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Georgia Elections News

Justice Department approves Georgia voter verification system

11:30 am August 23, 2010, by Aaron Gould Sheinin

Secretary of State Brian Kemp said Monday that the Justice Department has given final preclearance to a controversial state system of verifying voters’ identification and citizenship.

The voter verification system has been tied up in federal court since 2008 and the Justice Department has repeatedly refused to approve the process by which the state checks voter registration information against drivers license and Social Security databases.

But Kemp said Monday the federal government had signed off on the program, two months after he sued the Justice Department in federal court in search of approval. The Justice Department in 2008, then under Republican President George W. Bush, first questioned the system and said federal law required the state to verify a voter’s identity, but not his or her citizenship.

Kemp indicated in a statement that the Justice Department approved the project in response to the lawsuit. Both the state and the DOJ have filed paperwork with the court to dismiss the lawsuit.

“When we filed the lawsuit, I was criticized by some because they believed it would be too time-consuming and expensive,” Kemp said in the statement. “However, after waiting for nearly a year-and-a-half for a final administrative decision from the DOJ, I was certain that litigation was the only way to put Georgia in a position to obtain final approval from the federal government of our voter verification procedures. After the litigation was filed, it took less than two months for the DOJ to consent to preclearance of the verification process.”

It was not immediately clear how much the state has spent on the lawsuit and efforts to reach a Department of Justice spokesman were not immediately successful. Check back for updates.

Update 1:53 p.m.: Kemp spokesman Matt Carrothers said the full cost of the lawsuit isn’t known yet. He also would not say if Kemp was implying that the Justice Department approved the system specifically because of the lawsuit.

“Georgia waited a year-and-a-half for the DOJ to administratively preclear the voter verification process,” Carrothers said. “Secretary of State Kemp pursued litigation in federal district court to allow a third party to review our voter verification procedures, and allow us to comply with the federal Help America Vote Act. We’re glad the DOJ ultimately recognized the importance of ensuring a secure elections process in Georgia.”

The verification process became mandated in 2002 with the passage of the Help America Vote Act. It requires the state to match its voter registration database against databases maintained by the state Department of Driver Services and the Social Security Administration. The law requires states to verify a voter’s identity, but not necessarily citizenship.

Two years ago, according to court records, the secretary of state’s office, then controlled run by Secretary of State Karen Handel, questioned the citizenship of more than 4,500 prospective voters.

About a month before the 2008 presidential election, voting rights advocates sued the state on behalf of a Kennesaw State University student who had been flagged by the system even though he was a naturalized citizen and eligible to vote. The groups contended the state was using the process to systematically purge minority voters, a charge state officials vehemently denied.

A week before the 2008 election, a panel of three federal judges in Atlanta ruled that Georgians whose eligibility to vote had been questioned could vote by a “challenged ballot.” Under this procedure, a flagged voter could cast a paper ballot and have until the following Friday to provide proof of citizenship to their local registrar.

The three-judge panel also found that Georgia should have sought federal approval before implementing its verification system. Under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, states with a history of discrimination must get changes in voting procedures “pre-cleared” by the Justice Department or by the U.S. District Court in Washington.

The state then sought approval from the Justice Department, but it declined to sign off on Georgia’s verification system. The department called the process “seriously flawed” because it subjected minority voters to “additional, and more importantly, erroneous burdens on the right to register or vote.”

After the Justice Department objected, the voting rights groups asked the three-judge panel to bar the state from using the system. But last month, the same panel of judges allowed Georgia to continue asking prospective voters who have been flagged to prove their citizenship. This prevents “both eligible voters from being denied the right to vote and ineligible voters from casting votes that cannot be discounted later, ” the judges said in a June 15 order.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported in July that an additional 4,200 voters were flagged by the verification process just prior to the July 20 primaries, even though some of the people being flagged are citizens and eligible to vote.

As in 2008, flagged voters were allowed to cast “challenged ballots” in the primary and have the opportunity to prove their citizenship.

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108 comments Add your comment

ronald

August 23rd, 2010
11:48 am

Its about time this was approved. Its only logical to ask someone to provide ID when they vote. Democrats have always known that certain groups of minorities who were not eligible to vote, had been voting mostly for them, which is why this ID check has been delayed for as long as it has. This is politics and nothing else.

Ezra

August 23rd, 2010
12:32 pm

ronald you are correct! The idea that Georgia must ask the DOJ for approval of a state law is just more reconstruction. It has been 45yrs since that mandate and they have attached another 25yrs to this sterotyping. Lets put Georgia down and keep it down! It is the minority ruling the majority. We need to take back our country and our state.

mike

August 23rd, 2010
12:52 pm

Well, Ronald and Ezra. I do believe if you read the article in it entirety it clearly points out that this law suit was filed during bush administration. “The Justice Department in 2008, then under Republican President George W. Bush, first questioned the system and said federal law required the state to verify a voter’s identity, but not his or her citizenship.” So please keep your racist thoughts to yourself and just go to the polls on November 2, 2010. And let’s see what happen’s! One more thing though Ronald! Did you even graduate from high school or just dropped out in the third grade?

carlton

August 23rd, 2010
12:55 pm

Just think about the words from the DOJ, no less…it’s not necessary to know if a person is a citizen to allow them to vote, but it is enough to know they have a drivers license. no wonder we are in trouble!

JBM

August 23rd, 2010
12:57 pm

“Well, Ronald and Ezra. I do believe if you read the article in it entirety it clearly points out that this law suit was filed during bush administration.”

Ha! Read? Like that’s gonna happen.

Shaquandralishanickra

August 23rd, 2010
1:02 pm

Damn, now i gotzta get mo fake ids soz I can votz mo den wonz!

neal kelley

August 23rd, 2010
1:05 pm

damn.. you an ignorant fool!!!

Shaquandralishanickra

August 23rd, 2010
1:11 pm

Neal – youz sum kinda cracka ass cracka!

missgrace

August 23rd, 2010
1:25 pm

Of those voters that were flagged how many were found to be ineligible and trying to vote fraudulently? Isn’t this an important fact in determining whether the system works or whether it is a lot of effort to address a non existent problem? Why doesn’t the AJC do the work to get the facts that enable us to assess what is going on? I would like to know.

Carlton - how right you are

August 23rd, 2010
1:45 pm

The DOJ is full of turd heads!! Let’s review, Washington state, New Mexico State and I believe UTAH ALL grant drivers license’s WITHOUT BEING A CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES!!!!!! And just how damn easy is it to transfer to a Georgia license? Dear God, and those DOJ a$$holes want to control our election process!!

Mark

August 23rd, 2010
1:45 pm

Funny how we are so concerned with verifying the voters, yet no one is concerned about the unverifiable electronic voting system.

Derek

August 23rd, 2010
1:48 pm

missgrace – since all of this is open-record info, if you really care, why don’t YOU look it up! It’s just like a liberal to rely on a liberal paper to do the work for them. But I’ll save you the effort, IF IT’S EVEN ONE VOTER then it’s good enough! And I’d bet my paycheck, against your minimum wage check that at least “1″ was caught!

Bosch

August 23rd, 2010
1:49 pm

“Its only logical to ask someone to provide ID when they vote.”

Which, the state has always done. I’ve had to provide an ID every time I’ve voted since 1988, so what is the issue here?

It is politics and nothing else, but in this case it’s the GOP making much ado about nothing and stirring up fear that people are voting for Dems in droves with absolutely no proof of it ever happening. You GOP are certainly predictable tools.

Derek

August 23rd, 2010
1:49 pm

Mark – why don’t you join the “capitalist” Republic and design an invention that is verifiable and quit moaning about the system we have!

ray

August 23rd, 2010
1:51 pm

This is a huge problem. The only reason a non-citizen like the president is in office is because there are literally millions of non-citizens voting in our elections every year. If we could kick them out of the country, we could restore an American to the highest office in the land and return this country to its place of prominence.

L

August 23rd, 2010
1:56 pm

Ray, do you also believe that the moon landings are a hoax and crop circles are real?? The STATE OF HAWAII has verified the President’s citizenship status. Not some random person, not some conspirator, but the STATE OF HAWAII! Get over it and move on.

Matt

August 23rd, 2010
1:58 pm

Please Bosch, we have proof Rep. Doornan lost to Sanchez via the illegal alien vote. We know the current guv. of Washington state won by voters who were later certified to be dead and somehow voted(Acorn). We know the Dems believe they should do ANYTHING to win because their ends justify their means. We now know Stewart Smalley up in Minnesota won by an illegal vote count(and what a piece of work he is huh liberal?). And so you go liberals, and so you go.

granny godzilla

August 23rd, 2010
2:00 pm

i am a moron

OldSnarky

August 23rd, 2010
2:01 pm

L, just who is ‘the state of hawaii’. Its just some person that works in that department. Wake up and smell the coffee dodo bird. Gee whizz!

ronald

August 23rd, 2010
2:03 pm

Mike said: “Well, Ronald and Ezra. I do believe if you read the article in it entirety it clearly points out that this law suit was filed during bush administration. So please keep your racist thoughts to yourself and just go to the polls on November 2, 2010.”

Mike- The fact that this became an issue during the Bush administration is meaningless. It was the Georgia Democratic party that fought to keep Georgia from being able to use Voter ID. If you don’t believe me, go back and read the April 20th, 2010 article here on AJC by Bill Rankin.

It says:
“Superior Court Judge Tom Campbell, in a three-page order signed Monday, rejected claims by the Georgia’s Democratic Party and others that the voter ID law unduly burdens the right to vote.”

By the way, the “others” include the NAACP who continued to participate and support these legal actions attempting to prevent Georgia from checking voters ID. You can call me a racist if you want, but I’m just stating the facts. You should ask your Georgia Democratic congressmen why they fought so hard against a bill that simply verified whether or not voters were actually eligible to vote. The bill had nothing to do with race….until Georgia Democratic congressmen, Jimmy Carter, and the NAACP tried to make it about race. You already know why Democrats took the stance they did and so does everyone else.

I’ll leave you with one of the many ridiculous Jimmy Carter quotes from October 2005-

“Georgia passed an absolutely obnoxious law,” said former President Jimmy Carter, who lives in the Peach State. “It was specifically designed to prevent old people, poor people and African-Americans from voting,” he said.

This mantra was repeated over and over and over again until people finally read the bill and realized that there were no provisions in the bill that addressed race at all.

ronald

August 23rd, 2010
2:05 pm

Typical for the AJC- My previous response from 15 minutes ago is not being posted.

Mark

August 23rd, 2010
2:06 pm

Derek, someone beat me to it more than a thousand years ago when they invented paper. There are systems that are reasonably verifiable available for sale now.

Rusty

August 23rd, 2010
2:06 pm

Good thing there is no such thing as a “fake ID”

get a grip

August 23rd, 2010
2:07 pm

If all the republicans would get out and vote it really wouldn’t matter. If you didn’t vote….shut up!

JBM

August 23rd, 2010
2:07 pm

Matt at 1:58, Care to provide links to all this “proof?”

Karl Quick

August 23rd, 2010
2:09 pm

“… the state checks voter registration information against drivers license and Social Security databases.”

Note AND Social Seecurity… Drivers licenses are not reliable as a citizenship test, but social security number is suppose to be (though fraudsters often steal SSNs too.)

Question: is the address in the Drivers License checked against the name/address of the citizen via SSN?

I doubt it, since to my knowledge, unless the IRS does it, addresses for SSNs are not kept up to date.

What should be done: Drivers License, IRS return address, linked by SSN to the individual. Don’t file for taxes (to pay or get refund or EIC)? Then don’t vote. Who’s that for reasonable?

S GA Independent

August 23rd, 2010
2:34 pm

I have never been asked to show anything beyond a picture ID (Driver’s License) and I have been voting in GA for close to 50 years. However, I have SEEN folks allowed to vote that I KNOW can’t and don’t drive, and they were not asked for any ID because they were brought in from a traing center for the Mentally Handicapped on a State Paid Van.
If the courts think that GA’s voter verification is questionable, what is going to be done in PORT CHESTER, NY where a judge has ruled it OK for each Latino Vote to count 6 times instead of as ONE vote?

cyberties

August 23rd, 2010
2:40 pm

Since when was citizenship NOT a prerequisite to the right to vote? If citizenship status is a requirement for voting in any election in this country, then WHY can’t a person’s status be ascertained at the time of their REGISTRATION?

I am all for every voter voting with no interference from the government, but we make it too easy for politcal operatives to commit (and get away with) voter fraud. All in the name of PC.

Just look at the last three presidential elections and you can see there are some SERIOUS flaws in the way people are allowed to register and vote in this country.

Vince Hugh

August 23rd, 2010
2:45 pm

It’s a very logical law and simply prevents people who are not legal citizens and registered voters to vote and only once. Who could possibly be against that?

MarkRH

August 23rd, 2010
2:45 pm

Most registration issues are with persons who are already registered but are ineligible because they moved, died, or committed a felony.

Illegals are living off-grid and do not register or vote to avoid detection. Voting offers them nothing in return for risking deportation.

The real issue isn’t unauthorized voters but corrupt election officials.

JJ Jones

August 23rd, 2010
2:49 pm

This is common sense. The law says you have to be a citizen to vote. Georgia is enforcing the law.
Anyone who opposes this is in favor of voter fraud.

JBM

August 23rd, 2010
2:50 pm

Matt at 1:58, Off hunting all that “proof”, huh? I’m sure as soon as you find it, you’ll bring it straight here, you betcha!

JJ Jones

August 23rd, 2010
2:53 pm

Bosch,

There are millions of people who have licenses in the US that are not citizens. Foreign students, people here on work visas, people with green cards, etc. All of them can legally obtain a licence. That does not mean they have the right to vote.

Andy

August 23rd, 2010
2:54 pm

Where in the hell does the Federal Government find the constitutional authority to tell any state how it must verify it’s voters? It’s not their god damned business.

Old Snarky certainly smells like one

August 23rd, 2010
2:55 pm

OS, you certainly come off sounding like a moron. is it a clever disguise or true ignorance? using your line of reasoning there would no valid IDs at all. you must be sniffing more than coffee. maybe you spent a few years huffing glue.

IDonTwantTo

August 23rd, 2010
2:56 pm

You show your license when you go in the door and get checked off a list, right? You go inside, get your ballot and they want your license again. What for you say? So they can scan the barcode on the back of your license just before they scan the barcode on your voting card. Voting is supposed to be secret. Don’t tell me they aren’t tying my driver’s license into my vote! I’m madder’n hell about it.

Clara Morrison

August 23rd, 2010
2:58 pm

“The Justice Department in 2008… said federal law required the state to verify a voter’s identity, but not his or her citizenship.” Seriously?? We don’t want non-citizens voting–it’s like the world has gone mad. Of course, you should have to prove citizenship before you vote!

A. Lucas

August 23rd, 2010
3:03 pm

Why do you call the process “a controversial state system of verifying voters’ identification and citizenship”?.
What is controversial about trying to restrict access to the ballot box to qualified voters?

The (Justice) department called the process “seriously flawed” because it subjected minority voters to “additional, and more importantly, erroneous burdens on the right to register or vote.”

The same DOJ that dropped the case against the Black Panther Voter Intimidation accusation?
Why is the burden “erroneous”? There are people waiting in line to emigrate to the U.S.A. to shoulder the enormous burden (?) of citizenship.

You are asked for more information when you charge a pair of shoes.

Pablo

August 23rd, 2010
3:03 pm

As a poll worker in Georgia I can tell you what I am verifying when you step up to my table:
Are you a registered voter? Are you in the right voting precinct? Have you already voted? These are all done by looking at the voting database under the name, address, and birth date you provide. Lastly, I am making sure the name you gave me is really you, hence the approved photo identification. And I can telll that I have been clearly instructed that an i.d. is absolutley required – no exceptions.

JBM

August 23rd, 2010
3:04 pm

Matt said this at 1:58: Please Bosch, we have proof Rep. Doornan lost to Sanchez via the illegal alien vote. We know the current guv. of Washington state won by voters who were later certified to be dead and somehow voted(Acorn). We know the Dems believe they should do ANYTHING to win because their ends justify their means. We now know Stewart Smalley up in Minnesota won by an illegal vote count(and what a piece of work he is huh liberal?). And so you go liberals, and so you go.

I asked for links to all this “proof”. So far, nothing. Anyone else out there care to help poor ole Matt find this “proof?”

IDonTwantTo

August 23rd, 2010
3:07 pm

Pablo @ 3:30

So why do you guys scan the bar code on the back of my driver’s license as well as my voting card? This is AFTER you have already verified my ID in your database.

Rick

August 23rd, 2010
3:07 pm

The department called the process “seriously flawed” because it subjected minority voters to “additional, and more importantly, erroneous burdens on the right to register or vote.”
==================
Just what “minority” voters are we talking about here? Maybe they are talking about illegal aliens (as a minority voting block).

If a “path to citizenship” is ever granted, a voter check like this will be sorely needed. Those currently known as illegal aliens will be “out of the shadows”!

poor Andy doesn't know the constitution

August 23rd, 2010
3:07 pm

The 15th Amendment to the Constitution is what you are looking for. also read the national voting rights act of 1965

redduke

August 23rd, 2010
3:10 pm

JBM, Minnesota Majority dot org studied just ONE element of voter fraud in Minnesota and uncovered hundreds of examples that are being pursued by prosecutors. was it enough to overturn? No but that only took me 5 minutes of research. The fact is ACORN and other Leftist organizations are hyjacking the voting system and only through the use of good, free and open technology can it be cleaned up.

JBM

August 23rd, 2010
3:12 pm

redduke at 3:10, Gimme that “proof”. Come on, you can do it. Gimme the links.

Pablo

August 23rd, 2010
3:13 pm

Scanning the driver’s license brings up your voting registration information faster than the old method of typing out your last name – it shaves off a few seconds for each person. It is not required, and if you don’t feel comfortable doing it, just ask them to look you up manually.

SWalker

August 23rd, 2010
3:16 pm

We’ve had voter ID in Indiana since 2006. They check it when you walk in. They don’t scan it. In Indianapolis we used to have a terrible time with voter fraud. Once a news team followed a bus full of people being driven from one poling location to another. It was needed.

Mutual

August 23rd, 2010
3:17 pm

I can tell you, moving here from Florida 5 years ago I had to have my birth certificate, drivers license from my previous state (or another form of picture ID) and my social security card, I have had a drivers license since I was sixteen with a clean record, so it is not as easy as some might think to obtain a Georgia License.

bob

August 23rd, 2010
3:17 pm

JBM, you keep asking for links for a thread that does not accept links then joke about someone else being able to read. Google works, try it.

Jimbooo

August 23rd, 2010
3:17 pm

Hooray!!!!!!! Go Georgia. Only 56 to go if you are in Obama land.

SWalker

August 23rd, 2010
3:17 pm

Indiana will also accept an Indiana ID card. They even let people get them for FREE.

JBM

August 23rd, 2010
3:18 pm

Matt said this at 1:58: Please Bosch, we have proof Rep. Doornan lost to Sanchez via the illegal alien vote. We know the current guv. of Washington state won by voters who were later certified to be dead and somehow voted(Acorn). We know the Dems believe they should do ANYTHING to win because their ends justify their means. We now know Stewart Smalley up in Minnesota won by an illegal vote count(and what a piece of work he is huh liberal?). And so you go liberals, and so you go.

Don’t feel bad, Matt. redduke couldn’t do it either. Maybe someone else?

JBM

August 23rd, 2010
3:20 pm

Matt said this at 1:58: Please Bosch, we have proof Rep. Doornan lost to Sanchez via the illegal alien vote. We know the current guv. of Washington state won by voters who were later certified to be dead and somehow voted(Acorn). We know the Dems believe they should do ANYTHING to win because their ends justify their means. We now know Stewart Smalley up in Minnesota won by an illegal vote count(and what a piece of work he is huh liberal?). And so you go liberals, and so you go.

I asked for links to all this “proof”. So far, nothing. Anyone else out there care to help poor ole Matt find this “proof?”

Ah come on, bob at 3:17, .com me here.

JBM

August 23rd, 2010
3:27 pm

Matt said this at 1:58: Please Bosch, we have proof Rep. Doornan lost to Sanchez via the illegal alien vote. We know the current guv. of Washington state won by voters who were later certified to be dead and somehow voted(Acorn). We know the Dems believe they should do ANYTHING to win because their ends justify their means. We now know Stewart Smalley up in Minnesota won by an illegal vote count(and what a piece of work he is huh liberal?). And so you go liberals, and so you go.

HA!HA!HA!HA!HA! THERE IS NO PROOF! I LOVE IT!

JBM

August 23rd, 2010
3:28 pm

Had a blast playing here today!

Cosmo

August 23rd, 2010
3:30 pm

JBM here is one for Stewart Smally.
http://americanglob.com/2010/07/12/study-shows-al-franken-won-minnesota-senate-race-by-capturing-the-convicted-criminal-vote/

Pablo

August 23rd, 2010
3:32 pm

There are six different forms of acceptable i.d., including a driver’s license from another state. The i.d. has nothing to do with residency or eligibility or citizenship – it’s simply to verify who you are. If you wanted to defraud the system, you would first have to fraudulently register to vote. If you aren’t in the database as a registered voter, what type of i.d. you have or don’t have is irrelevant.

Cosmo

August 23rd, 2010
3:32 pm

J the BM. They got this thing called Google you might want to learn how to use it.

David N

August 23rd, 2010
3:32 pm

I moved to Ga from Alabama in 1992. I have always shown my ID. But showing an ID has not always been required. At some point in the past, you could show other forms of ID, like a utility bill showing name and address. You could show a birth certificate. They were many other forms of acceptable ID besides a state issued Drivers License. The issue is two fold. First, are the people listed on the voter registration rolls accurate. Has someone died? Has someone moved out of the state? Has someone been convicted of a felony and therefore lost their right to vote? Once you are on the voter rolls, I doubt there is much work by the various county board of electors to update the rolls. Second, showing an ID with your picture makes sure you can be identified as the person on the voter registration roll. If you picture on the ID does not match your face, maybe you are using someone elses ID to vote. Maybe the AJC can dig up the old stories from the 1970’s concerning Jimmy Carter’s efforts to win an election to the Ga State house of Reps. You all may not know this but he lost his election by a close vote and together with the efforts of the AJC, they discovered alot of bogus votes from dead people. Enough votes that the State House was forced to overturn the election and another election conducted which Jimmy carter won. I wonder what would have happened if if lost his revote? Probably it would have ended his political career.

JBM is sick

August 23rd, 2010
3:35 pm

If JBM really had an ounce of curiosity he would simply research the records himself, but he doesn’t care about records. Democrats care ONLY about Democrats, which is why those races found themselves in recounts until the Democrats WON. And for that JBM is thrilled. Nothing else matters except godless liberalism to these blinded people.

elsie

August 23rd, 2010
3:43 pm

@Matt – Funny how we are so concerned with verifying the voters, yet no one is concerned about the unverifiable electronic voting system.

I so agree. I would like to get a paper copy of who I voted for. I don’t trust the computers.

bob

August 23rd, 2010
3:46 pm

I was wrong, it does now take links.

Mike Hunt

August 23rd, 2010
3:51 pm

The only thing controversial is that this paper and Democrats do not want to validate that elections are conducted accurately. Change the headline on the story to “System to Help Curtail Voter Fraud Approved.”

William

August 23rd, 2010
3:55 pm

About time. What’s so controversial about making sure only eligible people vote?

student1776

August 23rd, 2010
3:58 pm

It seems pretty obvious that in an age where voter fraud is common, is a felony and is performed on an interstate coordinated level by groups like Acorn that it is perfectly reasonable to ask voters to provide information about as extensive as you have to provide when you check into a Motel 6 or buy groceries with a credit card.

Kathy

August 23rd, 2010
4:07 pm

There had better be a way to verify the eligibility of voters before November and more importantly before 2012 or we could end up stuck with Obama indefinitely.

onesidednews

August 23rd, 2010
4:12 pm

Let us never forget that the pandering Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Roy Barnes, also filed suit to stop voter ID.

DJ

August 23rd, 2010
4:17 pm

PAPER TRAIL, PAPER TRAIL, PAPER TRAIL.

Why is it that the people who are SOOOOO VOCAL about verifying voter eligibility (despite no evidence of widespread voter fraud) suddenly shut their mouths when the question of verifying the actual VOTE is raised? Why would anyone trust electronic voting machines that provide no alternative record? I guess their talking points left that part out (it requires thinking – I know…)

aps

August 23rd, 2010
4:18 pm

Controversial to whom? Try getting on a plane without an ID.

Sandy Berger

August 23rd, 2010
4:23 pm

It’s nice to know that they are going to verify the citizenship of the voter. Now who’s job is it to verify the citizenship and eligibility of the candidates?

Who verified Obama?

Ratt

August 23rd, 2010
4:32 pm

Wow, what a novel idea, imagine, checking to see if Illegal Immigrants are voting, and stopping out-of-staters from voting multiple times in your state. How could you possible be against this ?

NDirish65

August 23rd, 2010
4:45 pm

All a bunch of B.S.
1 There is no evidence, nor is it logical that illegal immigrants are voting.
2 There is no evidence that there is illegal voting at the polls.
3 Where is the check for citizenship on mail-in absentee ballots, where most of the verified fraud exists?
4 This is just another way for the GOP to try to minimize the minority votes.

yarply

August 23rd, 2010
4:49 pm

Voter verification sounds like a really good idea. But I bet that in the long run it won’t be.
That as always it will be turned and used to again take more freedoms from Americans.

Bemused

August 23rd, 2010
4:50 pm

Has ANY illegal immigrant in the state of GA been convicted of trying to vote illegally? If so, cite the case. (I thought so.)

Some wingnut intellectual posted that if it stopped ONE illegal from voting, it is worth it. So preventing hundreds of LEGAL voters from voting is worth preventing ONE illegal? Pure genius.

Interesting, too, that the wingnuts don’t seem to mind if an innocent man is executed as long as hundreds of guilty ones are killed. But then again, logical consistency has never been their long suit.

charo

August 23rd, 2010
4:56 pm

NDIRISH–brilliant, there’s “no eviendce that illegals are voting.” Uh, it’s illegal to ask for ID, so how would there be such evidence.

It’s fine for me to have to show ID to buy a beer, but not to vote? Banks, bars, movie theaters, etc, ALL require ID, and people don’t not use those facilities, why wouldn’t they just show their ID and vote. Talk about no evidence, THERE IS NOT EVIDENCE that anyone entitled to vote has decided not to because they had to show ID.

Please, anyone and everyone who opposes this is is in favor of letting people who cannot show ID vote, Ie illegals.

JakeBlues56

August 23rd, 2010
4:58 pm

You people on the left are still pissed off that you didn’t cheat enough to win in the 2000 Presidential election. Then when we try to weed out illegal voters you call us racists. I’m melting! I’m melting!

Osamas Pajamas

August 23rd, 2010
5:08 pm

Funny how most of the “professional” Democrats want retinal-scan ID and GPS chips for all US inhabitants — they want to know where their cattle are at all times of day and night —- but they DON’T WANT to have voter ID, which would help us to catch illegal voters —- citizens and non-citizens, alike. Guess the Demos are afraid that if we had 100% honest elections, their party would be “toast.”

Pelayo

August 23rd, 2010
5:13 pm

@ NDIrish65. I’m Hispanic and I am absolutely in favor of requiring ID. Just like I need to show a passport to leave and enter the country, ID should be required prior to entering the polls. I’m in total agreement with Charo. By the way, you post on NDNation as NDIrish 65?

jerry

August 23rd, 2010
5:14 pm

If you want evidence of illegals voting, just go out to southern california where the mexican demonrat sanchez stole a congressional seat by getting illegals to vote. los angeles is a cesspool of illegals.

tnmccoy

August 23rd, 2010
5:14 pm

While there are many inane comments here from the left, NDirish65’s has to be among the most egregious. Just how is asking for an ID going to prevent someone from voting? The electorate isn’t stupid you know? And I believe there are illegals, criminals, and dead people voting Democrat out there. You guys have a history of buying or creating votes. That’s one reason that alcohol was no longer allowed to be served on election day. Too many drunks were voting as told by a local party official. As for absentee ballots, the Democrats have tried for years to have them discounted, mostly because they come from the Military—members of whom don’t usually fall for their crap and vote Democrat. I always had respect for Notre Dame graduates, but if you are one, then I’ve lost a chunk of it.

ENL

August 23rd, 2010
5:15 pm

A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE CONFUSING WHAT THE RIGHT TO VOTE MEANS.
IT MEANS THAT YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE ” IF ” YOU MEET CERTAIN
CRITERIA.
1. YOU MUST BE A CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
2. YOU MUST BE OF A CERTAIN AGE, WHICH CHANGES FROM TIME TO TIME.
3. YOU MUST RESIDE IN THE YOUR SPECIFIC STATES FOR SOME LENGTH OF TIME,
VARIES FROM STATE TO STATE.
4. YOU CANNOT BE A FELON.
5. YOU MUST BE REGISTERED TO VOTE WITH PROOF OF IDENTIFICATION.

THE RIGHT TO VOTE IS ONE OF OUR MOST PRECIOUS RIGHTS AND I DO NOT
BELIEVE THIS IS TO MUCH TO ASK.

Laura

August 23rd, 2010
5:28 pm

Convicted felons in many locales can vote. Disenfranchisement of people convicted of felonies who have served their time is a major national problem, with a lot of disinformation inhibiting people from stepping back into their lives and becoming full contributing citizens again.

Once a person has completed all of the terms of their sentence, the State automatically restores the person’s voting rights.

tnmccoy

August 23rd, 2010
5:35 pm

L: “The STATE OF HAWAII has verified the President’s citizenship status.” L, Hawaii has done no such thing. All state records pertaining to Obama have been blocked and prevented from release to the people who just want to know the truth. By the Governor. Why? If he really was born in Hawaii, the simple release of the original certificate could put all the trouble to sleep. So, Why again? Where do you get your information anyway? Probably the rag the Daily Kos. Think for yourself once in a while, you’ll be amazed at the wonderful catharsis you’ll get.

Lokki

August 23rd, 2010
6:04 pm

“Most of the alleged fraud took place in King County, whose Elections Canvassing Board on Thursday revoked 1,762 voter registrations filled out by ACORN canvassers. Most of the registrations used the addresses of Seattle homeless shelters.”

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003808207_votefraud27m.html

Lokki

August 23rd, 2010
6:05 pm

Acorn Fraud

Recent Fraud

State Year Details

http://www.rottenacorn.com/activityMap.html

Lokki

August 23rd, 2010
6:13 pm

Felony charges have been filed and an arrest warrant issued for a well-known Orange County political activist suspected of committing election and voter registration fraud, the California secretary of State’s office announced Wednesday.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/06/veteran-latinorights-advocate-charged-with-voter-fraud.html

SharpShtik

August 23rd, 2010
6:15 pm

Democrats commit almost all crime in America, which is why they are weak on enforcement and prosecution, reject 2nd Amendment rights, reject execution as punishment, reject common sense proof of citizenship and residency, reject the payment of taxes as a prerequisite to vote (24th Amendment), reject intelligence and knowledge exams similar to driving exams as a prerequisite to vote, and want all felons to vote, for Democrats. Democrats vote for Democrats to steal more property (including income) from taxpayers to redistribute it to Democrat supporters (including illegal invaders), which is just a supplement to what Democrats already steal for themselves. Government run by Democrats is nothing but organized crime that guarantees Democrat supporters wealth without work and representation without taxation. Little better can be said for any career politicians who have no permanent ideology to protect the guaranteed rights of Americans from government, which was constituted to provide an equal vote for equal payment of taxes to support government.

elliot

August 23rd, 2010
6:32 pm

here in Va we have been required to show ID before voting for years. There seems to be ” no evidence” of it causing a a major restriction of anyone getting to vote unless that is they are not supposed to be voting…..

Barbara

August 23rd, 2010
6:42 pm

ONLY US citizens can vote in this country (see the US Constitution for specifics). So I question why the US government would have a problem with each state DEMANDING that citizenship be proven either at the time of registration or upon voting. Why would ANY state legislature have a problem with this? If a voter is NOT a US citizen then he/she can not vote in OUR elections. If citizenship is not determined prior to voting, then who is to say that each non citizen, world wide, couldnt just elect OUR government for us? A picture ID and proof of residence isnt enough, as WE all know.

HeatherMae

August 23rd, 2010
6:56 pm

I don’t understand how showing an I.D. to vote deter the porr and minorities from voting they have to provide their birth certificates and SSN’s to apply for welfare heck while your at the welfare office you can also register to vote, so there is no good reason for them not to be able to have their I.D. to vote. I wished that all of these “Get Out the Vote” people were as concerned about American men and women serving overseas, if anybody needed their voters rights to be protected it would be those who are protecting those rights for us.

Jack

August 23rd, 2010
6:59 pm

Living in Georgia, I thought the verification system we used was used everywhere. Thank God they changed it. No more Mickey Mouses or notepads found in cars to vote.

Denny

August 23rd, 2010
7:45 pm

I’ve worked as a poll officer for many years here in Ga. and I’ve never seen any evidence of voting fraud so I see this whole thing as a cocservative hoax.

tnmccoy

August 23rd, 2010
8:08 pm

Clara Morrison, don’t you agree that if there’s a law not requiring proof of citizenship to vote, it should be quickly corrected? As it is now, why not send absentee ballots to and invite citizens of the various Countries of Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and the penguins in Antarctica to vote in our election? After all, we have many of their compatriots in our melting pot. Common sense says that we have the privilege of voting, and that privilege is for citizens only.

Billy in Savannah

August 23rd, 2010
8:53 pm

I agree with Denny. This is a hoax. Procedures are in place to remove the dead from the voting rolls in conjunction with the county health departments. It is a hoax to squeeze a few votes here and there from the elderly that may not take the time to get a voter ID because of transportation issues. Many poor do not have transportation. These voters tend to vote Democratic. In other words, another Republican plot!

Approves Georgia voter verification system… | The Daily Conservative

August 23rd, 2010
9:19 pm

[...] column, 2nd story, link) Related stories: Justice Department Seeks Ebonics [...]

Bob

August 23rd, 2010
11:13 pm

Well, gollie gee. If our friend Denny has never seen voter fraud then that should be enough for all of us. Oh wait, I’ve also worked polls for more than eighteen years and served on the local board of elections. I have seen many cases of attempted voter fraud. But those are the ones we caught. I’d guess the actual cases of fraud would be the ones we didn’t catch….

Brainhead

August 24th, 2010
8:48 am

Georgia needed to sue and I am a minority voter. We had dead people voting in the past and this will help avoid voter fraud. There was a report on Fox5 where a person was dead for a year and they voted. Just D*mn. Who challenged this as a poll tax, Democrats the people responsible for the voter rights act of 1965 and the civil rights acts also.

Lokki

August 24th, 2010
9:25 am

It’s annoying to have posted several links to cases of prosecuted voter fraud, and have them immediately followed by some moron pollwatcher’s ancedotal statement which apparently totally refutes the many documented cases to the satisfaction of another moron person.

Yeah – it’s all a big plot….

You guys are just sad. Do a little research that goes beyond the end of your noses. Fraud doesn’t occur in every location, but it sure as Hell occurs…. if you’d like I can continue to post more links.

LW

August 24th, 2010
12:28 pm

I listened to Secretary of State Brian Kemp say yesterday that his main concern with this lawsuit is to, “stop a non-citizen from canceling out the vote of a citizen”. It is sad to see a Secretary of State that is apparently more paranoid about stopping the unknown volume of “illegals” who supposedly vote opposite (implies evil?) of the good citizens of our nation vs. taking more measurable steps to help us good citizens vote. Guess he has less of a moral delima when this delays or takes away the right to vote the times a real citizen shows up without “papers”.

Robert

August 24th, 2010
1:31 pm

GA went around with a bus to give out free IDs…no one came to get them. The excuse of being a live in or no transportation prompted it. Turns out…people just didn’t want the ID.

jasonfm

August 24th, 2010
5:30 pm

“It is sad to see a Secretary of State that is apparently more paranoid about stopping the unknown volume of “illegals” who supposedly vote opposite (implies evil?) of the good citizens of our nation vs. taking more measurable steps to help us good citizens vote.”
- LW, at 12:28pm

LW, what SPECIFIC “help” do you need to go out and vote? Assuming that you cannot now vote, due to some hindrance; and assume for a moment that our tax dollars can somehow be better spent in more “measurable steps to help us good citizens vote.”
With me so far? Now, will you please explain to me, that if someone who does NOT have the right to vote in an election, DOES vote, that it does not invalidate the vote of someone else. To put it a little SIMPLER: If there are TWO candidates, and ONE of them receives the vote of an Illegal Alien, then THE OTHER candidate is harmed. It does not matter who the illegal votes for, and which candidate is harmed. Notice I did not use your language of “evil” vote. There is no such thing. Only ignorant votes. But that is another subject…
Also, note that I did not say “unknown volume of “illegals”", where your use of “illegals” implies that they are not Illegal Aliens. They are, in fact, Criminal, Illegal, etc.

D Jarrett

August 24th, 2010
8:02 pm

Does any of this have any effect on requesting a absentee ballot? If we have any holes in the system that might permit a non voter from casting a ballot illegally, it’s within the absentee process and the GOP who mails out thousands of absentee ballots to people without asking permission would not want to cut off this avenue of abuse by requiring id before mailing the ballot out.

Frank

August 25th, 2010
2:00 am

There have been no verified cases of illegals voting because no one was checking to see if illegals were voting. All you have to do is ask for ID and watch the people who were given $3 or a pack of cigarettes to vote get out of line. BTW, how do they propose to verify the identity and citizenship of absentee voters?

Don

August 25th, 2010
6:48 am

D Jarrett,I think in your haste to vilify the GOP that you forget that the democrat party is the one with the well know history of voter fraud in this country. Anyone who follows the truth about politics in this country knows this even if their leftists views won’t allow them to admit it.

lance sjogren

August 25th, 2010
4:11 pm

The Democratic Party HATES voter verification because voter fraud tends to help the Democratic Party.

MaryA

August 25th, 2010
7:43 pm

That law should be mandatory in every single state! Elections need to be legal! When dead people, illegals and multi-voting for one person is happening, the election process is a fraud.

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