Missouri lawmakers push photo IDs at polls

scratchtasia

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Tue Feb-07-06 10:22 AM
Original message

Missouri lawmakers push photo IDs at polls

This scheme seems to be popping up all over the place.

Missouri lawmakers push photo IDs at polls

By TIM HOOVER
The Star’s Jefferson City correspondent

JEFFERSON CITY — Missouri voters may have to whip out their drivers' licenses before casting ballots this year if a proposal backed by Senate Republicans becomes law.

Senate leaders Monday unveiled a proposal that would require voters to present photo identification at the polls, saying the new requirement would reduce voter fraud.

"You can’t cash a check and in many cases you can't use a credit card without a photo ID," said Sen. Delbert Scott, a Lowry City Republican. "There’s nothing more important in a free society than having the right to vote and having that vote counted accurately."

. . .

About 95 percent of Missourians of eligible voting age have driver's licenses, according to the Department of Revenue. That still leaves about 170,000 Missourians of voting age who don't.

More:

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/13808544.htm

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AllegroRondo

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Tue Feb-07-06 11:17 AM
Response to Original message

1. I believe this was declared unconstitutional

as long as a fee is required to obtain a photo ID from the state, this is classified as a "Poll Tax" to require said ID to vote. Which was specifically outlawed by the 14th amendment.

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scratchtasia

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Tue Feb-07-06 11:42 AM
Response to Reply #1

2. They're trying to get around that

The article also says that the bill contains a provision for issuing free voter IDs to those without driver's licenses. But how many people will want to deal with the hassle?

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proud2BlibKansan

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Tue Feb-07-06 06:34 PM
Response to Reply #2

3. Good point

Many people without driver's licenses also lack transportation to get to the DMV to get that state ID. And Blunt has closed so many DMV offices that it isn't always easy to find one nearby. (Did the one downtown ever reopen?)

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proud2BlibKansan

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Sat Feb-18-06 06:25 PM
Response to Reply #2

6. Talked to a rep about this

She asked how long this free ID deal will be in place. She mentioned that those kinds of state 'services' are often the first ones cut when they look to trim the budget.

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usregimechange

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Tue Feb-07-06 11:52 PM
Response to Original message

4. Are those 170,000 most likely Democrats?

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loyalsister

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Sat Feb-18-06 02:46 AM
Response to Reply #4

5. If not Democrats

they are people Blunt has wronged-
Seniors, poor, disabled......
The Republicans know damn well whose votes this measure will supress.
It turns out that a "poll tax" is not necessarily money. It refers to an extra burden placed disproportionately upon a particular group of people in order for them to vote.
In this case, for the upcoming election many people in the above mentioned groups would have to rush to obtain these I.D. cards in order to vote. They are offered for free, but there will be lines, thus time off of work, transportations issues, etc.
It provides for provisional ballots, but the person has to return by the end of the day and show I.D. for their vote to count.
At the end of the day it is a poll tax and a violation of the voting rights act.
It will hit the State Sentate floor next week.

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evlbstrd

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Mon Feb-20-06 05:57 PM
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7. The point this proposal doesn't address:

"There’s nothing more important in a free society than having the right to vote and having that vote counted accurately."

How does showing ID ensure accurate vote counts, while KC and other election boards are about to switch to Diebold machines? Red herring.

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loyalsister

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Tue Feb-21-06 01:27 PM
Response to Reply #7

8. Actually.....

Edited on Tue Feb-21-06 01:28 PM by loyalsister

Of greater concern here is that it will increase the paper via provisional ballots--- lessons form Haiti??? This would make a mess out of elections, because people who do not have I.D. could cast a provisional ballot, but have to return the same day with an I.D. It will lead to all kinds of mix ups. Trmendous potential for shananigans and fraud. Burned or lost ballots, anyone?
Oh, but no, paper is always safe.

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