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5-9-08
Picture Voting
Jon London
As long as I can remember, elected officials, members of the media and just about everyone else has said to me."Make sure you vote." Those in charge of voting have had a number of places for a person to register. Number of polling places. All kinds of machines and ways in which to vote easier. But now we have a ruling of the United States Supreme Court that may very well make it harder for some of our citizens in exercise their right to vote.
Of course you know what I am talking about. The highest court in our land has said that the Indiana law stating that you must have a state issued identification card with your picture on it is Constitutional. That Indiana law is very much like the law that is on the books or about to be put on the books in a number of states.
First off, if does not look all that bad. Everyone wants to make sure that the dead don't vote and that only those that are entitled to vote are indeed voting. But is there really a problem? Once in a while you hear about some voting problem but that is usually with machines or long lines at the polls or people being challenged or their votes not being counted. Very seldom do I hear about a vote being cast that should not be cast and, if that happens, it would be a very small percentage.
If you have a photo I.D., such as a drivers license or passport, then we are alright and you can vote. But if you do not drive and do not have a state approved I.D. then you must get one. More than likely you will need a birth certificate and then get down to a state license office and get your picture taken and your card. This is not a problem for most people but there are a few that will find this difficult. It also costs money to get a birth certificate and money to get to a license bureau. That does not bother you and me, but there are some on a very fixed small income and every cost to some is a large cost. But it is worth it, if you can not vote without it.
Now some states have had this as a law and their state courts have said nothing doing. One might expect those states to change the law or in fact go so far as to charge their constitution so voters would have to show a state issued I.D. at the polls. If your state is one of these, then pay attention and let your legislators know that you do not want to see a hardship placed on our citizens just so they can vote. Perhaps I.D.'s could be issued free of charge, pictures and paperwork done in a number of places besides license bureaus. If this project is so important we might even consider reimbursing people for the cost of getting a birth certificate, transportation, etc.
Some feel the problem of fraud is not really a problem and a big effort is being made to pass laws to protect us from something that does not exist.
These seems to be some politics being played in this also. Why does that not surprise me. There are some Republicans that feel this move will suppress Democratic votes. They point out that it will be harder for the poor and middle class and elderly to get I.D.'s. That is correct. Those of us that drive already have the I.D. Unless we find ourselves with a law that says we need a different I.D. than a drivers license. Believe me, we would all be at ends if we were required to get a new I.D. We would have to come up with a birth certificate and who knows what else a new law could require. But if does not matter much to us because it puts others out and not us.
It may not make a lot of difference one way or the other, but the court has made it more difficult for some to vote and an all out effort needs to be made to educate and inform voters if an I.D. is needed. Then we need to make it easy for people to get one.
Time to think. What do you think?
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