From the office of state Del. J.B. Jennings:
Annapolis, MD – To ensure the integrity of ballots cast by Maryland voters, State Delegate Nic Kipke, Delegate Kathy Afzali, & Senator J.B. Jennings have introduced a package of election integrity bills. If passed, the bills will require that voters show some form of identification to cast a ballot in both primary and general elections.
Delegate Kathy Afzali, sponsor of House Bill 705, states, “this is so important because when someone votes in another person’s name, that other person loses their constitutional right.” As states have enacted an identification requirement to vote it has exposed many thousands of examples of voter fraud, just last week the state of Florida identified hundreds of illegal immigrants who voted in the 2012 primary election. The PEW Center recently released a report that indicates that there are over 2 million active dead voters on the rolls.
Delegate Kipke, sponsor of House Bill 113, states, “We must ensure that every citizen’s right to vote is preserved to the highest standard, which means those attempting and those attempting to fraud an election is stopped and prosecuted.”
The bills do allow for alternative forms of identification other than just a driver’s license and if a voter forgets to bring their card or cannot otherwise produce a photo i.d. they will still be allowed to vote by provisional ballot that is then reviewed by the Board of Elections to ensure that the vote is valid.
America is undoubtedly the most successful republic the world has ever known; however voter fraud has been constant throughout its history. As evidence of voter fraud continues to be an epidemic, citizens are taking proactive measures like Election Integrity Maryland and True the Vote to clean up the electoral process. The U.S. Supreme Court of the United States ruled that requiring Voter ID is constitutional because it does not place an undue burden on the voter.
There are 19 million more Americans with proof of identification than those that are actually registered to vote. You need a photo ID to board an airplane, ride the train, open a bank account, or cash a check; to pick up movie and concert tickets; to go into a federal building; to buy lawn fertilizer or Sudafed, to pick-up your child from school, or to apply for food stamps – voting deserves similar protection if not more.
Eight states—Georgia, Indiana, Texas, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Wisconsin, Indiana and Kansas—have recently adopted laws requiring voters to present photo identification at the ballots. More than half of the United States currently requires some form of identity to vote. While some organizations like the NAACP oppose such legislation there is a rising number of minorities that do not feel that is a fair representation of their opinions. Requiring a voter to present identification is not an issue that must be polarized in the political arena. In fact, several Democrat elected officials across the country have stood side by side with Republicans in a united effort to help pass voter ID laws.
Most notably, the state of Rhode Island recently enacted a voter identification bill by a Democratic Majority Legislature that was introduced by State Senator Harold Metts, a minority Democrat. Furthermore, Former President Jimmy Carter and fellow Democrats endorse a federally mandated voter ID bill.
During a time when Americans have lost confidence in their elected officials and representatives, it is vital that we protect our most fundamental right as a democratic society by protecting the authenticity of Election Day. By restoring the significance of the individual vote the very essence of freedom, voter turnout will improve rather than decay. “A simple requirement that a voter demonstrate his authentic identity assures that free elections remain untainted by fraud,” said Hans A. von Spakovsky, a former member of the Federal Election Commission.
Recognizing the importance and value of our electoral process, Senator J.B. Jennings, has also introduced a voter identification bill, Senate Bill 412. He opined, “Preserving the integrity of the voting system in our state should be of utmost importance. Voting is a basic right for all citizens and there are those who seek to fraudulently undermine that right. It is time to put an end to the disenfranchisement of our voters.”
Background information is available at:
2 Million Dead Americans on the active Voter Roll
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/other-races/210327-pew-study-2-million-dead-americans-on-active-voter-rolls
ACORN Whistleblower Bio
http://biggovernment.com/author/amoncrief/
Maryland wants to go beyond the law of the land. “The 2002 federal Help America Vote Act requires any voter who registered by mail and who has not previously voted in a federal election to show current and valid photo identification or a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows the name and address of the voter. Voters who submitted any of these forms of identification during registration are exempt, as are voters entitled to vote by absentee ballot under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.”
The only reason for this is to suppress minority voters.
“Studies show that as many as 11 percent of eligible voters do not have government-issued photo ID. That percentage is even higher for seniors, people of color, people with disabilities, low-income voters, and students. Many citizens find it hard to get government photo IDs, because the underlying documentation like birth certificates (the ID one needs to get ID) is often difficult or expensive to come by. At the same time, voter ID policies are far more costly to implement than many assume… That form of proof should not include restrictive documentation requirements like overly burdensome photo ID or redundant proof of citizenship requirements that serve to block millions of eligible American citizens from voting.” Brennan Center
“We find that the strictest forms of voter identification requirements – combination requirements of presenting an identification card and positively matching one’s signature with a signature either on file or on the identification card, as well as requirements to show picture identification – have a negative impact on the participation of registered voters relative to the weakest requirement, stating one’s name. We also find evidence that the stricter voter identification requirements depress turnout to a greater extent for less educated and lower income populations, for both minorities and non-minorities.” Michael Alvarez, California Institute of Technology: Social Science Research Network
You have it exactly right Proud. Anyone who wants the voter to be able to prove that they are who they say they are is obviously a racist. Everybody knows that minorities just simply can not figure out how to get a legitimate identification.
It is not unreasonable to require identification of a voter. The reason voter fraud is not identifies in Maryland is that it does not get investigated. Why is it that generally Republicans are in favor of voter Identification and Democrats are generally not? Perhaps it is because voter fraud mostly favors the Dems.
And you know this because…?
All Republican candidates for Statewide office have discovered that the best place to put out campaign signs and literature is in the commentaries. It appears that dead people vote in much greater numbers than any other demographic.
Lots of dead people vote because after all those years of not being able to get a valid government ID, they now have one. A death certificate.
Make that cemeteries!