The official blog of the Libertarian Party
September 20, 2006
Georgia Court Says No to Voter ID Law, While Congress Says Yes
A Georgia state court struck down a Georgia law that mandated that voters must show some kind of government-issued photo identification before they could vote.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge T. Jackson Bedford Jr. said the law violated the state constitution because it disenfranchises citizens who are otherwise qualified to vote, the Washington Post reported.
While a Georgia state court said no to a voter ID law, the U.S. House is expected to say yes (via Washington Times):
The House is expected to pass a bill today that would require voters to present photo identification to participate in national elections -- the latest in a slew of border-security measures House Republicans are pushing before the November elections.
There are already groups lining up to challenge the U.S. House bill if it ends becoming law (via Washington Post):
Like the Georgia law, the federal legislation would almost certainly be challenged in court. A coalition of interest and civil rights groups, including the NAACP, AARP, and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, denounced the bill yesterday, saying it would disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of minority and elderly voters.
Posted by at September 20, 2006 03:20 PM
Reader Comments:
Hmmm...why is being required to show a pre-exisiting ID to vote a bad thing?
Or why is it a good thing?
It seems unneccessary if anything at all.
All the news stories I've heard over the past few elections have nothing to do with voter fraud but vote counting fraud.
Is voter fraud an issue?
I have to disagree with those who oppose voter identification.
In my town, we are only required to state our name and address to receive a ballot. That means anyone who knows my name and address can easily pretend to be me and vote in my name. In other words, I could be prevented from voting by someone who knows my name and address who can arrive at the polls prior to me, which is any number of people.
I would be more comfortable knowing that my right to vote is protected by being required to prove one's identity. If you disagree with me, that's fine. But ask yourself, how angry would you be if you arrived at the polls and, perhaps after hours of waiting, found out you already voted? Only you didn't vote. Somebody else voted in your name.
Well I understand how you would be angry, I would be too, but is this really something that happens enough that we need a federal law? Or is it more of a ploy to mettle in our lives more?
We need measures to crackdown on illegal immigration,but the photo id for voting should be left up to states to decide if they want to require photo id for voting or not. congress already passed the national id card last year. The National ID Card shows that the federal government is too big and has too much power
Voting is not a privilage, it is a right. I will refuse to show ID as I have for the last several elections. I do not allow them the power to make me justify my rights. Here in Florida I did an affadavit of domicile and they verified my signature. I have no problem with that. How soon do you suppose it will be before government officials record the ID, and then with the rise of electronic voting (horribly subject to tampering) how long do you suppose it could be before the government links those ID's with the cast ballot. Voter secrecy is then gone and the government has a method of tracking down those who don't vote the "right" way. I need not tell you what happens next. Government does things slowly, step-by-step, getting the public conditioned to accept things as "facts of life" like Federal reserve Notes for real money, income taxes and the welfare state. And the public, a cowering mass of lazy, fearful slugs come to accept without question whatever crap is handed to them.
I hope, when the time comes, the majority of you out there will join me in refusing the National ID. Wake the hell up.
Chuck:
Another reason to vehemently reject Diebold electronic voting machines and instead use optical scanning voting machines nationwide, which make it impossible to track a specific ballot to a specific person. Another reasonable method, used in the dumps like Iraq and which should be used here, is dipping the voters thumb in ink, to prevent multiple voting. If we are to dispense with photo ID's, some method must be used from preventing people from voting at multiple precincts on the same day. The thumb ink method is by far the most effective and also the least intrusive as far as privacy concerns.
The National ID Card we are all united against. It is worth a try to experiement with optical scanning voting machines.
I don't understand what the big deal is. In countries all over the world people are required to show a PASSPORT as proof of ID to vote. The fact is, in the United States anyone can vote. No one askes to see your ID or your citizenship papers when you register to vote. Which means that 10 million illegals are free to vote in this country. In nearly every state - it is against the law for pepole to leave home without some form of Identification on them. It is here in California - so why is showing your ID card or Drivers license an unfair burden?
People who don't have their ID on them are breaking the law.
I think people should show their ID card, and have their thumb dipped or some other means of marking that has to wear off with time. This in no way limits our civil liberties - it insures that only the people entitled to exercise their right to vote in American Elections get the chance to do so.
I am not opposed to a national ID card or voter ID card if it is provided free of charge to all citizens. Of course, our tax dollars would be used to pay it, but they have trillions they lose every year anyway (just ask Rumsfeld). As long as all legal citizens are granted their legal vote and not disenfranchised then what is the complaint here. I don't think, however, the card itself should have any mechanism that ties the vote to the voter. Or maybe better yet, everyone just agrees to vote out the Reps and Dems because they have caused all the major problems in this country for at least the last 75 years. Until people start voting smart, who cares if they vote at all? Screw 'em. I've had enough of this mess we call the United States government. I think I've read my last article of their ineptitude and I just can't take it anymore. Watching football seems like a better past time. At least then I have a 50/50 chance of the outcome I'm looking for. In politics, everyone loses but the politicians. Why does anyone keep voting for these hacks? Thanks for listening. End of rant.
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Hmmm...why is being required to show a pre-exisiting ID to vote a bad thing?
Or why is it a good thing?
It seems unneccessary if anything at all.
All the news stories I've heard over the past few elections have nothing to do with voter fraud but vote counting fraud.
Is voter fraud an issue?
Posted by: willmack at September 20, 2006 06:06 PM