Indian-American woman, a US citizen since 8, told she must spend $345 for naturalization papers to

[riversedge]

Ari Berman Verified account ?@AriBerman Oct 11

Indian-American woman, a US citizen since 8, told she must spend $345 for naturalization papers to vote in Wisconsin https://www.thenation.com/article/scott-walker-says-wisconsins-voter-id-law-is-working-just-fine-its-not/ …

[Vogon_Glory]

1. Next Thing To Do After Liberal Supreme Court Justices Are Sworn In:

Last edited Thu Oct 13, 2016, 12:24 PM - Edit history (1)

A new Voting Rights Act, one with teeth.

Sorry, Wisconsinites, but thanks to Scott Walker and his bought-and-paid-for Republican legislators, it looks like you'll have to join the habitual scofflaws like Alabama, my native Texas, North Carolina, and Arizona in facing Justice Department scrutiny.

[Nitram]

3. My thoughts exactly, vogon.

[Nitram]

2. This is unconscionable.

I'd suggest every US citizen have a valid passport for emergencies, including I.D.

[kristopher]

4. This doesn't seem like a voter suppression issue to me.

She's lived in WI for 4 years, but still hasn't obtained a WI driver's license? State law says new residents must apply for a WI license within 60 days. Also, the new FEDERAL GUIDELINES on driving licenses are extremely strict and not subject to being waived. Proof of citizenship or legal residency in the form of a birth certificate or naturalization papers is mandatory unless the state has a separate class of license for non documented workers.

She needed to get her naturalization papers years ago. There is no excuse.

[greymattermom]

6. Maybe true, but

why are they so difficult to get? If all this id is required, there should be an easy way to get valid copies of these documents.

[Igel]

8. Because people have to go and rummage.

And a lot of the naturalization/immigration budget is fee funded.

The Real ID act is at the root of the problem, but it's years old. Some don't want to look at the but scream "disenfranchised" as a way of reigniting the struggle against it. Others don't care what the real problem is, something is in their way and they blame the most salient, most accessible foe.

[Ron Obvious]

7. Completely agree on every point.

And I say that as an immigrant myself.

[crim son]

9. Do we know that she drives?

I ask, because I didn't get my license until I was thirty-five. Seriously. I've always had a passport and so my non-driving status never was much of an issue until I moved into the country and couldn't walk everywhere.

[nomorenomore08]

10. Regardless, some might ask why so much red tape is necessary.

And if one needed a subtle way of discouraging "certain folks" from voting...

[kristopher]

11. The underlying problem is our fractured system of recording births and deaths.

We would be wise to move into the modern world where all births and deaths are recorded by local governments and shared with designated agencies in state and federal government.

The lack of such a system in favor of one that relies on hospital and church records kept exclusively at those institutions is a major problem in many areas.

[nomorenomore08]

12. Agreed. n/t

[treestar]

13. Losing a naturalization certificate

is pretty dumb too. And then not immediately replacing it. Also I guess she never traveled and never got a US passport. That wasn't smart either.

[HipChick]

14. It happens..but I wonder why they do not have a photocopy

[riversedge]

5. REC.