BS: US Voter ID Laws

Subject: BS: US Voter ID Laws
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 12 Aug 12 - 05:52 AM

Beginning at approximately the same time, or a little before, the start of Republican campaigns for the next election, new laws were proposed in nearly all Republican dominated states to require new restrictions on voter registration and voting. It is clear (to me and other sane persons) that this is an attempt to selectively limit the number of persons less fanatic about politics (who largely vote Democratic) in favor or of the jack-boots who reliably vote Republican.

Claims of "immense voter fraud" were made in justification of these laws.

A new analysis, that appears to be about as thorough as possible, has been made of the extent of voter fraud in recent US elections.

New database of US voter fraud finds no evidence that photo ID laws are needed

First of a series of articles, Who Can Vote: a News21 investigation of voting rights in America
By Natasha Khan and Corbin Carson, News21

A new nationwide analysis of 2,068 alleged election-fraud cases since 2000 shows that while fraud has occurred, the rate is infinitesimal, and in-person voter impersonation on Election Day, which prompted 37 state legislatures to enact or consider tough voter ID laws, is virtually non-existent.

In an exhaustive public records search, reporters from the investigative reporting project News21 sent thousands of requests to elections officers in all 50 states, asking for every case of fraudulent activity including registration fraud, absentee ballot fraud, vote buying, false election counts, campaign fraud, casting an ineligible vote, voting twice, voter impersonation fraud and intimidation.

Analysis of the resulting comprehensive News21 election fraud database turned up 10 cases of voter impersonation. With 146 million registered voters in the United States during that time, those 10 cases represent one out of about every 15 million prospective voters.

"Voter fraud at the polls is an insignificant aspect of American elections," said elections expert David Schultz, professor of public policy at Hamline University School of Business in St. Paul, Minn.

"There is absolutely no evidence," Schultz said, that voter impersonation fraud "has affected the outcome of any election in the United States, at least any recent election in the United States."

The News21 analysis of its election fraud database shows:

In-person voter-impersonation fraud is rare. The database shows 207 cases of other types of fraud for every case of voter impersonation. "The fraud that matters is the fraud that is organized. That's why voter impersonation is practically non-existent because it is difficult to do and it is difficult to pull people into conspiracies to do it," said Lorraine Minnite, professor of public policy and administration at Rutgers University.

There is more fraud in absentee ballots and voter registration than any other categories. The analysis shows 491 cases of absentee ballot fraud and 400 cases of registration fraud. A required photo ID at the polls would not have prevented these cases. "The one issue I think is potentially important, though more or less ignored, is the overuse of absentee balloting, which provides far more opportunity for fraud and intimidation than on-site voter fraud," said Daniel Lowenstein, a UCLA School of Law professor.

Of reported election-fraud allegations in the database whose resolution could be determined, 46 percent resulted in acquittals, dropped charges or decisions not to bring charges. Minnite says prosecutions are rare. "You have to be able to show that people knew what they were doing and they knew it was wrong and they did it anyway," she said. "It may be in the end" that prosecutors "can't really show that the people who have cast technically illegal ballots did it on purpose."

Felons or noncitizens sometimes register to vote or cast votes because they are confused about their eligibility. The database shows 74 cases of felons voting and 56 cases of noncitizens voting.

Voters make a lot of mistakes, from accidentally voting twice to voting in the wrong precinct.

Election officials make a lot mistakes, from clerical errors — giving voters ballots when they've already voted — to election workers confused about voters' eligibility requirements.

... ... ...

[end quote]

The article is very long and quite thorough, and much too long to post in its entirety here; but reading it, and the additional information at links there, is highly recommended.

Kansas is one of only two states where the "new laws" will be in effect at the coming election, although a couple of dozen other states will have the same or similar laws in the near future. Inital setup and implemention of this completely unnecessary ID system is estimated, by the most reliable sources available, as up to $200 MILLION dollars in Kansas alone (of course depending on which liar you believe) - approximately equalling all the visible cuts in education funding (since we can't afford it) for the state since the last election, and it is expected that failure to clearly publicize the requirements may disenfranchise somwhat more than 10% of state residents legally qualified to vote, but lacking the "new ID" required, on election day.

The article, and the resources linked in it, give the best summary of the situation that I've seen so far, and reading is recommended.

John

Subject: RE: BS: US Voter ID Laws
From: Penny S.
Date: 12 Aug 12 - 09:21 AM

That explains the recent Doonesbury Jim Crow cartoons which were a bit inpenetrable over here.

Penny

Subject: RE: BS: US Voter ID Laws
From: Bobert
Date: 12 Aug 12 - 10:00 AM

ALEC and Republican Statehouses go hand in hand...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: US Voter ID Laws
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 12 Aug 12 - 10:34 AM

Oh, I got them Penny. Republicans seem to practise the greatest mutilations of alleged democracy.

Subject: RE: BS: US Voter ID Laws
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 12 Aug 12 - 10:34 AM

And don't get me started on wand-rape.

Subject: RE: BS: US Voter ID Laws
From: Greg F.
Date: 12 Aug 12 - 12:12 PM

Ah, Jeez - Ya mean the TeaPublican assholes are and have been LYING?

Shock! Horror! Who knew?

Of course, mere facts aren't going to change the minds of the boobocracy, Jack.

Subject: RE: BS: US Voter ID Laws
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 12 Aug 12 - 08:10 PM

I still have my Texas Poll Tax Receipt. Late 1940s. Might have to renew one of these days.

Subject: RE: BS: US Voter ID Laws
From: catspaw49
Date: 12 Aug 12 - 11:03 PM

Checked us here in Ohio lately? The GOP statehouse decided to limit early voting (guess why) but then decided to only limit it. So they said the cost would be too great for the urban counties (heavily democrat, African American, poor, elderly) so they would have shorter times for early voting and the rural counties (GOP bastions) will have much more early voting time.

Waiting hopefully for the lawsuit....................


Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: US Voter ID Laws
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 13 Aug 12 - 01:06 PM

The split between urban and small town-rural areas is strong, if one looks at the vote by counties in the midwestern and some eastern states (or the Hispanic-Anglo divide in Texas, etc.).

The GOP hopes to increase the split and win a victory that will further increase the chaos in the way the country is run.

Catspaw, I also hope that there will be court action before it is too late to affect the coming election, but time is short.

I am conservative, but current GOP actions are irresponsible. Obama is the only choice, but again he will face a divided Congress, and the U.S. will continue to stagger along without effective policy.

Subject: RE: BS: US Voter ID Laws
From: John P
Date: 13 Aug 12 - 10:42 PM

Why isn't every judge in the country just telling them to stop? If they detect a case of voter fraud they should diligently prosecute it. But disenfranchising whole swaths of the public "just in case" is sort of like arresting and searching everyone who leaves a store just in case one of them stole something.

I sure wish our "patriots" would let us live in the land of the free. To misquote Aaron Sorkin, they claim to love America but clearly hate Americans.

Subject: RE: BS: US Voter ID Laws
From: catspaw49
Date: 14 Aug 12 - 12:54 PM

Looks like the papers have put enough of a stink together that the state may be backing away "in the interests of fairness."   Right....



Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: US Voter ID Laws
From: YorkshireYankee
Date: 14 Aug 12 - 08:20 PM

Fingers crossed...

Thanks for posting about this, John. Haven't been hearing/seeing anything about it here in the UK (not a criticism of UK media, BTW; I'm still amazed at how much more coverage of US news there is in the UK than vice-versa).

Subject: RE: BS: US Voter ID Laws
From: Bobert
Date: 15 Aug 12 - 10:29 AM

News21, funded by the Carnegie-Knight Initiative, investigated 2,068 voter impersonation cases that the Republicans are using as a justification for this massive disenfranchisement effort by Republican statehouses...

Of the 2,068, only 10 cases were suspect...

*****************************10 Cases!!!******************************

So, what to do???

Simple, Ralph... Lets take away poor and black folks votes...

BTW, for all the folks saying how easy it is to get an I.D.... It ain't all that easy... Heck, when I moved back to Virginia from West Virginia I had to write the governor to get an exemption from paying a private firm (gue$$ how they got into the act???) $35 for a "certified birth certificate" because the Commonwealth of Virgina doesn't like original birth certificates (which I had) or certificate of live birth (which I had)...

So, please... No lies about how easy it is to get these things...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: US Voter ID Laws
From: catspaw49
Date: 15 Aug 12 - 01:19 PM

A Republican judge in Pennsylvania allowed the law to go ahead today. This will send it to the PA supreme court which is 3 Repubs and 3 Dems. So it will probably go on from there. Not much time left.

How the hell can this shit be happening as any fuckwit can readily see they are in violation of the voting rights act?



Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: US Voter ID Laws
From: catspaw49
Date: 15 Aug 12 - 01:19 PM

A Republican judge in Pennsylvania allowed the law to go ahead today. This will send it to the PA supreme court which is 3 Repubs and 3 Dems. So it will probably go on from there. Not much time left.

How the hell can this shit be happening as any fuckwit can readily see they are in violation of the voting rights act?



Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: US Voter ID Laws
From: GUEST,999
Date: 15 Aug 12 - 01:43 PM

So much for one person, one vote.

Question: How does Washington figure in this? Can't they regulate federal elections?

Subject: RE: BS: US Voter ID Laws
From: Greg F.
Date: 15 Aug 12 - 01:48 PM

How the hell can this shit be happening as any fuckwit can readily see they are in violation of the voting rights act?

1. Fuckwit's ain't what they used to be, Spaw. The TeaPublican Fuckwit is almost a separate degenerate species.

2. Fuckwits aren't as smart as you think they are.

2. They're getting more fuckwitted by the day as time progresses, as they listen to and believe professional fuckwits like Rush, Glenn, Medved,Bohner, Graham, Ryan, etc etc etc..

3. And they breed like crazy.

Subject: RE: BS: US Voter ID Laws
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 15 Aug 12 - 03:29 PM

I'm still amazed at how much more coverage of US news there is in the UK than vice-versa).

On a couple of news sites I visit pretty regularly, most of the good US news seems to be from BBC. The traditional US sources all seem to be too busy with advertising and chasing "personalities" to look for any news.

John

Subject: RE: BS: US Voter ID Laws
From: Bobert
Date: 15 Aug 12 - 05:44 PM

Yup, brucie... It's one angry white guy = one vote...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: US Voter ID Laws
From: artbrooks
Date: 15 Aug 12 - 07:25 PM

@999: the Federal government tiptoes very carefully around rights that are specifically given to the States in the Constitution, and Article I, Section 4 specifically states that "the times, places and manner of holding elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by law make or alter such regulations, except as the the places of choosing Senators". In other words, the States do whatever they want, unless Congress specifically says otherwise.

The Voting Rights Act does not apply to the entire country, but just to those parts that had a record of disenfranchisement when it was passed in 1965. That includes Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi,South Carolina, most of North Carolina, Texas, much of Virginia, part of Florida, and some scattered locations in the north and west. Some areas have since gotten out from under it, but no additional areas have been added.

Subject: RE: BS: US Voter ID Laws
From: Bobert
Date: 15 Aug 12 - 07:46 PM

Sorry, art, but the 1965 Voting Rights Act applies to the entire country... Whereas it went after the ballgames being played by Southern states it is federal law...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: US Voter ID Laws
From: artbrooks
Date: 15 Aug 12 - 08:07 PM

Yes, and I stand corrected. What the law does say is that the listed states can't change the rules (such as, for example, requiring photo IDs) without Federal preapproval.

Subject: RE: BS: US Voter ID Laws
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Aug 12 - 11:51 PM

Section 2 of the voting rights act of 1965 prohibits voting practices or procedures that discriminate on the basis of race, color, or membership in a language minority group. It does not expressly prohibit discrimination on the basis of membership in a political party or on the basis of who one is likely to vote for.

So, even though these laws may be despicable, they may not be illegal. We hope not.

Bev and Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: US Voter ID Laws
From: GUEST,999
Date: 15 Aug 12 - 11:55 PM

Thanks, Art.