Editorial: (Wisconsin Governor) Doyle says no to photo ID

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel ^ | August 6, 2003 | Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Editorial Board

[StACase]

Editorial: Doyle says no to photo ID

From the Journal Sentinel

Last Updated: Aug. 5, 2003

In remarks to this newspaper, the chief of the state's Republican Party inadvertently illustrated the untruths and illogic on which rests the push to require voters to show a state-issued photo ID card each time they cast ballots. The Legislature approved such a measure, but Gov. Jim Doyle correctly vetoed it on Tuesday.

The diversions from reality:

Untruth No. 1 - "Most states require this sort of thing," averred state GOP Chairman Richard Graber in Tuesday's Journal Sentinel. That's simply not true; what's more, Graber should know it's not true. According to a survey done last year, just 11 states require voters to present some form of identification at the polls. And of those 11, just two - Florida and Louisiana - limit the form to a photo ID card. And even those states give voters an out that the Wisconsin measure lacks: They can sign affidavits attesting to their identity, according to the survey done by the non-partisan Electionline.org and the bipartisan Constitution Project. So the ID bill would have given Wisconsin the most restrictive voter identification requirement in the nation.

Untruth No. 2 -"Minnesota requires voter ID and they had one of the highest - if not the highest - turnout in the last presidential election," Graber said. Only the last part of that sentence is true. Minnesota boasts such a high turnout in part because, as in Wisconsin, voters can register at the polls. In Minnesota, such voters - only such voters - must show a photo ID, election officials there verified Tuesday. Voters already registered need only to show up and sign their names.

The illogic - To justify his stance, Graber cited the "votes for smokes" controversy in 2000, when a backer of Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore allegedly traded cigarettes to homeless people in Milwaukee for votes. Trouble is, that controversy did not involve identification fraud; hence, tightening the ID requirement would not have stopped it.

In short, facts and logic don't make a case for photo ID. Granted, for most people, a photo ID requirement would be no hassle. But it would impede the voting rights of Wisconsin citizens who lack the proper cards - among them, as Doyle noted, 85,000 senior citizens.

The backers of the measure have failed to demonstrate that identification fraud is a significant election problem, worth imperiling the voting rights of thousands. The Legislature should let Doyle's veto stand.

[oprahstheantichrist]

"When Republicans call me for money I tell them no dice until you really try to get voter ID passed.

I haven't written a check in a while."

Awesome, that you're on it, and pathetic that you haven't written any checks. Here's another one for the low tech, no-brainer file: Death certificates are issued by the county, correct? A death cert. should not be completed and/or released to the estate until the precinct is notified and the deceased's voter registration is purged from the voter roles, and cerfification therof is returned to the county. It should be part of the death certificate procedure.

When my dad passed on, I remember the mortician telling us that he was required by law to notify Social Security. They should be no less accountable to the accurate polling stats.

[damncat]

In short, facts and logic don't make a case for photo ID. Granted, for most people, a photo ID requirement would be no hassle. But it would impede the voting rights of Wisconsin citizens who lack the proper cards - among them, as Doyle noted, 85,000 senior citizens.

Are these the same seniors who are deluged with absentee ballots in the hope they may vote democrat? Or the african activists who were recently charged with voter fraud? Doyle is no stranger to voter fraud, ask the retarded folks who were taped receiving treats for signing those absentee ballots. When democrats win an election, fraud plays a fundamental aspect of that victory.

[StACase]

Thanks for the detailed description of Illinois voting registration. Take a look at that famous county-by-county map of the US from the November 2000 elections. The Wisconsin Illinois border is clear. Northern Illinois counties went for Bush and Southern Wisconsin counties went for Gore. There isn't anything very different about those counties except the voting laws.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Massachusetts - No, but they cross your name off a paper list. It wouldn't be hard to peek and see if the person before or after you voted already. But I live in a small town and the poll worker might known the person who is presenting himself as "John Smith".

[StACase]

...they cross your name off a paper list. It wouldn't be hard to peek and see if the person before or after you voted already...

Same in Wisconsin, it's a system that all but encourages the cheater.

[JesseHousman]

Wisconsin Governor Doyle must be recalled.

Begin the petition process. Use California as a template.

[StACase]

Wisconsin Governor Doyle must be recalled.

Well, that's not going to happen.

[Dante3]

Even if a recall won't happen, the threat of it might make him a little more cautious about promoting voter fraud. The only objection to requiring a photo ID is to facilitate voter fraud.

[StACase]

The only threat he will respond to is a real one, and there isn't any way a real recall threat will ever come about.

[oprahstheantichrist]

"The Wisconsin Illinois border is clear. Northern Illinois counties went for Bush and Southern Wisconsin counties went for Gore. There isn't anything very different about those counties except the voting laws."

I'm pretty sure I've stared at that map a hundred times, but you're right, and I've never noticed that. Who's your loudest most influential conservative voice in WI? Is it Mark Belling? Please email this thread to whoever will listen, and shout it from the rooftops! Chances are, it's a duck, folks.

[StACase]

You might also notice on that map all the counties bordering on Mexico that went for Gore. How do you suppose that came about considering that illegals don't have the right to vote?