Why are Republicans now basically pushing a national ID for voting?

[yellowcanine]

After all, what many state Republican legislators seem to be pushing is a voter ID based on a birth certificate or naturalization card. In other words, a U.S. Passport which not only would be good for voting but also to prove citizenship. But which also could be used to track the movement of everybody 24/7. After all, if strict immigration laws force people to carry proof of citizenship all the time for fear of being detained if they can't produce their "papers" if they get stopped for speeding, they will have to carry a U.S. Passport or some equivalent. With the current Homeland Security, terrorism hunt, and anti immigration atmosphere prevailing, it is easy for me to see Republican legislators banging the drums for U.S. Passports for everyone, with every passport carrying a RFID chip which could be automatically scanned at travel checkpoints everywhere - not just air travel, but bus, train, subway, highway toll booths, etc. Am I being too tin foil hat here?

[msongs]

1. drones can lock in on the chip in your ID .... or one planted under your skin. sleep well nt

[Mojo2]

2. If Obama wins

then we will not have any of these nutjob items passed in time for the 2016 election. If anything, we need a democratic sponsered RIGH TTO VOTE legislation to knowk down some of these extreme GOP state voter surpression tactics

[LiberalArkie]

3. It is very simple.

Right now you have to go to a person and prove who you are to register to vote. Whether it is the DMV or the tax people who ever. They would notice the same people registering under 500 different name.

Now with an automated card that can be printed off by the thousands (counterfeited) the possibilities for voter fraud is unlimited.

[Filibuster Harry]

4. Next, the popular vote

Republicans think they can win an election by suppressing the vote. We will find out. Funny how they didn't try the voter ID law in their own primary? If Romney loses the electoral college but wins the popular will they then push for the popular vote and abolish the electoral college? Didn't care about that after the 2000 election did they?

[Firebirds01]

5. They were ready to

try and abolish the electoral college if they lost in 2000 but won the popular vote. This seriously was their strategy./

[yellowcanine]

7. Getting rid of EC would almost guarantee Democratic dominance of Presidential elections for years to

come. Right now smaller less populated states have a huge advantage in the EC. It is the same advantage they have for senators. They get one EV for each senator. Going to the popular vote would eliminate that advantage. Actually the fair thing to do would be to allocate senators by population as the House of Reps is done. So larger states would have more senators, smaller states like Wyoming would only get one. Then allocate the EVs by congressional district and award the winner of the state the EVs for the senators. That would preserve some of the advantages of the current system but be more fair in terms of one person-one vote.

[hollysmom]

6. Some democrats have supported this to abort the voter id laws

needless to say, I am not enthusiastic.