NEWS: Modest Solutions To Voter Suppression

CULTURE: Modest Solutions To Voter Suppression

by Steven Whitney

An alarming crusade that threatens not only the democratic ideal but our very democracy itself is currently sweeping the country. Falsely posing as stern protectors of electoral integrity, the GOP has started yet another costly and totally unnecessary war – The War on Voter Fraud.

It might be a just war...if it were true. But like so many GOP grand proclamations, it’s a sham, merely another false charge Republicans are criminally deploying to their advantage.

A new study released this past August 12th and financed by the non-partisan Carnegie and Knight Foundations examined thousands of court documents, official reports, and media reports involving voter fraud since 2000 and found conclusively that voter fraud is “virtually non-existent.” Of roughly 600 million votes cast since 2000, there were only 10 cases of alleged in-person voter fraud. 10...and those were just alleged. There were no convictions of in-person voter fraud during that time frame. Not anywhere in the US. Not one. In fact, you are sixty times more likely to get hit by lightning in any given year than the US is going to suffer from voter fraud.

But what the hell, there weren’t any WMDs in Iraq either...and they got away with that one (at a cost of more than a trillion dollars and thousands of American lives). And this is clearly in the same realm, a Machiavellian twist of a tactic Naomi Klein labeled “The Shock Doctrine,” manipulating real or made-up disasters (or threats to your “freedoms”) to urgently push an extreme political or economic agenda that no one in their right mind would otherwise consider – in this case, limiting the number of votes cast in elections.

For the GOP controlling votes is, indeed, an urgent matter. As US demographics tilt rapidly toward fuller minority share – a long-standing goal of true democracies - the party of “old white guys” is losing its dominance. They could, of course, try to appeal to minorities, but Republicans really don’t want to include in their party millions of people who were probably born in Kenya. So the only other option is to prevent them from voting.

How do they do it? The two most effective methods are to pass laws in GOP-held state legislatures requiring obstructive Voter ID standards or to restrict voting hours and days to an absolute minimum. Usually it’s one or the other and sometimes both. In addition to the financial implications associated with existing IDs laws, the potential cost estimate for ID requirements advanced by the GOP in 2011 in 35 states runs as high as $838 million for the first four years alone – certainly an unreasonable burden to taxpayers at a time when state treasuries are suffering severe budget crises.



But even more destructive is how these requirements negatively affect individual voters. Almost all of the proposed or enacted photo ID laws involve some monetary cost – passport books cost $140 and a driver’s license additionally requires both a written and a road test. Not only does that place an “unreasonable burden” on potential voters, it flies in the face of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

What voting blocs are most affected by these restrictions? Roughly 25% of African-Americans, 20% Asian-Americans, 19% Hispanics, 18% of those between the ages of 18-24, and 15% of Americans making less than $35,000 per year. And, of course, seniors of all stripes who no longer drive or travel out of the country but who still want to vote to keep Medicare.



Not coincidentally, those are the very groups who generally vote overwhelmingly for Democrats. It should also be noted that every single state undergoing a “voter purge” has Republican election officials. It’s also no fluke that that the GOP claims that voting fraud in these demographics is most flagrant in precisely the same states that polls indicate are still undecided, the so-called “swing states” that will end up deciding the election.

In Wisconsin (10 electoral votes), Republican Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen petitioned the state Supreme Court just a few weeks ago to reinstate before the November elections a Voter ID law passed by the Republican-controlled legislature, hopefully at a date so late as to make any legal appeal impossible.

In Florida (29 electoral votes), GOP Governor Rick Scott fired one Secretary of State who refused to implement his plan to suppress votes and appointed one who will.

Jon Husted, GOP Secretary of State of Ohio (18 electoral votes), singled out two large Democratic districts for fewer voting days and no evening or weekend voting hours, privileges all Republican precincts retained. A Federal Court intervened, ordering Husted to cease and desist all efforts to limit voting access. Instead, Husted defied the order, continuing his path of suppression. Husted is due in court this week to ask for a stay of the order until the appeal process has been exhausted, which would occur only after the election. Husted is also running a 3-card monte ruse with polling places, switching them to one suburb after another. At this late date, voters in Toledo don’t even know where to vote!

And that’s just the tip of the figurative iceberg – confusion and suppression reign in nearly every state controlled at some level by GOP leaders masquerading as crusaders for honesty and transparency in the election process when just the opposite is true. Ohio Republicans on the Board of Elections even admitted that the ID requirements specifically targeted black voters. Despite the hue and cry, Republicans will not be moved – they know suppressing up to 5 million votes nationwide is the only way they can win the election. Of course, all of this is criminal...but if the GOP has its way, it’ll be too late to stop them and if they win the election, their Republican brethren will hardly seek prosecution.

But there are some prescriptive actions that could minimize the negative effect of these illegal purges, both now and in the future.

First, no fair-minded citizen in a participatory democracy wants anyone’s vote to be stolen or unduly suppressed. Whatever one’s party affiliation, everyone in a democracy must strive for transparency in, and the legitimacy of, the election process. More than anything else, free elections are what keep us free. Otherwise we’re just another, albeit bigger, banana republic, where those on top steal whatever they can – money, votes, and your country. So whether you’re liberal or conservative, if someone – Republican or Democrat – tries to deny citizens their right to vote, you must vote against them. The reason goes to the heart of American values – stealing votes is the grossest betrayal of the democratic ideals our nation was founded upon and for which millions of Americans have died over the last 240 years.

Secondly, federal judges and prosecutors need to adopt a zero-tolerance policy toward those who would suppress the most fundamental of American rights. If election officials ignore court directives to restore order, our courts are honor bound to issue bench warrants and throw them into the hardest and most unforgiving lock-ups imaginable – Alcatraz factored by ten – until they fully comply with the law. Just because they have a government title in front of their name does not mean they are above the law, especially as they have sworn to uphold it.

Lastly, it would be sweet irony – and a GOP nightmare – to use Citizens United to help get out the vote. With the influx of undisclosed money flowing into the coffers of SuperPACs on both sides of the aisle, the price tag of this November’s election is in the vicinity of $5.8 billion (including approximately $2.5 billion for the Presidential election alone).

Now, one or more SuperPACs needs to put aside one-half of 1% of that total - $29 million – and spend it on getting minorities and seniors state IDs acceptable for voter verification. And, like the GOP, it needs to focus on large swing states. For instance, the basic cost of an Ohio-issued photo ID is $8.50, or $5.1 million to purchase IDs for 600,000 voters. Florida’s photo ID can be had for $25.00, or $15 million to secure voting rights for another 600,000 citizens. Allow $8.9 million for administration costs and voter outreach and 1,200,000 otherwise disenfranchised voters can pass any challenge at their polling places. Those two states alone are enough to make a real difference.

Alternatively, federally-issued passport cards cost only $30. And they’re good for ten years, or five elections – 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2020 – six bucks per cycle. So 700,000 passport cards would cost $21 Million, plus $8 million for admin and outreach, equals $29 million. Implemented every two years, this expense would sign up three and a half million minority and senior voters over ten years. In emergencies, the Passport Office promises to have your document ready in 3 working days – and if an important business meeting in London meets that criteria, your right to vote should be given equal weight.

When you figure that over $4 billion will be spent on media advertising alone this year, spending $29 million to actually insure the voting rights of 1.2 million minority and senior voters is comparably little money well spent – and money certainly spent in the cause of true democratic principles.

Besides, the SuperPAC(s) should get all of their money back. If states demand payment for an ID that is required to vote, that is a “poll tax,” and against the law. So if the SuperPAC(s) putting up the money sues both the state and the individuals involved for full reimbursement, and then recycles that money every two years until Republicans no longer think stealing your vote is a good investment, it’s a net gain for everyone involved (except those rigging the vote). If Jon Husted was personally on the hook for, say, $10 million, he might change his mind about letting you cast your ballot.

These are options to correct just the false In-Person Voter Fraud touted by Republicans. In an upcoming column, I’ll be talking with Greg Palast - arguably our country’s leading expert on this issue – about everything you need to know about real voter fraud.

It may well be the most important issue facing America’s survival. If the illegal GOP purges succeed in suppressing large demographics from voting, our nation relinquishes both the moral high ground and democratic principle to every other country capable of running clean elections.

And, too, we don’t want to awaken on November 7th only to discover that yet another election has been stolen.

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Fighting Back Part 4: The Big Liar, Intimidation And Revenge
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America: Forget it, Jake. It’s Chinatown.
Gotcha!

Fight the power, just go get an ID

Try renting a car, flying, getting a library card, buying cold medicine, and on and on without an ID. It's not a big deal, and the government will pay for it. Get an ID and join the rest of society.

You two evidently overlooked this bit:

Sure, getting an ID is easy if you aren't poor. But the point is that a lot of the voters these initiatives are aimed at are poor.

There are surprisingly few things in life that require a valid government issued photo ID. Obviously you need a driver's license if you're going to drive, and you need a government ID to drink, and a passport to travel internationally, but other than that in my experience any ID that has a picture of you and your name together will do (possibly accompanied by other documents, like proof of address). Certainly I've gotten by just fine for years on an expired ID that would be an enormous pain to get updated (gotta do it at the DMV and the only DMV anywhere even close to me is only open during the hours that I'm at work). Voting should not be one of those things. Voter fraud is simply not an existent problem, and IDs cost money and are a huge pain in the ass to get, like a lot of other government-issued things.

Not just poor; many of the elderly, particularly the rural and minority elderly, do not have the basic documentation needed to get an ID; no birth certificate. People who say "just go get an ID" simply do not realize that other people do not have the same privileges they've grown up with.

I'm trying to picture the reaction of the GOP if Obama had suggested voter IDs as a way to prevent the kind of voter fraud that we can't prove didn't happen in Florida in 2000. Can you imagine the level of outrage? The cries of big government oppression?

An ID is only $5 in Iowa - I don't see the financial burden. And you keep saying that these initiatives are aimed at the poor. If they're poor, they're on the Federal Dole. If they're on the Dole, they have to have an ID to get the money. I'm honestly confused by your argument.

And you say voter fraud is virtually non-existent. If it wasn't for voter fraud, Obamacare wouldn't be a reality. Senator Smalley (Al Franken) out of Minnesota won by approximately 300 votes, but it's been proven that over 1200 felons who had not had their voting rights restored voted in the 2008 election anyway. More than one survey has shown that 90% or more of these felons voted Democratic. Eliminate those votes and Franken doesn't get elected Senator. No Franken as Senator, no 60 vote super-majority - and no Obamacare.

My opinion (yep - I have one, just like I have an a$$hole) is that voting is not just a right - it is also a responsibility and a privilege. There should NEVER be any barriers to voting (as long as you're not dead, or an illegal alien), but you should have to make an effort.

Anyway - I'm not trying to piss anyone off, I am honestly trying to understand the liberal viewpoint. And just as an FYI - I'm a Libertarian, not a Republican. Please keep that in mind before you start bashing me...

$5 is not much to you; it can be a week's food for someone else. I'm sorry you cannot understand that.

NJ non driver ID is $24, and you need 6 points of other ID to get one - one primary ( a valid US passport, certified state copy of birth certificate, US certificate of naturalization) one or two secondary, proof of social security number and proof of residency as well)
http://www.nj.gov/mvc/Licenses/DocumentSelector/index.htm

PA non driver ID is free if being requested for voting purposes, and requires birth certificate plus sworn oath/affirmation plus two of the following categories: W-2, utility bill, mortgage documents, lease agreement, tax records.

http://www.dmv.state.pa.us/pdotforms/dl_forms/dl-54a.pdf

Good luck on that if you're an elderly, poor non-driver who lives on social security with your grandkids, for instance.

I love it when libertarians want to extend government overreach in non-beneficial ways e.g. solving evident non-problems like voter fraud.

Who is John Galt? Some guy who needs government ID to prove who he is, that's who!

When I was living in Michigan and applied for a state ID I was required to produce three pieces of identification. All I had was a passport; my parents had to mail the rest, including my original birth certificate (a notarized copy wasn't good enough), from Singapore.

I also had to produce utility bills with my name and address on them, which I couldn't do, because at the time I was subletting a place and the bills weren't in my name. To get around that I had to rope in a relative's help and list their home (which was in another city) as my address.

The government office wasn't within walking distance or on a bus route, so I had to ask friends to drive me there every time I went (it took at least three trips). And though I don't recall exactly how much the ID cost, it was certainly more than $5.

Even with money and resources, it was not a simple process. If I were poor and didn't already have a birth certificate and passport, it would have been extremely difficult.

I just moved to Iowa City and updated my driver's license. To do so, I needed my old license, either a valid passport or birth certificate (I brought both, but it turns out the birth certificate was the wrong copy; I left the correct one in my safe deposit box back in my old hometown), my Social Security card (which I do need to replace because my dad laminated it about 20 years ago and it looks kinda rough), plus a utility bill or lease (I brought both). The cost of all of that was well over $100 (mostly the passport). The license was $20. If I didn't have a passport, I would have been SOL until November, at which point I'd have been in trouble for not updating my address within 30 days of moving (Iowa state law). I would not have been able to register or vote with my Nebraska license.

Don't tell me that getting an ID in Iowa is cheap or easy.

So... all these felons were pretending to be other people? If not, I don't see how Voter ID addresses this problem.

PS: You can be poor and not on welfare. In fact, you can be poor and not qualify for welfare.

Uh, no. First, and least importantly, the actual number reported was 1099, which is, in fact, not a number larger than 1200. It is not even a number larger than 1100! But hey, that's a minor quibble.

Major quibble: that number was arrived at by, I shit you not, comparing a list of names of people who voted to a list of names of felons. This may surprise you, but there are a lot of people in the US who have the same name. Sometimes one of them is a felon and the other is not! Futhermore, in Minnesota, many felons are eligible to have their voting rights restored once their sentences are served. So even if some of the names on the list actually were felons, it doesn't mean that they weren't allowed to vote.

Furtherfurthermore, Minnesota Majority--the group that found the initial 1,099 "fraudulent votes"--reduced that number to 341 themselves, through their own fact-checking. Plus, not all of the irregularities were related to actual cast votes; many of them were instead related to voter registration. And both Hennepin and Ramsey counties--the only two counties in which MM found any irregularities, and gosh isn't it interesting that MM just happened to find irregularities only in blue counties--pursued the information provided to them by MM. This resulted in a grand total of 10 illegally-cast ballots, which is 0.0003% of the total. Had every single one of those 10 votes been for one candidate or the other--which isn't a given--it still wouldn't have altered the election outcome.

And 10, it should be noted, is a really, really, really, really unusually high number. So, if you don't mind, I'm going to continue maintaining that voter fraud is virtually non-existent, because that is the conclusion that the facts bear out.

No. Just so much goddamn no.

Poll taxes were often only $1 or $2 (~$20 or $40 in today's dollars), but it wasn't the amount that was found to be unconstitutional, it was the entire concept of putting a financial burden on voters to exercise their rights. The debate isn't around the amount, the debate is that making people spend money to exercise their rights is pretty much fundamentally fucking wrong.

It hasn't been proven. It's been alleged, by Minnesota Majority, whose allegations were duly investigated--as required by law--by prosecutors in Minnesota and then disproven:

This was not in-person voter fraud of the type that voter ID laws would prevent. Moreover, it was not intentional, systemic, and widespread voter fraud of the kind alleged repeatedly by Minnesota Majority, repeated in a new book by John Fund and Hans von Spakovsky, and dutifully carried forth and repeated without any critical examination by the Washington Examiner's Brian York. It is, bluntly, complete and utter horseshit.

Please keep in mind that when you repeat zombie accusations--nearly verbatim--deployed by Republicans in a manner that delegitimizes both duly elected officials and the laws passed by those officials, you look like a complete fucking cunt. Hans von Spakovsky spent six years and god knows how many taxpayer dollars in the Bush Justice Department hunting for in-person voter fraud and found less than a hundred cases nationwide over a ten year period, the vast majority of which were that people didn't understand the basics of the laws and did things like fill out their children's absentee ballots.

Here's an important question that I feel should always be asked of people repeating long-debunked charges of voter fraud:

What do you think is ultimately more damaging to fair and free elections in the US, the minuscule amount of voter fraud that's proven to exist in this country, or the repeated and unproven accusations that undermine all voters faith in elections and their results?

We are agreeing. My overarching point was that even if the non driver ID was free, it's a big pain in the ass to get if you don't have ample state or federally issued photo ID to start with, and a bunch of those essential documents are themselves expensive and/or a pain in the ass to get.

Federal court rules against Texas voter ID law

TSA Contact Center Frequently Asked Questions

FUCK YOU CAN FLY WITHOUT GOVERNMENT ID

Getting a New York City Library Card.

You two are each intellectually lazy and willing ignorant. A simple Google search will disprove most of your claims.

Don't post until you have done your homework.

Well, yeah. I was trying to echo your point, not dispute it.

Cool, thanks for the clarification/backup.

So i have to have an ID to buy cigarettes or alcohol....but not to vote? Not to offend anyone, but that really is pathetic. I've worked in construction for most of my life, and i know first hand how easy it is to "be someone else". Pull your heads out of your asses and look....really look...at the big picture. We have a president that apologizes to terrorists instead of telling them to go fuck themselves. This country is a laughing stock. All of you need to research history to see whats happening!

^^ Nice bump, chump.

I'm glad you were able to get at the real root of the problem there.

To address the only lucid portion of your argument: The constitution does not guarantee a fundamental right to use alcohol or tobacco that the government may not abridge. In fact, so far as I know the only thing it has to say on the subject at all is a since-repealed amendment forbidding alcohol. The constitution very much does guarantee the right to vote, and voter ID laws violate that guarantee.