GOP Voter ID Bill an “Unnecessary Impediment to Voting”

[Coyotl]

Source: North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
GOP Voter ID Bill an “Unnecessary Impediment to Voting”

(BISMARCK, N.D.) – House Bill 1332, which imposes a voter ID requirement on North Dakota voters, passed the North Dakota Senate today on a 30 to 16 vote.

“While the act of voter fraud is serious, it is also virtually unheard of in North Dakota,” Senate Democratic leader Mac Schneider, D-Grand Forks, said. “We’re spending taxpayer funds on a so-called solution to a problem that has arisen, at most, a couple times in the last two decades and has never impacted the outcome of an election. This is part of a national, partisan effort on the voter ID issue that does not wash when you consider the scrupulous nature of North Dakota voters.”

Voter fraud in North Dakota is almost nonexistent. After the 2012 general election, officials identified nine alleged cases of voter fraud out of 325,862 votes cast, or 0.0000276 percent. From 2000 to 2010, only one case of voter fraud was criminally prosecuted in the state.

Indeed, North Dakota has been constantly singled out for its impeccable record when it comes to elections, with the state being recognized by the Pew Charitable Trusts as having the highest Election Performance Index in the country. In an interview just two months ago, Secretary of State Al Jaeger stated, “In my 20 years as Secretary of State, we’ve only had one or two or three cases of what we’d consider fraud.”

Similarly, with its passage, the bill stands to create unnecessary costs to the state. According to the bill’s fiscal note requiring the NDDOT to provide non-driver’s license IDs free of charge would decrease state revenues by $204,087 per biennium. Additionally, the NDDOT estimates that the cost to produce and provide additional non-photo ID cards costs $12,296 per biennium.

The bill will also unnecessarily restrict ballot access for elderly voters. According to AARP, 18% of elderly Americans do not have photo ID. While the bill calls for the NDDOT to administer ID cards for free, 25 counties in North Dakota do not have a DOT location at which individuals would be able to obtain these non-driver IDs.

“This bill is an unnecessary impediment to voting for young and old alike,” House Democratic leader Kenton Onstad, D-Parshall, said. “Under this proposal, your grandma, grandpa or neighbor, many of whom have been voting in the same precinct for decades, can be turned away from their polling locations for not having proper ID. This is not about voter fraud.”

The House will now consider the Senate amendments to HB 1332 prior to final consideration

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Read more: http://www.demnpl.com/2013/04/gop-voter-id-bill-unnecessary-impediment-voting/

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The close senate race last Fall was delivered to the Democrats by Native American voting. This bill targets that minority and will never pass a civil rights test.

However, not the tactic taken by the mainstream party, labeling this an impediment to the elderly. That's like accusing the republicans of stopping republicans from voting. That argument has broader appeal in a racist state and ignores the racism at the same time. I say tell the truth, don't worry about offending the stupid racists and confront racism so it goes away.

[kimbutgar]

1. The unintended consequence of North Dakota's law might be that it will disenfranchise elderly

Republican voters. Those who sit in front of their TV all day watching Fox might not be able to go out and get that ID. These things have a way of backfiring on them.

[Scuba]

2. More likely to disenfranchise poor voters of all ages.

[DallasNE]

3. In North Dakota That Means Native Americans

Living on reservations, etc.

[Coyotl]

5. Exactly. That's the whole point of the bill, to stop liberal voters, to discriminate raciallly.

[BumRushDaShow]

4. "it will disenfranchise elderly Republican voters."

Like CNBC's Jim Cramer's father here in PA. But since he has $$$ and publicity, they took care of him real quick... but to hell with anyone else. Fortunately the law is still in abeyance but not sure for how long when it comes time for the latest round of court proceedings to take place.

[eppur_se_muova]

6. GOP ... an “Unnecessary Impediment to Voting”

That's better.

[Coyotl]

7. Good one!

[Coyotl]

8. good video of debate

[Nika]

9. Why does the GOP feel background checks on guns are an impediment, but that measures complicating ..

... voting are a must to have?

There is a deliberate cognitive dissonance here.

[Coyotl]

10. It is all about the political impact, not the issue, hence perfectly logical

misbehavior

[KM0201]

11. I know I'll be called a troll, etc..

I probably don't line up w/ the DU thought on this, but I just don't understand this issue. I've voted every single time since I was 18. Every single time I voted, I walked up to the registrar with my ID out. It wasn't until all the hubbub over Indiana's voter ID law(05'ish I think) that I discovered I really wasn't required to show any ID.. just walk up and declare who I am.

I believe Indiana's voter ID law is considered one of the most strict in the country. You have to show some form of state ID to do almost anything in most states, in this country (get a bank account, write checks, receive public assistance, get a job, etc.).. that I just don't see why this is such a big deal. If for some reason you don't have an ID, and you cannot afford one, all you have to do is get some papers together proving your identity, and the BMV is required to give you a free ID.

I guess I just don't understand why this is such a hinderance, when the law has made it very easy to get a state ID (for free), and it just keeps everyone from getting their panties in a twist over voter fraud (Democrats and Republicans)...

Obviously, I'm gonna get roasted, and that's fine, but can someone please explain why this is such a big deal? I'm open to changing my position if someone can provide some rationale for this.