Justice Plays Down Memo Critical of Ga. Voter ID Plan
The Justice Department yesterday played down the importance of a memorandum that concluded that a Georgia voter identification program would hurt black voters, saying the document was a draft that contained old data and faulty analysis. The full story from the WashingtonPost.com
Whatís the problem with everyone who wants to vote in Georgia be a Georgian and have identification to prove it? Iím a bit lost on this one.
Apparently because Georgia has had past ìissuesî with election discrimination, we have to submit changes to our voting system to the Justice Department. Shame on us! We could very well deserve that one.
The Georgia Legislature (GOP-Controlled) approved a plan to require voters to have a photo ID before they could cast a vote. HmmÖ some people that donít like the GOP might not have photo IDÖ HmmÖ most people that like the GOP have a photo ID. HmmÖ Okay, I can see the thought process in their little mindsÖ But, still whatís the deal here? Objectively, Iíd like to know Georgians are voting in Georgia. Isn’t there a way for any Georgian to get some type of official state photo ID? I don’t know the answer. But, I know how to fake a Ga. Power bill and a Bell South bill. Just asking. I want to be fair.
The problem is that it will disenfranchise people who are poor, don’t know the law has an exemption for poorer people, and do not have access to a DMV (and if I recall correctly, there are in the neighborhood of 68 DMV/DL Offices in GA, and there are 158 counties, which is not adequate). The documents they want you to use to get this mythical ID are the same ones you would use to vote in the first place. Require people to show two or three forms of ID at the poll, sure, fine. But there is not a problem with in person voter fraud here, and the law does nothing to address absentee voter fraud, which is actually more the problem.
Hi Nikki. I understand now. I see your point. Makes sense to me. Thanks. Steve.
in addition, one must pay for the photo i.d. ($10 or $20 depending on whether it is a driver’s license or state i.d.) — and that is essentially a poll tax, which is unconstitutional. in essence, the state government is, by issuing this law, imposing a poll tax on ALL of us. now, some would argue that $10-$20 is a small fee, but no fee should be required of ANYONE to vote.
in addition, one must pay for the photo i.d. ($10 or $20 depending on whether it is a driver’s license or state i.d.) — and that is essentially a poll tax, which is unconstitutional. in essence, the state government is, by issuing this law, imposing a poll tax on ALL of us. now, some would argue that $10-$20 is a small fee, but no fee should be required of ANYONE to vote.
Actually I think we’re down to 56 photo ID issuing offices — and better yet? Right here, in the City of Atlanta, the bright blue dot in a sea of red: no MVD office whatsoever. It was done in such a 1-2 punch fashion as to be glaring: First, let’s dramatically reduce the number of offices providing IDs, and THEN let’s require one of these IDs to vote and charge for it.
Now, they could have simply required that you bring to your polling place the very same 2-3 non-photo pieces of identification you would need to get the photo ID issued, but no, they added a hoop to jump through.
When you have Rep. Sue Burmeister (R-Augusta), “[t]he chief sponsor of Georgia’s voter identification law [telling] the Justice Department that if black people in her district ‘are not paid to vote, they don’t go to the polls,'” it’s not too hard to smell Jim Crow nearby.
Now who, exactly, are you accusing of having “little minds,” dude?