Okay Texan friends...I have some more information about Voter ID here in Texas. There have been 2 major objections to the law, one race related the other cost related. First, race - this law was in effect during the 2012 election, and there was no indication of fewer minorities voting because they did not have valid identification. In the meantime, we have groups like the NAACP which have held anti-voter ID rallies and meetings...and required valid photo identification to get into said rallies and meetings. Im willing to bet that there are not a whole lot of Whites going to NAACP meetings, so Id say that the majority of attendees were some sort of minority. If you require a valid photo ID to get into an NAACP meeting, why not an ID to vote? Along those lines, if there was a group of White who were implying that minorities COULD NOT get valid ID to vote, theyd be considered racist, right? So shouldnt the voter ID opponents be considered racist since they are implying through their opposition that minorities somehow are unable to get a valid identification. Second, cost. Opponents say that even though the state offers a free identification available through state DPS offices...the same place you have to go to get a drivers license, permit, or non-driving ID card...they point to the fact that you have to have a birth certificate to get said free ID. The state Department of Health Services says that the cost for a birth certificate is $24.00. That doesnt seem like a whole lot. Thats about 4 packs of smokes. HOWEVER....the same department also says that if you let them know you need the birth certificate for the sole purpose of getting a Voter ID, then they will waive the cost, which effectively makes the voter ID free except for the cost of getting to a DPS office. So, maybe if you live out in the sticks, incorporate that trip to the DPS office into your regular trip to the city for groceries, a doctors visit, or whatever. A few other objections you hear...there is no voter fraud, which is false. The state Attorney Generals office says that they have successfully prosecuted about 20 cases in the past several years. For a state the size of Texas, thats a minute percentage, but isnt ANY fraud too much? Why would you NOT want a system in place to ensure that there is NO voter fraud? Also, opponents are upset that college ID is not accepted while a hunting or fishing license is. Now, I dont have a college ID from a college in Texas, but I HAVE had college IDs. Last time I checked, they DO NOT contain home address, so the potential is there that a kid from Wisconsin who is attending UT could use his UT identification card to vote in person in Texas...and at the same time, vote absentee in Wisconsin. And since states do not routinely check voter rolls against other states, that person could get away with voting twice in the same election. However, a state hunting or fishing license DOES have a home address on it...which makes it a bit more likely that a Texan would use it to vote in Texas. What do you think?
Posted on: Tue, 14 Oct 2014 05:09:53 +0000