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Mike Hendricks

Mike at Night

Mike Hendricks recently retires as social science, criminal justice instructor at McCook Community College.

Opinion

Are voter ID laws partisan?

Friday, October 31, 2014

I thought it was a good time to address this talking point with our off-year elections only a few days away. Voter ID laws ARE partisan but not for the reason many people suspect. Since 2011, 13 mostly Republican-controlled states, including Texas and Wisconsin, have introduced laws demanding voters provide a photo ID, such as a driver's license or a passport. A fierce legal battle is underway between the laws' defenders, who say the laws prevent voter fraud, and the Obama administration and civil rights groups which argue the restrictions are designed to discourage some groups from voting.

And that they do. Poor people and minority group members are much less likely to carry a voter ID than whites and middle and upper class people. Many of these people live in the inner city and can't afford a vehicle so they don't need a driver's license. They also don't have enough money to travel out of country so they don't need a passport either. But to call the laws racist misses the point. Even though Blacks and Hispanics are less likely to have a photo ID than whites are, the law is not about race, it's about votes, although many see that as immoral too.

In other words, since Blacks and Hispanics are less likely to carry a photo ID and much more likely to vote for the Democrats than the Republicans, Republican states are passing voter ID laws to give themselves a better chance at winning elections. The more Democrats you can keep away from the polls, the better chance you have of winning.

That's the condition of politics in this country in 2014. Both sides seem to be willing to do anything required to win an election, regardless of whether the candidate is qualified to do a good job or not. You never hear Republicans OR Democrats talking about the quality of their candidates, only the number of them. Numerically, the Republicans want enough fellow Republicans elected to re-take the U.S. Senate while continuing to maintain control of the House. As bad as governing has been since Obama became President, this would essentially stop governing from occurring at all. The Democrats won't be able to get anything passed due to Republican control of both houses of Congress and any and all bills passed by Congress will most likely be vetoed by the President. So even if the Republican Party DOES control both houses of Congress, they won't have enough votes to override a presidential veto.

The method behind the madness of voter ID laws is that they supposedly prevent voter fraud. Pennsylvania state Rep. Daryl Metcalfe has said that it's important that people prove they are who they claim to be. So the question is, how much voter fraud is there and is there enough to overturn elections?

All the available evidence strongly says no. In 2007, a five-year Justice Department review found virtually no proof of organized attempts to skew elections. Earlier THIS year, a study by Loyola Law School in Los Angeles discovered only 31 credible instances of voter impersonation among the approximately 1 billion ballots cast in all U.S. elections since 2000. Robert Brandon, president of the Fair Elections Legal Network, said that "You can't steal an election one person at a time." (The Week magazine)

We don't face a crisis in Nebraska because 84.5% of the population is White, 7.5% Hispanic and only 4.2% Black and the state hasn't been carried by a Democratic candidate for President since Lyndon Johnson did it in 1964. But other states are due to have very close elections and polling guru Nate Silver has predicted that new voter ID laws will reduce voter turnout. That's what the Republican Party wants because it gives them a better chance to win elections. You would think we could at least be honest about our motivations but that's a quality most people don't have.

Republicans want voter ID laws in order to win elections, not to prevent voter fraud. But they won't say that and that's one of the reasons we have such little faith in our politicians. But we do the same thing at a personal level. Many people have discovered that it's more convenient and less painful to lie about something than to tell the truth so that's what they do on a regular basis.

If we don't demand integrity for ourselves, how can we expect it of others?

Comments
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  • google: proven voter fraud, and see what you get

    -- Posted by doodle bug on Fri, Oct 31, 2014, at 5:37 PM
  • Passing another law for a problem that doesn't exist.

    -- Posted by president obama on Sat, Nov 1, 2014, at 9:26 AM
  • *

    http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/viewSubCategory.asp?id=2143

    Read this and it is clear to see that Mike is just another partisan Liberal Democrat Party Hack and nothing he says carries with it any gravitas at all. And speaking of no gravitas, the spawn of Mike fell real close to the base of the tree.

    -- Posted by divorcedugly on Sat, Nov 1, 2014, at 10:43 AM
  • I guess that we should all just practice Chicago politics...."vote early, vote often"

    -- Posted by quick13 on Sat, Nov 1, 2014, at 3:07 PM
  • The people who cast the votes don't decide an election, the people who count the votes do.

    Joseph Stalin

    -- Posted by quick13 on Sat, Nov 1, 2014, at 3:11 PM
  • Let's see, I must have ID to by beer and cigs. I have to have ID to pay with a check and mak ed large cah withdrawls from my bank. I have to have ID to buy and sell real estate. I absolutly must have ID and a firearm purchase permit (which in itself requires an ID) to buy a handgun. So really, what's the big deal with voter ID?

    Do democrats really have such low expectations of minorities? Isn't this racism?

    -- Posted by Hugh Jassle on Sat, Nov 1, 2014, at 7:42 PM
  • Come on guys! It is just too much trouble for minorities to get an ID! Although it seems pretty easy to bus them from place to place to vote early and often!

    Well, OK then!

    -- Posted by SWNEvacuee on Sat, Nov 1, 2014, at 7:54 PM
  • So, Mike, when the R's win the Senate, and keep the House, and His Highness vetoes everything, who will he blame for gridlock?

    That's OK, I will wait for your answer, although it will most likely never come!

    Well, OK then!

    -- Posted by SWNEvacuee on Sat, Nov 1, 2014, at 8:01 PM
  • "Republicans want voter ID laws in order to win elections, not to prevent voter fraud." -- this conclusion Mike at Night reaches is correct. For the republicans,it will probably do nothing but alienate minorities for many years to come. The democrats wont let anyone forget about it or not notice that that is what's happening. It's a case of shortsightedness or desperation on the part of the republicans. They are pulling out all the stops here because they no doubt realize that if they don't win this next presidential election, they may never win another presidential election. That is probably why they are being so reckless.

    -- Posted by bob s on Sat, Nov 1, 2014, at 8:29 PM
  • Last time I bought beer and cigs I didn't have to show ID. Last year I went to a gun show in Arizona and bought a handgun and didn't have to show ID. Where are you shopping chunk?

    -- Posted by president obama on Sun, Nov 2, 2014, at 9:23 AM
  • president obama, either you're lying or you committed a felony.

    -- Posted by Hugh Jassle on Sun, Nov 2, 2014, at 9:26 PM
  • Remember, Chunk, Obumski lives in a dream world where it all works out just the way his highness wants it to!!

    -- Posted by SWNEvacuee on Sun, Nov 2, 2014, at 9:43 PM
  • By the way, still waiting on your answer Mike!

    You are just like Mikey, you don't answer when you know you are wrong!!!

    -- Posted by SWNEvacuee on Sun, Nov 2, 2014, at 9:44 PM
  • At one time a person had to be a property owner/taxpayer to vote.

    -- Posted by dennis on Mon, Nov 3, 2014, at 9:46 AM
  • How dare we ask minorities to get an ID! We don't ask for ID when we give them welfare, food stamps, unemployment, ADC, etc, etc, right? If you want to exercise your constitutional right to vote, then get off your lazy backside and get a state issued ID. How hard can it be to schedule it in between visits to your government handout appointments?

    -- Posted by Allah on Mon, Nov 3, 2014, at 10:03 AM
  • this is a non issue. you can receive a picture id in many different ways. most of which do not cost very much. the only reason a person would not have one is if they are hiding from something. I have always felt uncomfortable in just giving my name to vote. this is the same reason that I put "see I.D." on the back of my credit cards. I want people to know its me. not someone who says he's me. As was stated earlier, you have to show an ID for any number of reasons. This is just common sense to show that you are a citizen.

    -- Posted by quick13 on Mon, Nov 3, 2014, at 11:17 AM
  • SWNEvacuee, your an example of the Republican party & their hatefulness. I don't blame Mike for not answering you, why lower himself to your degree.

    Republicans redistrict the states to get the votes, look at what they did in Texas, Nebraska.

    They have no platform what so ever, only to win the next election. What will they do for you?

    They support the rich, corporations ONLY. You are the least of their concern.

    -- Posted by S&P1958 on Mon, Nov 3, 2014, at 11:58 AM
  • S&P1958 - We need an article on redistricting.

    -- Posted by bob s on Mon, Nov 3, 2014, at 1:59 PM
  • I bought the gun from a private seller at the gun show. No I'd necessary.

    -- Posted by president obama on Mon, Nov 3, 2014, at 10:05 PM
  • 2 things.....

    1. Bob s, I think you're right, if the Republicans don't win this election, they may never win it again...... Because the Democrats may just cause this Country to collapse this next term leaving no future races to run.

    2. S&P, don't you think SOMETHING needs to be done, in desperation or otherwise? What have the Democrats done for us these last 2 terms that's so outstanding? I can't honestly find anyone that's in better shape now than they were before the Dems took over the show. Many that thought the Democratic forced Obamacare would help them get affordable health insurance, are still spinning in circles faced with HAVING to have health insurance or being penalized for not having it, and trying to get insurance is a joke at best. Even the most affordable healthcare insurance out there is outrageous and that is merely major medical...... Medical bills costing in excess of $12,000.00 before it kicks in. Affordable? By who's standard?

    My insurance premiums doubled, and my family deductible went from $1500.00 for the whole family to $1000.00 per individual, for my household, the deductible is now $7000.00.

    Thank goodness that passed, I don't know what I'd do without affordable healthcare.

    What good has come from these last several terms again?

    -- Posted by Nick Mercy on Mon, Nov 3, 2014, at 10:32 PM
  • Federal law states as all handgun transactions MUST be done through a FFL dealer including all handgun purchases at gun shows. Both you and the seller violated the law.

    -- Posted by Hugh Jassle on Tue, Nov 4, 2014, at 5:38 AM
  • It is at this point that an ID is required and backgroung check is done. Every American should be required to carry ID and most responsible Americans do. So voter ID is no big thing.

    -- Posted by Hugh Jassle on Tue, Nov 4, 2014, at 6:05 AM
  • Nick, good points!

    -- Posted by dennis on Tue, Nov 4, 2014, at 11:00 AM
  • I hope Mike At Night does another article - this time on redistricting. The whole aim of redistricting is to make the vote of one group more effective than the votes of others.

    -- Posted by bob s on Tue, Nov 4, 2014, at 1:36 PM
  • People who are so poor that they can't afford a voter ID are statistically the most educated and politically involved group of people, so its no wonder Republicans are trying to stop them... after all, the more educated a person is the more likely they consider themselves Liberal or Democrat.

    -- Posted by shallal on Tue, Nov 4, 2014, at 4:16 PM
  • However, intelligent people tend to vote conservative. Intelligent and educated are two different things.

    -- Posted by Hugh Jassle on Tue, Nov 4, 2014, at 4:48 PM
  • http://www.governing.com/gov-data/safety-justice/gun-show-firearms-bankground-ch...

    Go back to law school. Work on that intelligence chunky.

    -- Posted by president obama on Tue, Nov 4, 2014, at 7:02 PM
  • You still must show Arizona ID to buy handgun in Arizona. Must be a Arizona resident to by handgun in Arizona. Background check not required, however optional and CCW does preempt background check. However, without CCW, handgun cannot cross state lines. Handguns can be transfered by mail through FFL's. You are currently residing in Arizona, right?

    -- Posted by Hugh Jassle on Tue, Nov 4, 2014, at 9:38 PM
  • I see the senatorial and gubernatorial races in both Nebraska and Texas have been severely affected by redistricting.

    -- Posted by Hugh Jassle on Tue, Nov 4, 2014, at 9:43 PM
  • How about it Mike? Now that the R's control the House and Senate and, according to you, ozero will now veto anything they pass, who will he now blame for gridlock??

    Waiting! Still! Waiting!!!!!

    -- Posted by SWNEvacuee on Tue, Nov 4, 2014, at 10:41 PM
  • Shallal: I'm sorry.... WHAT?! The poor people, no excuse me, the people too poor to buy an ID are the most educated?

    Where did you get this information and do Universities and Colleges know this? What are you talking about? Good grief, how rich are you anyway? I don't mean to be derogatory, but dang, really?

    -- Posted by Nick Mercy on Wed, Nov 5, 2014, at 7:02 PM
  • Ok, R's, you have your chance now! Don't screw it up!!!

    And by the way, Mike, I really don't want your answer! In fact, I really don't want to hear any more of your blather at any time!

    OK then!!!

    -- Posted by SWNEvacuee on Wed, Nov 5, 2014, at 8:22 PM
  • Nick- sarcasm is often used to illustrate the absurdity of an argument. As for the value of my wealth, its less and less every day.

    -- Posted by shallal on Fri, Nov 7, 2014, at 8:16 AM
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