Mess of suppression: Why voter ID laws are solutions to a problem that doesn’t exist

[marmar]

from the Detroit Metro Times:



Mess of suppression
Why voter ID laws are solutions to a problem that doesn’t exist

By Curt Guyette
Published: May 9, 2012


News Hits recently found itself engaged in a debate about election integrity with one of our conservative friends over beers at a local watering hole.

And yes, that's not a misprint. We do have friends on the right. Just not very many of them.

Concern over voter fraud is being hyped as a real issue in the right-wing echo chamber of conservative talk radio, which is why our pal raised it as a point of discussion in our barroom banter. But as he voiced support for GOP attempts to institute stricter voter ID laws — "What's wrong with that?" he asked — we posed a counter question:

Which do you think is of greater concern, election fraud or voter fraud? ....................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://metrotimes.com/news/mess-of-suppression-1.1312159

[xchrom]

1. Du rec. Nt

[snot]

2. Every time this fake issue comes up, it should be used as an opportunity

to talk about the REAL problem undermining election integrity, electronic voting/tabulation.

See, e.g., the resources cited in this thread: http://www.democraticunderground.com/1091203 .

[uponit7771]

3. What they're doing with VID is traitorous against American ideals

[Proud Liberal Dem]

4. We need voter EN-franchisement in this country

NOT more voter DIS-enfranchisement, which IMHO should also include repealing laws prohibiting ex-felons from voting (or those making them go through a process to "restore" their rights once they are no longer imprisoned). If people are living and breathing and of legal age, they should be able to show up at the polls and vote, period IMHO. We should also have a discussion about when we vote (why can't we move voting to weekend for instance?) and how to allow for maximum voter participation. It's no secret- thanks to right-wingers like the late Paul Weyrich- that Republicans know that they can't win or at least will have a much harder time winning if more people are allowed to vote, so they need to "game" the system any which way they can in order to obtain/maintain power in this country. We need to keep reminding people of this IMHO.

A serious discussion about electoral reform in this country is LONG overdue IMHO!

[rcshore]

5. One Vote One Person?

Riiiight.

http://thedeathofirony.com/2012/05/09/voter-idontthinkthisisok/