The Virginian-Pilot
©
RICHMOND
A bill to require photo identification for voting was pulled back from the House floor Monday by its sponsor, meaning it won’t become law this year.
Del. Scott Lingamfelter’s bill, HB498, was approved 49-45 on a preliminary vote Friday over the objections of critics who said it smacked of race-based restrictions such as poll taxes and literacy tests from Virginia’s segregationist past.
At Lingamfelter’s request, the measure was sent back to a House committee Monday. Lingamfelter, R-Woodbridge, said he plans to tweak it over the coming year in hopes of satisfying some of the objections.
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irony
What I find amusing is that many of the same posters who decry requiring proof of identity to vote as an infringement of Constitutional rights tend to be the same ones who think people wishing to buy a firearm should have to undergo a background check, have their fingerprints taken, attend a training course and wait for several days – to exercise a Constitutional right. If the one who scream "police state" had their way, the only people who legally could have guns would, in fact, be the police.
CRITICS
"over the objections of critics who said it smacked of race-based restrictions such as poll taxes and literacy tests from Virginia’s segregationist past". Who are these critics? Why is this racist? Another excuse based on the race card being played. I am sick of political correctness overcomming common sense is this country. We are headed down the same road as the Roman Empire if we do not change our ways...Read history as we are getting ready to repeat it!
:)
"gmarlie223" and "ptown67"
I too, was wondering HOW Acorn's "Mickey Mouse" and other faux voters that they registered could possibly secure a Photo I.D.????
The reason it's ok to limit voting but "not to buy a gun"...
...a LEGAL voter should vote only ONCE in any election. It's that simple and that important to Democracy. One vote for one legal voter. No dead voters, no out-of-state poll stuffers, no unregistered voters, no people who vote multiple times, etc. That applies to any person of any political party who might be involved in fraud.
Depends
They probably can't require a driver's license because we have to pay for that since driving is a privilege not a right. If we want to require a photo ID to exercise our constitutional right to vote, the state needs to issue free ID cards to all, not just those that don't have a Driver's license. (I don't think we can legally charge a fee to exercise a constitutional right).
So what this really sounds like is simply putting a picture on the voter registration card that we all get anyway when we register and doing the actual background work when people register, like we do when we drive. The systems are in place to ensure people are citizens. You would think as important as voting is vs. driving or getting on an airplane, this would be the case anyway. I think we have our priorities mixed up.
But come to think of it, they scanned my DL last time I voted to get all my info.
voter ID
I think having to prove one's identity before voting is appropriate to reduce the chances of voter fraud, but I think there are some legitimate concerns about acquiring an ID. I think a law requiring ID to vote should have accommodations for low-income people, the elderly or other people who have a hard time getting to the DMV. If someone were eligible for food stamps, for example, the fee for an ID should be waived. I don't think getting a ride to the DMV would be a problem, though – all the perspective voter would need to do would be to call the local Democratic or Republican office and say, "I'd like to vote for your candidate but I cannot get to the DMV to get a photo ID." I'm sure he'd have no problem getting a ride.
I really have a hard time seeing this as a racial issue, despite the (all too frequent) assertions of some of our regular posters below.
Voting
I think you all missed it..it matters not who votes, only who counts.
I do have a question,
what are the statistics behind voter fraud and suppression? Is it really a major problem, or just anecdotal? How many elections have been determined by either? Is this law necessary or election year posturing? Really, is it necessary?
Use Incentives
If smokes and beer will get them to the polls, it will get them to the picture studios. If we had this system in place years ago, the liberals wouldn't have had the votes to get our country in the mess it's in now. If you can get to the polls, you can get your picture taken. Proper ID has been around a long time. Only today, it's racist!
Elderly
The biggest problem that I can see is with the elderly. Some no longer have driver's licenses, and it's not easy for them to go out and get a photo ID. I was making phone calls before a recent election, and a woman said that she could get a ride to the polls, but didn't have a photo ID.
The same problem may occur in impoverished areas, both in the cities, and out in the mountains. It's easy to get a ride to the polls, but not to some place to get a photo ID.
Yes, I've always been asked to show a photo ID, but if I had a voter registration card, I wouldn't need a photo ID.