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Citizenship Proof Next Up in Voter ID Battle
By Mark ImpomeniMay 12th 2008 7:30PM
Filed Under:eDemocrats, Republicans, 2008 President, Ballot Measures
In the wake of the Supreme Court's approval of an Indiana law requiring voters to present a state-issued photo identification card at the polls, voting security activists are seeking to take the argument over voter ID one step further, just in time for the presidential election. Missouri lawmakers plan to vote on an amendment to the state constitution that would require voters to show proof of citizenship when registering to vote. The amendment would tighten the proofs required for registration in the state. The Missouri Constitution already requires that voters be citizens, but currently, Missourians can show a utility bill as proof of residency and are not required to provide a birth certificate to register to vote.Nineteen other states are also considering similar measures, but only Missouri's stands to have an impact on the November elections. The amendment, if passed by the legislature, could go before the voters for ratification on the August primary election ballot in the state. If passed into law, it would be in effect for the presidential and congressional elections in the fall. Supporters of the bill say that it is necessary to prevent illegal aliens from voting while detractors say that the bill would do more harm than good by disenfranchising poor and elderly voters. Those arguments were made against the Indiana law at the Supreme Court and were soundly rejected.
Arizona already requires proof of citizenship for registration and its impact on the electorate are under debate. Michael Slater, of Project Vote, said that the law is hindering his group's voter registration efforts. "The requirement is having a devastating effect on our voter registration work in Latino communities because so many citizens simply don't have a passport or original birth certificate," he said. But Thomas Hearne, a Missouri lawyer and supporter of the proposed Missouri law was not swayed.
"To those who have spent great energy opposing some of the voter registration or voter identification requirements, I would say their energy would be much better spent working toward trying to provide identifications to those who need them or assisting these people with getting registered."The debate over voter identification is sure to intensify as voting rights advocates fight to keep burdens on voters low and vote security advocates try to increase measures designed to protect the integrity of the vote. In general terms, Democrats line up on the voting rights side, while Republicans tend to side with the security arguments. Missouri is a bellwether state in Presidential elections, voting for the eventual winner in every election, with only one exception, since 1904. That statistic could cause the presidential candidates to weigh in on the Missouri amendment debate, seeking to curry favor with the state's notoriously prescient presidential voters.
Recent Comments
(Page 1 of 1)TJ8:35PMMay 12th 2008
THIS IS WHAT YOU GET WITH STUPID CAUCUSES. THE NON-DEMOGRATIC CAUCUSES PROPELLED THIS OBAMA GUY TOWARDS THE PRESIDENCY OF THIS COUNTRY THAT WE KNOW IS NOT CAPABLE OF RUNNING THIS COUNTRY BECAUSE HE IS SPONSORED BY WEALTHY AGENDA-DRIVEN GROUPS. ITS LIKE THE ENEMY WITHIN.
ENEMIES OF AMERICA HAVE INFILTRATED US
IF HILLARY DOESBNT MAKE IT-PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO VOTE MCCAIN
WRITE-IN VOTES FOR HILLARY WILL COUNT FOR THE DEMO PARTY CANDIDATE-IF ITS OBAMA, IT WILL GO TO OBAMA.
OR IT WONT COUNT AT ALL
DO NOT WRITE-IN HILLARY
VOTE HILLARY OR MCCAIN
OXOXO
TJ, THE OBAMAMANIA BUSTER TILL THE END
Pete8:43PMMay 12th 2008
The clear implication here is Democrats know those who are unable to provide the proper documentation will probably vote for democrats.
US citizens who want to vote have four years to get a birth cirtificate if they need one.
Democrats know the end result of the current lax residency proof with a utility bill means many illegals are voting and most vote Democratic.
Democrats know they will lose many votes so they are willing to see no legal, hear no legal, speak no legal and take all the votes they can get, legal or not.
Four years is plenty of time to get a birth certificate to vote.
vlg8:43PMMay 12th 2008
I believe the primaries should continue until all 57 states have voted, don't you, Obama?
Que sera sera9:38PMMay 12th 2008
Oh poor babies, let them whine.
I think it's a good idea. I wish they would outlaw the electronic voting machines which are open for fraud. In fact there has been lots of charges of fraud, all on the Democratic side and I think all or most of the charges being against the Obama camp.
After what was pulled in Illinois on those 2 people Mr. Obama was running against I don't put anything past him and his camp. If you cannot win fair then just win eh?
Que sera sera9:51PMMay 12th 2008
Oh poor babies, let them whine.
However I think it's a good idea. I wish they would outlaw the electronic voting machines which are open for fraud. In fact there has been lots of charges of fraud, all on the Democratic side and I think all or most of the charges being against the Obama camp.
After what was pulled in Illinois on those 2 people Mr. Obama was running against I don't put anything past him and his camp. If you cannot win fair then just win eh?
THINKABOUTIT10:17PMMay 12th 2008
ALL VOTERS SHOULD SHOW A PHOTO ID AND PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP.
WE HAVE HAD TOO MANY "DEAD" PEOPLE VOTING IN TE PAST!
PROUDAMERICAN10:19PMMay 12th 2008
After what was pulled in Illinois on those 2 people Mr. Obama was running against I don't put anything past him and his camp. If you cannot win fair then just win eh? OBAMA CANNOT BE TRUSTED.
Gin12:40PMMay 13th 2008
Get over it people illegal immigrants are not stupid enough to go and try to vote. IDs are required for everything we do so why is voting an exception? It's just like the stupidity of letting people cross international borders simply by delcairing citizenship. America is paying for their arrogance.
Susan Robbins12:46PMMay 13th 2008
Those who are against voter ID are those who KNOW how many illegals and dead vote in elections.
Too many Americans have failed to actually read the Constitution. We have a RIGHT to representation. We do not a right to vote for president. The president is elected by the state legislatures who decide how they choose electors. THEY decide how to conduct electing electors and when the election is concluded. The Florida Supreme Court tried to interfere in the law sent by the legislature of Florida which was clearly a violation and the US Supreme Court set them straight. It was the correct decision regardless of who ended up in the WH. The president does not vote for us, does not represent us. We do not vote for the president directly, we vote for electors because the legislature allows us to. GET OVER THE 2000 ELECTION.
It has been clearly documented past voter fraud where the dead voteded, people voted more than once and in Claifornia, Bill Clinton sent letters to illegals telling them to register to vote
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3827/is_200011/ai_n8926598
Presenting ID never posed a problem to get a drivers license, open a bank account, apply for welfare, get married, have a document notorized, get a passport, cash a check but now it is a burden? To who? The dead and illegals?
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Mary O\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\8:10PMMay 12th 2008
What are we Democrats trying to do, lose by putting Obama in as our nominee? Does the Democrat Party really fear women power that much that we prefer to lose rather than nominate Hillary? Rest assured there are millions of "US" who will not support Obama no matter what Hillary asks us to do. This is a dark time for the Democrats if, we continue on this path. Think voters and superdelegates before we get beat!!!