There are many among us who are complaining that our citizens are either incapable or unable to get a voter identification card. I believe those who are saying no to the voter identification bill are short-changing the knowledge and abilities of our citizenry who elected our public officials. If they are incapable of getting a free Voter Identification Card, a North Carolina driver license, or the North Carolina Identification Card, then what does that say about their vote for those that they have elected to office?
The squawking about it being too difficult for our citizenry to take time off from work to obtain a voter identification card is just that — squawking. Each citizen with a driver’s license must renew his or her driver’s license every few years. It is not any less important to know who is voting than it is to operate a motor vehicle. The requirement to have a picture identification card to vote only enforces the privilege that each citizen has a right to vote. As far as the identification card itself is concerned, I believe that in the bills presented, the county boards of election are to issue voter identification cards for voting only, free of charge.
Voter identification would only enhance the privilege of voting. It is time that we did the right thing and insured that those who have entered the polling place to vote are the correct individuals and not someone who wishes to take another’s identification and, by the same token, take another rightful vote.
You either have voter identification or you have voter fraud; anything else is pure exaggerated nonsense. To even have one case of voter fraud within the borders of North Carolina is unacceptable, especially when you have the means available to prevent it and that is voter identification. It is time North Carolina came into the 21st century, and passed a voter identification bill requiring those who vote to identify themselves.
— Ray Shamlin
Rocky Mount
That’s just silly.
The people pushing for the stricter voter ID laws around the country are doing it because they know it will help marginally help Republican candidates. Same reason for all the convoluted gerrymandering going on with Congressional districts. Small percentages matter, and that’s what they’re playing for with this sort of tactic.
The Republicans are NOT saying to themselves, “how can we get even more of the young or poor or Latino or black or whatever to the polls to help our democracy become stronger”.
The higher the turn-out the worse it is for them, so the cries to somehow stamp out non-existent voter fraud are met with skepticism by this reader.
That’s just silly.
The people pushing for the stricter voter ID laws around the country are doing it because they know it will help marginally help Republican candidates. Same reason for all the convoluted gerrymandering going on with Congressional districts. Small percentages matter, and that’s what they’re playing for with this sort of tactic.
The Republicans are NOT saying to themselves, “how can we get even more of the young or poor or Latino or black or whatever to the polls to help our democracy become stronger”.
The higher the turn-out the worse it is for them, so the cries to somehow stamp out non-existent voter fraud are met with skepticism by this reader.
“A major probe by the Bush Justice Department between 2002 and 2007, for example, failed to prosecute a single person for going to the polls and impersonating an eligible voter. Of the 300 million votes cast in that period, federal prosecutors convicted only eighty-six people for voter fraud.”
http://www.thenation.com/blog/163755/gop-voting-laws-could-swing-2012-election
And as I recall, most of those were for convicted felons who claimed they didn’t know their right to vote had been revoked, or for people with second homes trying to vote in two states.
They held “hearings” about this law in the NC General Assembly, supposedly to demonstrate the necessity of spending $20 million+ on the problem, and they couldn’t produce a single example. It’s ludicrous to suggest there are people out there willing to risk three years in prison and $10,000 fine, and/or deportation if they’re here illegally, all just to cast ONE (1) vote in an election.
Nobody believes this. It’s about suppressing Democratic-leaning voting groups, the end.
Why do you people hate America?
Voting is not a privilege. Voting is a right. Mr. Shamlin should read the Constitution.
Voting is not a privilege. Voting is a right. Mr. Shamlin should read the Constitution.
DemocRats must claim the truly ignorant or their party would cease to exist. Then enslave them to gov-co and convince them how “disadvantaged” they are. It’s society’s fault dontcha know!