at the cost of $25.00, bumping the price for my voting right up to $75.50. We live on a limited budget (no, not welfare or any other socially funded programs) so this chunk of cash would force me to "rob Peter to pay Paul." If this happened during the later part of the month, voting would not be an option for me.
To those who will immediately jump in and suggest I could eliminate the luxury of internet access--it is necessary for my second job. And yes, other than for driving legally, I can function normally without a state issued ID. My paycheck is direct deposited and my debit card has replaced the need for writing checks.
Under these conditions, this is as good as having no I.D.. Totally stupid.
no i.d
no vote
Exactly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Losers..
.
voter suppression is what the black panthers did,,standing outside a polling place...
asking for id is NOT!!!
NO ID
NO VOTE.....
This should not be an idea restricted to party lines. Where is the protection for our voting right? Why are others able to vote just because they have a Utility Bill or any proof of address? We need to protect our voting right from other countries trying to inject their wishes on America! We need to make sure only American Citizens are able to vote and I'm not talking about those that their mother gave birth here to and then skirted back to their native country to raise these Anchor Babies. China doesn't allow dual citizenship why are we allowing Chinese to come here and have babies if they are not American's? Chinese children born of Chinese parents in America are the new Anchor Babies that our kids may have to call their President some day.
I don't believe that voter fraud taking place on the voter side of the box is what we should be worried about. I do feel that elections can be swayed by what takes place on the other side of the box. If I was to try and effect the outcome of an election that is where I would do it at... Would take way to much work and way to many people to effect it by trying to do it one vote at a time when I can go and do away with or add to it much easier on the other side of the voting box...
In a close election it may take only one illegal vote.
or one legitimate vote that was never cast
I can live with losing an election because one legitimate vote was not cast, but I can not tolerate losing or winning an election because of one illegal vote.
Then why not disallow all voting since there will always be a possiblity of fraud? If you follow your logic to it's end you will find it very chilling. It sounds more like you want uncontested elections. Have fun with that.
So, Detroit, you are admitting it is a problem and we need the laws?
DS,
Why not eliminate all human life and that will end all crime?
When a position is taken to an extreme you loose credibility.
The answer is simple, we need to be more diligent in ensuring only legal voter can vote.
Any one opposed to that must feel there is a benefit in not doing so. What is he benefit?
The governor said "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.
And that makes it sound more like an agenda to me.
In Ohio, I had to sign my name when I registered to vote. When i go to the polls, there is a book with peoples names, addresses and their signatures. I show my photo ID and I sign the book. My signature is compared with my signature on file and my photo ID. This system works pretty well IMO. Seems they should have SOMETHING on file so they know you're a registered voter, don't you think?
Every American should have an ID, you need one to cash a check, turn on electric, and so on. What I do not understand is why more Americans are not upset that illegal aliens are taking jobs that could be ours?!! What part of "illegal" do people not understand.
In Florida for years and years, you have to show an ID, big deal. Play by the rules!!!
Yeah, and it didn't matter in 2000. The dems still weren't smart enough to know who they were voting for.
Illegals don't have ID cards, yet still say, " we have the right " no you don't.. Thank you
Democrats were happy to have all these "dis-enfranchised" people staying like they are, quietly collecting Welfare. For the last 4 years they did not try to help these people become "enfranchised" and part of society.
Now all of a sudden when these people will not be able to vote Democratic, Democrats are all upset !!
BULL-$HIT !!!
No ID, no vote !!!
The Republicans want this country to be an ideological autocracy. They want their way of thinking to be made to be the law of the land. George Bush stated, "You are either with us or against us". I find the Republican thought process to be flawed and disturbing. Care for the unborn but not much concern for the living people who struggle to survive and to have a decent life. Absolutely unequivocally outrageous.
No, they are just sick of illegals stealing our welfare, food stamps, jobs, and votes.
Living on someone else's dime..... That's outrageous..get to work... loser
So all I have to so is slip over to Virginia, snag some old bills from the trash, and I can vote in as many precincts as I want in as many towns as I want, and as many times as I want. This is exactly why a government issued photo ID should be required. That's exactly why the party of "Vote early, vote often" opposes it.
I do hope they intend to send out a mailing telling folks what they need to bring.
Seems to me this ought to be fairly easy to wrap up this "discussion". Since fraud is so vast a problem, there should a wealth of verified and documented data confirming this "fact". And if so, such factual data ought to be presented.
It makes me sick the way the Republicans are are trying to stop President Obama from being elected. Lying attack middle class poor and Seniors. We need to vote all the republicans out of office. they all talk about President Obama not doing anything but their the ones not doing anything but trying to make the rich more rich and stopping any bill that help the country. 20% approval senate house worse ever.
They no they cant win fair and square so they will resort to any dirty tactic to win...and we are supposed to trust them afterwards to do whats right for us...lol right.
Yall are just RACIST pigs, you don't want to see a white man elected to the White House.
You have to register to vote before hand. Some here think you can just walk to any voting area and vote. Not so. You need to be within your voting precinct. This is all about ID required once you get to the voting booth and what type you have to present. They are trying to restrict certain ID from being allowed to get your ballot and go into the booth and vote. I think acouple here are confused about that. I think if you have any ID that has your correct name, address and it matches your name in the voting log you should be allowed to vote...they check your name off once you get your ballot so I dont see how you could even vote more then once. Alot of this is fear tactics by republicans. This is all about the republicans trying to scare people. As for college ID's? I think they should be allowed because every college I went to had my photo on it. Another thing..if you think you will be away from your precinct at the time of voting you can ask for an absentee ballot ahead of time...I did that when I was away from home and in college. Saves time and hassles.
In general I'm against the new voter ID laws because I'm worried that some people will be denied their votes. More worried than I am of people some how casting fake votes. But even I have to admit that these are reasonable and just rules.
More red tape and inconveniance on something already inconveniant.... but reasonable and just none the less.
Now if they would just spend a bit of money and create a comprehensive national voter data base that checks every vote against it and allows us all to vote with a phone call, email or web click....
Now that the Justice Dep't. has gotten this right, let's see if we can get them to declare the corrupt Republican OIL & FINANCIAL corporate MONARCHY that has MADE SLAVES OF US and STEALING OUR FAMILIES LIVELYHOOD as UNCONSTITUTIONAL & a MONOPOLY against the 99% American People! All for the sake of their UNCONTROLLED CAPITALISTIC GREED for their ONE-PERCENTERS! Take them off the stock market, they don't deserve to be their!
Go occupy something loser!!!!
Anyone else smell Fiesty???? We only want to stop the slugs that pay no taxes, have never contributed to society in any way, Illegals( and no... we will not be taking the "I" out of illegals ) and the dead who continue to vote Democrate. If you remove a little scum off of the pond, it might survive, and once again flourish.
There is a great new movie coming out called 2016.... A Must See Motion Picture about President Dumboma.. Hitting theaters soon...Lmao
Voter Fraud is not the issue here folks. Nationwide research has found that that voter fraud has occurred like one in a million cases.
The only Voter "FRAUD" being committed here are the Republicans suppressing the vote through Conspiracy, Poll Tax and Disenfranchisement.
It appears the more things change (Past History) the more things stay the same.
Wow, this one really brought out the right wind conspiracy theorists! Show me actual significant voter fraud caused from liberal voter ID use, and I might give all of you a little credit, but until then you're simply exacerbating the current drought conditions with your needless hot air.