Just keep walking, preacher-man.

River ,'Jaynestown'


Natter 67: Overriding Vetoes  

Off-topic discussion. Wanna talk about corsets, nail polish, duct tape, or physics? This is the place. Detailed discussion of any current-season TV must be whitefonted.


msbelle - Mar 21, 2011 5:11:37 am PDT #29394 of 30001
I remember the crazy days. 500 posts an hour. Nubmer! Natgbsb

State ID costs money. registering to vote does not. To get my Driver's License in TX with a current NY one, I needed my original Birth Certificate, documentation of local address (possibly the mortgage or deed), and something else. It is a deterrent to vote and there is no proof that voter fraud is currently an issue.


Tom Scola - Mar 21, 2011 5:11:40 am PDT #29395 of 30001
Mr. Scola’s wardrobe by Botany 500

ita, traditionally in the US, but especially in the South, States have implemented various measures to keep poor and black people from voting, including things like literacy tests and poll taxes. The US Supreme Court has repeatedly struck down these measure as unconstitutional. In the 1990s, the Democratic Congress passed laws to make it even easier for people to register to vote, with the result being even wider spread voter participation.

In the past few elections the right wing media (i.e. Fox News) have been planting stories about widespread voter fraud, mostly in inner cities. This is what all of the attacks on Acorn were about. Acorn was successful at getting people registered to vote, but the right was charging that they were enabling people with fake names to vote multiple times. Even though there was never any real evidence of widespread voter fraud, it is taken as the gospel truth in right-wing circles. A majority of Republicans believe that Obama and Acorn stole the election.

So basically, these voter ID laws are being put in place as a reaction against a nonexistent threat. The net result will be to make it harder for poor people to vote. Poor people are more likely to not have a driver's license, and probably won't go through the hassle of getting a non-driver's ID in order to vote.


Sparky1 - Mar 21, 2011 5:13:24 am PDT #29396 of 30001
Librarian Warlord

Specifically, in Texas, for a state ID you get photographed and fingerprinted.


§ ita § - Mar 21, 2011 5:15:58 am PDT #29397 of 30001
Well not canonically, no, but this is transformative fiction.

probably won't go through the hassle of getting a non-driver's ID in order to vote.

If the effort of getting a non-driver's ID was equal to registering to vote (I have done neither, so I don't know), would it still be seen as an obstacle?

State ID costs money

Seriously? That seems rather obvious a monkey wrench to throw in people's way. And, me, I seem naive.

To get my Driver's License in TX with a current NY one, I needed my original Birth Certificate, documentation of local address (possibly the mortgage or deed), and something els

What do I need to register to vote?

Fuck me with a spoon if I don't feel awful. Like, I'm not sure I even want to work from home awful. This is stupid.


Amy - Mar 21, 2011 5:18:57 am PDT #29398 of 30001
Because books.

Registering to vote usually just requires filling out a form and signing it.


§ ita § - Mar 21, 2011 5:24:15 am PDT #29399 of 30001
Well not canonically, no, but this is transformative fiction.

Registering to vote usually just requires filling out a form and signing it.

Do you need a mailing address?


Amy - Mar 21, 2011 5:26:39 am PDT #29400 of 30001
Because books.

Yes, because that determines your polling place. At least the way I remember it. I think you can even do it online now.


§ ita § - Mar 21, 2011 5:29:00 am PDT #29401 of 30001
Well not canonically, no, but this is transformative fiction.

So how does it work if you're homeless? Are there shelter or somesuch addresses you can use?

I just emailed in sick another day. This is really kicking my ass.


Amy - Mar 21, 2011 5:30:28 am PDT #29402 of 30001
Because books.

Wouldn't your note have covered today, too? Thursday, Friday, and today?

I'm honestly not sure what happens if you don't have an address.


amych - Mar 21, 2011 5:32:10 am PDT #29403 of 30001
Now let us crush something soft and watch it fountain blood. That is a girlish thing to want to do, yes?

So how does it work if you're homeless? Are there shelter or somesuch addresses you can use?

This is one of the big issues - one of the major services that shelters provide (beyond just coming in from the cold and maybe some food) is that they can provide an address for anything from finding a job to registering your kids for school to registering to vote. People (and agencies, and addresses) like those are a lot of what the "voter fraud" cranks like to yell about.