Voter ID
Should voters be required to present identification at the polls?
Our second editorial today ...
Take this easy election test: How often can you vote?
A member of the Sedalia Town Council tried to vote too often last week. One way to prevent fraud is to require identification cards at the polls.
Since Sedalia Councilwoman Ophelia Jones likes tests, maybe she can take this one. It only has a single question:
How many times are you allowed to vote in an election?
Jones said she was testing the system when she tried to vote a second time last week. Because she signed an affirmation that she had not voted earlier, she may learn there are consequences to making a false statement.
The integrity of our election process is a serious matter. While procedures should be tested, there are proper ways to do it. Someone who hands a hold-up note to a bank teller and gets caught can't claim he was just testing the security system and expect not to be charged with attempted robbery.
Nowadays, with early voting starting weeks before Election Day, it's not uncommon for people to try to vote a second time, Guilford County Supervisor of Elections George Gilbert said Wednesday. "Normally it's an elderly person who didn’t remember it was the same election."
Less innocently, someone could try to get a second ballot by claiming to be another voter. In North Carolina, voters don’t have to present identification at the polls.
Gilbert doubts that sort of fraud occurs often because the risk of getting caught outweighs the potential benefit of casting an illicit vote. After all, how many elections turn on one or two votes? An ID requirement more likely would impede a legitimate voter than stop a fraudulent one, Gilbert added.
Nevertheless, the Carter-Baker Commission on Federal Election Reform recommended that states require a photo identification card for voters and provide one at no charge to those who can't afford to pay for it.
That's a reasonable precaution, and not only for the purpose of making sure that only citizens entitled to vote actually get a ballot. A nationally recognized ID card also should ensure that a qualified voter would not be turned away at the polls.
Unless she were trying to vote for a second time, of course. Because the correct answer is once.
Comments (8)
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While our precinct workers are the dearest souls in the world, when I vote they open their roll book to look up my name, put their finger on it, and ask my address with the roll book VERY visible before me. It would be very easy for someone to vote in my place.
I know that's not the same thing as voting early and then voting again on election day, but the potential for fraud is still there.
So, I am for showing some ID. But how about a dirvers license, or social security card? Or even a credit card! But do we REALLY need a "voter ID card"?
Posted on November 17, 2005 9:54 AM
Do we need ID to vote? ABSOLUTELY!!!
Posted on November 17, 2005 10:00 AM
I'm with Astro Boy and mrproduce on this one. Show ID? Certainly. But NOT a voter card. I would venture to guess that 99.44%,of the public have a "picture ID." In North Carolina DMV gives you one if you drive and a different one if you don't drive. And if the FAA will accept my DL as ID for flying on a commercial plane, why wouldn't any state or other municipality accept it?
We DO NOT need big brother to compile another list of citizens under the guise of being able to vote.
Posted on November 17, 2005 10:23 AM
Guys, hasn't our DMV given lots of driver's licenses to illegal immigrants?
Posted on November 17, 2005 10:36 AM
Well Doug , what you say is true but then who says that a Fed ID could not be forged as well. Do you think that many of the poll workers would notice the difference. Show and ID, vote and get your finger dipped in ink. Now wouldn't that tick off the ACLU being able to tell who actually voted and having them inked.
In Australia, if you don't vote, you are fined about $50US dollars. They have a voter ID there also, not to keep you from voting but to insure that you do vote. Wonder how folks would like that situation, especially those who bemoan the ID use as a determent to the poor voting.
Posted on November 17, 2005 12:18 PM
Doug,
NC has one of the most porous processes when it comes to issuing driver's licenses. In fact it's a nationwide embarrassment. Any undocumented person in NC having the ability to pass the test can get the license from what I've heard.
However, the poll worker should be required, if DL ID is instituted, to match the license against the voting register. Now, the other question arises, is it difficult for an illegal to register to vote?
In any event, I would agree to a separate ID for voting that prominently displays my mug. I'm in the voting database anyway as a registered voter anyway, including a picture of me as well is incidental.
Posted on November 17, 2005 12:26 PM
Doug, great editorial. North Carolina has not necessarily been one of the hotspots in the US for voter fraud, but we have had some very close elections. This was a courageous stance taken by the editorial board, and I hope it leads to reform.
Posted on November 17, 2005 3:32 PM
There should be proper identification required and a photo ID and anything to assure the voter has only voted once, and was voting in the precinct they should be voting in.
Perhaps if things weren't so lax last year we wouldn't still be waiting on the commissioner's race between Wade/Parks.
Posted on November 17, 2005 4:50 PM