Common Sense Voter ID Upheld … Again

Posted January 22nd, 2009 at 4.47pm in Rule of Law.

In a decision that was virtually unnoticed in the media (imagine the stories if the holding had been different), the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the constitutionality of Georgia’s voter ID law on January 14 in Common Cause v. Handel. A three-judge panel compared the requirement for a voter to show a photo ID to the modern “burden of air travel in contemporary society.” Before you can board an airplane, you have to present to a federal official an identification card with a photograph. As the Court said, the “burden of that exercise assists the federal government in keeping passengers safe from physical harm.” The Georgia case concerned whether a state could use that same kind of exercise to safeguard “one of our most fundamental civil rights: the right to vote.” The NAACP disputed that Georgia had set forth any relevant and legitimate state interests sufficient to justify the limitation imposed by the photo ID requirement. However, the 11th Circuit disagreed, citing the Supreme Court’s finding in the Indiana photo ID decision that a state “indisputably has a compelling interest in preserving the integrity of its election process.”

The 11th Circuit found that the burden imposed on Georgia voters by this photo ID requirement was “not undue or significant,” and the NAACP was “unable to direct this Court to any admissible and reliable evidence that quantifies the extent and scope of the burden imposed by the Georgia statute.” In other words, the plaintiffs were unable to present any evidence of any individuals who either did not already have an ID or could not easily get one. In fact, two of the witnesses presented by the NAACP as supposedly not being able to vote because of the law both testified “that they could and would obtain a free photo identification with little difficulty.” The data relied on by the NAACP was so faulty that the district court judge who originally upheld the law erroneously appeared on the NAACP’s data match list as supposedly not having a driver’s license.

We can only hope that this common sense solution to improving the integrity of our elections will be implemented by more states, and that organizations like the NAACP will stop wasting taxpayer dollars litigating to block something that is overwhelmingly supported by voters, black and white alike. It is also hard to understand why the NAACP seems intent on enabling voter fraud when the evidence so overwhelming disproves its stated theory that the photo requirement is any sort of burden

Tagged with NAACP
vote fraud

10 Comments

January 22, 2009 Ozzy6900, CT (The Blue State) writes:

Of course the NAACP, ACLU and the rest of the Left don’t want ID’s used at the polls. If this were allowed, how could they sneak voters around to different polling places? There is nothing wrong with having people show an ID to verify that they are at the correct polling station and to verify that they are of age.

January 23, 2009 Derek, Pittsburgh PA writes:

Sure it makes sense, but can we get such requirements in states where illegal immigration and voter fraud is high like California? That would be great.

January 23, 2009 Elentee, Illinois writes:

VOTING - A privilage not a right! Not only should ID be required, proof of citizenship should somehow be required. And, above all, it MUST BE A FEDERAL LAW - PERIOD.

Any and All Law related to Voting s/b Federal Law - period - just as anything to do with U S Security s/b FEDERAL LAW as it affects the entire U.S. not just one state (ie Calif. or Il. which are “Illegal Havens” and “Safe Houses” to criminals and Illegals)
OUR ENTIRE VOTING STRUCTURE IS A FARCE NEEDING TOTAL VERIFICATIOAN AND SECURITY. Voting is as sacred as our identity both of which are treated like worthless chattle up for criminal proxy.

No party switching either!! This is also a despicable, apparently allowed practice,evidenced by last election. Fist time I saw this happen when I went to vote. People were allowed to switch parties in primaries to affect results of the opposing party’s “choice” REDICULOUS!! That isn’t “fair” “democratic” electing. That is the enemy choosing your representative. Gee do ya think the Big Bad Wolf would choose a Big Bad Bear to represent the 3 little ones??? HOW LUDICROUS—Yet another errosion of MY authority over MY quality of life that I and my forefathers have/do dearly pay for!! I have earned my vote!!

Lastly, I believe the voting age must be greatly increased. Maybe at least 25 years old. Heck, the mainstream excuse for politicians and other criminals is “oh my historic negative or anti-american behavior is excusable because it was long ago, I knew nothing, I was just a goofy, young kid in college.”

The majority of our young people dont have a clue to be voting and are too easily brainwashed to the “give me, take care of me, hate America” mentality of the socialist, communist agenda. I believe they need more life experience, exposure to reality, life lessons, AND input of other than socialist, communist, teachers and professors before they should be able to vote.

January 23, 2009 Jerry, in California writes:

I live in California and voter fraud is very obvious at all polling stations. Mail in voting is a joke as well. A picture ID and proof of legal citizenship in the USA must be done to stop the groups like ARCORN and clowns like Al Fraken in MN from stealing elections. We are losing our country to socialist government. The only voters should be legal and be able to prove it PERIOD.

January 23, 2009 Hozro1, Oregon writes:

Common Sense!
We have all heard it said that,”Ignorance of the Law is no excuse,”, haven’t we? What we seldom hear is the rest of the quotation,” to that which tells the common man that this is wrong.”
Common sense, common language, is something we as Americans have gotten so far removed from as to believe we have no choice in any matter concerning the Will and Whims of Congress, States and National!
We are Americans, first, last and always! Not of any specific color-Americans, nor of any specific religion-Americans, nor Bred- Americans! Until we as a Nation shall say,”Stop with all these little boxes of “Race” identifiers, how can we ever hope to not be divided?
Hozro

January 24, 2009 Sandra in Michigan writes:

We spend so much energy and money in an effort to exercise our rights. In the end what have we accomplished?? What have we made better?? The lawyers wallets..that’s ALL. Reason, conscience and sensibility are not “permitted.” Few of us understand groups like the ACLU and ACORN are parasitic and in control. Since everyone has more time on their hands these days they should spend time learning more about the cult-style leaderships that are thriving on controversy. No wonder we are confused, broke, depressed more than we are stimulated, energized and renewed. Aren’t we fed a steady stream of negativity from the Oval Office just to keep us “down?” “YES” we CAN?????” CAN what??

January 24, 2009 Another victory for photo ID - Conservatively Speaking writes:

[...] by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals upholding Georgia’s photo ID law and details from the Heritage Foundation. I have always supported and continue to support the implementation of a photo ID [...]

January 30, 2009 Paul , FL writes:

Let me get this straight. Acorn is accused of vote fraud among other things, and then receives it’s own part of the stimulus package? Is this a great country or what?
I’m speaking facitiously of course.
Edmund Burke once said, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing”.
The necessary first thing to do is for each of us to ask, “What can I do?”
Then, as a group ask, “What can WE do?”
Because, the alternative is -
That someday someone will be heard saying the following: “America? What’s that? I’ve never heard of America!”
Sad, but possibly true!

January 31, 2009 Mike, Hickory, NC writes:

Why does the NAACP seem so intent on enabling voter fraud when the evidence so overwhelming disproves its stated theory that the photo (ID) requirement is any sort of “burden”?

What we Conservative Americans (of all races, colors, and creeds, etc) have to keep in mind, included with what the rather Orwellian “PC (Politically Correct)” Socialist Left calls our “antiquated, archaic, dangerous, and out-dated ideas”, is that in the world of the Socialist Left the facts not only don’t count but must also be denied and ignored, or even attacked, and so, such as in this case, such people end-up actively contradicting themselves, yet denying that they’re doing so.

Indeed in this case all you have to do to see and realize that the Socialist Left, and their allies in the NAACP, are actively contradicting themselves and yet denying that they’re doing so is consider the name “NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People)” and their machinations (such as in this case), and juxtapose that with the displeasure and even rage with which many Black Americans (not [the decidedly Balkanizing term] “African-Americans” unless they were born in Africa) react to being called “Colored”, and the attitudes, statements, and behavior with which the majority of both Black and White Americans verify is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s. practically accomplished dream of an America where people are not “judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character”.

Yet the Socialist Left, and their allies in the NAACP, continue evidently far from so opposed to other situations where “photo ID” is required, such as in other possible cases of “identity theft”, but again, in the world of the Socialist Left the facts not only don’t count but must also be denied and ignored, or even attacked, and so again, such as in this case, they end-up actively contradicting themselves, yet denying that they’re doing so.

February 17, 2009 Jeff Sadighi writes:

Elentee, Illinois

Where do you find that voting is a privilege in our Constitution?
It is the RIGHT of an American who has reached the age of majority to vote upon completing the registration process.

Please educate me as to the lawful or Constitutional basis for your statement here.

Thanks

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