Texas House Passes Bill Requiring Voters to Show Photo ID! (Let's get this party started!!)

The Texas House has approved a bill requiring residents to show photo identification before voting amid complaints from Democrats who say it's designed to erect hurdles for poor and minority voters. The legislation cleared the House 101-48 Wednesday night after more than 11 hours of debate in which Democrats repeatedly tried to derail it.

The measure has sparked anger and partisan bickering ever since Republican Gov. Rick Perry put it on the fast track at the beginning of the legislative session in January. GOP lawmakers say it's necessary to prevent voter fraud. Democrats contend the bill is aimed at poor and minority voters who are less likely to have state-issued identification cards.

Republican lawmakers in several other states are pushing similar legislation this year.

Republican Rep. Jose Aliseda, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Mexico, said the bill "just makes common sense" and that electoral shenanigans are real in the South Texas district he represents. "Americans expect it. Americans want it," he said. "They want to believe their voting system is at least as safe as renting a movie at Blockbuster."

Source: www.foxnews.com...

Way to go TEXAS!!! Nothing wrong with some common sense and voter fraud prevention.

This should be mandatory in all of the states. I have a feeling -it will be that way before too long. People are getting tired of all of the voter fraud and B.S investigational/cover ups.

Simple as that. Prove who you are and that you have the right to vote will be blessed upon you.

I have heard one argument that is plausable that the Democrates have put forward. Actually, they are starting to look and sound pretty silly to most of America. Good thing they don't realize it yet>

I think this cartoon sums up what the Dems are really concerned about:


Can wait till 2012~~~~

Seems to work in other countries. Their people must not have the social disabilities that some apparently have in the USA!
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/e244f5f51cdd.jpg[/atsimg]

I live in Canada, a few years back I lost my health card right before the voting booths opened up. I was awaiting ID in the mail, I tried to vote (even brought my birth certificate and a utility bill) I was told to leave as I didn't provide photo Id. Canada is becoming photo ID crazed as well.

reply to post by anon72


Now all we need to do is get every effing communist to burn their ID's! I'm sure we can come up with a great idea on this....

Good. I can agree with this.

On that note, though, as a Texan, I have always had to show my ID before voting. So I'm kind of lost. Is it just 'official law' now whereas before it was 'strongly urged?' Because I've been voting for over 10 years and always had to show proof of ID. lol

Not that we should be allowed to vote without having shown some sort of ID. But really, why a Photo ID? Social Security Card or Birth Certificate works just as well. If the numbers are in a database it's not like people can really vote twice with the same Social Security Card. The Democrats are right, it's going to stop people who don't have Driver's Licenses from voting and it's not actually going to prevent ANY fraud at all. So really, it will affect the people who are the poorest. What a load of crud. Why are you buying into this?

I live in NC and I have had to show an ID
for quite a while now. Nothing new here.

Cool, I really don't have a problem with this.

Now, just to make sure it's all fair, why don't we do away with electronic voting? You know, don't need DiBold committing voter fraud for the GOP this time around right?

Oh how soon we forget.

Seems like a reasonable request to show citizenship in a country, county, state where you live to be able to vote. Here in the Land of Enchantment we have to show voter registration card and a picture ID.

Why the snarky political cartoon?

I have issues with this because I'm registered to vote under my married name, but my ID is under my maiden name. I have trouble every time I vote, and now I'm sure it will only be worse, even though I've signed my ID with my married name.

reply to post by whaaa

Why the snarky political cartoon?

Because that is what it is all about to the Democrates.

They can't afford to start having the mysterious dead voting be discovered and/or the other things they have been doing in the inner cities and other heavily non-us citizen areas of the country.

Read the article. It is always the Dems who object....(no surprise there)

If you are not a legal citizen, you have no right to vote. Because there are so many stolen identities/social security numbers, I am for anything that helps to prevent voter fraud. This should be mandatory everywhere.

It is reasonable, and there is only one reason that democrats are screaming so loudly about it. This will put a huge dent in their ability to get by on fraudulent votes. Now I guess they'll have to infiltrate the DMV and plant people in positions that will provide ID's to illegals.

Originally posted by belowcommonknowledge
It is reasonable, and there is only one reason that democrats are screaming so loudly about it. This will put a huge dent in their ability to get by on fraudulent votes. Now I guess they'll have to infiltrate the DMV and plant people in positions that will provide ID's to illegals.

Right, is that because there could only be fraudulent votes on one side?



This still doesn't eliminate the risk of fraudulent votes being cast.

Originally posted by whatukno
Cool, I really don't have a problem with this.

Now, just to make sure it's all fair, why don't we do away with electronic voting? You know, don't need DiBold committing voter fraud for the GOP this time around right?

Oh how soon we forget.

How about when the Democrats said the indentations in the chads on the Democrat holes meant that the person didn't really mean to vote for Bush. And if a chad was hanging it shouldn't be counted. Oh how soon we forget.

/TOA

reply to post by The Old American


Let's see, you are arguing hanging chads, which the courts have ruled repeatedly can be counted if the person's intent is reasonably certain. The 2000 vote isn't the first time that the hanging chad issue has come up.

articles.cnn.com...

"If the intent of the voter can be determined with reasonable certainty from an inspection of the ballot ... effect must be given to that intent and the vote counted," the Massachusetts court ruled.It said a voter who failed to push out the chad completely "could have done a better job expressing his or her intent. (But) Such a voter should not automatically be disqualified."

This is quite different than a corporation using software to change a vote and potentially committing thousands upon thousands of counts of voter fraud.

reply to post by anon72

So...if you don't have a driver's license or a passport (or in our case, a Heath Card) for photo ID...what then? Personally, the concept of a National ID appeals to me about as much as the concept of a goon stopping me on the streets and demanding "Dokuments!" I thought such a card would be anathema to civil libertarians.

Surely there must be some evidence for such rampant voter fraud? I bet tons of people have been arrested since people are just out there faking their votes.

Well, now that the bull is out there let's get to the facts. According to a New York Times article , conservatives have been calling foul since 2006, claiming that voter fraud was this big problem causing fellow GOP members to lose. This accusation was false of course, but why let that get in the way? Some text from the article:

A report by the public-integrity section of the Justice Department found that from October 2002 to September 2005, the department charged 95 people with “election fraud”; 55 were convicted.

Among those, fewer than 20 people were convicted of casting fraudulent ballots, and only 5 were convicted of registration fraud. Most of the rest were charged with other voting violations, including a scheme meant to help Republicans by blocking the phone lines used by two voting groups that were arranging rides to get voters to the polls.

To me it seems that some people are sore that they lost, and can't cope with that loss--Joe Miller comes to mind. In this article from a blog on the Houston Chronicles, Royal Masset, a former political director of the Texas Republican Party for 15 years, basically says the same thing. Here are some quotes from him:

"That's almost is a religious part of the Republican canon that democrats are stealing these elections. "It's a lie. It's not true. It does not exist."

"I must have gotten 200 calls from people who wanted a criminal investigation of so-and-so because they lost by 100 votes and were sure there was fraud."

"They could never prove anything."

They could never prove anything...There have been numerous studies on so called voter fraud, but none show that it is as rampant as the Republicans are saying.

Most states. including Texas, already require that you bring a photo ID, a voter's registration card, or sign an affidavit when they vote. Most people doubt this will really curb voter fraud. Dora Garcia, an election official in Calhoun County states, "I think the new law, it can't hurt. Anyone can get a hold of a voter registration card and come in and vote. But it might keep some people who don't have a picture ID from voting. A lot of elderly people don't (have a picture ID)". But, as Garcia plainly asserts, it could disenfranchise some voters. Having "a driver's license doesn't make you a U.S. citizen," she says. So how does the new bill stop illegals from voting?

Aside from the bill disenfranchising voters, it will cost the government $2 million in a time where most people complain about haphazard spending. The money would be used for voter education and poll watcher training and will presumably be doled out by the Secretary of State.

So, to summarize the bill, it disenfranchises voters, adds more red to the budget, and expands the government, but does nothing to fix a minor problem that has been overblown since the early 2000s. A party is definitely needed

Originally posted by whatukno
Now, just to make sure it's all fair, why don't we do away with electronic voting?

lol, most times you and I sit on the opposite sides
of the fence. But on this one, I will agree with ya.

Were you aware that in France, folks can vote online???
web fraud is so much easier than machine fraud.

yes bring back the hanging chads please

I don't recall the details but someone in the Colorado legislature tried to push through a similar bill and I heard the same excuses from the Democrat opposition that you listed.

"Democrats contend the bill is aimed at poor and minority voters who are less likely to have state-issued identification cards.

Guess that's the only argument they can come up with. I'll have to see whatever happened to that bill here in Colorado.

Originally posted by toolstarr
I have issues with this because I'm registered to vote under my married name, but my ID is under my maiden name. I have trouble every time I vote, and now I'm sure it will only be worse, even though I've signed my ID with my married name.

Uhm, perhaps you should update your ID? Just a thought.