The upcoming November 6th, 2012 presidential election, is one of the most anticipated events of 2012. Both, Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, try to lure the undecided voters with speeches, dinners, celebrity supporters, promises, and paint. Yes, paint. Painting the other candidate in bad light.
But the hottest topic of the year is the boomerang issue of the state voter ID laws. Like the hanging chads - remember 2000 presidential election? - the voter ID laws are being reviewed and decided by the United States courts. 93-years old Viviette Applewhite, suing Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, leads the pack.
Chad, by the way, is #121 out of 1220 of the most popular names in the U.S. Not to shabby.
Naturally, online state-by-state voter ID maps present the current law information tailored to their political or financial interests. Whatever your political views are, the maps can give you some idea on the law at each state: National Conference of State Legislatures, Lawyers' Committee For Civil Rights, Rock The Vote.
The race card is being played heavily in this debate, since the government officials finger minorities as the largest group with lack of or non-valid IDs. Disenfranchised voters push back with lawsuits, and the vicious circle continuous.
Those who demand national or federal identification card, mostly to prove citizenship status, overlook the obvious - passports and passport cards. Although, state residence and address are omitted from those documents, the IDs provide a solid proof of citizenship. If federal voting system would ever come to existence, I'm being sarcastic here, we would have an official federal ID available through the USPS. Bonus: saving mail carriers careers.
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| Source: http://travel.state.gov |
Placing the political or racially driven motives on the back burner, how can an average person manage all the government, business, school, and work requirements for a valid form of ID, without one? Sooner or later, one must present or use an ID to accomplish some of the basic tasks in life. Even the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, lists a driver's license/state ID as one of the choices to apply for the fishing license.
Top 10 list when the state photo ID is required:
10. Taking a state exam - that would include medical one
9. Taking commercial flight - pat down search included
8. Enrolling at college - not the electoral one
7. Being pulled over for speeding - is that less dangerous than texting?
6. Closing on the house - there is a reason banks call it mortgage
5. Filing taxes using e-file - thank you TurboTax!
4. Opening a bank account - not sure about the offshore one
3. Paying by check at the grocery store
2. Entering the nightclub - don't confuse with strip club
1. Getting served at the bar - use with caution Mario: Kapitanska Vodka
So where do we go from here? It might sound simplistic but I vote for a voter registration card and a bucket of electoral ink. What's the better way of announcing your accomplished civic duty than flipping your inked finger saying, yes, I voted today!
