There will always be people on the fringes of society that feel intimidated about voting. Even if it's just the conspiracy theorists! So the trick becomes where you will draw the line, not IF you're going to draw the line..
Yes, absolutely, there will always be a line. Unless voting is compulsory and not voting is a verifiable punishable offense, and I don't see that as a voting rights utopia. Although there is always a line, I do think there is something wrong if it moves in the wrong direction- and by that of course the direction of less representation by those in the fringes or close to the fringes.
Given that one of the reasons a lot of people in my demographic (18-24 white middle class) don't vote is that we feel our vote is useless. Such a feeling is compounded by the implications of voter fraud, as well as the feeling that a lot of people are voting that have NO IDEA WTF IS GOING ON. I'm not saying we should deny ignorant citizens the right to vote! But from that view point, yah you know what? If someone is too ignorant/lazy to go get an appropriate ID to vote, why SHOULD I care? That's just one less vote from someone who would place an uneducated vote likely based on the appearance of the candidate or (more likely) what party they were...
Yes this is basically the argument that's at the heart of the matter- the ignorant stupid voter who doesn't even care enough to learn enough about the voter id requirements and how to get it, let alone read up on he candidates and issues. IMO, the voter fraud argument is a sham to cover the real reasons underlying this because admitting the real reasons can be unpleasant and people do their best not to do this. I really appreciate your willingness to discuss it.
Now let's discuss the ignorant/lazy voter. Odds are, the real distinguishing factor between him or her and someone who others wouldn't even suspect is ignorant or lazy is social class. Just because someone has money and has all the possible id's necessary for voting by default (like how someone who drives a car will have a valid driver's license) it doesn't mean this person is educated on the issues and candidates. All it means is that this person drives a car, has a driver's license and therefore will never by touched by voter id regulations.
I definitely think that ID laws are okay in general. I think that the states requiring them should ALSO make sure acceptable forms of ID are as broad as possible (the example of the utility bill above is a good one), or if they are going to tighten down, they need to improve accessibility to acceptable forms of ID (ex. opening ID centers in accessible areas). .
Yes, I think this is a decent way to go- if you are going to tighten voter id laws you absolutely have to do everything possible to make sure that anyone who could vote before will be able to vote again. This will take a lot of resources.
As far as just not knowing about the state laws, I see no reason why that should be a problem. You're not registered by default to vote, so when you go in to register they can just have a poster or a pamphlet or something.
The knowing thing- it's not that hard to mislead or intimidate people who aren't that confident of their voting rights in the first place. On one hand it's tempting to recall Jim Crow type examples, but this type of thing is done today. I linked to an example.
How does requiring photo ID disenfranchise the black/minority community?
- 15/01/2012 05:14:16 PM
2077 Views
From what I understand ...
- 15/01/2012 05:34:39 PM
1189 Views
but you need a photo ID for so many other things
- 15/01/2012 05:42:06 PM
1067 Views
Well.
- 15/01/2012 05:53:04 PM
1209 Views
The SCOTUS disagrees with you.
- 16/01/2012 03:14:57 AM
1039 Views
I didn't even need to show a voter regestration card last time I voted *NM*
- 16/01/2012 11:45:23 PM
743 Views
That is kind of pathetic.
- 17/01/2012 06:45:19 AM
975 Views
It "disenfranchises" whoever only barely brings him- or herself to vote as it is.
- 15/01/2012 05:34:50 PM
1062 Views
That really only reinforces the idea to me that this is just people looking to fight about something *NM*
- 15/01/2012 05:45:37 PM
580 Views
I think that's an exaggeration, but to play devil's advocate...
- 15/01/2012 05:41:10 PM
1004 Views
it doesn't strike me as a very big layer to add. *NM*
- 15/01/2012 05:43:37 PM
578 Views
Someone presents a poll worker a non-DL photo ID.
- 15/01/2012 05:48:50 PM
1075 Views
i suppose that would get complicated if you tried to make it nice and flexible. *NM*
- 15/01/2012 06:09:13 PM
798 Views
It doesn't, really. The issue gets politicized due to a long memory of "Jim Crow".
- 15/01/2012 06:19:37 PM
1172 Views
Yah, my mom brought up Jim Crow laws. It's a fair point, at least in regards to the reaction
- 15/01/2012 06:22:36 PM
1082 Views
This is a remarkably calm and reasonable political discussion. What's going on? *NM*
- 15/01/2012 08:05:30 PM
605 Views
It is not a black and white issue
- 16/01/2012 01:07:14 AM
1086 Views
I prefer to think i'm magical. *NM*
- 16/01/2012 01:20:49 AM
590 Views
I don't see any cat nearby, thus no magic was used *nods* *NM*
- 16/01/2012 01:28:50 AM
622 Views
that's too obvious.
- 16/01/2012 02:48:29 AM
1068 Views
You did not just compare a cat to a rabbit
- 16/01/2012 03:07:49 AM
1075 Views
have you ever had a rabbit?
- 16/01/2012 03:25:26 AM
1116 Views
A cat would never lower itself assumming the form of a fluffy rabbit
- 16/01/2012 12:49:26 PM
1165 Views
that's just what they want you to think.
- 16/01/2012 02:34:48 PM
1010 Views
Viscous does not mean Magical
- 16/01/2012 02:45:10 PM
1196 Views
- 16/01/2012 02:45:10 PM
1196 Views
Actually i'm pretty sure my rabbits scratch me because they're furry bastards. *NM*
- 16/01/2012 04:28:57 PM
600 Views
well for one thing she didn't start out by insulting people who disagree with her
- 16/01/2012 02:09:24 AM
1051 Views
Not that I care much either way, but please, answer this:
- 15/01/2012 09:26:23 PM
1138 Views
definitely not. However, ID cards are free in South Carolina.
- 15/01/2012 09:33:06 PM
1218 Views
You could walk. *NM*
- 16/01/2012 06:31:58 AM
586 Views
Oh I could, theoretically. Although this year, my poll is a good 7 miles away
- 16/01/2012 08:45:42 AM
1230 Views
7 miles away, isn't that illegal? *NM*
- 16/01/2012 05:35:50 PM
583 Views
probably, but not really at the same time. It's my own fault regardless.
- 16/01/2012 10:46:06 PM
1126 Views
Illegal? My polling location is > 7 miles from my permanent residence.
- 17/01/2012 12:19:21 AM
1072 Views
No, and there's is no place in the US that is the case
- 16/01/2012 12:11:36 AM
1132 Views
It disenfranchises the dead/illegal aliens/people who vote multiple times...
- 16/01/2012 02:01:47 AM
1156 Views
Short answer: Yes. (Let me know if you want the long answer.) *NM*
- 16/01/2012 07:52:36 PM
699 Views
that would be interesting. *NM*
- 16/01/2012 08:45:24 PM
610 Views
By that, I assume you want to know. (But probably not as interesting as you think.)
- 17/01/2012 02:46:16 PM
1099 Views
I don't see how it does
- 15/01/2012 10:22:29 PM
1134 Views
Re: I don't see how it does
- 15/01/2012 10:57:20 PM
1075 Views
I believe most states also offer a non-drivers ID issued by the DMV
- 16/01/2012 12:12:09 AM
1023 Views
Cool. I wonder if Canada has those. I should check into that. *NM*
- 16/01/2012 12:35:39 AM
528 Views
Also passports work too in most places. *NM*
- 16/01/2012 06:59:51 PM
631 Views
those are far far from economical or practical compared to state IDs *NM*
- 16/01/2012 07:12:30 PM
495 Views
It is a catch 22 situation, the free id is not a perfect solution
- 16/01/2012 12:53:11 AM
1192 Views
Also you can't claim voter fraud is a big problem
- 16/01/2012 12:57:18 AM
1104 Views
can you prove that voter fraud is not a problem?
- 16/01/2012 02:04:52 AM
1033 Views
In 5 years of investigation, 120 people were charged national with voter fraud, 86 were convincted
- 16/01/2012 02:33:07 AM
1271 Views
That's smoke and mirrors
- 16/01/2012 01:51:34 PM
1175 Views
It seems you didn't read the article, or understand its point
- 16/01/2012 02:39:39 PM
1084 Views
You are still ignoring the fact that it is almost impossible to catch people on the current system
- 16/01/2012 03:52:42 PM
1051 Views
I suspect I know a good deal more of this subject than the author of your 5-year old article
- 16/01/2012 05:37:54 PM
1082 Views
Question for you
- 16/01/2012 06:01:09 PM
1133 Views
I'd prefer photo-ID only but I don't see too great a need.
- 16/01/2012 06:37:13 PM
1273 Views
becuase they would then be limited to voting once and all of ACRON's work would be wasted *NM*
- 16/01/2012 01:46:06 AM
692 Views
Not to mention it might stop some of those pesky dead people that keep showing up. Every Year. *NM*
- 16/01/2012 02:44:42 PM
684 Views
Hey now. Zombies are people too, and deserve to have their opinions noted. *NM*
- 17/01/2012 10:23:15 PM
602 Views
I guess you havn't been watching the Walking Dead *NM*
- 18/01/2012 07:09:34 PM
614 Views
Nate's one of those Farmer Hershel types. *NM*
- 18/01/2012 10:02:48 PM
622 Views
Just a guess but I don't think things will end well for the farmer *NM*
- 19/01/2012 07:09:45 PM
672 Views
If provided gratis, it does not; otherwise, it is a poll tax (illegal under federal law.)
- 16/01/2012 02:39:40 AM
999 Views
Re: How does requiring photo ID disenfranchise the black/minority community?
- 16/01/2012 02:42:28 PM
1127 Views
I do think that fraud/raising barriers to vote need to be weighed against each other.
- 16/01/2012 06:20:23 PM
1075 Views
I remember the Bush/Gore Fiasco back in 2000, Florida and Democrats pissed off the overseas military
- 16/01/2012 06:56:39 PM
1076 Views
I'm not reading the article but...
- 17/01/2012 09:48:27 AM
1058 Views
maybe there's no excuse in your area
- 17/01/2012 03:05:53 PM
1017 Views
I think when you get to such extreme examples, the point often becomes moot.
- 18/01/2012 07:26:10 PM
1001 Views
Re: I think when you get to such extreme examples, the point often becomes moot.
- 21/01/2012 02:44:56 AM
1242 Views
What? I'm the only one who cares?
- 18/01/2012 02:14:28 AM
1205 Views
Yes, just you, the rest of us have been discussing baseball this entire time *NM*
- 18/01/2012 02:41:25 AM
607 Views
I'm the only one who cares with fervor in a non nuanced way ok? *NM*
- 18/01/2012 03:07:07 AM
601 Views
imo, fervor has no place in political discussion
- 18/01/2012 02:35:56 PM
1060 Views
And yet, it finds its way or it's not politics.
- 18/01/2012 06:28:08 PM
1065 Views
That doesn't mean that's the best or most productive discussion manner
- 18/01/2012 06:59:09 PM
1199 Views
- 18/01/2012 06:59:09 PM
1199 Views
Strong feelings on a topic don't have to translate to fervent discussion, all caps style.
- 18/01/2012 08:50:45 PM
1140 Views
What?
- 18/01/2012 03:57:10 PM
961 Views
What about those who don't have an id and have been voting fine before?
- 18/01/2012 06:06:19 PM
1219 Views
the problem with that last point is...
- 18/01/2012 09:05:43 PM
1059 Views
Yes.
- 18/01/2012 09:32:25 PM
1243 Views
That example is a lot different to what I'm talking about though.
- 18/01/2012 10:51:21 PM
1096 Views
It's not that different and it's a concrete example of something that happened quite recently.
- 18/01/2012 11:43:24 PM
1309 Views
but my point is that it wasn't the government making those calls
- 19/01/2012 12:09:17 AM
1022 Views
What's your real question?
- 18/01/2012 05:07:30 PM
1042 Views
Question mark notwithstanding, there was no question.
- 18/01/2012 06:16:46 PM
1123 Views
Be outraged. Be passionate. Be surprised.
- 19/01/2012 05:42:37 PM
1258 Views
I've had enough, looking forward to insulting everyone again in a couple months or so.
- 19/01/2012 06:06:19 PM
1145 Views

