Posted on 02/11/2005 6:14:17 AM PST by Kokojmudd
By Howard Fischer CAPITOL MEDIA SERVICES
PHOENIX - Arizona's attorney general has blocked the state from requiring identification from voters in the state's first election since voters approved Proposition 200 in November.
In a letter to Secretary of State Jan Brewer, Attorney General Terry Goddard said the rules crafted by Brewer to comply with the new law do not adequately accommodate people who may not have the kind of ID that the regulations require. He expressed particular concern that Indians living in rural areas cannot produce what Brewer said is necessary: identification with a street address.
That's not the only problem.
Goddard also stressed the need for a procedure to deal with voters who show up at the polls without the required identification and request a "provisional" ballot - one that is counted only if later verified as having been cast by a registered voter.
Proposition 200 requires not only proof of citizenship to register but also says people must present identification before being given a ballot.
The accepted forms of identification include a photo ID with the name and address of the voter or two different forms of identification with the name and address of the individual if no picture ID is available.
Voting has begun
With early voting already under way in several local elections scheduled for March 8, Brewer said Thursday that she was disappointed by Goddard's decision.
"It was my goal to get this implemented and deliver to the people what they voted on," she said. "My office has spent hundreds of hours since last November working with counties and citizen community leaders to put into practice these new voting requirements."
Kathy McKee, who helped craft Proposition 200, said she was "shocked and disgusted" with Goddard. She said Goddard, who opposed the initiative, is doing the bidding of others who never wanted the measure to take effect in the first place.
"It's the sore losers again trying to subvert the will of the people," she said.
But in Pima County, where elections are scheduled for March 8 in South Tucson, Marana, Sahuarita and the Metropolitan Water District, Goddard's decision was cheered by Recorder F. Ann Rodriguez, who said Brewer's proposals would have disenfranchised many Arizonans.
Rodriguez said reservation residents would be particularly hard hit since few have a street address. Instead, their identification cards - even those issued by county election officials - use things like a distance from a landmark, such as a windmill, a road or a wash.
Vivian Juan-Saunders, chairwoman of the Tohono O'odham Nation, said Goddard's action will provide some breathing room to try to work out a solution.
One option, she said, might be for the tribe itself to find a way to assign addresses to all residents. Those could then be included on various official documents that reservation residents would then be able to present at the polls.
Goddard said the problem could be fixed, at least in part, by amending the law to say that those without proper ID are entitled to a provisional ballot.
But Christopher Roads, Pima County's voter-registration director, said such a solution "is about 99.9 percent not possible."
Feds must OK changes
Getting the Legislature to act in time for the March 8 elections is just one hurdle. Changes to the law also would have to be approved by the U.S. Department of Justice before it could be implemented, Roads said.
The Justice Department can take up to 60 days after receiving the changes to the measure to act.
That means no one will be asked for identification when they go to the polls in March.
McKee said she doesn't believe changing the law is necessary, but she will not oppose Goddard if he pushes for an adjustment.
Brewer said provisional ballots are "one of the answers" to the problem.
It could prove costly, however, since it would require counties to hire additional people to compare the signatures on the provisional ballots with those on voter-registration rolls, she said.
Rodriguez said provisional ballots are not a real solution. Instead, she said, there needs to be a way for those who show up at the polls who cannot produce cards with a street address to cast a regular ballot.
Needless to say,this maroon is a DEMOCRAT!
Fooled again !
What is it about the will of the people and the vote that these liberals and dems do not understand? If the will of the people is not put into place with the vote perhaps...?
They recognize the will of the people; they simply don't acknowledge that it is higher than their will.
Well, in his defense, if they were not allowed to cheat at the ballot box and had to run on their voting record, there is no possible way they could win. Can you be surprised that he wants to stop voter id?
If he didn't, how else would he be able to register Donald Duck as a democrat...or get all those dead people to vote.
Why do we go to the trouble of having a democratic process when legislation from the "bench" inevitably takes over. How much longer will people tolerate this?
We were never fooled - the democrats won the state because Christians did not go out in vote. Also the democrats were very smart in putting ballot initiatives (e.g. gaming) at the 2002 election which brought the dems out in big numbers. If we are smart we will put initiiatives on the ballot which will bring out conservatives in 2006. We do not need an AG or Gov who is a RINO - Id rather keep the dems then put in backstabbing RINOs. We need true conservatives who are not afraid of conservative issues and can speak well in public and who get people to smile - another Reagan if you will.
He misspelled Illegals and left out dead, out-of-state, and double voters.
Unless I misunderstood, and that's quite possible, this one didn't even make it into a court. The AG just decided all by his lonesome self that this is the way it's gonna be, folks; my way or the highway.
Isn't it the persons responsibility not the state to have the proper documentation to vote?
Hey!
The first "fraud" 2005 story I've bookmarked!
(The other 480 fraud stories are bookmarked for democrat fraud in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004 ....
Why don't you give him the Gray Davis treatment. You'd be surprised how attitudes change when recall gatherers show up at super markets.
Uh, excuse me, but since when does an AG 'set' policy, when it comes to the law?
He has no legal standing by attempting to thwart the will of the people and a law, signed by the governor.
The AG can only enforce the law.
This jerk should be removed from office immediately.
That's a tough one, how about advertise the requirements to vote on a regular basis on all media and come the election if someone doesn't produce, send them home?
I believe it's called enforcing the law. Which is what P. 200 was all about anyway. Heaven forbid it "offends" some tantrum prone lib...
And that would be another solution to this "problem."
"Uh, excuse me, but since when does an AG 'set' policy, when it comes to the law?
He has no legal standing by attempting to thwart the will of the people and a law, signed by the governor.
The AG can only enforce the law.
This jerk should be removed from office immediately. "
This jerk has made a habit out of arbitrary "rulings." Just a couple of days ago Goddard decried special ed students exempt from taking the mandatory HS graduation exam, the AIMs test. The local liberal media is all to happy to report them as gospel. Nobody in the state legislature is going
to do anything about Goddard.
"If we are smart we will put initiiatives on the ballot which will bring out conservatives in 2006."
Gay marriage ban ballot initiative.
Already taken care of.
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