Actually, the Dem operatives in Milwaukee were brought up on charges for their actions. Those arent talking points – they’re court records. On another note, the poor and mentally disabled are entitled to a vote – THEIR VOTE, not some political hack manipulating them into voting for a preferred candidate. You apparently have no qualms about this, sadly. I like the “gullible fundamentalist” tag – who is using cheap lines here? Interesting how this entire debate began over attempts to ensure the integrity of the voting process, which you claim to hold dear. What frightens you so about voters bringing an additional form of ID (nearly everyone has some type of bill or bank statement, check or other piece of paper with their name on it)? Perhaps, to you, the integrity of the vote takes a backseat to the preferred result.

I’m “discouraged” and “dissauded” when Democratic operatives round up the poor (Milwaukee, 2000) and bribe them with cigarettes in exchange for a Gore vote, or when heads of liberal groups pack mentally-challenged into vans, telling these people that Al Gore is their best friend (Pittsburgh, 2000). Perhaps this legislation would’ve thrown a wrench into those schemes, which probably accounts for you being so hot and bothered. These reforms are catching on across the country, and it’s about time. The dead in Chi-town have cast too many ballots over the years…

Spare me – and KP – your ignorant and uninformed comments. All those allegations, you probably had to pull out of an old Republican talking points email, were proved false. Are you “dissuaded” and “discouraged” when churches put out voting guides telling their gullible, fundamentalist congregants to vote for Republicans? I’ll bet not.

Want me to tell you how during the mayoral election here in my division and precinct, the GOP pulled out non-English speaking Russian and Ukranian immigrants to the polls along with an “interpreter”, who was in reality a GOP committeeman, to “assist” them in voting by going into the voting booth with them under the guise of “interpreting” then telling them who to vote for?

I have worked at the polls and seen voters vote and arranged assistance for those who needed it – like the several blind – and I might add Republican voters – who vote at my poll. I believe people who are properly registered should be able to vote. That’s how I ran my poll and that’s how every other election board does, too.

The poor and the mentally-disabled, and I have several of them as voters in my division and as neighbors, are entitled to vote just as much as you are. Who are you to pass judgement on them?

You are right that I am hot and bothered when ANYONE, including a sanctimonous Republican prig like you, tries to tell me it’s OK to disenfranchise Americans from voting.

This bill is nothing more than the latest Republican try to disenfranchise elderly, poor and non-driving voters who tend to live predominately in urban areas and be Democrats. I expect the governor will veto the bill, if it passes the house, as he should.

pd

I can’t believe that parties or election officials would support this mainly because of the incredible influx of provisionals. And can you imagine what a contested election would look like?

-Ben

Ben – The main object is to make it harder for Democratic urban voters to vote. The GOP doesn’t like it when Phila Co gives a Dem candidate a 400k winning margin.

The GOP doesn’t care that only about 40% or so of the provisional ballots cast were counted, either.

Also, this isn’t something the state Republicans cooked up by themselves either. There’s similar bills popping up in other Republican-controlled legislatures like the one Georgia passed that was just ruled unconstitutional.

Look at the provisions in the bill about polling places as well – that’s aimed at Philly, too. We used to vote in a private school gym, but the school decided election was too disruptive and we were forced to find a new polling place. Luckily my division, along with 3 others that were also “homeless”, was able to secure a new polling place in a church meeting hall, but there are plenty of divisions that have to scramble to find a polling place. That’s why the polls sometimes end being in odd places or in private homes.
At $90 per election, no one is getting rich off hosting a polling place.

pd

PD –

You are right on. A blatant attempt to disenfranchise. I can’t imagine what their rationale is; “We’ve had a rash of mystery voters showing up?” I hope the word gets out in the cities about this slimy move…and that is pushes more people to vote!

One other note; not only are many inner city people without drivers licenses, they are also (and rightfully so in many cases) afraid of “the man,” and being forced to show ID…..

Lordy, lordy, I do love those sanctimonious Republicans…

Pilt

Thing is, Pilt, that the precincts are so small and the same poll workers/election board are usually at the same poll for years, that at least one member of the board knows each voter. Heck I only spent 4 years as a judge and by the time I left this year, I knew most of my voters by sight.

pd

“Currently, only people voting in a polling place for the first time must show identification. Under the legislation, every voter would have to show election workers a form of identification such as a valid driver’s license; U.S. passport; a student, employee or government ID; a county voter registration card; a firearm permit; a current utility bill; or a current bank statement, paycheck or government check.”

Pardon me, but who would be prevented from casting a ballot again?

Only new voters or voters voting at a new polling place have to show ID. This law would make EVERY voter show ID.

Surely you know voters DO have to sign a poll book, so there is a signature to compare for EVERY single voter. There is also a system in place to challenge a voter if a partisan designee at the poll has evidence that voter doesn’t live in in that precinct. Each party gets a copy of the written list of the names of the people who voted. How do you think the parties identify their “super voters” (people who vote every time there’s any kind of election)? Further, just about any voter can cast an absentee ballot and you don’t need ID for that.

The bottomline is there are plenty of safeguards to “voter fraud” already in place. This bill has only one intention and that is to discourage and dissuade
urban Democrats – mainly old, poor and minority residents of Philadelphia – from voting.

As Rendell said, we should be trying to get MORE people to vote, not fewer.

BTW, IIRC all the “fraud” the state Republicans were crying about and their list of “duplicate” voters turned out to be a couple dozen names – at most – when
everyone they claimed “voted twice” was investigated.
This is essentially the basis for the GOP bill.

pd