# I Pit the ID-demanding GOP vote-suppressors (Part 1) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 12, 2012, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-id-demanding-gop-vote-suppressors-part-1/624943 "2012-06-12T19:15:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 325
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2014, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-id-demanding-gop-vote-suppressors-part-1/624943/6481 "2014-10-03T19:12:06Z")
In the interest of being all fair and balanced and shit, the Democrats have pulled this sort of crap, too, so no illusions there. ---
**Author:** ![FuriousGeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecae2f/32.png) [@FuriousGeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FuriousGeorge)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2014, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-id-demanding-gop-vote-suppressors-part-1/624943/6482 "2014-10-03T19:14:20Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > So what innocent explanation do \*you \*offer? Google “Chemtrails debunked”. You’re welcome. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2014, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-id-demanding-gop-vote-suppressors-part-1/624943/6483 "2014-10-03T19:18:56Z")
C’mon now. :rolleyes: What innocent explanation for the Republicans’ actions do you offer that isn’t based on suppressing Democratic turnout? You’ve spent several posts denouncing those who conclude, based on the evidence, that it is, but you offer nothing of your own as an alternative. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2014, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-id-demanding-gop-vote-suppressors-part-1/624943/6484 "2014-10-03T19:21:07Z")
> [@FuriousGeorge](#): > > Google “Chemtrails debunked”. Do you have an _actual_ explanation? A few times I’ve asked why voting days were abridged, suggesting budget cuts as a possible explanation. I haven’t seen any confirmation or alternatives offered. Do you have any, or are changes in voting rules one of those random aspects of life, like the weather? ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2014, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-id-demanding-gop-vote-suppressors-part-1/624943/6485 "2014-10-03T19:25:01Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Do you have an _actual_ explanation? A few times I’ve asked why voting days were abridged, suggesting budget cuts as a possible explanation. I haven’t seen any confirmation or alternatives offered. Do you have any, or are changes in voting rules one of those random aspects of life, like the weather? Yes. > [@Bricker](#): > > I draw your attention specifically to: “…the legitimate administrative and cost concerns for large, medium and small counties.” The post links to the memo that provides that precise language. ---
**Author:** ![FuriousGeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecae2f/32.png) [@FuriousGeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FuriousGeorge)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2014, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-id-demanding-gop-vote-suppressors-part-1/624943/6486 "2014-10-03T19:27:47Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Do you have an _actual_ explanation? A few times I’ve asked why voting days were abridged, suggesting budget cuts as a possible explanation. I haven’t seen any confirmation or alternatives offered. Do you have any, or are changes in voting rules one of those random aspects of life, like the weather? One’s been given. You don’t believe it. I’m not surprised. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2014, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-id-demanding-gop-vote-suppressors-part-1/624943/6487 "2014-10-03T19:27:49Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Okay, I obviously disagree. I look at this trend of GOP pushes, especially in swing states and swing districts, to alter voting requirements (including both ID requirements and early voting), universally in ways that will negatively affect Democratic turnout to the benefit of the GOP. Because there is no evidence of significant voter fraud, anywhere at all, I don’t believe this is a coincidence. I believe this is politically motivated. Again you raise “voter fraud?” Why? I asked you for an explanation of why you were imputing this motive to the Ohio folks, and you didn’t provide an answer. They’re not talking about fraud so much as costs, as the memo I linked to indicated. They curtailed days in Ohio because different counties were providing different days, and they wanted a uniform standard for the state, and the standard had to be one that every county could afford. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2014, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-id-demanding-gop-vote-suppressors-part-1/624943/6488 "2014-10-03T19:30:35Z")
> [@FuriousGeorge](#): > > One’s been given. You don’t believe it. I’m not surprised. You don’t either, admit it. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2014, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-id-demanding-gop-vote-suppressors-part-1/624943/6489 "2014-10-03T19:50:28Z")
I don’t know if **Bricker** understands the concepts of sincerity or honesty – to him, the only related concept may be a legalstic one, e.g. whether perjury can be charged and prosecuted. But I’m going to give him credit here: > [@Bricker](#): > > They curtailed days in Ohio because different counties were providing different days, and they wanted a uniform standard for the state, and the standard had to be one that every county could afford. I will give **Bricker** credit and assume that he is lying, uttering things he knows to be untrue. (Though I understand he doesn’t know what I’m talking about: sincerity and honesty have no meaning to him outside a courtroom perjury prosecution.) I give him this credit because to assume the opposite – that he believes what he writes here – would indeed make him moronically stupid, even stupider than his followers like Shodan and other dunces. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2014, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-id-demanding-gop-vote-suppressors-part-1/624943/6490 "2014-10-03T20:03:32Z")
> [@FuriousGeorge](#): > > One’s been given. You don’t believe it. I’m not surprised. Well, now I’ve seen an alternate explanation, one I had not previously noticed and which happens to explain where “OLEO” came from. I’ll review it, form an opinion of its plausibility. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2014, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-id-demanding-gop-vote-suppressors-part-1/624943/6491 "2014-10-03T20:19:02Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Again you raise “voter fraud?” > > Why? I asked you for an explanation of why you were imputing this motive to the Ohio folks, and you didn’t provide an answer. Yes I did – the OH SoS specifically cited voter fraud as a reason for this action. Did you forget about this? ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2014, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-id-demanding-gop-vote-suppressors-part-1/624943/6492 "2014-10-03T20:21:31Z")
> [@FuriousGeorge](#): > > OK… so I guess that’s my point. No explanation is going to satisfy you unless they come out on Fox twirling their moustaches while tying Tess to the tracks and lighting crosses on lawns. No idea what this is about. Republican officials have explicitly said (in some cases) that these new voting requirements will help them win elections. Did you read my post? > [@](#): > > I’m not necessarily convinced this is reality. I’m also not convinced the government sprays nerve agents out the backs of secret black ops jets, however, there are many that do. ??? ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2014, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-id-demanding-gop-vote-suppressors-part-1/624943/6493 "2014-10-03T20:26:53Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > No idea what this is about. Republican officials have explicitly said (in some cases) that these new voting requirements will help them win elections. Did you read my post? In Ohio? Or does the action of one Republican in one state automatically apply to all Republicans everywhere? And does that rule also apply to Democrats? ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2014, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-id-demanding-gop-vote-suppressors-part-1/624943/6494 "2014-10-03T20:28:22Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Yes I did – the OH SoS specifically cited voter fraud as a reason for this action. Did you forget about this? He did no such thing. He alluded to voter fraud. He explicitly said, “the legitimate administrative and cost concerns for large, medium and small counties…” And how do you explain that Democrats also agreed to the days/hours cutting plan? ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2014, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-id-demanding-gop-vote-suppressors-part-1/624943/6495 "2014-10-03T20:28:53Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > In Ohio? > > Or does the action of one Republican in one state automatically apply to all Republicans everywhere? > > And does that rule also apply to Democrats? You already know the answer to this. Those statements in other states just increase my suspicion about the GOP’s motives when altering voting rules. I’ll admit to using some intuition here – like the assumption that politicians are motivated by politics. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2014, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-id-demanding-gop-vote-suppressors-part-1/624943/6496 "2014-10-03T20:30:46Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > He did no such thing. Yes he did (and this was posted at least once before). [He said](http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2014/02/husted_sets_statewide_early-vo.html): “Our goal is to make it easy to vote and **hard to cheat** and to ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity in the voting process no matter which method they choose,” This wasn’t his entire explanation, but it was part of it. So he did do “such thing”. > [@Bricker](#): > > And how do you explain that Democrats also agreed to the days/hours cutting plan? Those Democrats are wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2014, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-id-demanding-gop-vote-suppressors-part-1/624943/6497 "2014-10-03T20:36:13Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Yes he did (and this was posted at least once before). [He said](http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2014/02/husted_sets_statewide_early-vo.html): “Our goal is to make it easy to vote and **hard to cheat** and to ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity in the voting process no matter which method they choose,” > > This wasn’t his entire explanation, but it was part of it. So he did do “such thing”. (1) The word “explicit” means “stated clearly and in detail, leaving no room for confusion or doubt.” (2) Here he does not EXPLICITLY say that voter fraud is a reason. “Hard to cheat” can refer to any part of the tallying process. He _alluded_ to voter fraud, yes. He did not EXPLICITLY invoke it. > [@](#): > > Those Democrats are wrong. Yes, wrong – but what was their motive? An evil one, or a mistaken one? Do you mean they are morally wrong, or mistaken in their support? ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2014, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-id-demanding-gop-vote-suppressors-part-1/624943/6498 "2014-10-03T20:42:28Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > (1) The word “explicit” means “stated clearly and in detail, leaving no room for confusion or doubt.” > > (2) Here he does not EXPLICITLY say that voter fraud is a reason. “Hard to cheat” can refer to any part of the tallying process. He _alluded_ to voter fraud, yes. He did not EXPLICITLY invoke it. This was a statement he made specifically about why they are making these changes to early voting. If you want to quibble about my use of the word “explicit” then fine, it’s not necessary for my point. He stated that making it “hard to cheat” was part of the reasons for these changes. > [@](#): > > Yes, wrong – but what was their motive? An evil one, or a mistaken one? Do you mean they are morally wrong, or mistaken in their support? I don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![FuriousGeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecae2f/32.png) [@FuriousGeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FuriousGeorge)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2014, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-id-demanding-gop-vote-suppressors-part-1/624943/6499 "2014-10-03T20:42:36Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > No idea what this is about. Republican officials have explicitly said (in some cases) that these new voting requirements will help them win elections. Did you read my post? > > ??? Meaning, I guess, in a convoluted round about way, that no explanation or reasoning by the Republicans will suffice until they give the reasoning and explanation that you have already come to regardless. A lot of conspiracy theorists do the same thing… ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2014, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-id-demanding-gop-vote-suppressors-part-1/624943/6500 "2014-10-03T20:44:58Z")
> [@FuriousGeorge](#): > > Meaning, I guess, in a convoluted round about way, that no explanation or reasoning by the Republicans will suffice until they give the reasoning and explanation that you have already come to regardless. No – maybe there’s something I haven’t thought of. Maybe that last Sunday and Monday voting are way more expensive than other days. Maybe there’s some conflicting event on those days that increases the danger/expense/difficulty of voting. So they could offer a good explanation. It may be out there – I might be wrong. They just haven’t done so yet, that I know of. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-id-demanding-gop-vote-suppressors-part-1/624943.md?page=324) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-id-demanding-gop-vote-suppressors-part-1/624943.md?page=326)