Voter ID Bill could disenfranchise 11 MILLION VOTERS and cost $11 BILLION

[beaconess]

According to a survey sponsored by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the Voter ID bill that just passed the House and is pending in the Senate could affect 11 million voters!

"Although the bill’s supporters present it as a measure intended to prevent non-citizens from voting, the bill’s main impact will be on U.S. citizens themselves. A national survey finds that approximately 11 million citizens currently lack the required documents. A substantial number could have difficulty obtaining or affording them.
. . .
"{T}he bill would affect certain groups disproportionately (see Figures 1 and 2) — including people with low incomes, African Americans, the elderly, people without a high school diploma, rural residents, and residents of the South and Midwest. Substantial numbers of these and other citizens could potentially be disenfranchised by the bill."

And, according to a report released by the National Governors Association, the National Conference of State Legislatures and the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, state motor vehicle officials say it would cost more than $11 billion over five years to implement the technology required by the Real ID Act.


The CBP study also showed the following findings:

- Low-income citizens are nearly twice as likely to lack passports and birth certificates as higher income citizens. Nearly 3 million low-income citizens lack the required documents.

- The elderly are much more likely to lack these documents than non-elderly ones. Approximately 2.3 million elderly Americans lack the required documents.

- African Americans are much more likely to lack these documents than whites. Roughly 2 million African Americans lack the required documents. According to the study, "{o}ne reason is that a substantial number of elderly African Americans apparently were never issued birth certificates because they were born at home, in large measure as a result of racial discrimination or poverty that kept their mothers from delivering in hospitals (especially in the South). One study estimated that one-fifth of African Americans born in 1939-40 were never issued birth certificates."

CALL YOUR SENATOR AND TELL THEM TO VOTE NO ON THIS VOTER DISENFRANCHISEMENT BILL!!!
http://www.cbpp.org/9-22-06id.htm

[LisaM]

1. What are the chances of this passing in the Senate?

It's insane.

[beaconess]

6. It IS insane-these people are doing everything they can to suppress votes

They're also getting ready to challenge the reauthorized Voting Rights Act.

It's sad and frustrating how many here in DU don't seem to understand the danger of this proposed law - too many people are saying, "So you have to show an ID - what's the big deal? I have to show ID to buy beer, why not to vote?"

This measure is very dangerous and threatens to disenfranchise millions and millions of people - not to mention make it tremendously more difficult for all of us to exercise our right to vote. Congress should be making it EASIER for us to exercise this fundamental right, not putting up obstacles!

[LisaM]

2. Here's the roll call for that vote

If you have a representative in your district who voted yes on this nonsense, PLEASE call and chew them out (I don't).


http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2006/roll459.xml

[frylock]

7. my rep is duncan hunter..

I may as well save my dime.

[leesa]

11. Mine too. He is a total waste of space. I did send him a letter today

raking him over the coals for the sleazy trick he pulled to get the torture bill to the House body by sending up an amendment after the Dems left thinking they had killed the bill.
I gave it to him big time for ALWAYS voting against the troops, now increasing their risk of torture, and for destroying US image throughout the world, and for being a war profiteer, while on the Appropriations Committee, much like his buddy Duke Cunningham.

I recommend you do the same. Don't let the weasel rest.

[KansDem]

3. Hey! My Rep didn't vote!

What's the deal?

:shrug:

[LisaM]

4. Don't know, but you should call!

My rep (McDermott) always votes the way I want, so I don't have anyone to complain to.

[beaconess]

10. It's too late to call House members - call your Senator!!!

[Imagevision]

5. Voter ID Bill could disenfranchise 11 MILLION VOTERS - that's the GOP idea

[Doctor_J]

8. For the GOP, $11B is a small price to pay to sew up the Congress

for another 40 years.

[MH1]

9. I don't want my tax dollars spent this way.

If there is any problem at all (which I don't believe there is), someone still needs to show me that it's deserving of an $11 billion fix.

[texpatriot2004]

12. Agreed! nt

[ProgressiveEconomist]

13. The CBPP data are half the ammo for destroying "Voter ID". The other half

would consist of good estimates of the number of impersonations of voters per election (zero?) and the number of "illegal aliens" who manage to cast ballots (zero?). Given those data, cost benefit analysis would lead to the unassailable conclusion that "Voter ID" must never be tolerated. See http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2198564 and the links provided there.