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http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2011-12-23/south-carolina-voter-id/52195924/1

On Friday before Christmas while nobody is watching, so transparent are we.
Lets see, you need an ID to cash a check, buy some booze, get a real job, buy cigs and so many other things but you can just walk up and vote, nice call again by the chicken in chief.

F Holder and the DOJ!!!!!!

You would prefer John Ashcroft?

Wisconsin recently passed legislation that requires i.d. to vote.

About darned time.


I need an id to buy spray paint, some medications, and alcohol. You need it to get on a plane, or even buy cigarettes some places.


Requiring an id to vote only makes sense.

I'd prefer a dept that did their job without making politics, race, etc. the guiding factor in who they go after. So I guess I'll have to wait for another life. BTW I hate both sides of our corrupt azz govt. so I can't be baited that easily but it was a nice try.

These laws would disenfranchise the people who have the least power already, so of course democrats don't propose these things since they tend to focus more on that segment already and they get their votes at a high percentage. The legislatures that propose these laws know that as well and you'll see they are all Republican. Sure no one wants voter fraud and this seems to make sense, but its relults are worse than the intention, as long as the intention was voter fraud and not disenfranchisement, which I doubt.

so republicans can only vote once but them dems can vote at will..??

Yes, that's exactly how it's being sold. Truth is voter fraud like this, from individuals, is an extremely small problem. Election fraud is a much bigger problem and one that could affect election results.

Holder and his DOJ is the one guilty of making this about race. How is it racist to have to show proof of who you are to vote? What kind of person has no way to identify them self? You need one to do just about anything these days. They picked this state because they (the dems) have a very slim chance of winning this state and want to set precedent without pissing of any of their base.

Holder should have resigned for his gun running blunder but Obama needs a yes man in there so he will not force him to even though there is growing support for his removal due to incompetence.

If you think doing something like this on a Friday before Christmas holiday weekend is just coincidence think again, these kind of shenanagans have been played out many times before by both sides. Yes it is reported but who's paying attention ?

I dont understand how it is racist to verify identification to vote. you have to have an ID or DL to do or get anything, including their government checks. lets see, drive, DL reqired, buy beer, cigs, etc, DL/ID required, cash a check/withdraw money-ID required, rent a car-DL required. i am getting sooo tired of hearing about race!

how do these laws disenfranchise anyone? an ID is required to get government money isnt it? you just present a form of id, whether it's a DL, ID, birth certificate, passport etc. if a police office stops me walking down the street and i dont have some form of ID, i will probably be arrested.

^ PARANOIA WILL DESTROY YA......

There is no such thing.

Yes. The right wing media pushed and created that canard.

A lot of people of who don't do those things?
One of "those things" mentioned was "Collect government money".
Are you saying they don't have the money to collect government money??

(rhetorical. Of course you're not. But you conveniently ignored the obvious in order to try to make your point)


It has been asked already, but has not been answered.

How does this in ANY WAY disenfranchise a legal voter?
We've read above from the hate-spreading left, how this is akin to requiring illiterate blacks to sign their name.
But apart from your guilt driven self-loathing, I'd like to hear a fact based explanation on how this is similar.
In America 2012, every legal voter has some form of ID and/or can get access to one very easily.
In fact, I'm sure there's an ap for that...

http://www.politicususa.com/en/gop-voter-id-minorities

After their historic defeat in 2008 was fueled by surging minority turnout, Republicans nationwide are backing Voter ID laws that would cost taxpayers millions of dollars and disenfranchise millions of African-American and Hispanic voters.

In the aftermath of 2008, Republicans in states across the country have used the boogeyman of voter fraud to pass Voter ID measures, but as the Brennan Center for Justice noted, voters are more likely to be struck by lightning than commit voter fraud. The Bush Justice Department spent 5 years on a voter fraud investigation, and came up with 86 convictions out of 196 million votes cast. These new laws don’t come cheap. Depending on the size of the state, tens of millions tax payer dollars must be spent to implement them.

Rachel Maddow has focused on the attack on new voters and the state of Kansas, but just as much as young people, seniors, the poor, and the disabled, there are two particular groups that these laws are targeting. These laws are specifically going after Hispanic and African-American voters. The 2008 electorate was the most diverse in American history, and the GOP is out to put a stop to that.

According to the Pew Hispanic Center’s 2009 report:

In 2008, Latino eligible voters accounted for 9.5% of all eligible voters, up from 8.2% in 2004. Similarly, the share of eligible voters who were black increased from 11.6% in 2004 to 11.8% in 2008. The share of eligible voters who were Asian also increased, from 3.3% in 2004 to 3.4% in 2008. In contrast, the share of eligible voters who were white fell from 75.2% in 2004 to 73.4% in 2008.

With population growth and increased voter participation among blacks, Latinos and Asians, members of all three groups cast more votes in 2008 than in 2004. Two million more blacks and 2 million more Latinos reported voting in 2008 than said the same in 2004. Among Asians, 338,000 more votes were reported cast in 2008 than in 2004. The number of white voters in 2008 was also up, but only slightly-increasing from 99.6 million in 2004 to 100 million in 2008.

In 2008 Obama crushed McCain with Hispanics, (67%-31%), and African-Americans, (95%-4%). Instead of trying to solve their problem by appealing to these voters based on the issues, Republicans have decided instead to make it as difficult as possible for them to vote.

2004 studies conducted at Rutgers and Ohio State universities found that voter ID laws decrease Hispanic turnout by 10%, and African-American turnout by 5.7%. Since the Hispanic and African-American turnout was a point higher in 2008 than in 2004, these numbers are underestimating the true level of voter disenfranchisement.

The 2010 Census found that the US Hispanic population grew by 56% over the last decade to 50.5 million, and these Americans heavily lean Democratic. According to a survey done by Latino Decisions, 92% of eligible Latinos registered to vote in 2008. Of those 92%, Democrats outnumbered Republicans by more than 3 to 1 (61%-17%).

When Republicans decided to sell out to white male conservative voters and go hardline on immigration, they lost much of their support with Hispanics. Instead of trying to woo those voters back into their fold, spiteful Republicans have decided to disenfranchise them.

New voters and young people are two of the targets of these proposed voter ID laws, but just a big a threat to the GOP is the growth of America’s Hispanic population, and the energized force of African-Americans.

What this means in practical terms for 2012 can be found by looking at North Carolina. Obama carried the state by only 14,177 votes in 2008. The Obama campaign accomplished this with a large grassroots effort to register new voters and get those voters to vote. (28% of the early voters in the state were African-Americans).

These laws are being considered in 37 states across the country, and their passage would disenfranchise millions of minority voters.

The Republican response to this defeat has been to propose a change in the law so that voters would have to show an official ID before they could vote. The State Board of Elections found that this could cause a problem for 556,000 North Carolina residents who have no photo ID. African-Americans make up 20% of the state’s electorate, but 27% of them lack an ID. The disenfranchisement of a 1% of these people could swing the state Republican in 2012.

This is a big, big issue, and with the exception of Rachel Maddow, it is not being discussed. Republicans have decided that they can’t win a fair fight, so they are reshaping the electorate into one that they can carry.

If Republicans can’t beat the grassroots, then they’ll kill the grass.

Before we get to Election Day in 2012, we must first eliminate a plague of disenfranchisement that if unchecked will leave Lady Liberty frail, stricken, and disabled.

The right to vote is the bedrock of our collective American values . When disenfranchisement occurs it not only hurts the voter but dims the beacon of freedom that shines though out this land in the name of our great republic.

An I.D. costs like 12 bucks. The "no money" excuse really doesn't fly.

Some people just don't want an I.D./driver's license. There are even a bunch of the wacky "sovereign citizen" crowd who refuse to obtain a driver's license or license plate/registration for their vehicles.

There is very, very little voter fraud so they are proposing a law to correct a problem that doesn't exist. Second, sure it sounds reasonable and seems to make sense. But if the proposed solution would cause a segment of the population, citizens with the right to vote, to not vote, then we must look for a more reasonable solution to avoid that. Since this is not a huge problem that requires immediate solutions we have time to come up with a better solution. Say we create a law that Muslims can't vote, or gun owners etc. Same thing, only it's a more obvious and direct exclusion.

You guys have said it's cheap to get an id, but causing someone to have to spend money in order to vote is a poll tax.

As I said earlier, the more dangerous and sinister problem with elections is election fraud, not voting fraud.

Free ID's would take care of the poll tax argument, you are correct.

And it's an analogy. The effect of the law is that a segment of the population would be prevented from voting, or it would constitute a significant hardship in exercising their right to vote. If any other group were to treated in the same manner there would be a lobby against such laws, but the people effected here have no lobby.

Again, all studies have shown that voter fraud is not a problem right now. The system is working. Election fraud is where the problems lie.

The only thing preventing them from voting is the fact they won't get an ID. No one in this country is unable to get one, and if there is I'm sure the party of compassion would love to help out a bit. Instead of spending money fighting the law just use it to give those that need ID's.
I know this won't happen because the left needs to keep this argument alive, part of the divide and conquer theme they use.
You need to take a step back and look at this with logic, everyone needs an ID for something, if you don't have one it is because you are to lazy or hiding something not because you can't afford one.

There are national groups that will pick up the cost of the ids, so what argument is left? So far, I've only seen you posting poll data, not citing the actual problem.



What hardship? Again, the cost argument is invalid, and provided you will listen to an hour-long speech on why the republicans are going to kill your children, free bus rides to the polls are available. Before you jump down my throat, Fuzzy, I am sure that similar tactics are done by republicans and I am only citing what happens in my neck of the woods.



As is always the case, depending who wins, the system works or doesn't.

I struggle to believe that people who have managed to go through life without ever obtaining any form of identification are voters. I also struggle to believe they are all Democrats which is the assumption.

Actually if the SCOTUS issued a ruling that resulted in suspected terrorists being allowed to vote, the military could imprison them.

I don't feel like a victim here, just saying this is the right thing to do. This will not create any hardship, we know an ID is needed for more things than not anymore, if for some reason you don't already have one more than likely your not a voter anyway. Your take on what I said about living by their decision is puzzling, no idea where your going with that tangent.
Holder used race as one of his arguments, saying it would be mostly African/Hispanic Americans affected. That is using race, using citizen would have been appropriate but not as colorful as you will for him. The law is needed, in some precincts last election there were more votes than people who lived in the precinct, how is this not a good idea? It's not a money issue, it's an issue once again to divide people. I know no matter what is spelled out you will believe the blogs and talking heads but if you truly gave it some critical thought you may see the light at some point.

Hey, I've voted in every possible election since I was 18 (I'm 57 now), and I don't have to show an ID. Who has a problem with that and please tell me why.

I've also not shown an ID. My signature needs to match the one in the book and they check every time.