Photo ID Should Be Required To Vote

Many liberals just eat up kooky conspiracy theories about electronic vote rigging. Even the wife of the Democrats’ last Presidential candidate is out there publicly floating the idea that the elections may have been rigged.

Meanwhile, it’s many of those very same people who bitterly complain that you can’t trust election results, who then turn right around and fight the most important thing we can do to prevent fraud: require some ID to vote.

“Legislation that would require voters to show photo identification before casting ballots has touched off fierce debate in three states, with opponents complaining the measures represent a return to the days of poll taxes and Jim Crow.

Lawmakers in Georgia and Indiana walked off the job to protest the proposals, which they say would deprive the poor, the elderly and minorities of the right to vote. Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle, a Democrat, has already vetoed a similar measure and has vowed to do so again.

Republicans argue the bills would restore voter confidence and eliminate fraud without overly burdening voters, most of whom have driver’s licenses or photo IDs anyway.

“I want everyone to be able to vote — once,” said Indiana state Sen. Victor Heinold, a Republican.

Nineteen states require voters to show identification, but only five of those request photo ID, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Those states — Hawaii, Florida, Louisiana, South Carolina and South Dakota — allow voters without a photo ID to present other forms of identification, such as a utility bill, or sign an affidavit of identity.

Critics say the measures in Indiana, Georgia and Wisconsin do not provide good alternatives for those without photo IDs.

Georgia’s proposal, for example, would allow people without photo IDs to cast provisional ballots but require them to return within 48 hours with a picture ID.

State Sen. Vincent Fort, an Atlanta Democrat, said that amounts to “an updated form of Jim Crow,” referring to segregation-era laws that kept blacks from voting. About 100 people rallied outside the Georgia Capitol last week to protest the legislation, which passed the state Senate on Tuesday and now goes to the House.

Wisconsin would require a government-issued photo ID from nearly all voters. Exceptions would be granted for domestic abuse victims, nursing home residents and those who have lost their driver’s license.

Indiana would exempt only those who sign affidavits swearing they are too poor to get an ID or that they have religious objections to obtaining one.”

Given that you may be asked to present some type of photo ID if you drive a car, write a check, make a withdrawl at your bank, ask to view an apartment, sign up for a Blockbuster video card, etc., etc., etc., it seems to me that it’s very reasonable to require people to present some form of ID to vote.

As a matter of fact, even if we’re talking about the very rare person who normally never uses any form of government ID, it’s not unreasonable to say that they should be asked to get a state ID card if they want to vote. Here in North Carolina for example, you can get an ID card “valid for a period of four to eight years, depending on your birthdate” for the nominal cost of $10. Is that so much to ask of someone before he/she casts a vote in an election that may determine who the next President of the United States is going to be?

As far as I’m concerned, anyone who isn’t in favor of requiring at least some form of identification from a potential voter isn’t serious about preventing election fraud.

Share this!

Enjoy reading? Share it with your friends!