The bill, which passed the House Privileges and Elections Committee on a 16-6 vote, would scrap a provision in state voting law that allows a person to sign a statement affirming his identity in lieu of showing ID.
Del. Scott Lingamfelter, R-Woodbridge, said the change would combat fraud at the ballot box. Opponents say it would serve only as a needless hindrance to exercising the right to vote.
"I think you would have to have been asleep for the last year continuously not to know there is voter fraud in the United States," said Lingamfelter, who sponsored the bill. "I think the last presidential election was a tsunami of voter fraud."
"How many times do you have to hear stories like the whole Dallas Cowboy defense being registered to vote illegally, before you start to scratch your head and say 'You know, I think we got a problem,' " he added, referring to a 2008 registration fraud scandal in Nevada.
(Live in Maryland? Contact your State Representatives! )
13 comments:
this is awfull! US Citizens are not required to have an ID, nor are some citizens even in a position to get one.
this is clearly aimed to leave lower class voters behind.
one more great reason to never live in VA.
Shouldn't there have already been a policy to stop voter fraud? You have to show your License to buy anything with your credit card, you have to prove your identification for everything it seems like but not to vote? I would say that policy is long overdue.
10:24 Would you do what they did in Iraq and dip your thumb into ink? We need checks and balances. You can get an ID card at the MVA.
10:24, Who either doesn't or can't get an ID? Someone who is too lazy to go down to the DMV. Whats funny is it's often someone who doesn't even work or work's part time. It's no wonder that person is lower class. And that person probably hasn't taken the time to look up information on the candidates so good, I don't want that person to vote. Voting is a right but with rights come responsibilities.
Voting is a RIGHT in this country.
Where as having an ID or a credit card is a privilege.
These are two autonomous things. End of discussion.
2:16 exactly!
this Bill is clearly unconstitutional.
2:16 and 2:25, there is nothing, I repeat NOTHING that hinders someone from getting an ID, especially when elections are held with plenty of advance warning. Therefore an ID law does not take away anyone's rights.
2:16 & 2:25
You have to show I.D. to get on an airplane. You have to show I.D. at Doctors offices along with you insurance card. You need an I.D. for many things. What is wrong with showing I.D. to avoid voter fraud when voting is one of our most important rights and duties?
2:16
Im sure you had to show some type of ID when you applied for welfare. Whats the difference? You have to prove you are who you say you are.
The requiring of a driver's license is of no help.
Even illegals are given drivers licenses in Maryland.
You don't think so? Go to the MVA in Salisbury at 8:00 in the morning and see them lined up to go in and get their "number". When they run out of numbers in the morning, they tell them that's all their taking for that set and they will have to come back and try again to get a number to be seen.
I do not for one minute think all these people are in the states LEGALLY! There's no way, not with the influx at the MVA!
Even the MVA employees will tell you that they don't believe they're all legal either but there's nothing they can do. They don't even have a way to verify these people have REAL insurance on their vehicles!
The government is a BIG part of the problem to begin with and for a state to be implementing yet another plan that won't work is just utterly ridiculous...but that's how the government is anymore...make it LOOK like we're doing something!
wow! sooo angry on here. The last 3 commentators are wrong and the last one reeks of desperation. So rather than argue with idiots, Ill just wait it out and say "i told you so" when this bill either 1) dies before it sees the light of day or 2) gets repealed by the supreme court (or a lower court first)
also you dont need ID at the doctors office. and Flying on a plane is a privilege.
Voting is still a right. You cant take that away from people without ID, sooooorry!
4:53 - Actually, at most doctors' offices, you do now need to show your ID. Not much difference between having to register to vote and needing to show ID. As a matter of fact, you can get your ID at the same time and place that you register! Would you prefer voter fraud keeping on, or for some people to be a little inconvienced?
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