The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of voter IDs in a 6-3 decision in 2008. Since that time, 34 states have adopted some form of voter ID laws, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Professor Elliot Parker and Harold Zaroff view this as discriminatory.
The Obama administration agrees and prosecuted North Carolina’s ID law, but Eric Holder’s attack on that state was unsuccessful in court. Why? Because in the administration’s zeal to appeal to its progressive/socialist/communist/fascist base, it ignored the facts.
Comparing the May 4, 2010, North Carolina primary election data with the May 14, 2014, primary data, voter turnout increased among black voters by 29.5 percent, compared to white voters at 13.7 percent. Also, the percentage of black registered voters is higher than the percentage of white registered voters and the percentage of black voters actually voting is higher than the percentage of white voters voting. Where’s the discrimination?
Voter ID laws don’t affect people who vote by mail, which is the way more and more citizens vote; so it only affects people who vote at polling places. ID laws also need to be applied to people registering to vote in the first place in order to be effective. Many states that require IDs will provide them for free, so the fabricated negative impact on poor people (the majority of whom are white) completely evaporates.
This movement has become internationalized with Sweden, Switzerland, Netherland and Ireland all requiring some proof of identification to vote — hardly bastions of racism against black voters!
Even our own bipartisan Commission on Federal Election Reform included a voter ID requirement as part of its recommendations in 2005. The report determined it was one of the “five pillars” that would “build confidence” in the integrity of federal elections and so, many states have followed their recommendations. The commission was co-chaired by notorious right-wing conspirator Jimmy Carter.
Arguing that minorities are going to be disproportionately affected by voting IDs is insulting and perhaps even racist because it clearly implies minorities are just not as capable as whites in getting an ID or in voting. Really? Seniors vote at higher rates than younger people, so they appear to be perfectly able to figure out voting requirements. One does not need a driver’s license to vote; other types of IDs are available. Maybe the left is just afraid Democrats will not be able to figure out how to vote using IDs?
The notion voter ID laws exist to prevent minorities from voting is absurd and unsupportable. The U.S Census Bureau report “Current Population Survey” of Nov. 2012, demonstrated voter turnout by black voters is 6 percent or more above that of white voters in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York. Also, black voter turnout is 5.9 percent or less, higher than white turnout in Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin. It’s obvious red states are doing just as well or better than blue states concerning black voting — even though most of them have ID laws. The idea minorities are being broadly disenfranchised is bogus!
The University of Delaware’s Center for Political Communication recently did a poll which demonstrated two-thirds of Americans support voter ID laws — even Hispanics and blacks. Are two-thirds of Americans racists?
It’s odd Zaroff and Parker are so clueless concerning the facts and so content to just regurgitate the extreme far left phony talking points. Why the deception? The real reason for voter ID laws in all nations is to prevent non-citizens from illegally voting and to further the credibility of election results. Are we to presume then, Democrats are in favor of illegal voting?
Meanwhile, the Department of Justice doesn’t care Black Panthers stand outside of polls with billy clubs. Nor are they exercised over the Obama administration using the IRS to target Tea Party and other conservative organizations for harassment; purposely slowing the process or even preventing them from getting tax exempt status which affects fund raising and voting. By the way, that policy continues to this day! The DOJ is also tepid concerning ACORN fraudulently registering tens of thousands of voters. Where is the outcry from the hypocrites for these actual crimes against the electorate?
Democrats pretend Republicans want to return to the days of Jim Crow, but they conveniently forget those laws were implemented by Democrats! The far left appears to be stuck in a time warp and it just can’t seem to adapt to the realities of the 21st century. When their nonsensical notions are soundly refuted, their natural reflex is to play the old worn out race card. There have been voting problems in past centuries. No doubt there will be some in the future; but to blame those solely on Republicans is incredibly disingenuous and slanderous.
The facts demonstrate Americans want ID laws, they are not impeding minority voting turnouts and efforts to make them appear so are wholly fallacious. The Democrats are simply trying to use this as another trumped-up wedge issue in their hyper-partisan zeal to hoodwink voters into falling for their non-American political agenda by demonizing and characterizing Republicans as something they are not.
David Johnson is a businessman in Carson City.
