Court rejects Texas redistricting maps

[baldeagle]

No two voter ID laws are the same. Even if you could get the language identical, the geography changes things. Here in Texas, roughly half the counties do not have a DPS office to go to, requiring folks to travel on their dime to get there where they can wait in line for days. This is no minor inconvenience. Don't kid yourself. The Dallas news has shown local offices where people line up at 4 am and still don't get in by closing time. The system in Texas is broken and all the guys in Austin do is wring their hands over it. How about this: add a class of ID that could be issued by each county at the court house or at mobile facilities. It would resolve some of the problems. As it stands, the net affect of requiring people to get a state ID is effectively a poll tax, and that friends is illegal.

That is an outlandishly ridiculous statement. IDs are FREE. The poll tax was specifically designed to keep blacks and poor people from voting by charging more than they could afford. Your analogy is not only fatally flawed, it reeks of bias.

If the system in Texas is broken, you don't fix it by enabling vote fraud. That would be like saying my car's electrical system is messed up so I'll replace the tires.

Here's the acceptable forms of identification:

Sec. 63.0101. DOCUMENTATION OF PROOF OF IDENTIFICATION. The following documentation is an acceptable form of [Previous Hit] photo [Next Hit] identification under this chapter:

(1) a driver's license, election identification certificate, or personal identification card issued to the person by the Department of Public Safety that has not expired or that expired no earlier than 60 days before the date of presentation;

(2) a United States military identification card that contains the person's photograph that has not expired or that expired no earlier than 60 days before the date of presentation;

(3) a United States citizenship certificate issued to the person that contains the person's photograph;

(4) a United States passport issued to the person that has not expired or that expired no earlier than 60 days before the date of presentation; or

(5) a license to carry a concealed handgun issued to the person by the Department of Public Safety that has not expired or that expired no earlier than 60 days before the date of presentation.

If a person doesn't have any of these already (highly unlikely), they have to get one.

They don't even have to have it on them when they vote:

Sec. 63.0102. USE OF CERTAIN ELECTRONICALLY READABLE INFORMATION. (a) An election officer may access electronically readable information on a driver's license or personal identification card for proof of identification when determining whether a voter shall be accepted for voting.

The DPS hasn't even issued the procedures for obtaining these since they haven't been approved yet. http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/DriverLice ... NonCDL.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Here's an example of the incredibly stupid arguments being used against photo IDs: http://www.lawyerscommittee.org/page?id=0046" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

"Given human nature, people tend not to address things until the last minute sometimes," Haslam said."I'm concerned about that last minute, when seniors say, 'I really want to vote, I want to vote at the polling place, I don't want to vote absentee. Oh, I need to get a photo ID! ... and I'm concerned about the waiting time [at driver's licensing stations]."

So because people don't bother to plan ahead, we should enable fraud. This is what passes for logic?

The ferocity with which opponents of photo ID attack the laws tells you all you need to know about voter fraud. If there was not fraud going on, they wouldn't be opposed.

[baldeagle]

You know, if liberals would put half as much effort into helping the poor souls that are so incapable of getting photo IDs to get those IDs as they put into defeating and denigrating photo ID laws, this issue wouldn't even exist. They have Habitat For Humanity building free homes for poor people (a great project) and they provide buses to get voters to the polls, but they can't muster up a single SUV to get someone to the DPS to get a photo ID?

Smells like rotten fish to me.

[Jim Beaux]

No two voter ID laws are the same. Even if you could get the language identical, the geography changes things. Here in Texas, roughly half the counties do not have a DPS office to go to, requiring folks to travel on their dime to get there where they can wait in line for days. This is no minor inconvenience. Don't kid yourself. The Dallas news has shown local offices where people line up at 4 am and still don't get in by closing time. The system in Texas is broken and all the guys in Austin do is wring their hands over it. How about this: add a class of ID that could be issued by each county at the court house or at mobile facilities. It would resolve some of the problems. As it stands, the net affect of requiring people to get a state ID is effectively a poll tax, and that friends is illegal.

where they can wait in line for days

Cmon now, you are either misinformed or exaggerating. There are approximately 80 counties out of 254 in Texas that do not have a DPS office and it is easy to assume that there are many residents who live near the boundaries of counties and can access the DPS office faster than some who live in the county. (I live in the Beaumont area but can reach many parts of Houston faster than some residents of Houston.)

If one wanted to pursue your argument further we can excuse a segment of the population from jury duty. (I shouldnt have to show up because I bear a greater burden than others.) Also there are very few places such as you have described, & and if registering to vote is considered a priority, there is no discernible inconvenience.

The potential for those who will be disenfranchised due to fraud is greater then that of those who may not be able to vote & really wanted to. The world isnt fair and in our world the majority rules.

[RPB]

You know, if liberals would put half as much effort into helping the poor souls that are so incapable of getting photo IDs to get those IDs as they put into defeating and denigrating photo ID laws, this issue wouldn't even exist. They have Habitat For Humanity building free homes for poor people (a great project) and they provide buses to get voters to the polls, but they can't muster up a single SUV to get someone to the DPS to get a photo ID?

Smells like rotten fish to me.

Good point.
Makes me wonder.
I used to hear about people volunteering to pick up and carry people/give them rides to the polls and back home.
I guess it's easier to complain that those people can't get a ride to get a photo taken, and have deceased relatives vote than to be one of those volunteers who helps people get an ID so they can vote/cash a check/show ID to a police officer if ever asked, etc.
If the $4.00 a gallon gas price is preventing volunteering; perhaps that can be remedied soon.
Live people are probably better for the HOV lanes than deceased relatives.

[tbrown]

Without qualification, illegal voters disenfranchise U.S. citizens.

I now believe that is intentional, not accidental. The communists need voter fraud and rigged elections to convince The masses that their treason represents the will of the people. That's why they oppose ID for voting even while requiring ID to buy a gun, pass through TSA security to travel, get into their convention, etc.

When someone can get on airplane to Washington DC and go on a White House tour, all without having to show ID, then maybe I'll believe this is about something other than America's enemies aiding and abetting voter fraud.

Right now all the evidence says they're full of more manure than a whole circus of elephants.