Unconstitutional Burden
Big news. A judge in Jefferson City, Mo., (our state's capital) on Thursday struck down the Missouri ID Voter law. It just recently was enacted, but has been controversial since its proposal. Republican leaders said it was to prevent potential voter fraud. Democrats said it was to hinder potential Democratic voters from going to the polls in what is anticipated a close U.S. Senate race.
Can't say I supported either side. I just didn't like the law.
In his ruling, Cole County Circuit Judge Richard Callahan wrote, that "for the elderly, the poor, the under-educated, or otherwise disadvantaged, the burden (to get the necessary documents in order to obtain the photo ID) can be great if not insurmountable, and it is those very people outside the mainstream of society who are the least equipped to bear the costs or navigate the many bureaucracies necessary to obtain the required documentation."
He also wrote that "while a license to drive may be just that: a license and not a right. The right to vote is also just that: a right and not a license."
An appeal is likely.
5 Comments:
wow, this is all very strange to me. In New York, you can register to vote when you get or renew your driver's license, but not because all of that documentation is required. I belive you just need to provide proof of residency - either with a drivers licence, photo ID with address or some sort of utility bill in your name sent to your address. Getting them to register you correctly is quite another story - I have tried unsuccessfully 5 times to get them to register me as a voter with NO party affiliation, and they keep registering me in the Independence party.
So, if they are so "disadvantaged" either mentally or physically that they can't figure out how to get an i.d., then how do they get a utility bill in their name? All that's needed in Milwaukee to vote (so far) is just that, a utility bill or other "legal" piece of mail addressed to you at your residence. A friend actually got into a little "tiff" last election when she pointed out that a person in line to vote was actually not a U.S. citizen or legal resident. He was arrested and deported the year before by immigration and swam back and ended up in the same neighborhood he had been in before. He had a utility bill in his name/address. They ask "are you a legal resident or U.S. Citizen" and if you say yes they let you vote. People lie about it, and we need a way to stop fraud. Sorry for the rant, I just believe that we really need this to stop voter fraud.
It's not at all easy to get any id in some places, or even utilities, especially if you don't have money. In New York State since 9/11/01, a points system is used which caused me to need NINE different types of identification, or a US passport ($100+ these days, cha-ching!) and only 6 others, are needed to get a driver's license if you've don't have a current one there already. My current and un-expired Virginia driver's license only counted as one, so I had to come up with 8 others. It was nuts! I am not especially disadvantaged, but it took me two weeks and yes, money. I had moved to upstate NY and was living with someone there who owned a house already, so I had ZERO utilities in my name -- he hadn't been living in the dark with no phone when I moved there. To change utilities to my name would have cost us new deposits for any of them... $$$ to spend eh? Cha-ching again! I worked it out because luckily enough I have my own business and the credit card processor and credit cards changed my address without any shenanigans, but it could have been extremely expensive. In Virginia only four different types of identification are needed (one of which can be a current driver's license from another state), I found when I moved back to my hometown. Of course, in either case, a certified copy of my NC birth certificate which originally took me me 8 hours driving, several hours in line, and around $150 (including gas money for the trip to NC and lost wages at the time) to get. Cha-ching! A person who's got financial problems at the moment wouldn't be able to do it. Even poor or sick people who can't afford a passport or driver's license, or maybe even a copy of their birth certificate, still have the right to vote. My two cents worth, anyway.
I like friendly debate. I think it's important, regardless on if you agree or disagree, to try to see from where someone else might be coming. To consider other perspectives. Thanks.
I agree, Cowboy. So far I can't see that there's any one good answer. I do know, though, that I know diddly in the scheme of the Universe, so my not seeing it doesn't mean a good answer doesn't exist. So where do we go with things like this? I'll be interested to see.
Robyn (the cats have no interest in this whatsoever, perhaps they're smarter LOL)
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