Vote Fraud Ping!
Minnesota: Same old stuff from the Democrats trying to prevent vote fraud reform!
House Looks to Toughen Voter Registration Rules
The Minnesota House has passed a bill that would require voters to show a photo identification upon registering to vote.
Anyone without a photo ID could sign an affidavit stating they don't have one. The bill would also require students who want to register to vote on election day to have a valid ID with a current address.
Republicans who back the bill say it would ensure voters have proper identification and that students vote in the proper precinct.
DFL Representative Keith Ellison says the bill assumes people are trying to commit voter fraud. Instead, he says Minnesota should have an election system that encourages voting.
An election reform bill awaiting action in the Senate doesn't have the photo ID and student address requirements.
http://www.kare11.com/news/news-article.asp?NEWS_ID=46567 Vote Fraud Ping!
Oregon:
Citizenship-proof mandate for voting gets sidetracked
The bill would reduce election fraud, says Rep. Betsy Close.
PETER WONG
Statesman Journal
May 7, 2003
A bill requiring Oregonians to show proof of citizenship before they register to vote for the first time was detoured Tuesday.
Its potential price tag prompted a House committee Tuesday to ship the bill to the Legislature’s joint budget committee — not without controversy — and could strand the bill.
Rep. Betsy Close, R-Albany, is the chief sponsor of House Bill 2813.
“I think it is difficult to determine, in the country like we have, who is a citizen and who is not because so many of us have ethnic background — and that’s the greatness of our country,” Close said.
“But we have to be sure that those who have gone through the hurdles of getting citizenship have the privileges that it offers — and voting is a privilege.”
A contrary view was expressed by Rep. Phil Barnhart, D-Eugene, who said young people could be harmed as much as newly naturalized citizens.
“There has been no showing that this bill is necessary to prevent fraud in registering to vote by those who are not citizens,” Barnhart said. “The bill is dangerous because it will reduce to some extent who should vote.”
The House Rules Committee, on a 5-2 vote, sent the bill to the Legislature’s joint budget committee. Because it proposes to allow elections officials in 36 counties to check driver records for proof of citizenship, which they do not list now, it comes with a price tag. Estimates range from $70,000 to $120,000.
Close said the state has compiled about half a dozen allegations of citizenship fraud in the past dozen years. But Barnhart said that only one of the six people actually cast a ballot — and that person was not prosecuted.
Close said that the six cases are justification enough for her bill, which would require copies of birth certificates, naturalization documents or valid passports as proof of citizenship.
No other states have such a blanket requirement.
Oregon imposes a maximum five-year prison term and $100,000 fine for someone lying about citizenship, residency or age on a voter registration card. The penalty dates to 1985.
“We have no evidence it’s a huge problem, and there’s already a severe penalty in the law,” said Secretary of State Bill Bradbury, the state’s chief elections officer. “It’s an incredible complication for people registering to vote for the first time.”
Rep. Joanne Verger of Coos Bay was the only Democrat to join the Republicans voting for it.
“I think we have made things too easy in this country,” she said. “As far as requiring citizenship (proof) for people registering to vote, I have absolutely no problem with this bill.”
Rep. Laurie Monnes-Anderson, D-Gresham, said: “If they are illegal, they do not want their name or address on any document.”
http://news.statesmanjournal.com/article.cfm?i=61142