Obama campaign working to counter new voter ID laws

The Washington Post ^ | 19 may 2012 | Amy Gardner

[mandaladon]

President Obama’s reelection campaign launched a national drive Friday to counter new restrictive voter-access laws, which advisers said threaten his electoral chances in November.

Organizers will fan out in key swing states this weekend to teach volunteers and voters how to navigate a series of laws passed by Republican-controlled state legislatures imposing stricter identification requirements, limiting early voting and making it harder to organize voter-registration drives. It is the beginning of a months-long effort, campaign officials said, to combat what they described as a Republican effort to stifle voting among young people and minorities, two groups that traditionally tend to vote Democratic.

Republicans say the new laws are needed to protect against voter fraud and help make elections fairer.

The Obama campaign’s “weekend of action” is part of a field effort that in 2008 helped identify, register and turn out millions of new voters. Those new voters gave Obama wins in unlikely places, including North Carolina and Virginia, where young and minority voters helped make the difference. Turning out those voters again this year is key to the president’s reelection strategy, but it is also more challenging this year in part because of the new voting laws.

[mandaladon]

Twenty-five percent of African American voters do not have a valid government-issued photo ID, compared with 8 percent of whites, according to a study by the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University’s law school. The report also found that 15 percent of voters earning less than $35,000 per year do not have such an ID................If this is so how they manage to cash their welfare checks?

[mandaladon]

President Obama’s reelection campaign launched a national drive Friday to counter new restrictive voter-access laws, which advisers said threaten his electoral chances in November.......................This means that it would make it very difficult for the Rats to cheat and steal the election.

[ridesthemiles]

A concerted effort to not follow the law——and it is aupported by the msm.

What will it take for American citizens to realize they are being led to slaughter?

[john drake]

Well, if it’s mandatory to get a social security card (although there’s plenty of fraudulent ones out there) why not a photo id state card (if you don’t have a driver’s license?)

[Jack Hammer]

Identifiation of voters is not the issue - proof of citizenship is the issue. The Deomcrats are counting heavily on the votes of illegals and the dead, and feel the votes of those groups should be counted.

[KansasGirl]

This hissy fit by Democrats over voter ID laws makes one wonder what percentage of Democrat votes are fraudulent and how many elections have been stolen as a result of those fraudulent votes. Democrats are desperate to protect vote fraud which makes me think it is even more widespread than we suspect. Anyone who supports vote fraud is anti-freedom.

[liberalh8ter]

As the sitting pResident, I would expect him to respect the laws enacted by States, not find workarounds. Since we’re talking about Obama, that’s not the case......and feckless Congress does nothing.

[TribalPrincess2U]

How much cigarette money are the ‘organizers’ allowed to carry?

[Vince Ferrer]

If you don’t have an ID you can’t get a job or many other things in life. The problem is not that the law requires an ID, it is that these people don’t have one. People advocating that those people should remain like that are not helping them at all.

[haircutter]

WHATS THE MATTER HUSSEIN???

Pennsylvania's New VOTER ID LAW have you worried???

I certainly hope so...for we plan to send you back to Chicago, maybe Michelle can get a job checking into why the high death count among the youth occurs there...

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks mandaladon. It takes a couple of hours’ time, at most, to complete the steps to obtain a valid state ID (or driver’s license). Anyone age 18 and two hours old has no excuse for not having one.

[mandaladon]

The way I see it, the premise that Voter ID law is racist is racist in itself. Nowhere is it stated that the requirement is directed at a particular race or minority group. How insulting is this political ploy? The left is singling out particular groups (blacks and latinos) and telling them that they aren't intelligent enough or motivated enough to get to the voting booth.........................Very insightful comment

[House Atreides]

As the November election gets closer I plan to seek out the best location in Philly to help as a volunteer “poll-watcher”.

That will be after casting an absentee vote in the People’s Democratic Republic of Maryland (not that that will do any good other than helping to support the expected vote to define marriage to be solely between one man and one woman).

And I’m sure other volunteers will be stepping forward to help minimize voter fraud.

[freeangel]

This is crazy. At 64, one must renew their drivers license in person in GA. And one must also bring 3 or 4 other forms of doumentation JUST for a renewal. I’d also like to know how they get through the sacred entitlement system with no IDs.

[freeangel]

This is crazy. At 65, one must renew their drivers license in person in GA. And one must also bring 3 or 4 other forms of doumentation JUST for a renewal. I’d also like to know how they get through the sacred entitlement system with no IDs.

[freeangel]

This is crazy. At 65, one must renew their drivers license in person in GA. And one must also bring 3 or 4 other forms of doumentation JUST for a renewal. I’d also like to know how they get through the sacred entitlement system with no IDs.

[RedMDer]

Keep FR Running Let's get to Yellow!

[Malone LaVeigh]

If someone is motivated enough to vote, getting an ID should not be a problem. Is there any evidence of anyone who applied for one being denied an ID?

[sheana]

They don’t get welfare ‘checks’ anymore. They get an ebt (debit) card that is charged up with cash once a month.

[devolve]