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Don’t Take the Vote Away from Seniors
Alliance for Retired Americans President Barbara Easterling wrote this at Huffington Post.
I don’t know Ruthelle Frank. But I do know that what is happening to her is enough to make my blood boil. Along with many other seniors, Ruthelle may lose the right to vote because she lacks a government-issued photo ID card.
Over the past year, GOP-controlled state houses have been passing what are known as Voter ID laws. Proponents say it is to cut down on voter fraud. Opponents say fraud of this nature is quite rare and that the true intent is to keep certain voters at home. According to the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University, nationally about 18 percent of seniors and 25 percent of African Americans do not have photo identification.
According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Ruthelle, of remote Brokaw, Wis. (pop. 107), does not have a driver’s license, and lacks a birth certificate needed to get a state identification card. She has a Social Security card, a Medicare card, and a baptism certificate. Even if she were to pay $20 to get a birth certificate, her maiden name was misspelled by the attending physician at her home birth. To rectify this, she would need to petition the court and pay a $200 fee. Ruthelle, an elected member of her Village Board since 1996, recently became a plaintiff in a law suit to block the new law, which was authored by Gov. Scott Walker.
Voting laws vary by state, so please check with your state or local elections office for more details. Election laws and procedures can be very complicated, but as retiree activists I believe we have a moral responsibility to defend and educate our fellow seniors on such an important issue.
Our generation, like those who came before us, fought and died for the right to vote. We must never let politicians take this away.
Barbara J. Easterling is president of the Alliance for Retired Americans. She was previously the secretary-treasurer of the Communications Workers of America. For more information, visit www.retiredamericans.org or call 1-800-333-7212.
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41 Comments
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It is the right and privilage of a Citizen to vote. Asking a citizen for proof of citizenship/identity is not asking very much. Only US citizens should have the right to vote in elections that determine our countries future leaders and the future of our country.
Looks like you did not read the article. Yes it is to some! Illegals do not like to register. Voter fraud is quite rare. The biggest fraud is not counting the votes. Now once again if you or anyone else can’t see this for what it is, well then what is like to be wrong all the time.
First of all, voting is NOT a privilege, voting IS A RIGHT. Privileges are permissions like your driver license, rights are mandatory authority to participate in the political policy-making process WITHOUT permission being a component.
Second of all, EVERY voter registration system in every state has a record AT THE POLLS of your signature, and that alone is verification.
As a former Precinct Inspector for Orange County (California) Registrar of Voters, the system is quite adequate for detecting fraud, and if there is any discrepancy, the poll workers can put the voted ballot into a Provisional Ballot envelope for further investigation. The fraudulent vote will definitely be investigated as a felony crime !
This is America. We do not have, need or want identity cards. Most of us have photo ID. The people who don’t are mostly old and/or poor. Voter fraud is not a big problem in this country. WHY is this madness happening? Could it be that someone wishes to discourage some people from voting.
If it ain’t broken don’t fix it.
Why didn’t she get her lazy son of the couch and take care of this. Seems like this is another ploy by the dingbats from the left. I can’t believe the Unions are standing by Obama and his Harvard Elitists. I think they called it the Crimson Lemonade Club.Funny name for a group of elitist’s as none of them would qaulify to run a leomonade stand. Obama in 2008 was someone to stand behind. But once elected he stuck it to everyone he could with his socialistic agenda. This is the beginning in taking this country down. Case in point,we are seeing this article instead of maybe how they are trying to make gun ownership illegal .THats the 2nd ammendment and they want us worrying about some guys mom who doesn’t have an ID .
Don’t put the victim to blame, Jimmy Rourke. What are you, a Repugnican ?????
no I;m not a republican,I am also not a socialist which is who the unions are putting their label on. I can’t believe how ignorant this country is. Obama looked good in 2008 until his real colors came out. He is the worst President we have ever had. He wan’t even build the pipeline and if he doesn’t the oil is going to china.This is not the same Democratic party of years ago my friend. Watch the news and you’ll hear them using the term “progressive”well obama is a black radical progressive. Go look it up and find out what he really is about
Well, I have to agree with you there, Jimmy, except that when O’Bam-ya was tapped to run to stop Hillary from becoming our first female president, the Chicago progressives warned everyone who O’Bam-ya really was even before he was “elected”.
People in our country are too busy “believing” in things and having “hope” in political campaign concepts that do not exist. That is why O’Bam-ya is getting away with his lying and his sabotage just like Goering Warcrimes Bush did.
I think you should be able to spell in order to vote. You should be grateful that passing a literary test is no longer prerequisite.
Of course the unions are standing by the president and believe that if your’e a registered voter you should not be denied the right to vote; especially seniors who don’t drive. Do you think any sane union member should support any of the Republican anti-labor candidates who support “Right to Work?”
Soon-to-be-ex- Gov. Scott Walker’s name comes up in so many outrageous situations! But we should have no surprise at what we see wiggling and scuttling when we turn over a rock. He and his ilk don’t give a damn for democracy or the American way. Making it hard for Americans to vote and saying that it is only to prevent voter fraud is about as low as you can go. Remember this at the next election: “You get what you vote for.”
From what I understand, seniors are the most committed to voting of any group in our country, and THEY DON’T LIKE THE TRUTHS THEY SEE THAT THE REPUGNANT PARTY IS SCREWING THEM ROYALLY OUT OF THEIR PENSIONS, OUT OF THEIR HEALTH CARE, OUT OF THEIR FORMER STANDARD OF LIVING.
Just like the people of the lower-income areas of any major city, the electoral process is becoming more remote and difficult to participate in. BECAUSE THEY DON’T USUALLY VOTE REPUGNICAN COMMERCIAL-COMMUNIST MAFIA CULT PARTY !
That has been proven in the 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010… and no doubt WILL be proven in the 2012 elections because We The People will just not protest the not-only-unjust electoral process, but the utterly DISHONEST and RIGGED electoral process!
I believe that the most important law we could pass at this time is a one hundred dollar bounty on republican hair, any color.
How about a bounty on Repugnican Party lapel pins of our U.S. flag? Repugnican have absolutely no right to wear a lapel pin of our U.S. flag, since the Repugnicans are against everything our Constitution stands for!
I remember when I ate at a very popular steak restaurant in Garden Grove California back in the 1990s that I think is now out of business, if a man came in wearing a tie, they would cut the tie off with a pair of scissors and nail it up on the restaurant wall. That’s what should happen to Repugnicans, use a pair of scissors to cut their lapel collar off their suit if they get caught wearing a U.S. flag pin !!!!
That’s a start . Thanks
The republicans remind me of the Indians that would not pledge and wound up on reservations . I believe that after this rebellion , a reservation in Arizona might be just the thing for these Republican criminals. I believe it would be somewhat easier to round them up than it was the Indians , after all there is a record .
There already is a reservation in place that Repugnant mafia cult Partisans can be put into, it’s named Guantanamo. And there are wonderful activities there that they can be entertained by, such as the Repugnant Partisans’ favorite, the Repugnant Partisans can be water-boarded, and given plenty of sleep-depriving music for several days unending, and changing them from one cell to another every few hours during sleep time! Many more of their favorite activities can be offered to them! Of course, there is one activity the Repugnant Partisans like that I am not in favor of, keeping their ugly asses naked would even send the cockroaches out into the Cuban side, and we do not want to start an international incident of cruelty to the Cuban people.
I do not understand not having pict. ID. I have had since 16 and i am 58 now. I have helped someone who was born at home and did not have birth cirtifacate get same and picture ID.
There is no good reason for this women not to have picture id.
Voter fraud is a problem and needs to be addressed.
Karl
The only voter fruad is coming from the republican party ,and picture ID is not necessary or helpful. Vote from home ? computer is the best solution for voting , period.
If voting is important to you I would think you would make the effort to get what is required to do so. If a citizen can get a driver’s license, auto registration and insurance to drive, it does not seem it is too much to get a photo ID if you think your vote matters.
ExhaustedSpark and hilltopper, what you are doing is condoning a police state society, if you are not aware enough to understand what being required to have any kind of identification means.
They did that in Nazi Europe and in the Soviet Union and in Maoist China! For gosh sakes, don’t be so ignorant when you lack the understanding, certainly at your ages you both do not have a memory lapse about the periods in history that I am referring to ????
You seem to be in the dark. Some folks can not get any of those things and if you would think about it ,you know it is true. Some folks can not even get out to go vote .So does that mean they should be left out? I do not think so.
This is discriminatory against seniors, persons with disabilities, racial minorities, etc. We did not get a provincial photo card until this year, and prior to that, many people had to consider filing a lawsuit or they would be denied government and banking services, for no reason. Also, it is not hard to fake a driver’s license. Many people carry fakes, so I don’t see what a driver’s license proves about your identification anyways.
You are right.
It proves nothing except that Republicans can bully people and cheat and lie about everything . Also if they can keep the election turn out low it is easier to steal the elections. There is only two places I know of that republicans would fit in and belong , one is the insane asylum and the other is maximun security prison where they all belong. Don’t tell me they can’t be convicted because they become criminals in the law and in the church as soon as they start bible thumping for money.
That is not the issue here. The issue is as a American she has the right to vote. If you make it a picture what is next? Bring back the pole tax? We know the Republicans would like that. You can’t blame them. They know full well that the more Americans that vote the less chance there Tea-Party people win. There are many other way’s to I D a person at the poles. A good neighbor, a utility bill, your ss card part A or part B all should be just fine. The thing is to make it easer to vote not harder. Here in Minnesota it very easy to register to vote, that is why Minnesota is right at the top if not first in voter turn out. I am very proud of that.
We all know you are right here Angela. The people that do not want to see all Americans vote are not real Americans. They are pretend Americans.
This voter registration crap is getting insane. The first time I registered to vote, 1969, all I needed was my birth certificate, and any naturalized citizen needed only, his/her naturalization papers.
every american ought to have a photo id card..if this woman has social security and medicare, what is she, martian? the problem is not right wing idiots and bigots, it’s a stupid mind set that makes it seem weird to be asked for a photo i.d….excuse me, i have to go to a bank, not identify myself, and clear out bill gate’s bank account…national policy should be that we get a photo id card upon reaching legal age – all of us!
fs
The only reason any politician would want to do away with voter ID is to facilitate voter fraud. I have to prove I’m a union member in order to vote in my union elections. Voting for the President of the U.S. should be no easier. This is not about seniors, or Blacks, or Hispanics, this is all about making fraud easier. Remember, these are the same politicians who tried to deny the legitimacy of several thousand mail-in ballots from our troops in Afghanistan four years ago. And these are the same crooks who spent all the FICA surpus of the past 40 years. They’re the same conmen who are bankrupting senior’s security by eliminating FICA employee contributions which is the ONLY sourse of Social Security. And they care about seniors!?…What a joke. I’m sick and tired of us union schmucks (trust me, that’s how ALL politicos think of us) being taken for fools. Where’s the Keystone Pipleline? Why are we being asked to talk about immigration and voter ID when we should be pushing for jobs? We all know the answer…we all know the magician’s need for diversion.
This is disgusting!!!! If you remember, Senator Mitch McConnel said that the repukicans to make Obama a one term president. This is part of their sick plans. Along with making it harder to vote. Its sickening!
You got that right and it is even more sickening to see the 99% listening to this crap and a lot of democrats agreeing with it . Tell your friends and family to quit listening to the lies coming from corporations and the sold out GOP terror group.Stop buying from companies that advertise on media that spouts these lies day in and day out.All these corporations are local to someone , tell them you do not do business with corporation that are trying to over throw your government.Most important of all is to tell your reps that you do not support those who are peddling influence for any reason and those who vote against our government regardless of party .
Sooner or later, when enough people have been disenfranchised from the vote because of these kinds of laws, someone who counts will take notice, there will be a price to pay to pay for the perpertrators and things will be made right once again. All it takes is to get enough Americans riled and the problem will right itself.
In the meantime, expect the Right Wing trolls to stand beside their puppet masters and to resist all efforts at obtaining justice for those whose votes are threatened.
We do not need to go back to the days before the Civil Rights Movement and I think when enough people understand what is going on, widespread populist activism will take care of the problem.
I am surprised that the Right Wingers who are pushing voter suppression aren’t demanding DNA testing for proof of citizenship– is that next?
I cannot remember a time when the other side of the aisle was so vitriolic, so mean-spirited and so hypocritical as they seem to have become in the past few years. I can see the immediate need for that Third Party that everyone talks about and let us pray that if it surfaces there isn’t anything Right Wing about it because “Right Wing” and “Toxic” seem to be synonomous these days.
This also takes away the right to vote for the disabled, many of whom don’t drive, who live outside of urban areas. Add in all those who live outside of areas with public transportation, and no longer have cars; they are denied to the right to vote on the basis of economic status (can no longer afford cars/gas) which I thought was unconstitutional.
Look if you want to vote and are an American citizen you’ll get the ID necessary to do so. Why is there such an outcry from the folks on the left when there are proven cases of voter fraud all around this country every election. 12 to 14 million illegals running around our country should not have the right to vote. The sad fact is we have many piss poor politician’s to choose from hence the voter disenfranchisement not the fact you don’t have an ID.
For those ignorant posting responders who still cannot get the message about tyranny in the election system through voter ID, let me repeat what I said above to clarify the issues:
First, EVERY voter registration system in every state has a signature record AT THE POLLS that is a copy of your signature, and that alone is verification along with your registration information. The system is already in place to detect fraud.
As a former Precinct Inspector for Orange County (California) Registrar of Voters, the system is quite adequate for detecting fraud, and if there is any discrepancy, the poll workers can put the voted ballot into a Provisional Ballot envelope for further investigation. The fraudulent vote will definitely be investigated as a felony crime !
Second, as I explained to ExhaustedSpark and hilltopper, what you, who are proponents of natizen ID, are doing is condoning a police state society, if you are not aware enough to understand what being required to have any kind of identification means then just read in the history books how they did that in Nazi Europe and in the Soviet Union and in Maoist China! They had checkpoints everywhere, and people had to justify their presence and everything they were doing wherever they went for gosh sakes, don’t be so ignorant when you lack the understanding!
Certainly at our ages we all must not have a memory lapse about the periods in history that I am referring to !!! We are currently duplicating everything, including how O’Bam-ya suports the NDAA as well as the un-Patriot Act !!!! How much longer will it be in our USA before owning a computer will require a license the same way that Romania once required a license to own a typewriter? England already requies a license to own a radio to receive entertainment programs (music) !!!!
IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT OUR COUNTRY TO BECOME ???? Let us not become a bunch of Nazis or Soviets in our attitudes !!!
Why don’t they activate the get out the vote people early, and have them go out to the communities and assist those who don’t have some form of ID to get theirs?
States issue ID cards to individuals who do not drive. It does require a birth certificate and secondary form of ID to get one, As for voter fraud, can you spell ACORN?
When you don’t know what you’re talking about, William Coyote, then you should go to your web browser and get the information.
Just like the Swift Boat incident accusing John Kerry of bogus dishonesty, the ACORN incident was also proven to be a bogus charge. But the damage was done and ACORN no longer is in contention, just like the attackers wanted because ACORN was revealing too much about The Establishment that The Establishment did not want the public to know about!
Oh, bye the way, Voting IS a Privilege. The privilage can be taken away for various resons such as Felony Convictions, Mental health issues etc. It is also denied to those who are NOT citizens or can NOT prove they have the right to vote.
And again, William Coyote, you are lying by your propaganda serving your prejudices.
Voting is a right that cannot be taken away except by certain legal means that actually needs to be Constitutionally challenged, because it has been greatly and with prejudice inflicted on ex-convicts that they cannot vote by extra-Constitutional means.
Just like slaves and women could not vote at one time, it is immoral to make ex-convicts who have served their time be exempt from their natizenship rights, but that is what is going on. You are showing that you have a rachet-jaw brain with the rest of your diatribe. You certainly are not knowledgeable about any of this, that is evident.
I do not know where you are from but you mention provincial ID so I will guess Canada. Do you vote in US elections? Maybe you work in the US or produce products that are sold in the Us BUt that does not give a person the right to vote in the US. Driver Licenses used to be easy to fake. It probably can still be done but it is not easy. If you wish to vote follow the law and get an ID