PA now requires State ID to vote
- Thread starter Silent Bob
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What would you guys think about this:
1) Enable the poor/rural to register for a reduced cost or free voter ID through the mail, much like passports are handled. Go get a passport-style photo at Walgreen's or wherever, and send in your documentation. Receive your ID in 4-6 weeks. Yes, I know the photos cost money, but they could be subsidized to reduce or eliminate the initial outlay.
2) Open the polls for voting, worldwide, at midnight EST on Tuesday and close them at midnight EST on Wednesday. This allows everyone the equal chance to vote, regardless of work schedule, and without requiring a vacation day or PTO. I can think of two elections in a row where I was not able to vote due to working 7-7 and not having any vacation days left. Also, this would also reduce the lines for the busy periods before 9 and after 5.
1) Enable the poor/rural to register for a reduced cost or free voter ID through the mail, much like passports are handled. Go get a passport-style photo at Walgreen's or wherever, and send in your documentation. Receive your ID in 4-6 weeks. Yes, I know the photos cost money, but they could be subsidized to reduce or eliminate the initial outlay.
2) Open the polls for voting, worldwide, at midnight EST on Tuesday and close them at midnight EST on Wednesday. This allows everyone the equal chance to vote, regardless of work schedule, and without requiring a vacation day or PTO. I can think of two elections in a row where I was not able to vote due to working 7-7 and not having any vacation days left. Also, this would also reduce the lines for the busy periods before 9 and after 5.
Crap, that reminds me I need to put in PTO so I can vote. Thanks.
Yeah, this is pretty messed up. My polling place has half as many voting machines these days.
...Or (some) Americans could just get it through their head that a state ID isn't "infringing on rights" or "destroying privacy". A government-issued card with such useful information as blood type, picture, date of birth, possibly endangering medical issues, SS number, and for all I care rolled into one with driver's license isn't the end of the world, would make voting a lot easier, would prevent deaths due to mistreatment, and would help census data.
But OH NO THE GUBMINT. *shrug*
But OH NO THE GUBMINT. *shrug*
GasBandit
Staff member
... that's not the objections they generally raise. It's more along the lines of what's been said in this thread.
I did object to most of those points in the previous thread. But this issue is just a straight up attempt to keep a sizable number of people from voting this year.
GasBandit
Staff member
Hrm, well, you're the first person I've heard to make the privacy issue... well, an issue.
And I'm just gonna keep saying nuh-uh to the latter sentence as long as you keep saying yuh-huh.
He said he felt that it leveled the playing field. He should be able to win on ideas and policy, not some 19th century chicanery.
S
Soliloquy
"level the playing field" could very well mean "not allow the other side to vote fraudulently, thus skewing the results."
let me repeat, for this state, IT NEVER HAPPENED, EVER!
The Republican's own attorneys admitted as much.
S
Soliloquy
So... it's impossible for a Republican candidate to believe otherwise? Or believe that it could potentially be a problem in the upcoming election?
And aliens could invade the Earth before the next election. It never happened but there is no reason to think it is impossible...
Which is more likely, especially considering past events? That they wanted to prevent a handful of (nonexistent) fraudulent voting cases or that they wanted to largely suppress the vote of groups that traditionally vote for their opposition? Which provides them with greater advantage?
S
Soliloquy
I dunno, I just have a healthy skepticism towards the "there is no voter fraud" angle ever since my hyper-conservative religious mom was mysteriously registered as a Democrat through Acorn right after her purse was stolen a few years ago.
Something was clearly going on, I don't know what. And it wouldn't surprise me if something still is going on.
Anecdotal evidence and all that, I know. But still.
Something was clearly going on, I don't know what. And it wouldn't surprise me if something still is going on.
Anecdotal evidence and all that, I know. But still.
At least she was registered.
S
Soliloquy
You know, speaking of which... isn't it already required to have a valid photo ID to register to vote? Why all the hoopla about needing a photo ID for the actual voting, but not about needing it to register?[DOUBLEPOST=1345236494][/DOUBLEPOST]
Ah, never mind, looks like you don't need that in PA. Need it in my state though, and have for as long as I can remember.
I don't get this photo ID thing... over here we get one at 14 and it's mandatory...only way you can skip getting one is if you don't have a birth certificate either (so it's mostly gypsies here).
Also, seems like by passing that law they made photo ID's free even if they didn't plan to: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/...n-from-offering-information-on-free-voter-IDs
Also, seems like by passing that law they made photo ID's free even if they didn't plan to: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/...n-from-offering-information-on-free-voter-IDs
To the non US folks,
All of these "OMG we need Voter ID's and the purging of Voter Rolls!!!!' activities are coming up very close to elections when a lot of folks, that the far right doesn't want voting this cycle, won't have the time or opportunity to fix.
Insome districts where this is happening, you're going to have old folks, rural folks, minorities, students . . . go to the poles and find out they can't vote.
At the end of the day, had it been put in place reasonably, I don't think most people would have a problem with Voter ID's.
All of the recent legislation, is ALL ABOUT suppressing votes for the current election cycle.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/12/washington/12fraud.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articl...ow-the-gop-plans-to-block-the-black-vote.html
It's fucking sad, and it's fucking un-American to pull this last minute shit to suppress a lot of peoples votes.
*edited a bit for easier parsing*
All of these "OMG we need Voter ID's and the purging of Voter Rolls!!!!' activities are coming up very close to elections when a lot of folks, that the far right doesn't want voting this cycle, won't have the time or opportunity to fix.
In
At the end of the day, had it been put in place reasonably, I don't think most people would have a problem with Voter ID's.
All of the recent legislation, is ALL ABOUT suppressing votes for the current election cycle.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/12/washington/12fraud.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articl...ow-the-gop-plans-to-block-the-black-vote.html
It's fucking sad, and it's fucking un-American to pull this last minute shit to suppress a lot of peoples votes.
*edited a bit for easier parsing*
Tsang, that's kind of the point some of us are making: This is an intentional step to suppress the ability for eligible voters to vote. The Republicans are trying to prevent demographics they aren't popular with from having a voice because they can't win their approval without displeasing their base.
LOL! I certainly do not want people to vote under a false identity! The republicans flaunting it as a calculated tactic is pretty irritating, though.
GasBandit
Staff member
I remember watching videos, seeing pictures, of Iraqi citizens voting for the first time in their lives, proudly displaying their ink-stained fingers as proof that they voted, having braved the spectre of terrorist attack, shootings, bombings, the intimidation tactics of militant islamism... and the last shred of commiseration I have for an American whining about how hard it is to get a goddamned picture ID to vote vanishes like rubbing alcohol on the surface of Mercury.
Did the Iraqis have photo ID's?
What if, once they had gotten there, they were told that due to last minute changes, they now require a thumb print and a special issue ID that they could have easily gotten, but due to time constraints were not able to get before the deadline?
GasBandit
Staff member
Last minute my ass, there's 11 weeks to go before the election. That's a long time to get something done that should have been done years ago.
That's assuming the people this effects know about it. The department in spreading the information is the same department that doesn't want these people to vote, and not everyone gets breaking news in their twitter feed.
GasBandit
Staff member
If only there were media sources trumpeting this requirement far and wide as if they had some kind of problem with it.
On a 4 year time scale, 11 weeks is last-minute.
Honestly, I think I'm mainly hardcore about the voter Id stuff because I've nearly been denied voting more than once. The pollsters here in Ohio are hardcore about finding reasons to keep you out, ever since the 2004 election. I suppose someone could think differently if they've never had that problem.
GasBandit
Staff member
On any given time scale, it's years overdue.
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