Missouri and at least 19 other states are considering passing laws that would force people to prove their citizenship before they can vote. These bills are not a sincere effort to prevent noncitizens from voting; that is a made-up problem. The real aim is to reduce turnout by eligible voters. Republicans seem to think that laws of this kind will help them win elections, but burdensome rules like these — and others cropping up around the country — pose a serious threat to democracy and should be stopped. [...]
There is no evidence that voting by noncitizens is a significant problem. Illegal immigrants do their best to remain in the shadows, to avoid attracting government attention and risking deportation. It is hard to imagine that many would walk into a polling place, in the presence of challengers and police, and try to cast a ballot.
There is, however, ample evidence that a requirement of proof of citizenship will keep many eligible voters from voting. Many people do not have birth certificates or other acceptable proof of citizenship, and for some people, that proof is not available. One Missouri voter, Lillie Lewis, said at a news conference last week that officials in Mississippi, where she was born, told her they had no record of her birth. [...]
As with Missouri’s proposed amendment, the driving force behind strict voter ID requirements in general is not a genuine effort to prevent fraud, since there is virtually no evidence that in-person voter fraud is occurring. It is, rather, the Republican Party’s electoral calculations. Barriers at the polls drive down voter turnout, especially among the poor, racial minorities and students — groups that are less likely than average to have driver’s licenses, and that are more likely than average to vote Democratic.
See also Gonzales, Alberto – embarrassing resignation of. But the bullshit won’t stop. The bullshit never, ever, evereverever fucking stops.
May 13, 2008 at 7:07 pm
Well, we wouldn’t want any illegal alien nuns sneakin’ in and votin’, now, would we? Well, would we??
May 13, 2008 at 8:55 pm
It pains me to say it, but this is probably a lost cause. Your average voter, when confronted with this question, will spend exactly 0.002 seconds thinking about it before saying “Show ID before voting? that sounds perfectly reasonable. I mean, if you have to show ID to rent a car, why not to vote?” And there’s no way in hell that the Roberts/Alito/Scalia supreme court will lift a finger to stop it.
Time to start researching voter-education and outreach outfits: we’re going to have to train an entire generation of voters to Have Their Papers In Order come election day.
Anyone want to start taking bets on when we see the return of the poll tax?
May 13, 2008 at 11:22 pm
I don’t believe for a minute or even one freakin’ second that all these PO’d Hillary supporters are going to go vote for McCain this fall; but if they do, a poll tax will be the least of the atrocities wrought by the justices he’ll get to appoint to SCOTUS, along with Alito/Roberts/Scalia/Thomas.
May 14, 2008 at 2:29 am
See, here’s what I don’t get. Why doesn’t a group like AARP or MoveOn start running TV ads immediately with a script like this, except better:
“After eight years of domestic and international failure in every area, the Washington Republicans know you’re not going to vote for them this fall—so they’re trying to pass laws to keep people away from the polls. They say it’s about immigration, but there’s no evidence of immigration ballot fraud here or anywhere else—and they’ve looked pretty hard. So who does have a harder time voting under this law? Nuns. Senior citizens. Hard-working people who don’t drive. The country wants change, and the GOP’s only hope is to keep voters away from the ballot box. Call your representatives now and tell them that you’ll be voting in November, and if they vote for this law, you won’t be voting for them.”
Except better, with headline graphics of headlines about people who couldn’t cast ballots, headlines about how 80% of Americans think the country is on the wrong track, and of course, McCain embracing Bush. And fitting in 30 seconds.
You think GOP state reps who get 10,000 calls from AARP and Catholic groups and the unions are going to dare vote for that thing, in Missouri or anywhere else? I don’t think so, not if they want to keep their jobs. Shine the light on ‘em and watch ‘em scurry like rats.
May 14, 2008 at 3:44 am
what the hell did this post have to do with voting for mccain? take your fuckin meds, dude.
May 14, 2008 at 10:20 am
um, because voting for McCain means voting for two more ultra-conservative SCOTUS justices?
May 14, 2008 at 10:20 am
…who will approve of more of these voting disenfranchisement schemes? A=>B=>C
May 14, 2008 at 12:23 pm
I’d like to see a federal Malicious Disenfranchisement statute, complete with heavy fines and punitive disenfranchisement(it just won’t be malicious).
Anyone?
Renato – TWO? Jesus dude, I thought I was an optimist.
May 14, 2008 at 12:55 pm
So you’re saying I could have voted all these years without anyone noticing? Can someone please let Ross Perot know that he’s missing one vote?
May 14, 2008 at 12:56 pm
“Republicans seem to think that laws of this kind will help them win elections, but burdensome rules like these — and others cropping up around the country — pose a serious threat to democracy…”
It’s a feature, not a bug!