Where do they get the idea that requiring people to show ID to vote is somehow racist or oppressive?
Third-world countries, where men and women live on $4 a day can provide a voter ID to vote.
Are we suggesting that a large swath of the American public simply cannot afford, or is too stupid to provide a photo ID to practice one of the most fundamental franchises?
What is really going on here?
Check out the eblast first ...
Hi Arthur –
As an attorney and voting rights advocate, I’ve learned that fighting voter suppression can’t be restricted to Congress or the courts – it has to take place at every level.
I believe our democracy is diminished every time a voter with a disability can’t get to the polls. It’s diminished whenever a voter can’t afford to pay for unnecessary or redundant documents before they can get an ID. Your voting rights are put at risk when state legislatures enact ID laws that cherry pick which IDs are acceptable based on whether a particular racial or ethnic group is more likely to have them.
That’s why I’ve joined the ACLU – to bring the work of direct voter assistance to communities across the country. It’s why I was so excited to see the ACLU’s Let People Vote campaign launch this weekend, where hundreds of thousands of people joined in to discuss how we can work together to save our democracy and expand our voting rights.
In my experience, one of the most effective ways to win these fights is to share the stories from the front lines. That’s why I’m reaching out – can you take a moment to tell me what it means to you to participate in our democracy by voting?
Last year, I spent the morning of Election Day driving Fred Leidel, a 99-year old World War II veteran, to the Division of Motor Vehicles in Madison, Wisconsin.
Fred, who no longer drives, rode his bicycle to vote that day, only to find out that he didn’t have an acceptable ID. The workers at his polling place at Schenk Elementary School knew Fred by his face. Twice a week he volunteers there to read to kindergarteners, but it didn’t did matter.
Under the state’s new ID law, the poll workers couldn’t accept the University of Wisconsin faculty ID.
I was able to help Fred get a state ID card at the DMV – and he eventually cast his ballot. But these stories are all too common, and unfortunately they don’t all end with a vote being counted.
There are people like Gladys Harris, who has voted in Milwaukee, Wisconsin for years, but was disenfranchised because she misplaced her state ID card. Despite having a government-issued bus pass with her name and photo on it, as well as several other forms of identification, her ballot wasn’t counted.
There are people like Sheila Donaldson, who had to replace her state ID card, but was no longer able to drive because of health problems that made it difficult to get around. Almost every day I ‘m working with voters like Sheila to help them get the ID they need to vote.
There are people like Darrell Black,Wichita, Kansas, who completed his sentence and probation for a felony conviction many years ago. Until we talked, Darrell was not aware his voting rights were fully restored. Now that he knows he can vote, Darrell is more than ever motivated to do so.
Thanks for taking the time to read these stories and engaging in the fight for the future of our democracy. Stay engaged – and we will win!
Molly McGrath
ACLU Voting Rights Project
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Voter ID laws are essential for the preservation and integrity of the democratic process.
In California alone, multiple counties have a record voter turnout which exceeds the number of registered voters on the voter rolls. Houston, we have a major problem.
One or two sob stories should not get in the way of permitting our local and state governments from ensuring a fair, equitable process. One or two people facing an ID hardship should therefore permit a complete rejection of voter ID laws.
If an ACLU lawyer can take the necessary steps to get a back-up or provisional ID.
We need to stand up to the sob stories, and start revealing the lasting harm caused by rampant voter fraud. Shame on the ACLU for making the emotions of one account more important than the massive crime and corruption which results from voter fraud.
At the end of this discussion, what is the ACLU really after?
Liberal voters and Democratic dominance, nothing more: partisan and immoral.
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