Democrats are howling that laws to ensure that votes are legally cast are "voter suppression". They insist that there are large numbers of voters-- poor people mainly-- who don't have ID and who will not exercise their right to vote if they are required to show ID.
Which raises this question:
Do these mostly poor ID-less voters receive government benefits? Housing assistance, welfare checks, food stamps, and any of hundreds of government benefits intended to help the needy? It's a safe bet that most of the potentially "suppressed" ID-less voters do receive some kind of government assistance for some things.
If some poor people who get government services lack ID to vote, it means that they get government money despite lack of ID. If you lack ID to vote, you lack ID to get government services. Do they just walk into a government office and demand and get cash, without reliable documentation of their identity? Are Democrats admitting that we don't know who they are when we give them money?
Is this really how we dispense taxpayer money to the poor? Anonymously?
actually, it seems more complicated to gain access to social security as you must prove also your income:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.socialsecurity.gov/info/isba/retirement/firstpartyrib.htm#a0=5
http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/10101.html/#a0=2
http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/10550.html#a0=4
I do not think that to have an ID card is more complicated!
Michael,
ReplyDeleteI'm not an American, so I don't know for certain. But don't Americans need a social security number to obtain welfare? And don't the social security cards lack photos and other biometric data, which is required by many states to vote? And some states accept firearm licenses with a photo for voting, but refuse to accept student ID with a photo as being adequate?
The problem as I see it is that the American voting system is ramshackle, with different systems applying between the states. Australia has the same system applying uniformly across the country. There's no ID requirement at polling stations, and all voters have to do is to provide name and address, which is then marked off on the roll indicating the person has voted.
After the election, the electoral commission goes through the rolls to check for fraud (which isn't a significant problem) and more importantly, not voting (Australia has compulsory voting at state and national level, or rather compulsory attendance at a polling both - voting is secret, so voters can do whatever they want with their voting ballots).
@backfiend,
ReplyDelete"Australia has compulsory voting at state and national level..."
I wish we would have the same in Canada. People who don't want to lift their butt to vote are the ones most complaining afterwards!
I couldn't disagree more. Voting should be for people who give a crap. No one should be forced to participate in the civic process.
DeleteJQ
I agree. I think compulsory voting is a bad idea. If you don't want to participate in voting, please don't.
DeleteMaybe you are both right.
DeleteBut from experience, those who don't care to vote are the ones we support with our taxes. Forcing them to go to the voting booth for the $ they get is a step in the right direction. They could draw smileys on the ballot, I don't care, but they wouldn't be couch potatoes for an hour or so.
So maybe you are both wrong.
(And anonymouses will say Dr. Egnor and I are always on the same wavelenght!)
Michael and JQ,
DeleteActually, voting isn't compulsory in Australia. It's just compulsory to attend a polling booth and have your name ticked off. No great requirement. Most people regard it as a bit of a social outing. Polling booths are generally held in school halls, and student parent groups often use the occasion to raise funds by having cake stalls.
Reluctant voters, as Pepe notes, are free to spoil their votes and submit an invalid vote. But most people don't.
Is voting compulsory?
DeleteYes, voting is compulsory for every Australian citizen aged 18 years or older. If you do not vote and do not have a valid and sufficient reason for failing to vote, a penalty is imposed.
http://www.aec.gov.au/faqs/voting_australia.htm
A photo ID is required to enter an Obama rally.
ReplyDeleteObviously, Obama doesn't want any black people at his rallies. Or poor people, the elderly, or students.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/zekejmiller/obama-campaign-checks-ids-at-the-door
Obama campaign staffer: "We checked every ID at the door to make sure it matched with the name on the ticket that supporters filled out," she said. "We did this for every person who came in."
Mr. President, why do you hate black people?
'suppressed' supporters!
DeleteYo Egnor:
ReplyDeleteThe stats about people not having IDs are made up. When they go to pick up their checks, they have ID. No problem.
The Torch
This is the biggest non-issue ever. On the one hand, there is virtually no in-person voter fraud. On the other, there are virtually no people willing and able to vote who can't get a photo ID. The fact that anyone is talking about this is just further proof of how duped we all are by the political/media machine. Better keep the public fighting among themselves so they don't realize how royally they're all getting screwed by both "sides" of the "two-party" system. Because if they wake up and realize their interests are all mostly the same, the party is over.
ReplyDelete