# Voter ID laws are driving down minority turnout...but I'm for them anyway **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [February 11, 2016, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voter-id-laws-are-driving-down-minority-turnout-but-im-for-them-anyway/745861 "2016-02-11T22:30:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2016, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voter-id-laws-are-driving-down-minority-turnout-but-im-for-them-anyway/745861/41 "2016-02-12T15:15:30Z")
Oh that’s another thing… We get a UV-inkmark when we vote (no need for purple fingers). I can just imagine what the outcry would be in the States if that were proposed. ---
**Author:** ![BrightNShiny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@BrightNShiny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrightNShiny)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2016, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voter-id-laws-are-driving-down-minority-turnout-but-im-for-them-anyway/745861/42 "2016-02-12T17:23:38Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Military are easy. Set up a voting site on each base, let them vote in person, showing their id, and seal their ballots in envelopes addressed to their home district. The base is responsible for mailing them back to the home district in a secure way. Any race close enough that the mailed ballots matter couldn’t be called until they arrived and were counted. Let me see if I understand this. For every base overseas, you want to set up voting booths to accommodate ballots for each voting jurisdiction that the soldiers on the base belong to. So, if the base has soldiers from forty different places, the voting booths will need to deal with ballots for forty different jurisdictions. And then you want poll workers who are authorized to handle ballots for each of those jurisdictions to be present at the base – perhaps soldiers who have been deputized as poll workers. Which means the military will have to set up a system to create authorized poll workers for each jurisdiction needed on each base. And then you also want to do this for bases in potentially hostile areas. So, if there was a forward operating base in Afghanistan, it would have been setting up voting booths on election day. Is this actually what you’re proposing? ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2016, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voter-id-laws-are-driving-down-minority-turnout-but-im-for-them-anyway/745861/43 "2016-02-12T17:26:45Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > I’m relatively new here, but preventing people from voting twice is at least 90% of the value if any voter id scheme. I oppose voter id, but I’d be okay with dipping your thumb in purple ink right after you vote. That would be a really minimal inconvenience, and we’d all accept that lots of people would have purple thumbs for a few days. A transparent attempt to disenfranchise the thumbless. Don’t think we’re not on to you! ---
**Author:** ![BrightNShiny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@BrightNShiny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrightNShiny)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2016, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voter-id-laws-are-driving-down-minority-turnout-but-im-for-them-anyway/745861/44 "2016-02-12T17:30:36Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > When I voted absentee, my ID was still checked. In fact, I still voted on a machine. Do you mean “early-voting”? Because that’s not absentee voting. What state are you in? Let’s go check its laws on absentee voting and see if you really know how the law “actually is” in your state. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2016, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voter-id-laws-are-driving-down-minority-turnout-but-im-for-them-anyway/745861/45 "2016-02-12T18:15:06Z")
Missouri. We do not have early voting, which is a shame. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2016, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voter-id-laws-are-driving-down-minority-turnout-but-im-for-them-anyway/745861/46 "2016-02-12T18:23:51Z")
> [@BrightNShiny](#): > > Let me see if I understand this. For every base overseas, you want to set up voting booths to accommodate ballots for each voting jurisdiction that the soldiers on the base belong to. So, if the base has soldiers from forty different places, the voting booths will need to deal with ballots for forty different jurisdictions. She said it would work just like mail-in but they’d just have to fill the ballot and place it in the envelope at a designated place. Doesn’t sound that complicated. ---
**Author:** ![BrightNShiny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@BrightNShiny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrightNShiny)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2016, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voter-id-laws-are-driving-down-minority-turnout-but-im-for-them-anyway/745861/47 "2016-02-12T18:39:11Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > She said it would work just like mail-in but they’d just have to fill the ballot and place it in the envelope at a designated place. Doesn’t sound that complicated. There is nowhere in her post where she said it would work just like mail in. What she described is a system that sounds like in-person voting, except that it takes place on a base and the ballots are mailed in afterwards, instead of being trucked in to the counting location like stateside. However, that raises a whole host of logistical issues, which I’ve pointed out. So, she can come back in and lay it out for us in detail how this is going to work. Of course it doesn’t sound complicated, when you can be completely vague about the logistical details. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2016, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voter-id-laws-are-driving-down-minority-turnout-but-im-for-them-anyway/745861/48 "2016-02-12T18:42:23Z")
“seal their ballots in envelopes addressed to their home district. The base is responsible for mailing them back to the home district in a secure way.” Think you are just trying to make it sound difficult. Set up some booths at the base post office and voila, done. ---
**Author:** ![BrightNShiny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@BrightNShiny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrightNShiny)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2016, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voter-id-laws-are-driving-down-minority-turnout-but-im-for-them-anyway/745861/49 "2016-02-12T18:50:59Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > Missouri. We do not have early voting, which is a shame. So, I checked the absentee ballot requirements in your state, and this statement of yours… > [@](#): > > When I voted absentee, my ID was still checked. In fact, I still voted on a machine. Is extremely misleading, because your state does have mail-in ballots. Now, the absentee ballot rules in your state are a bit convoluted, so I’m going to assume that you didn’t do this purposely. But, if you are going to lecture us about the law “as-is,” it’s bad form for you not to actually know what the law “is.” ---
**Author:** ![BrightNShiny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@BrightNShiny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrightNShiny)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2016, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voter-id-laws-are-driving-down-minority-turnout-but-im-for-them-anyway/745861/50 "2016-02-12T18:53:38Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > “seal their ballots in envelopes addressed to their home district. The base is responsible for mailing them back to the home district in a secure way.” > > Think you are just trying to make it sound difficult. Set up some booths at the base post office and voila, done. I’m not going to even bother. I’ve raised the logistical issues with this setup, and you didn’t even try to address them. Bye, again! ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2016, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voter-id-laws-are-driving-down-minority-turnout-but-im-for-them-anyway/745861/51 "2016-02-12T18:58:31Z")
Your “logistical issues” are pure blather. Toodles! ---
**Author:** ![BrightNShiny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@BrightNShiny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrightNShiny)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2016, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voter-id-laws-are-driving-down-minority-turnout-but-im-for-them-anyway/745861/52 "2016-02-12T19:24:50Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > Your “logistical issues” are pure blather. Toodles! The only blather here is your posts. See ya! ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2016, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voter-id-laws-are-driving-down-minority-turnout-but-im-for-them-anyway/745861/53 "2016-02-12T19:26:52Z")
Say good bye one more time and then I’ll believe you. Lol. ---
**Author:** ![BrightNShiny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@BrightNShiny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrightNShiny)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2016, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voter-id-laws-are-driving-down-minority-turnout-but-im-for-them-anyway/745861/54 "2016-02-12T19:32:18Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > Say good bye one more time and then I’ll believe you. Lol. Um, those aren’t necessarily terms that mean “goodbye” exactly, nor do they mean that I’m the one leaving the thread. So, I’ll keep responding every time you try to respond to me with more blather. Hasta la vista, baby. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2016, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voter-id-laws-are-driving-down-minority-turnout-but-im-for-them-anyway/745861/55 "2016-02-12T19:37:42Z")
The military overseas already has to fill out a ballot and put it in an envelope, so the only additional “logistical problems” is finding a private space they are required to fill it out and have a guy standing in the room. I guess that sounds really complicated to you but it really isn’t. ---
**Author:** ![BrightNShiny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@BrightNShiny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrightNShiny)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2016, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voter-id-laws-are-driving-down-minority-turnout-but-im-for-them-anyway/745861/56 "2016-02-12T19:40:09Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > The military overseas already has to fill out a ballot and put it in an envelope, so the only additional “logistical problems” is finding a private space they are required to fill it out and have a guy standing in the room. I guess that sounds really complicated to you but it really isn’t. Lol. Does not even remotely address the issues I laid out. More blather. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2016, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voter-id-laws-are-driving-down-minority-turnout-but-im-for-them-anyway/745861/57 "2016-02-12T19:47:56Z")
It directly addresses “For every base overseas, you want to set up voting booths to accommodate ballots for each voting jurisdiction that the soldiers on the base belong to. So, if the base has soldiers from forty different places, the voting booths will need to deal with ballots for forty different jurisdictions.” They can just keep using the same method they do now, which already accomodates the various jurisdictions, and just do it in a specific room instead of the barracks or wherever. But I think I’ll give up now. You’re determined to imagine it’s so complicated because you don’t like the idea. Fair enough. ---
**Author:** ![BrightNShiny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@BrightNShiny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrightNShiny)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2016, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voter-id-laws-are-driving-down-minority-turnout-but-im-for-them-anyway/745861/58 "2016-02-12T19:49:39Z")
Plus, the issue of military ballots doesn’t address the issue of overseas ballots at all. Now, I’m sure people will have some clever idea about making everyone go to the nearest consulate or embassy to vote in-person, but that’s just adding an unnecessary layer of complexity to the voting process for a non-existent voter fraud problem anyway. And what if someone isn’t near the embassy or consulate? Someone may have to travel far to get to it, and they might not be able to in time. Let’s hear how that’s going to work. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2016, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voter-id-laws-are-driving-down-minority-turnout-but-im-for-them-anyway/745861/59 "2016-02-12T19:50:51Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > Wait, we (Democrats) are just trying to gain any sleazy advantage we can find, with no real principle behind it? The principle that all citizens should be able to vote is sleazy, with no real principle behind it? Seriously? > > Give me a break. And go become a Republican while you’re at it. “Our way or the highway!” Right, **Frank**? ---
**Author:** ![BrightNShiny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@BrightNShiny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrightNShiny)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2016, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voter-id-laws-are-driving-down-minority-turnout-but-im-for-them-anyway/745861/60 "2016-02-12T19:51:21Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > It directly addresses > > “For every base overseas, you want to set up voting booths to accommodate ballots for each voting jurisdiction that the soldiers on the base belong to. So, if the base has soldiers from forty different places, the voting booths will need to deal with ballots for forty different jurisdictions.” > > They can just keep using the same method they do now, which already accomodates the various jurisdictions, and just do it in a specific room instead of the barracks or wherever. But I think I’ll give up now. You’re determined to imagine it’s so complicated because you don’t like the idea. Fair enough. Good. Less blather. Perhaps someone else will actually try to engage in serious debate. Bye now! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voter-id-laws-are-driving-down-minority-turnout-but-im-for-them-anyway/745861.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voter-id-laws-are-driving-down-minority-turnout-but-im-for-them-anyway/745861.md?page=4)