The partisan thuggery of voter restrictions
With the nominating conventions over, the scramble to register voters has begun.
Campaigns have their work cut out. A number of states have been working overtime for two years or longer to make it harder for people to register and vote.
While professing to abhor burdensome regulations imposed by government, Republican-controlled legislatures have had no problem placing onerous restrictions on voter registration and voting itself.
They have passed laws requiring citizens to produce government documents — not always easily obtained — to take part in a basic right of citizenship.
They have moved to curtail early voting, especially in areas with a high population of citizens who are poor or belong to minority groups and tend to vote Democratic.
The scramble among GOP officeholders to curtail voting rights under the guise of cracking down on the almost non-existent problem of people voting under a false identity is a shameful display of partisan thuggery.
Republicans make a show of denying that they have anything in mind but upholding the integrity of the electoral process. But a GOP legislative leader in Pennsylvania spilled the beans recently when he exulted that a new law requiring government-issued photo IDs “is gonna allow Governor Romney to win the state of Pennsylvania.”
Fortunately, most courts have seen through the sham. Last month, federal judges issued rulings striking down or curtailing limits on early voting in Ohio, restrictions on voter registration drives in Texas and Florida, and a photo ID requirement in Texas. The Texas ruling on voter registration has since been put on hold by a federal appeals court.
Kansas began requiring a government-issued photo ID for the first time earlier this year and will continue to do so in November. More onerous requirements for persons attempting to register to vote are scheduled to take effect next year. Kansas lawmakers shouldn’t wait for a court challenge; they should do the right thing and lift restrictions that make voting more difficult for the elderly and other citizens.
In Missouri, several legislative attempts to requiring a photo ID to vote have been struck down by court decisions or a veto by the governor. Photo ID is likely to become a campaign issue in the secretary of state’s race, however, as the Republican candidate is pushing hard to demand it.
The rush for photo identification at the precincts comes despite almost no evidence that people vote under false identities.
The Republican National Lawyers Association last year published a report citing 400 prosecutions of election fraud in the United States over a decade. But that’s less than one per state per year, and includes offenses such as using the wrong address.
Another recent study by News 21, a Carnegie-Knight investigative reporting project, analyzed 2,068 reported cases of voter fraud and found that only 10 since 2000 involved persons attempting to vote using fraudulent identities. That represents one case of in-person fraud for every 15 million voters.
Meanwhile, a recent review by the Associated Press found that 1,200 votes were disqualified in just two states — Indiana and Georgia — during the 2008 general election because citizens failed to bring the proper identification to the polls. Many of those whose votes didn’t count had been exercising their franchise for years.
Many legislatures, especially those in hotly contested swing states, are now moving beyond photo ID requirements and passing laws designed to make it harder to register voters. Other states are curtailing advance voting, which is favored by minorities in urban areas.
In an especially outrageous development, Ohio’s Republican secretary of state was instrumental in cutting back early voting hours in urban areas, while actually expanding them in counties that typically favor Republicans. The elections official, John Husted, ordered consistent early voting hours after an uproar ensued. But his order prevents election boards from opening on weekends, when many working people could take advantage of the access.
Campaigns and other groups are working to get around the requirements by reaching out to prospective voters through direct mail and Internet methods, educating them about requirements and encouraging them to turn in applications.
The hope is that courts and wiser state legislatures will over time see the perils in limiting citizens’ right to vote. Until then, the best way to counteract these shameless partisan tactics is to look past the obstacles, register to vote and exercise that right in November and in elections afterward.
Phil Cardarella
8 months, 1 week agoOf course, these laws have NOTHING to do with any actual voting fraud and everything to do with simple math: The GOP has shrunk its base to angry, old white men.
Billionaires backing those who are angry at women, gays, immigrants and the educated. The Privileged manipulating the Prejudiced.
Problem is — as Lindsey Graham observed — there aren’t enough angry old white men to actually elect a GOP President. Unless the GOP figures a way to keep minorities (who it offends) and the young (who generally do not share their fears and prejudices)from actuallly voting. Make it harder to register. Make it harder to actually vote.
Hey, it is easier for them than to actually address the concerns of those who are not angry, not white and not male.
Brandon Lewis
8 months, 1 week agoI’ve heard all the talking points around voter ID, but can someone explain:
Some states are moving to curtail early voting? Is this suppose to cut down on fraud?
George Hunsucker
Northland
8 months, 1 week agoAnother great parody by the libs at the star……..
Why do anything to protect our voting integrity? dogs and cats should be allowed to be registered and vote Democratic!!!
Woody Pfister
8 months, 1 week agoThe Democrats required photo IDs to get into their convention, they must be racists.
Kent Mueller
8 months, 1 week agoPhil, your consistent claim about angry old white men fills your need to humor yourself, but it is nowhere near the truth. If you were anywhere close to being right, then there would be no discussion at all. There aren’t enough angry old white men to win any elections. And don’t forget……liberals have redefined “angry” as a racist word!!!!!!
And if anyone wants to see thuggery in action, just watch this video. No voter fraud? Nope not here!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v96Y8r2UPic
Bob Chichester
8 months, 1 week agoYou need a photo ID to cash a check. Why? To prevent fraud.
Robert Copher
8 months, 1 week agoI made this comment in another thread regarding immigration but, unfortunately I think it applies here also.
All in all between terrorists and illegal aliens and illegal drug users, and voter registration laws, we have redefined America. Every man in American is supposed to be FREE unless witnessed in the commission of a crime or probable cause has been established to warrant his detaining. Too much of our legislation on drugs and alchohol, air travel, automotive travel, voter registration, etc has been drawn and passed to combat that simple premis. We have, through our fears and judgemental attitude, eliminated the core meaning of the founding of this country. Go to your local elementary school and see if they teach the kids that only American citizens are free in America or if they teach the children that evey man is free in America and will be given certain rights? Morover, my thoughts keep coming back to the fact that none of these laws are about the trivial legislation they claim is needed and are all about expanding State sovereignty over National and creating a weak federal government.
Rick Adams
8 months, 1 week agoMr. Chichester,
I really can’t find any reference to check cashing in any documents our Founding Fathers authored, so what is your point - check cashing is a privilege enjoyed in the United States of America ?
I get it - you bring up something that sounds like it might reinforce the point that everyone should have “papers” - but that is a view held but people that aren’t Americans.
WWJS - what would Jesus show ?
Steven Fetter
66223
8 months, 1 week agoTrust but verify.
JR Beillenhouser
8 months, 1 week agoJust wondering when the editorial is going to appear about the Obama administration ignoring a 2009 law to ensure that our military can vote.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/sep/5/pentagon-report-us-bases-lack-voting-offices-troop/
JR Beillenhouser
8 months, 1 week agoJust wondering when the editorial is going to appear about the justice department that refused to release lists to Florida that were court ordered so Florida could purge their voting records of the dead.
JR Beillenhouser
8 months, 1 week agoJust wondering the the editorial is going to appear about alleged vote fraud in the wisconsin recall vote
http://nation.foxnews.com/wisconsin-recall-election/2012/06/05/eyewitness-alleges-democrat-union-vote-fraud-wisconsin
JR Beillenhouser
8 months, 1 week agoFunny how Madison Wi could have a 119% of turnout at the recall
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/06/05/report-voter-turnout-119-percent-in-madison
JR Beillenhouser
8 months, 1 week agoHow many more of these are there
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/09/05/Arkansas-Democrats-Plead-Guilty-To-Voter-Fraud
JR Beillenhouser
8 months, 1 week agoEver hear of Project Veritas.
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/04/08/DC-Polling-Place-Holder-Ballot
http://www.theprojectveritas.org/
http://www.theprojectveritas.org/node/117
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-uVhhIlPk0
JR Beillenhouser
8 months, 1 week agoObviously, there is no reason to be concerned about the dead or illegals voting. Especially when it will favor the democrats.
Mark Robertson
8 months, 1 week agoIt’s obvious that a number of Star “editorialists” are in a panicked state. They are simply delusional. Thank you. Mark Robertson Independence
Phil Cardarella
8 months, 1 week agoOK, I am still waiting for the “massive voter” involving folks voting while claiming to be someone thay are not — the ONLY “fraud” that ID laws address. Also, there OUGHT to be losts of prosecutions for this, since it is the EASIEST kind to discover: If A votes claiming to be B, then when B showes up to vote, it should set off all kinds of alarms, right? Turns out that occurs about once an election — IN THE ENTIRE NATION!
The vast majority of “fraud” reports seem to involve stuff like Mickey Mouse registering (but NOT voting, as in the ACORN non-acandal) or eligible voters trying to vote from an old address rather than where they now live.
I understand that in Florida in 2000, the GOP Secretary of State “mistakenly” purged a lot of non-felons from the rolls as felons, because of similar names (allegedly).
In the end, it seems to come down to a philosophical divide. Democrats and democrats believe that voting is a right and the default position should be one which assures that every eligible voter gets to vote — even at the risk of minor flaws. Better to risk an occasional lawbreaker than to risk the rights of hundreds of thousands of honest citizens.
The GOP position essentially is that voting is a privilege to be earned by following sometimes demanding rules — and that it is just a coincidence that those rules might reduce the legitimate votes for the other side. Better to take away the votes of thousands than risk the possibility a single fraudulant vote.
Ultimately, it is the GOP characterizing these ID Laws as needed to combat non-existant vote fraud instead of the vote suppression activities that they really are that is the true “vote fraud”.
Brandon Lewis
8 months, 1 week agoHere in Kansas City, we have electronic sign-in for voting. Once a voter signs in no one can then claim their name.
We ask for ID, not necessarily photo ID and for them to verify their address then proceed to check them in. If someone tries to vote under their name and address, the system will alert, (already signed in)
How does reducing early voting and restricting absentee voting combat “voter fraud”
Honestly, how many people do you believe take the time and effort to vote under someone elses name and why.