Reid tells Legislature to act on election law

Las Vegas Review-Journal ^ | February 24, 2005 | ED VOGEL

[Nevadan]

Reid tells Legislature to act on election law

Voter registration rule `antiquated,' senator says

By ED VOGEL REVIEW-JOURNAL CAPITAL BUREAU

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., answers questions after his speech to state lawmakers Wednesday in Carson City. Photo by CATHLEEN ALLISON/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

CARSON CITY -- Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., called on state legislators Wednesday to repeal a state law that prevents people from registering to vote within a month of an election.

"With all the new technology, there is no reason why Nevada should close the door to registration one month before Election Day," said Reid during an 11-minute address to both houses of the state Legislature.

"This is about giving Nevadans a voice in our government," he added. "And that is something we should all be able to work and agree on."

While Reid's speech frequently was interrupted by cordial applause, there was silence following his call to change the registration deadline.

In a news conference following the speech, Reid said he actually favors registration on the day of an election, but that he would be happy with any change to reduce the month-long limit.

"I don't know why we have the antiquated system we have in Nevada," he said. "Some states have same-day registration."

Secretary of State Dean Heller said he thought Reid's suggestion caught legislators off-guard.

"I think it will be warmly received," said Heller, who advocates extending the registration period. "I think we should make it 24 hours (before an election), a week at the most."

Before making the recommendation, Reid told lawmakers he doesn't "often meddle in your business."

Each legislative session all members of Nevada's Congressional delegation address legislators. Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., delivers his speech this evening.

Reid, who is the U.S. Senate minority leader, noted his first trip to the Nevada Legislature was as a new Assemblyman in 1969. "It was a scary time, a real adjustment," he said.

While he has had setbacks, Reid declared he has lived the American Dream every day of his life. "I am grateful to the people of Nevada for permitting me to live that dream and to continue the trip I began here 36 years ago."

Reid spent much of his speech criticizing President Bush's plan to privatize and bail out Social Security.

"President Bush likes to say Social Security is in crisis as he travels across the country," Reid said. "Well, the Academy Awards are this Sunday night, and if they gave an Oscar for `crisis creation,' I'm certain the Bush White House would win in a landslide."

As he repeatedly has told the national media, Reid said Social Security is not in trouble and seniors will get 100 percent of their benefits for nearly the next 50 years.

During the news conference following his speech, Reid said "some Republicans" want to totally destroy Social Security.

He also shrugged off a question from one reporter about whether he wants to be president.

But he smiled and replied in the affirmative when another reporter asked whether he wants to become Senate majority leader.

[Nevadan]

Harry Reid has been pushing for voter registration at the polls for some time now, (ostensibly to give everyone the opportunity to vote - including those who have been too lazy to bother to register until the very last moment.) Obviously, however, his plan would be of major benefit to the party that has made voter fraud an art, giving no time whatsoever to verify the legitimacy of the voter registration. Dean Heller, Nevada's Secretary of State, is unfortunately a RHINO and is going along with the Democrats on this one. Sigh!

[Mad Mammoth]

Harry Reid is just thinking ahead to how much he'll need to pad the vote totals when his 'Rat azz is up for election next time.

Reid = Dead (political) man walking.

You heard it here first.

[rellimpank]

--

[rellimpank]

--I don't have the election returns at my fingertips, but if the RINO's don't do better than last fall, he'll may as well be unopposed--IIRC, he got over 60%--

[rudypoot]

If a person isn't responsible enough to follow the voting registration rules then that person isn't responsible enough to vote. Get bent Reid.

[ManHunter]

Perfect option. Then they'll bitch about the long lines, people standing in the rain, cold, etc., while poll workers try to figure out who's eligible to vote. If they can pull it off, it's a win-win for the losers.

[Nevadan]

One of the things that the Democrats count on when they perpetrate voter fraud is that there seldom are repercussions to their doing so. When illegal aliens vote in our elections, are their votes ever eliminated from the totals? Ask Bob Dornan about that one. What about the dead voting? Who is still the Governor of the state of Washington and will most likely remain the Governor of Washington, despite the fact that hundreds of illegal votes were cast on her behalf? What about those districts where the number of votes exceeded the number of registered voters? Has anybody gone to jail for that? What about the illegal felon vote across the country? What about the illegal registration that is done at DMVs across the country. All you have to do is show a social security card as proof of ID, and you become a registered voter, even if the card is fake.

Now, I have a question for Democrats like Harry Reid who believe it is an act of discrimination to require any form of ID at the polling site to confirm ones ID: Just curious, but do you think it would be discriminatory to ask for a proof of ID from people attempting to register at the polling site? From Harry's track record, I think I know the answer to that one!