Voter ID

[AvilaSurfer]

i just saw a commercial on TV reminding us to get out and vote.
Election Day - Nov. 8
Register by Nov. 1
Bring your ID

So....Yay! We live in a sane part of the country!

 

[Armoured]

i just saw a commercial on TV reminding us to get out and vote.
Election Day - Nov. 8
Register by Nov. 1
Bring your ID

So....Yay! We live in a sane part of the country!

Why don't you have your elections on weekends to make it easier?

 

[AvilaSurfer]

LOL. Well that didn't take long to see a totally pointless post that had nothing to do with the OP. Did you enjoy yourself ?

 

[Armoured]

LOL. Well that didn't take long to see a totally pointless post that had nothing to do with the OP. Did you enjoy yourself ?

Talking about the day of the election has nothing to do with an OP about the day of the election?

 

[KWCrazy]

Just remember that because of the huge expected turn-out this year, Republicans vote on Tuesday and Democrats the following Wednesday.

 

[LivingWordUnity]

.

 

[AvilaSurfer]

Talking about the day of the election has nothing to do with an OP about the day of the election?

Sorry, I should have been more clear. The topic was supposed to be voter ID. Maybe next time I'll put that in the title.
Oh, wait.....

 

[s_gunter]

OK, wanna talk Voter ID....

24th Amendment to the US Constitution-

Section 1. The right of citizens of the United States to vote in any primary or other election for President or Vice President, for electors for President or Vice President, or for Senator or Representative in Congress, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State by reason of failure to pay any poll tax or other tax.
Section 2. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Underline mine.

Valid ID's cost money that's paid to the state (paying the government). The documents required to get the valid ID also cost money paid to the state. Therefore, it's a back-door poll tax.

If it weren't for that pesky Constitutional amendment, I'd be all for ID to vote (even though it's too easy to create a fake ID, and it's not like the Secret Service is checking ID's at the polls...).

 

[AvilaSurfer]

Old, tired arguments that don't apply. Been refuted hundreds of times. I'm glad our state requires ID.

 

[Fantine]

If ID's are required, then the state should do something to help underserved populations--to prove that it has no evil motives.

They could set up a mobile unit traveling to inner city neighborhood where most people use public transportation, and if someone was receiving public assistance no fee would be charged.

They could send mobile units to assisted living centers and nursing homes where people may no longer drive. Many are mentally competent, and they can get absentee ballots if they are nursing home-bound.

The problem isn't Voter ID--it's that it disproportionately affects inner city teens who don't drive, or elderly homebound people.

 

[Genersis]

Fingers crossed it doesn't disenfranchise more legitimate voters than those who would commit voter fraud.

Considering voter fraud cases number in the tens(31, if I remember right?), that's quite a hurdle to overcome. Doubtful it will even if the number of cases were a magnitude or two higher, but I guess having such a measure in place brings some people peace of mind?

 

[AvilaSurfer]

Noise and chatter. Voter ID should be required everywhere.

 

[pdudgeon]

If ID's are required, then the state should do something to help underserved populations--to prove that it has no evil motives.

They could set up a mobile unit traveling to inner city neighborhood where most people use public transportation, and if someone was receiving public assistance no fee would be charged.

They could send mobile units to assisted living centers and nursing homes where people may no longer drive. Many are mentally competent, and they can get absentee ballots if they are nursing home-bound.

The problem isn't Voter ID--it's that it disproportionately affects inner city teens who don't drive, or elderly homebound people.

nope, you just squashed your own arguement.
innercity neighborhoods have public transportation.
means they don't have to walk the length of a county to get to the local DMV.

receiving public assistance means they might have to give up the cigaretts or beer or lotto tickets for the week. you do know how many stores sell those 3 things in the innercity, don't you?

assisted living centers and nursing homes--you have to have ID just to move in there. and elderly homebound people most likely are already on Social Security and medicare, so they already have produced ID for those.

 

[Tallguy88]

I'm working the polls this year. Even though we can't require ID anymore (thanks to the ACLU), we still ask for them. Only a few troublemakers ever refuse. The minorities and elderly (the ones we are always told can't get an ID for some reason) always have their ID and I've never had to turn them away because of that. It's upperclass white boys that are like "you can't ask me that" and I always say "yes I can".

 

[Tallguy88]

Why don't you have your elections on weekends to make it easier?

Elections are always on a Tuesday. Presidential elections are always the second Tuesday in November.

 

[Genersis]

Why don't you have your elections on weekends to make it easier?

Fun Fact:
Elections are always on a Thursday in the UK, as it was traditionally market day where most people would of been heading into town anyway(and ergo, closer to town halls, to vote)

It's not a holiday either, so people are almost always working on election day, and there's always a queue to vote post working hours. Sometimes leading to people being turned away from voting(10PM deadline), especially in high population areas. Genius.
But, you know, tradition.

 

[LoAmmi]

I'm working the polls this year. Even though we can't require ID anymore (thanks to the ACLU), we still ask for them. Only a few troublemakers ever refuse. The minorities and elderly (the ones we are always told can't get an ID for some reason) always have their ID and I've never had to turn them away because of that. It's upperclass white boys that are like "you can't ask me that" and I always say "yes I can".

A lot of it depends on where you live and what the requirements to get ID are. I'm actually 100% fine with ID so long as to get a regular (not drivers) ID, you aren't required to pay even a penny and that the process is easy. There are plenty of places where to get one you have to go to a specific office that's open only a few hours a week. That's crazy pants. I live in a place where it isn't that difficult to get one as the DMV is open 6 days a week but there are places where it's like 2-4 on every other Thursday. At the very least, in the lead up to election day, those places should at least be 9-5. You pass the voter ID law, you fund the offices to provide those IDs to have more hours.

 

[Tallguy88]

Fun Fact:
Elections are always on a Thursday in the UK, as it was traditionally market day where most people would of been heading into town anyway(and ergo, closer to town halls, to vote)

It's not a holiday either, so people are almost always working on election day, and there's always a queue to vote post working hours. Sometimes leading to people being turned away from voting(10PM deadline), especially in high population areas. Genius.
But, you know, tradition.

In my state, polls close at 7:30 PM, but anyone in line by that time is allowed to vote.

 

[Genersis]

In my state, polls close at 7:30 PM, but anyone in line by that time is allowed to vote.

It's not quite set in stone here.
Sometime people in line can still vote, sometimes only people inside the building.
7:30 PM does seem pretty early.

 

[Genersis]

A lot of it depends on where you live and what the requirements to get ID are. I'm actually 100% fine with ID so long as to get a regular (not drivers) ID, you aren't required to pay even a penny and that the process is easy.
...

This is very important. If ID becomes a mandatory requirement, they must be easily obtainable. I'd prefer a system where some kind of voter ID card is applied for while registering to vote.
It is incredibly important that such ID laws only effect the fraudulent. Otherwise it's likely doing more harm than good.