# I Pit GOP "voting reform"
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-gop-voting-reform/595180
**Category:** The BBQ Pit
**Created:** [September 4, 2011, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-gop-voting-reform/595180 "2011-09-04T19:34:03Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2011, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-gop-voting-reform/595180/1 "2011-09-04T19:34:03Z")
[An article in Rolling Stone](http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/the-gop-war-on-voting-20110830) suggests that Republicans are already well along in efforts to steal another election:
> [@](#):
>
> All told, a dozen states have approved new obstacles to voting. Kansas and Alabama now require would-be voters to provide proof of citizenship before registering. Florida and Texas made it harder for groups like the League of Women Voters to register new voters. Maine repealed Election Day voter registration, which had been on the books since 1973. Five states – Florida, Georgia, Ohio, Tennessee and West Virginia – cut short their early voting periods. Florida and Iowa barred all ex-felons from the polls, disenfranchising thousands of previously eligible voters. And six states controlled by Republican governors and legislatures – Alabama, Kansas, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin – will require voters to produce a government-issued ID before casting ballots. More than 10 percent of U.S. citizens lack such identification, and the numbers are even higher among constituencies that traditionally lean Democratic – including 18 percent of young voters and 25 percent of African-Americans.
This isn’t “news” I guess, just same old - same old. But what will it take before Americans “go to the streets with pitchforks”?
(PS: [rollingstone.com](http://rollingstone.com) seems blocked in Thailand; I had to read this page with a proxy server. Why?)
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### Author:  [@curlcoat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curlcoat)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2011, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-gop-voting-reform/595180/2 "2011-09-04T21:08:05Z")
Well, I imagine someone like **Binarydrone** will answer this with insults instead of information, but I’ll try -
why do you believe this will help only the GOP?
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### Author:  [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2011, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-gop-voting-reform/595180/3 "2011-09-04T21:15:03Z")
Everything is designed to suppress voting by people who are statistically more likely to vote Democratic. Poor people, minorities and college kids. Especially minorities. Those brown people are scaring the fuck out the GOP, what with their growing populations and their civil rights and everything.
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### Author:  [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2011, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-gop-voting-reform/595180/4 "2011-09-04T21:47:47Z")
> [@curlcoat](#):
>
> Well, I imagine someone like **Binarydrone** will answer this with insults instead of information, but I’ll try -
>
> why do you believe this will help only the GOP?
Questions like this make me think it really is true that there are two Americas with two widely divergent perceptions.
You go first. Do you honestly think these “reforms” are non-partisan?
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### Author:  [@Chicagojeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicagojeff)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2011, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-gop-voting-reform/595180/5 "2011-09-04T21:51:49Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#):
>
> Everything is designed to suppress voting by people who are statistically more likely to vote Democratic. Poor people, minorities and college kids. Especially minorities. Those brown people are scaring the fuck out the GOP, what with their growing populations and their civil rights and everything.
“Crisis of Democracy” anyone?? It’s funny how after a national election where you get a significant turnout the immediate effort is to suppress the ranks..
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### Author:  [@SweetLucy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SweetLucy)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2011, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-gop-voting-reform/595180/6 "2011-09-04T21:59:01Z")
Some Republicans are obsessed with the fraudulent voting boogeyman, to the point that they make the 99.999 % of honest voters jump through one hoop after another. They’d rather millions of potential voters get discouraged and not show up to the polls, rather than take the chance that one vote is invalid.
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### Author:  [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2011, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-gop-voting-reform/595180/7 "2011-09-04T22:11:34Z")
> [@SweetLucy](#):
>
> Some Republicans are obsessed with the fraudulent voting boogeyman, to the point that they make the 99.999 % of honest voters jump through one hoop after another. They’d rather millions of potential voters get discouraged and not show up to the polls, rather than take the chance that one vote is invalid.
😕 This is what they pretend to believe (\*). Anyone who doesn’t think it’s a deliberate effort to improve GOP election results is living in fantasy land.
(\* - Yes, there are some naive Republican rank-and-file gullible enough to believe that, who do live in a fantasy land.)
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### Author:  [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omg_a_Black_Conservative)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2011, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-gop-voting-reform/595180/8 "2011-09-04T22:44:56Z")
So someone is mad because people have to show ID if they wish to vote? Elle-oh-fucking-elle.
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### Author:  [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2011, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-gop-voting-reform/595180/9 "2011-09-04T22:53:58Z")
> [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](#):
>
> So someone is mad because people have to show ID if they wish to vote? Elle-oh-fucking-elle.
They’re mad, because the largest segment of people without picture ID, are the poor, minorities and the young. So as it happens, it disproportionately hits Democrats. I’m sure this doesn’t bother you, since you kind of act like an asshole. But other people who aren’t assholes find this objectionable.
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### Author:  [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2011, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-gop-voting-reform/595180/10 "2011-09-04T22:58:49Z")
> [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](#):
>
> So someone is mad because people have to show ID if they wish to vote? Elle-oh-fucking-elle.
None of the founding fathers had ID’s.
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### Author:  [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omg_a_Black_Conservative)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2011, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-gop-voting-reform/595180/11 "2011-09-04T23:09:37Z")
> [@Lobohan](#):
>
> They’re mad, because the largest segment of people without picture ID, are the poor, minorities and the young. So as it happens, it disproportionately hits Democrats. I’m sure this doesn’t bother you, since you kind of act like an asshole. But other people who aren’t assholes find this objectionable.
If you need and ID card to drive, or to buy cigarettes, or buy alcohol, or to engage in a whole host of other activities, why not also be required to have an ID card to vote? It only makes sense.
Non-mentally challenged persons don’t have a problem with a law requiring you to show ID before being allowed to vote. The only reason I can think of why you would oppose having to show your ID if you want to vote is because you were, say, an illegal or something who didn’t have an ID…
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### Author:  [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2011, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-gop-voting-reform/595180/12 "2011-09-04T23:14:07Z")
> [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](#):
>
> If you need and ID card to drive, or to buy cigarettes, or buy alcohol, or to engage in a whole host of other activities, why not also be required to have an ID card to vote? It only makes sense.
None of those other things are Constitutional rights.
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### Author:  [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2011, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-gop-voting-reform/595180/13 "2011-09-04T23:16:48Z")
> [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](#):
>
> If you need and ID card to drive, or to buy cigarettes, or buy alcohol, or to engage in a whole host of other activities, why not also be required to have an ID card to vote? It only makes sense.
It makes sense if you want to disenfranchise as many blacks, Latinos and college students as you can.
Again, you’re kind of an asshole. People like you don’t give one shit about anyone else. So I understand why \*you \*aren’t bothered by this. We’re talking about good people here, not you.
> [@](#):
>
> Non-mentally challenged persons don’t have a problem with a law requiring you to show ID before being allowed to vote. The only reason I can think of why you would oppose having to show your ID if you want to vote is because you were, say, an illegal or something who didn’t have an ID…
I’m a citizen actually.
Also, ACORN didn’t cause any voter fraud. I only mention this because you’re certainly too stupid to know that, even thought I’m sure it’s been brought up to you before. But retaining factual information doesn’t appear to be your strong suit.
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### Author:  [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2011, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-gop-voting-reform/595180/14 "2011-09-04T23:26:12Z")
> [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](#):
>
> Elle-oh-fucking-elle.
What is that, “laughing out loud” out loud?
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### Author:  [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tao_s_Revenge)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2011, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-gop-voting-reform/595180/15 "2011-09-04T23:29:32Z")
> [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](#):
>
> If you need and ID card to drive, or to buy cigarettes, or buy alcohol, or to engage in a whole host of other activities, why not also be required to have an ID card to vote? It only makes sense.
>
> Non-mentally challenged persons don’t have a problem with a law requiring you to show ID before being allowed to vote. The only reason I can think of why you would oppose having to show your ID if you want to vote is because you were, say, an illegal or something who didn’t have an ID…
After the [Real ID act](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/REAL_ID_Act) was passed by a Republican president and Congress I remember waiting in line at the Secretary of State (which has id and dmv functions) behind a woman in tears. This woman was adopted and having trouble tracking down her birth certificate.
Because of the Republican passed law my state was unable to issue her ID.
Please tell why me this woman, and other people in situations where getting ID is difficult at best, don’t deserve to vote. Why they shouldn’t have suffrage.
Further I might add when I lost my wallet moving back from another state, it caused me a lot of trouble too. I spent a good chunk of money on gas and fees acquiring the various documents needed to get a new ID. Why shouldn’t someone who doesn’t have access to transportation for roaming, or gas money be denied suffrage?
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### Author:  [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2011, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-gop-voting-reform/595180/16 "2011-09-04T23:46:07Z")
> [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](#):
>
> After the [Real ID act](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/REAL_ID_Act) was passed by a Republican president and Congress I remember waiting in line at the Secretary of State (which has id and dmv functions) behind a woman in tears. This woman was adopted and having trouble tracking down her birth certificate.
>
> Because of the Republican passed law my state was unable to issue her ID.
> Please tell why me this woman, and other people in situations where getting ID is difficult at best, don’t deserve to vote. Why they shouldn’t have suffrage.
> Further I might add when I lost my wallet moving back from another state, it caused me a lot of trouble too. I spent a good chunk of money on gas and fees acquiring the various documents needed to get a new ID. Why shouldn’t someone who doesn’t have access to transportation for roaming, or gas money be denied suffrage?
So then you’re saying that you think we should run our voting stations on the honor system?
Beyond that, I’d strongly question the idea that 25% of all African-Americans don’t have drivers’ licenses or state IDs. If that was the case liquor stores, stores selling cigarettes and video rental locations would have had extremely difficult times in predominantly African-American communities whereas that didn’t happen until Redbox and Netflix wiped out Blockbuster(yes, still around but on it’s last legs).
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### Author:  [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2011, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-gop-voting-reform/595180/17 "2011-09-04T23:52:18Z")
How many young people in college don’t have a photo ID of some kind?
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### Author:  [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2011, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-gop-voting-reform/595180/18 "2011-09-05T00:03:33Z")
Anyway this is one of those silly issues that most foreigners when they hear about probably start laughing.
To the best of my knowledge just about every country on earth requires people to produce some sort of ID in order to vote including countries with such large numbers of poor people as Mexico and the Dominican Republic.
Considering what a long history the US has had with voter fraud it strikes me as extremely unwise to have a system that operates on the honor system.
Beyond that, if requiring IDs to vote actually kept people who wanted to vote from voting, wouldn’t the voting rates from the states which adopted the laws have dropped? AFAIK just the opposite has happened.
If people actually care to vote and wanted to vote and didn’t have an ID I’m sure they’d be able to get one. If I offer everyone who doesn’t have and ID a hundred dollar bill if they can come back in a few days with an ID, I’m sure they’d all be able to get one. Like I said, liquor stores, cigarette stores and video rental places didn’t exactly have hard times in poor neighborhoods.
Finally, if people actually cared about helping people who are unfairly disenfranchised they’d push for ending laws that permanently prevent convicted felons from voting.
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### Author:  [@Hyperelastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hyperelastic)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2011, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-gop-voting-reform/595180/19 "2011-09-05T00:22:28Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#):
>
> Everything is designed to suppress voting by people who are statistically more likely to vote Democratic. Poor people, minorities and college kids. Especially minorities. Those brown people are scaring the fuck out the GOP, what with their growing populations and their civil rights and everything.
In other words, the stalwart base of the Democratic Party is composed of people who can’t figure out how to get a photo ID. You idiots shouldn’t be running a pencil sharpener, let alone the country.
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### Author:  [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2011, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-gop-voting-reform/595180/20 "2011-09-05T00:26:17Z")
> [@Hyperelastic](#):
>
> In other words, the stalwart base of the Democratic Party is composed of people who can’t figure out how to get a photo ID. You idiots shouldn’t be running a pencil sharpener, let alone the country.
So you do admit that you think this is okay, as long as it disenfranchises the poor? Interesting.
Not surprising certainly. But nice to see.
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