Friday, October 20, 2006

IDs will be required at the polls – At least in Arizona they will, according to the U.S. Supreme Court which struck down a ruling by the 9th Circuit (yet again). The Court noted that it was not giving an opinion on current law but merely upholding an initiative approved by Arizona voters in 2004. (HT: Polipundit)

4 comments:

Synova said...

To the question, "Why not require picture ID to vote or voter cards?" the answer "Because it's unconstitutional," and a link.

The only way it can be unconstitutional to require picture ID or other possitive identification, voter cards, or whatever, is if those things are too much of a burden on the voter.

It's not as though there is *no* burden to voting. A person has to either obtain, fill out, and mail absentee or "early" ballots, or they have to obtain transportation, take time from their day and go physically to the polls to vote.

If a person can't be expected to do *at least* that much effort to obtain identification, are they really being burdened so badly?

I've heard people argue that a State issued (for *free*) picture I.D. card was an unconstitutional burden because some people would find it difficult to travel to the DMV office to get one. Egad. It's not a tax or a prohibitive requirement or something that puts a greater burden on an oppressed minority. In order to vote, should someone decide to vote, they will eventually *have* to make an effort.

Not a large effort, but an effort. An *effort* is not an unconstitutional requirement in order to vote.

Anonymous said...

And that's all there is to it! Those legislators promoting voter ID cards aren't doing so for any expected gain! Yayyy!!! Disingenuousness is fun!

Voting Fraud: The Rundown
*Paper records for touchscreen voting booths = onerous, costly, and unnecessary
*Registered voters refused a ballot for lack of an ID = all their fault, the lazybones!

"It so happens that everything that is stupid is not unconstitutional."
--Justice Antonin Scalia

Anonymous said...

I voted over the weekend (in Oregon, everything is absentee). The ballot instructions said I had to fill in the oval with a pencil, or a blue pen.

Why not a black pen? What about poor people who can only afford a black pen? Or what if somebody can afford a pencil or blue pen, but they don't have one?

Why are they being disenfranchised? It's so unfair.

Anonymous said...

Surely, your voting precinct has several boxes of pencils for general use. And for those who live in a black community overseen by the GOP, there'll be one pencil that everyone can wait on line to use.

Hee, hee! It's hamfisted satire day! Your turn again!