NationStates Jolt Archive

I hope that this election is a legal nightmare. I hope it winds up in bitterly fought court battles.

Here is why.

The courts have ruled(I am too tired to look it up right now but you can google it, less than 1 yr old) that it is a crime for a person to not produce ID when asked by the police.

This means that everyone of legal age must have some form of approved picture id(unless they choose to never leave their private property).

For most people this is a drivers license. But for many it is also a simple ID card issued by their state.

No one view getting some form of id as being a big hurdle except when it comes to voting.

How about we have a simple standard. It would allow people to vote to vote anywhere at any time, even if they are in another state. Simply require people to show either their drivers license or their id card. Most of the states databases are linked to each other. they have a picture and a number.

Scan your id and vote wherever you please. all problems solved. No fraud, the dead cant vote, no intimidation, no scams. Perfect!!!!!!

Yet, neither party wants this. why do you think this is? In a country as modern as the United States, people actually sit around and compare millions of signatures. What bullshit is that?

If you cant put in enough effort to get an id(its free if you dont have the 20 bux) then why should you be able to vote?

edit: Im kinda drunk so I didnt really make my point, but if this election is a nightmare then maybe there will be some incentive to streamline the process.

It's actually not a half bad idea, except that the software necessary to make it possible for a person to vote on every issue available on his or her ballot no matter where he or she was in the US would be insanely complex. I'm thinking it's going to take me 10 minutes to complete my ballot tomorrow, and I know what I'm voting for--I've got something like 25 initiatives/propositions as well as a dozen or so races to vote in (including an IRV race). Imagine the software challenges in making that available to someone who was visiting Toad Suck Arkansas.

And if you happen to drop your id, someone gets to vote twice. Goody.

Well if you had been correct about the first step it would have been worthwhile to go further. The courts have instead ruled that when the police are investigating a crime in which the name/identitiy of the criminal is a dominant factor in the investigation, and they have reason to suspect you are in fact the person whose name is associated with the crime, then the police may ask you for ID. It is not however a crime not to produce ID when asked by police, even in these circumstances, if you do not have ID to produce. That is what the court ruled, regardless of how it was played in the news, not that it is a crime to go arround without ID or that the police have a blanket right to ask for ID.

That said, why not just go with the indelible ink on the thumb? It's been used sucessfully in 3rd world countries many times (well except for those times when the ink wasn't indelible enough).

It's actually not a half bad idea, except that the software necessary to make it possible for a person to vote on every issue available on his or her ballot no matter where he or she was in the US would be insanely complex. I'm thinking it's going to take me 10 minutes to complete my ballot tomorrow, and I know what I'm voting for--I've got something like 25 initiatives/propositions as well as a dozen or so races to vote in (including an IRV race). Imagine the software challenges in making that available to someone who was visiting Toad Suck Arkansas.

Here is the thing, I have two drivers licenses(one from India and one from the NY) I tried using the india licenses once when I was pulled over in NY and the police officer was able to figure out that I had a NY drivers license from his freaking in car computer. If we can do it tickets, we can definately do it for something as important as voting.

I digress.

It doesnt have to start as a vote anywhere effort. It can start as a vote anywhere in your state or county effort. The point being, I dont see producing ID as an onerous burden. I have to produc id for pretty much everything I do in life. I cant get through a weak without producing

1) my drivers license
2) my social security number

I cant think of an activety that doesnt require me to provide some proof of who I am except for voting. I think that is kinda crazy. And I lay the blame for this mostly on the Dems. I am sorry if you think that is a partisan thing to say. But I think it fits nicely into the two party voter demographics.

I cant buy a pack of smokes without id but I can vote with out any proof that
a) I am citizen
b) I actually live in that state and
c) I havent voted a dozen times before

This is just silly.

If I had to bet, I would say there are less eligable voters in this entire country without id than there are people in Florida without some form of acceptable id.

This is not an issue people. The unwashed masses are not scared of polling booths. They/we all have some form of id because you simply cannot get through modern life without id.

I can get a complete fbi background check in less than 5 minures(to buy a gun) but there isnt a database of citizens????? What bridge is being sold to what group and by whome?

I want every legitimate vote to count(this is very important) but by the same token, I kinda get pissed when people in graves decide it is time to vote. call me crazy.