Constitutional Law, Justice, Politics

The GOP And Voter Disenfranchisement

-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger

There are two ways to increase your chances of winning an election, get more voters to cast their ballots for you, or get fewer voters to cast their ballots for your opponent. The GOP had decided to pursue the latter option.

There is nothing more sacred in a democracy that the right to vote, so an attack on voting rights is an attack on democracy. That is exactly what is happening in many states across our land. Republican governors and legislatures are passing laws making it extremely difficult for certain Americans to vote.

The Republicans use the illusion of voter fraud to mask their contempt of the Constitution. A report from the Brennan Center for Justice found the incidence of voter fraud at rates such as 0.0003 percent in Missouri and 0.000009 percent in New York. Michael Waldman, executive director of the Brennan Center said  “Voter impersonation is an illusion.” The Brennan report also states:

We are not aware of any documented cases in which individual noncitizens have either intentionally registered to vote or voted while knowing that they were ineligible.

Kris Kobach, the secretary of state of Kansas and longtime conservative activist, has led the voter ID drive in his state. Kobach explained that between 1997 and 2010, Kansas has experienced “221 cases of reported voter fraud.” A dubious claim since not a single criminal conviction has resulted. Over the same period of time, Kansans cast 10 million votes. Even if everyone of the claimed cases of voter fraud were accurate, the rate of fraud would be miniscule.

Numerous surveys show that blacks, Hispanics, the elderly, and the young are less likely like to possess a form of government-issued identification. Except for the elderly, the other demographics are more likely to vote Democratic. The elderly are more likely to vote Republican. In a shameless display of the falsity of their voter fraud motivations, Republicans in Texas simply exempted the elderly from the new voter ID law.

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, after signing a voter ID law requiring voters to have a photo ID, then closed DMV offices in Democratic areas and expanded DMV operating hours in Republican areas. South Carolina governor Nikki Haley said she “will go take them to the DMV myself and help them get that picture ID.” Even with carpooling, it would take 7 years, 4 months, 3 weeks and 5 days to take the 178,000 voters to the DMV. That assumes good traffic conditions.

H/T: WaPo, Bloomberg, E.J. Dionne, Think Progress, Daily Kos.

143 thoughts on “The GOP And Voter Disenfranchisement”

  1. I work with clients who are on SSI and I do not know of any who get over $674/month. The reason for that is the most an individual can get on SSI is $674/month.

    The most a married couple can get on disability is $1,011/month.

    If there is any income coming in from any source, benefits are reduced by that amount.

    Source: http://www.ssa.gov/oact/cola/SSI.html

  2. Benefits go to about $28K annually.
    ==============================================

    link or source?

  3. Carol Levy

    I am sorry for your situation and would do what I could to help if I lived in your area. My point is that government should have never got mixed up in entitlements and thus we are now paying a price. It is all of America’s fault not just one political party. God Bless you!

  4. Carol,

    I’m not sure how long ago you became disabled, but in 2011 individuals qualify for payments after five months. Benefits go to about $28K annually.

  5. Carol Levy,
    Thank you for your story and good luck. Most of the country supports you and others who are in your situation.

  6. Jack, I am disabled. I had to be disabled for 18 months before I could qualify for ss disability (for which I had worked and paid into the system – not a freebie as already noted by some here). During those 18 months I had to be n assistance including medicaid since i was physically disabled.
    The amount of ss disability comes to a staggering $9,462/year. I have no family to help with my life costs as a result I have to go to the state for food stamps and other help. The only thing ‘entitlement reform” will do, if it takes more away from medicare and ss will be to raise your state taxes to make up for what is lost from our ‘income’.
    You seem to be very lucky in life, you are not disabled, at least to the point where you cannot work, you have money to provide for ourself and are not impoverished. It is folk like you, who see the plight of folks like me, as nothing more than an issue for debate and ideology. You are very lucky sir, but, please, find some compassion in yourself, if not empathy, for those whose lives have been impacted by age, disability, circumstances out of their control that require them to ask the state for help. (And have no illusions sir that it is not humiliating to have to ask for help from the state.

    hc

  8. Only trolls & sociopaths could assert something like “People should help people and not government. ” with a straight face.

    What do they think the government is, some living entity or mechanism disconnected from people?

  11. Jack,

    I think there is plenty of blame to go around. I’d say that the financial problems in this country go back further than the late nineties. Remember the “dotcom” bubble…the savings and loan scandal? Remember Alan Greenspan? Remember trickle down economics? Both Democrats and Republicans bear responsibility for our problems. I think Obama didn’t help much with the economic team he chose–especially Geithner and Summers. Imagine appointing a Secretary of the Treasury who hadn’t paid his own income taxes? Yet the Republicans didn’t have a problem with that. But they did have a BIG problem with Elizabeth Warren.

  12. Elaine, et al……

    I think this group of trolls have more names than any other group on record….As soon as you get close to pinning one down….another pops up to deflect the other….

  15. There are many elderly people who are recipients of Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid. Many of these same people worked hard for decades and paid income taxes.

    You do not pay for medicaid only for SS and Medicare. Medicaid is a freebie. I am tired of going to specialists and having to pay full price in addition with my insurance premium and medicaid patients getting it for free. That is not the vision of Washington, Franklin, Jefferson, and Madision.

  16. Elaine M.

    Credit debt obligations! Are you kidding? How many people have stopped paying what they owe? Learn from Dave Ramsey who went bankrupt and then once he became successful went back and paid off his debts even though he didn’t have to under the law. Pay what you owe!!!

  17. Jack,

    “I have learned that in just a few short moments you are good with making excuses for people.”

    Please explain which people I made excuses for.

  18. Elaine M.

    You missed it again! Clinton along with Barney Frank loosened the lending restrictions to almost forcing banks to lend. Just go back and watch Dylan Ratigan on Friday and you will hear in specific detaisl.

  19. Elaine M.

    I have learned that in just a few short moments you are good with making excuses for people. We can all give time if we make a decision to do so. Our government is currently 14.3 trillion in debt and by tomorrow will increasing that to ver 16 trillion. We pay about 30 billion in interest each month on that debt. A country can’t last much longer with those facts. We have enjoyed a life that many in past present and future will never see but it is coming to an end Unless we make tough choices by cutting entitlements. Socking it to the rich is not a solution and as I stated earlier every American should be paying income taxes which is Fair. I can’t stand the Progressive tax system but am willing to compromise if it will bring stability and fairness. Before a discussion on fairness can begin, the very least everybody in Amewrica should be paying income taxes that work.

  20. Jack,

    “It was easing lending practices to people who had no concept of a dollar.”

    Why did the “private sector” do that? Isn’t the private sector the responsible party then? If a bank gives someone who is a poor risk a loan, who is really at fault? The bank or the individual who is a poor risk?

    What about Credit Default Swaps and Credit Debt Obligations? What about the Quants?

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