The notion that people who are citizens of a country have the right to vote and a right to the expectation that the voting would be conducted in a way that insured all eligible citizens, and no others, would be able to vote, is not radical. If those who are fraudulent voters are allowed to vote, eligible citizens are in essence being deprived of their votes when fraudulent votes are given equal weight as legitimate votes. For this reason, voter ID to verify the right of a person to vote is the only way to protect the citizens' right to elect lawful representatives.
It is estimated that one out of eight citizens who are registered to vote are no longer eligible to vote in the same political district in which they originally or last registered. A significant number of those who have moved or are deceased are registered in multiple jurisdictions and could vote in all of them with absentee ballots, unless they are dead, but someone else can vote for them and often do!
When people die or move, they may never be removed from the roles. It took us almost 20 years, reporting to election officials each year when we voted that our daughter no longer lived with us, to have her name removed from the rolls. Election boards apparently rely upon the return of sample ballots to update the rolls. No one returns them if the person no longer is at that address. They discard them. When people move or die, some government agency generally is aware of it and should report it to the county election board so that records can be updated.
It is obvious, even without intentional fraud, the potential for fraud is immense. The simplest way to preserve the integrity of the voting process is to have some form of positive identification for each voter. This ID should show a picture and a current address. Without the address, those registered in multiple districts could vote in each. Those who argue against ID claim it will prevent some from voting, a kind of deterrent. Unless you are a wanted felon, what's the problem? We are required to present ID for many purposes less important than voting. Picture ID's can be provided free of charge at most motor vehicle offices and could be made available at police stations.
Both parties have resisted ID requirements for a long time. If you distrust our political system as much as I do, support ID's. Fraudulent voting is one dirty trick we can deprive them of. I also believe a candidate for public office should provide all the legally required info including proof of citizenship.
It is estimated that one out of eight citizens who are registered to vote are no longer eligible to vote in the same political district in which they originally or last registered. A significant number of those who have moved or are deceased are registered in multiple jurisdictions and could vote in all of them with absentee ballots, unless they are dead, but someone else can vote for them and often do!
When people die or move, they may never be removed from the roles. It took us almost 20 years, reporting to election officials each year when we voted that our daughter no longer lived with us, to have her name removed from the rolls. Election boards apparently rely upon the return of sample ballots to update the rolls. No one returns them if the person no longer is at that address. They discard them. When people move or die, some government agency generally is aware of it and should report it to the county election board so that records can be updated.
It is obvious, even without intentional fraud, the potential for fraud is immense. The simplest way to preserve the integrity of the voting process is to have some form of positive identification for each voter. This ID should show a picture and a current address. Without the address, those registered in multiple districts could vote in each. Those who argue against ID claim it will prevent some from voting, a kind of deterrent. Unless you are a wanted felon, what's the problem? We are required to present ID for many purposes less important than voting. Picture ID's can be provided free of charge at most motor vehicle offices and could be made available at police stations.
Both parties have resisted ID requirements for a long time. If you distrust our political system as much as I do, support ID's. Fraudulent voting is one dirty trick we can deprive them of. I also believe a candidate for public office should provide all the legally required info including proof of citizenship.
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