The official R3V Presidential poll

[slammin.e28]

Voting doesn't matter anyways, so why even check ID?

[Cliche Guevara]

Showing an ID just makes sense.

I mean, if I have to show photo ID to make a library card which is far less important why is it such a big deal? Its just making a case so people don't vote twice, or vote from out of country... So why are you guys being so stupid, why isn't it already a requirement?

Because obtaining a government issues photo ID costs money, and requiring such an ID is effectively a poll tax. There are many otherwise eligible voters, most of whom are largely Democratic leaning groups like the poor, minorities, and college students, who cannot afford an ID who would be barred from voting because of these laws. Now, you may have a case for voter ID laws if there were any evidence at all that voter fraud is a problem. But there isn't. It simply doesn't happen. As I noted earlier, Nation the Republican Lawyers Association, a group that supports these laws, found only 340 cases of voter fraud in a 10 year period. That's fewer than 0.07 cases per state per year. And that includes things like registration fraud (using a fake name or a fake address) that wouldn't be affected by voter ID laws.

There's a reason these laws are only popping up in Republican controlled swing-states, their only purpose is to prevent Democrats from getting to the polls. If you don't believe me just ask Republican Rep. Mike Turzai, who said, rather candidly, "Voter ID, which is going to allow Gov. Romney to win the state of Pennsylvania? Done." I understand that this seems like a common sense law, but the facts just don't support it.

[HarryPotter]

If you can't afford a god damn ID you probably shouldn't be voting anyways. Crack doesn't let you make informed decisions.

[InuFaye]

Lesser of two evils.

[slammin.e28]

Lesser of two evils.

I'd vote for you before voting for anyone else.

[InuFaye]

I'd vote for you before voting for anyone else.

Id vote for you too.

Lets run for Augusta County Board of Supervisors.

[Vedubin01]

Nation the Republican Lawyers Association, a group that supports these laws, found only 340 cases of voter fraud in a 10 year period.

This is very misleading and inaccurate.

900 cases in South Carolina alone, found dead people voting.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/12/south-carolina-900-dead-voters_n_1202163.html

1,099 felons -- all ineligible to vote -- who had voted in the Franken-Coleman race.

http://washingtonexaminer.com/york-when-1099-felons-vote-in-race-won-by-312-ballots/article/2504163#.UCq30j6P1aQ

the list can go on and on.... And even if I pointed out a state race, if its happening at that level it most certainly happening at the federal level.


Acorn anyone?

http://www.rottenacorn.com/activityMap.html

[herbivor]

Why do you suppose the Republicans alone are trying so hard to enforce voter ID laws? Why aren't the Dems? Are you suggesting only Dems are trying to cheat the system?

The truth is, no one knows how serious or not the problem is. There have not been enough proper studies done. What we do know, is that FL has totally fucked up their voter ID enforcement and made several thousand US citizens (mostly Latino) ineligible. So if the Voter ID laws prevents more eligible people from voting than prevent ineligible people, it's not a good law, despite good intentions.

[Vedubin01]

It happens on both sides of the fence. But there has to be a better way of weeding out the fraud and ineligible. One of those ways is with a state pictured ID. Once you go to vote your ID card is swiped and you are no longer eligible to vote.

To say the poor can not afford a State Issued ID is bullshit. ID cards range from $5 to $20 state to state. If you are to poor to afford an ID you have bigger problems than voting anyway.

I guess we can go back to dipping our fingers in ink and removing absentee voter ballots all together.

[CorvallisBMW]

Is Ron Paul going to be on the ballot, or will it be Gary Johnson? Or both? I'm not sure how it works with Ron Paul being a republican since obviously their nominees will be Romney/Ryan, can you have 2 people from the same party on the ballot?

[BraveUlysses]

No, Ron Paul will not be on the ballot

[Cliche Guevara]

This is very misleading and inaccurate.

900 cases in South Carolina alone, found dead people voting.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/12/south-carolina-900-dead-voters_n_1202163.html

1,099 felons -- all ineligible to vote -- who had voted in the Franken-Coleman race.

http://washingtonexaminer.com/york-when-1099-felons-vote-in-race-won-by-312-ballots/article/2504163#.UCq30j6P1aQ

the list can go on and on.... And even if I pointed out a state race, if its happening at that level it most certainly happening at the federal level.


Acorn anyone?

http://www.rottenacorn.com/activityMap.html

The only compelling example there is South Carolina, but it could be made irrelevant with a bit more information. Voter ID laws only prevent people from voting in person and in the name of another registered voter. Many states, Oregon being one of them, do not require you to show up at a poll to vote. The issue of felons voting would not be solved with voter ID laws because it is an issue of ineligible voters remaining registered, not people voting for someone else. Same goes for ACORN, registration fraud is not something that would be addressed with voter ID laws.

To say the poor can not afford an State Issued ID is bullshit. ID cards range from $5 to $20 state to state. If you are to poor to afford an ID you have bigger problems than voting anyway.

That's a favorably low estimate there lol. It costs $40 here in Oregon, I'm not sure where you could get one for less than $20. Either way, when money is insanely tight you're not going to go out and buy an ID so you can vote, you're gonna pay rent, utilities, etc. There are many people out there who can't afford an ID, especially in this economic environment. Requiring an ID costs the voter money and is in effect a poll tax, which is patently unconstitutional.

[Vedubin01]

That's a favorably low estimate there lol. It costs $40 here in Oregon, I'm not sure where you could get one for less than $20. Either way, when money is insanely tight you're not going to go out and buy an ID so you can vote, you're gonna pay rent, utilities, etc. There are many people out there who can't afford an ID, especially in this economic environment. Requiring an ID costs the voter money and is in effect a poll tax, which is patently unconstitutional.

I got a question for ya... are your numbers prosecuted cases?

It might be a few years old but this is where I got those numbers.

http://www.thepiratescove.us/2008/04/28/what-does-a-state-id-cost/

Im talking ID cards not drivers licenses.


As for the poor that cant afford ID card. Gov should pay for them as they give free cell phones, section 8 housing, and food stampse etc... Why not an ID card?

You know its a law that you must carry ID on you at all times when in public.

[z31maniac]

The only compelling example there is South Carolina, but it could be made irrelevant with a bit more information. Voter ID laws only prevent people from voting in person and in the name of another registered voter. Many states, Oregon being one of them, do not require you to show up at a poll to vote. The issue of felons voting would not be solved with voter ID laws because it is an issue of ineligible voters remaining registered, not people voting for someone else. Same goes for ACORN, registration fraud is not something that would be addressed with voter ID laws.

How did you get that job? Open up those utility accounts? Get your place of residence?

Yeah, probably didn't already have an ID for those.

[Vedubin01]

How did you get that job? Open up those utility accounts? Get your place of residence?

Yeah, probably didn't already have an ID for those.

Living in Miami I can tell you how.

They work for family or work with people of their same heritage. Here in Miami cubans help cubans etc...

The utilities are usually set up in a family members name or friends. Or they rent from places that utilities are paid for,

As for place of residence, same as above.

There are sections here where everything is in Spanish. If you dont speak or understand it, you might not want to be in that area of town.

A lot of shady business goes on in those areas as they work around the system. You have to remember they come from countries where the only way to get a head is to cheat the system. When they come here, they already know how to play the game.