Gumbo4x4
Note to the ladies who forgot to
- Joined
- Jan 19, 2012
It's "simple" to show ID if you have the economic means to get to the place that issues them, and then the means to pay for it when you've done that. Your assertion that it is "simple" comes from a position of privilege. I'll also note that students (college I mean) have a difficult time producting an ID (driver's license) that shows they "live" in the precinct where they are voting. When I was in college, I voted in the town I went to college in. My driver's license never matched where I lived because I moved every 6-9 months to a new address. Getting a new license every time I moved would have been ridiculous, and an expense that I could not have handled on my student's budget. It wasn't until I was out of law schools (25 years old) that I consistently had a license that matched my residence address.
That being said, I agree that MOST people have a simple time getting an ID, but most is not all.
I do think we need to think outside the box to make our elections secure. I'm curious what "issues" have arisen in Oregon which has gone to all mailed ballots.
Minnesota does a pretty decent job with voting, and we use scanned paper ballots, with "no excuse necessary" absentee ballots. Our ballots were largely all counted by the next morning....indeed, mainly by 10 at night. My name was on the ballot for a local race, and I knew results (with 100% counted) before 10. My town is about 10,000 people, with about 4000 voters in this cycle. The absentee ballots are counted as of close of business (when they are due), which is 3 hours before polls close, so that was also immediately factored in. We have very little problem with "fraud" or getting things counted on time, and we've got the highest (percentage wise) vote turnout in the country (nearly every year). One big reason why is NUMEROUS precincts, and all close by. We make voting EASY. Longest line I've ever stood in was less than 10 minutes. I see these horrendous lines in other states and just say "why?" People shouldn't have to stand in line for hours to vote. That's ridiculous and clearly designed to suppress voting. Make voting easy and people will do it. There's no reason for it to be painful. And, ideally, every person eligible to vote would do so, every time. I've never missed an election no matter where I lived. And, I've never had big problems doing so....but then again, I've never lived in Georgia or Florida, which seem to have big problems many years in a row. Maybe they could look at what other states are doing who don't seem to be as plagued.
When I was in college, I always voted based on my “permanent” address, not where I was living on or near campus.