No to photo ID
Reps. Jon Woods and Dan Greenberg cheer a study that claims there's no impact on voter participation from laws that require a photo ID to vote (though studies elsewhere have claimed a damaging impact on black voting). But cheers to Rep. Steve Harrelson who said the study is immaterial and that he opposes any new procedural disincentives to voting. Of course the photo ID is meant as an impediment to voting. And there's been no showing that it's needed. There's been no showing that vote fraud exists to any degree sufficient for a "cure" such as this.
We should do everything we can to encourage more voting -- such as the postcard voting allowed in some jurisdictions, shopping center voting for weeks in advance of elections, etc. Our problem isn't fraudulent votes, it's too little voting.
Comments
The heck with proof of identification to vote....what about proof of citizenship?
ARK. BLOG: That's necesssary to register, which makes the whole ID process at voting time superfluous.
Posted by: MysteryShopper![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/arkansasblog/nav-commenters.gif)
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January 1, 2008 08:25 AM
Anyone who cannot afford the cost of government ID should qualify for various government services, most of which they cannot obtain without a government ID. Proper identification is needed for most legitimate jobs. It is needed to obtain access to financial service institutions unless you plan on relying on check cashers, pay day lenders, and gas station money orders.
Free identification cards should be part of any plan to fight poverty because it is needed to obtain the lower cost financial services most of us take for granted.
If the cost of free ID programs is tying ID to voting it is a cheap price to pay.
The poor need proof of identity and if the cost of giving it to them is demonstrating that there aren't hordes of illegal aliens and masses of po' black folks voting multiple times and shutting up the paranoid folks on the ultra right then it is well spent.
Posted by: Well![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/arkansasblog/nav-commenters.gif)
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January 1, 2008 10:07 AM
I would imagine if one has no ID they would also have a fairly difficult time verifying income or lack of income nor should they be required to spend a bunch of time in another government line trying to be eligible for the most basic right. And I don't think unwarranted bigotry manifesting itself into paranoia on some folks part should trump other individuals liberty.
The problems are low voter turnout, rigged voting machines (Destroy them all now), dismal media information/coverage of issues and candidates on the ballot, the cost of running a campaign means only the rich can afford to place their candidate choice on the ballot (see Mark Pryor the woman hating torturer with no challenger in the D primary and millions in the campaign coffer).. These are far more important issues worth addressing... Not, show me your papers ..we must see your papers.
Republicans and Pryor Democrats win when we allow their bullshit paranoia and bigotry to trump fact based reality.. Illegal visiting boogeymen voters are not the problem..
Posted by: Eureka Springs, AR![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/arkansasblog/nav-commenters.gif)
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January 1, 2008 11:31 AM