Is it against the law for a person to help another person get their ID

[riverbendviewgal]

I am curious. It seems to me a logical solution for the Democratic campaign and Obama supporters is to help those who don't have the money, the know how or the ability (lack of transportation or time off from work, or are old or disabled).

If those who support Obama/Biden can assist another person who does not have the required ID get it, perhaps the threat of voter suppression would much lessened. At the same time Dems would showing those crafty Republicans that Dems can be stopped....no matter how much money or laws are spent.

So how about DU? What is your local campaign office doing?

[nc4bo]

1. I don't think 2 months is not enough time.

They know it too.

[1-Old-Man]

10. Of course its enough time, every person who needs an ID could have it if they wanted

It is not a matter of time, its a matter of will. It is no secret to anyone what sort of IDs will be required nor is it a secret how to get them, its just a matter of having the will and the way to obtain one. If its a matter of transportation, which seems to be the biggest hurdle (next to having the will to get one) then the Democratic Party should be going balls to the wall to provide it, but how do you get people who don't care enough to deal with the problem to go get the necessary paperwork?

Oh, and while I'm at it; every time I've had to register, which has been infrequently because I don't move about, I've been issued a Voter Registration Card (I have one in my wallet right this minute) and I do not know why it is not sufficient ID to vote. Actually I guess it is because I've never been asked to show an ID to vote anywhere anytime.

[Bandit]

14. In PA alone there are over 750,000 people without proper ID...Do the Math

The places one can get ID are only open one day a week. How many people can you process in a single day. Processing includes paperwork and pictures taken. Say there are ten clerks working in each location and they can process one person every fifteen minutes. That is three hundred and twenty people a day. There are twelve weeks left so 12 times 320 is three thousand eight hundred and forty people processed before the election..

[Fumesucker]

15. In my state a new law was just passed requiring an official Social Security card to get DL or ID..

The lines at both the DL offices and the SS offices are now hours long..

[nc4bo]

17. See ljm2002's post.....

Situations like this happen all the time. Then there is the cost factor. For some, it's easy to get online, whip out your debit/credit card and order a replacement, for others it won't be and could take time to sort out problems.

I would think it relatively easy in some places but where you have large concentrations of poor people, homeless or the elderly, perhaps it would be much more difficult.

Dems will need votes from everyone to beat any chance of theft. Don't want to use a broad brush but I'm pretty sure some if not many of those people vote Democratic. Every one counts.

I registered through the NCDMV when I went to get my NC driver's license. Since I drive, it was mandatory to have all my information with me. Registering was free but the DL wasn't and I already had copies of all the paperwork I needed to identify myself. We don't have to worry about voter ID laws here, at least for this election cycle.

But you're right, people have to care or take voting seriously in the first place, no one can force a person to care.

[budkin]

2. Wouldn't be surprised

[BlueToTheBone]

3. Labor unions, DNC and black churches are already working

like crazy to help ameliorate the problem.

[no_hypocrisy]

4. Can the democratic party use funds contributed for a campaign to be allocated

to purchase birth certificates, drivers licenses, ID cards for registered voters?

[Faux pas]

6. That's what i've been wondering myself. I'd contribute to a fund like that.

[ieoeja]

7. I would think not.

ACORN helped everybody register whether they were Republican, Democrat or whatever. That is legal.

Democrats could possibly do that. However, I am fairly certain campaign donations have to be spent on campaigns. And while a lot of things can be said to be spent on a campaign - like new national headquarters from where they can organize, etc - if they claim registering people to vote is being spent on the campaign, that implies they are de facto buying that person's vote which is illegal.

Technically, it might be legal to spend non-campaign money doing this. But it's pretty difficult for a political party to claim anything they are doing is non partisan!

On edit: this might be why you always see ex-presidents from both parties working on charitable organizations setup by the White House. For example, the Haitian Relief thingy.

Democrats certainly could very publicly ask the Republican Party to combine efforts to accomplish this.

[ljm2002]

5. It's not always simple...

...and there is no way that all the people affected will be able to get their IDs by voting time, even with assistance.

I had an experience a few years ago with an expired photo ID that made me see just how complicated things can get. Short version: my driver's license had expired, I moved to another state, I had to prove my identity. My physical Social Security card had my maiden name on it, even though I had been filing tax returns for 20+ years under my married name which I kept even after my divorce. I had to get a SS card with my current name on it in order to get a new photo ID, and to do that I had to produce my marriage certificate showing the change from my maiden name to my married name. But we had been married in a confidential ceremony in California, and that meant I could not get a copy of the certificate without a valid, current photo ID...

Catch-22.

Finally I discovered that you can use a notary public IF they know who you are and will vouch for who you are. Luckily I did know a NP who had known me for 2 years at that point, so she notarized a statement of identity for me and I was able to get the marriage certificate, then the SS card and finally the photo ID.

Many of the people affected will not have their birth certificates or other paperwork. So while people can try to assist, the process may take months.

Yes we should do all we can to help. But we really need to fight these laws in court, as their only intent is to disenfranchise citizens of the vote.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

8. It's one thing to pass voter ID laws

but, in the interest of fairness, it should have been specified that the implementation would not occur immediately and that ample time (say by 2014) would be given for people to be prepared for it. Also, more thought should have been given to educating the public/helping people obtain the necessary ID in advance. Of course, fairness is not part of the Republican "plan" for this country and they don't want as many people voting (against them) as possible.

[KatyMan]

13. I can't imagine why it's legal

to implement changes in voting in an election year. Surely these changes should have to take place at the next election (2014), like congressional pay raises.

[global1]

9. Rent A Van - Call It The Voter ID Van - Get Out Into The Neighborhoods And......

take people's pictures and give them support to get their ID. This could be a volunteer group that could do this. They would be doing double duty - as they would be helping people get their ID and at the same time talking up the President and the Dem Party. We got some time before the election to do something like this. Everyone that they help will help and at the same time they would be sending a message to the Repugs that we're not just going to roll over and let them disenfranchise people.

We send soldiers to war to protect our rights in this country. Our right to vote and elect our officials that make these decisions is precious. I just don't understand how the Repugs can get away with taking these rights away from people.

[riverbendviewgal]

11. I like that soldiers label.....This voter suppression is war..

It is time to mobilize in a very big way....The USA did it Dec 7th, 1941...

It is time to do it again.

[Mz Pip]

12. In Pennsylvania

it's not just any ID, it's a very specific kind of ID. They are not making this easy. Getting one of these state approved IDs will require lots o standing in line. Not everyone can do that ad that's what they are counting on.

I'm sure there are people who are out there working to get people the IDs they need but there isn't much time.

[HopeHoops]

16. It's not against the law. But the voter ID law is wrong.

[datasuspect]

18. don't worry

they make it impossibly difficult to obtain ID in many locations.

in both of the places where i've had DLs (TX and IL) they require at least two pieces of mail (utility bills, suchlike) that are less than 30 days old.

this can present tremendous difficulty for economically marginal people who might share housing, be borderline homeless, or otherwise in a sub sub sub prime economic bracket.

bear in mind, prepaid cell phones don't generate bills, if you live with others, there is likely no utility bill in your name, etc. you get the picture.

PLUS, the requirements vary depending on the whims and caprices of the front line personnel at the DMV, DPS, of Secretary of State's office (whatever they call it your location)>