Debunking the Liberal Argument Against Voter ID's

A number of states have enacted laws requiring a government issued ID to vote. Indiana's voter identification law is now being argued before the Supreme Court. Cynthia Tucker, head of the editorial board for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution ("AJC"), made the liberal argument against voter ID laws in today's AJC. Since most liberal positions don't stand up to facts or logic let's take a look at her statements and arguments and see if they hold up.

AJC - If the U.S. Supreme Court upholds Indiana's harsh voter ID law, as it seems poised to do, hundreds of thousands of [minorities] should march in protest...should convene the biggest political demonstration since the historic March on Washington in 1963.

This must mean that this is the most important issue that has faced American minorities since the systemic and institutional discrimination that plagued our country for generations. While much progress has been made, I find it hard to believe that with all the challenges still faced by minorities that the Supreme Court's decision on voter ID laws should trigger the largest political protest in 45 years. But let's look at the key points of her argument and see if it is so.

AJC - "There has never — never — been a single documented case of "voter impersonation" at the ballot box..."

John Fund, author of the book "Stealing Elections: How Voter Fraud Threatens Our Democracy", points out a number of examples that contradict Cynthia Tucker's assertion. In the 1980's the District Attorney of Brooklyn detailed a massive, 14 year conspiracy that recruited people to place votes as fraudulently registered voters, dead voters, or voters that had moved.

Mr. Fund also documents that in the hotly contested Washington state governor's race that was decided by 129 votes ineligible felons voted and votes were cast in the name of people that were dead but were still on the voter rolls. In Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in a very close 2004 presidential vote more than 200 felons illegally voted and 100 people voted twice. A New York Daily News investigation found that between 400 and 1,000 people in New York and Florida voted twice in recent elections. In Florida, where the disputed 2000 presidential election was decided by 547 votes, there are still 65,000 dead people listed on the voter rolls - no opportunity for voter fraud there!

In addition, it is widely acknowledged today by presidential scholars and historians that John F. Kennedy would not have won the presidency if it had not been for massive voter fraud in Chicago (compliments of Mayor Daley) and in Texas (home state of Vice Presidential candidate Lyndon Johnson). Richard Nixon had a legitimate case to challenge the election. But in those less litigious times he decided that it would undermine the country to do so.

AJC - "...absentee ballots [are] where most voter fraud occurs. But because absentee voters tend to vote Republican, many GOP-dominated legislatures have made absentee balloting rules less stringent..."

Most of the people that need to use the absentee process are business people that travel extensively and the military. It is true that both successful people in business and the defenders of our country vote for Republicans over Democrats. There have been problems documented regarding absentee ballets, and I have no problem with increasing the stringency of the absentee process. An oft-cited example of absentee voter fraud is the 2003 East Chicago, Indiana case. Unfortunately for Cynthia Tucker and the left, this was a Democratic primary and the fraud was perpetrated by Democrats, not the GOP.

AJC - "[Mary Jo Criswell's] ballot was thrown out when she showed up at her Indiana polling place expecting to use the same forms of ID, including a bank card with a photo, that she had used in the past. She has epilepsy, she says, so she has never had a driver's license."

In fact no one, including Mary Jo Criswell, had their ballots thrown out. The 34 people that did not have the proper ID were allowed to cast provisional ballots. They had the option of returning within 10 days to provide the proper identification. In a very close election additional steps could be taken to validate these provisional ballots. No one was disenfranchised. In both Indiana and states such as Georgia a free government ID will be provided if an individual does not have a driver's license or other acceptable identification.

AJC - "With so many elections decided by a margin of a few hundred votes, Republicans figure they can stay in power by blocking just a few Democratic ballots."

An honor system only works if all involved have honor. The political history of our country offers plenty of cautionary tales why the most important constitutional duty we have a citizens, to vote, is best not left to an honor system. In 2005 a bipartisan commission led by James Baker and President Jimmy Carter recommended voter ID laws more stringent than Indiana's. The commission correctly pointed out that more than 100 democracies around the world have voter ID laws without disenfranchising anyone.

The lady who cuts my hair has to have a state license to legally do so. A driver's license is required to drive a car. A government issued ID is required in today's dangerous world to enter a federal building or to cash a check. Are any of these examples more important than making sure that we take all measures to ensure that we protect the most fundamental foundation of our Republic: one person, one vote?

In fact the reason the liberals object to voter ID laws is because most voter fraud is perpetrated to the benefit of Democrats. As one example a major election cycle never goes by without voter registration shenanigans by Acorn, a liberal activist group. The GOP has just never been as good at the type of bare knuckles, win at all costs, the end justifies the means tactics that the Democrats excel in. Just "Google" voter fraud and see what comes up.