Accusations flew from the four corners of the state following the 2010 election. Alleged voter fraud centered around Minnesota prisoners (felons are not eligible to vote while incarcerated) and mentally impaired adults who were allegedly being coached by others as to how to vote. Both situations should be cause enough to implement photo ID for Minnesota voters if true.
As reported in the Dispatch on March 5, six states enacted a strict photo ID requirement in 2011. Some 31 other states that are considering such a law in this year’s legislative sessions. Minnesota is among the states considering adaptation of a voter identification law, but not in the legislature.
Last year the Minnesota Legislature passed voter ID. However, the bill was sent to Gov. Mark Dayton and he vetoed the bill.
Backers of a measure that would require each resident of Minnesota to verify they are eligible to vote will are pushing for an amendment to the state’s constitution requiring state-issued photo ID.
Voter ID is deeply partisan. Republicans support the common-sense requirement and a means of preventing voter fraud. Democrats view it as an impediment to voting by the poor, minorities, the elderly and disabled residents of the state.
If the amendment succeeds, it would be a matter of practicality to allow Minnesota driver’s licenses, and or any state issued photo identification to serve as an adequate form of verifying a persons’ identity. Provisions should be made for those persons who do not possess a driver’s license, or other forms of state issued identification.
Voter fraud is a serious matter that should be ended.
Alleged fraud in Crow Wing County prompted a federal lawsuit against Crow Wing County Attorney Don Ryan and Auditor-Treasurer Laureen Borden, representatives of Ramsey County, Minnesota’s Secretary of State Mark Ritchie and Attorney General Lori Swanson. The suit was filed by the Minnesota Voters Alliance President Andy Cilek. Cilek said the state’s voting practices permits ineligible voters to cast their ballots and have them counted.
The right for a citizen resident of Minnesota to vote in federal, state and local elections is one right that each person should be guaranteed, without fraud or intentional deception.
Therefore, passing an amendment to the state’s constitution that requires proof of eligibility is essential in a democratic republic. To not pass such a law infers that voter fraud is an acceptable practice.
—Keith Hansen
Comments (24)
Add commentPoll book
I think an electronic poll book could more effectively reduce voter fraud. An ID doesn't necessarily say whether the person can vote, or has already voted. Essentially if voter id was enacted they would still have to get the electronic poll book anyway. Also if they were to enact requiring ids for voting they would have to have a provisional ballet for those without id's, which would slow down the results and possibly make tampering a problem.
ID's may be helpful if the were allowed to assist in the process, but requiring them could cause other problems.
Not so fast, Keith
You said, "To not pass such a law infers that voter fraud is an acceptable practice."
See the Star Tribune article where the mom filled out her daughter's absentee ballot with her input and then signed her daughter's name. And then the daughter voted at college.
The law took care of that when it was discovered. Voter id by the daughter at the polls that day would not have prevented this.
No, Keith, there are plenty of laws on the books that are already preventing voter fraud.
Did you read the argument from the Wisc. judge who tossed their voter id law today?
BTW: Who are you? Usually "our opinion" writers have a byline that tells us if the column is original to the Dispatch or from some other source. Thank you.
The judge stopped
the law for now. He can't toss it as much as the liberals wish he could.
for now works, fnb
Good call for Wisconsin. When Walker exits, the political climate will normalize to the east of us.
Your examples of a prisoner voting and a vulnerable adult being coached to vote still will not be cured by a voter id. People are allowed to help others in the voting booth and with absentee ballots, both examples could vote. Do you think fake ids won't spring up? Doesn't take long to get them as seen when people steal others' identity. And if the court workers gave ballots to vulnerable adults who were on record as such, then they should be prosecuted. But were they listed as such at the court house? I don't think some were.
If prisoners received absentee ballots in the mail, that is a prison issue. The ballots are clearly marked and should be confiscated if the prisoner is a felon and not in prison for a lesser crime.
How about proof for all of these allegations?
The Wisc. AG
is about to get that judge slapped down by another court.
"Do you think fake ids won't
"Do you think fake ids won't spring up" so what you are saying lake is voter fraud is happening and fake ids will spring up if voter id is required.
yes, rubbyk, probably
"By far the greatest source of fraud in our elections is electronic voting or tabulation without paper ballot confirmation for a recount and without proper audits of machinery. The second greatest source of fraud is absentee ballots. Where is the hue and cry over these sources of fraud? Fraudulent voting where one person casts a vote claiming to be a different registered voter is virtually unheard of. Furthermore, what prevents a person from fraudulently obtaining the birth certificate of another person and using that to obtain a picture voter ID?"
And the photo id may become free, but to obtain a copy of your birth certificate and marriage certificate if your name has changed since birth may be costly. And it also may be time-consuming. Crow Wing County's $11 fee for an id is just the beginning of the costs. I would certainly think there should be ample proof of how this would decrease voter fraud before Minnesota takes such a giant leap. So, show us the proof of voter id fraud. I am waiting to see how many collect $1,000 for identifying fraud.
well, keep on talking about voter id
It is becoming a fund raising issue for the DFL.
"While 150,000 Minnesotans are unemployed, Republicans are wasting time debating shameful legislation that threatens our most fundamental right as American citizens: the right to vote.
You and I know that the GOP's voter ID legislation is just a political ploy to make it harder for senior citizens, students, people of color and people with low incomes to exercise their right to vote. It could restrict over 715,000 Minnesotans' ability to vote."
That helps. Thanks MNGOP
Libs are against it.
If Libs are this opposed to something..it must make sense.
Civil Rights upheld in Wisconsin!
Breaking News: "A Wisconsin judge declared a state law requiring people to show photo ID in order to be allowed to vote unconstitutional on Monday, issuing a permanent injunction blocking the state from implementing the measure.
"Without question, where it exists, voter fraud corrupts elections and undermines our form of government," wrote Dane County Circuit Judge Richard Niess in his decision. "The legislature and governor may certainly take aggressive action to prevent its occurrence. But voter fraud is no more poisonous to our democracy than voter suppression. Indeed, they are two heads on the monster."
The decision comes less than a week after another judge temporarily halted the bill."
Time to
recall two judges. They have now violated the civil rights of the majority of Wisconsin citizens.
This is what democracy looks like!
Next it will be Walker heading to Cali to work for the Koch brothers.
Texas voter id law blocked
Per the ruling: "As a state with a history of voter discrimination, Texas is required under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act to get advanced approval of voting changes from either the Justice Department or the U.S. District Court in Washington."
You know, having ALEC writing these state laws begs the question as to why the GOP legislators are not doing their own research.
Thank you Lakelander
for reporting on the Wis ruling on this issue. What is the real reason that the GOP is pushing this issue. It is a solution looking for a problem, in my opinion. When I think of the expense to the state and to the voter, and how many low income, disabled or elderly people will be unable to get photo id's, this is a great deterrent to our fair system. When we had the Coleman Franken recount, there were no cases of voter fraud after a scouring and recount of all the votes. I ask again, What is the REAL reason the GOP is pushing this locally as well as nationally??
the real reason:
is voter suppression.
Thanks to the League of Women Voters in Wisconsin who pushed this law suit ahead and won!
As someone mentioned days ago, illegal immigrants keep their heads down and don't go to vote.
A lot of
illegal dead Democrats and cartoon charecters vote though.
fnb just keep repeating this, maybe you'll convince yourself
if you repeat something over and over, that does not mean that it is true
and why won't the GOP consider Mark Ritchie's electronic poll book idea, if it meets the need and it is cheaper for taxpayers??
oh, right, the GOP hates Mark Ritchie, our Secretary of State, who has won national awards for election integrity in MN
fnb
"Keep repeating this..."
Great advise... Look at how well it worked for snowda, fnb :)
Mark Ritchie
the ACORN guy?
Facts of Voter ID
Link:www.ncsl.org/legislatures-elections/elections/voter-id-state-requirements.aspx
no different than you snowda
the facts remain that dead people, illegals, felons and cartoon characters did vote in the last election.
If they were in favor of the right, I would put a large sum of money that you would be on our side of things.
The constitution is not your toy to change and use as you liberals wish. The FREE ID card that you would receive in Wisconsin will protect the integrity of the election and allow every US CITIZEN to vote ONE TIME and keep those who shouldnt be voting from actually casting a vote.
I can't wait to...
Present my fake photo id of Rush Limbaugh and get turned away.
Doesn't match the receding hairline or mouthpiece...
fnb try to deal with your anger in some useful way please
Just wait till people who have been voting their whole life get turned away. The backlash will be horrendous.
States implementing voter discrimination will probably find their amendments overturned by the feds.
Take photo at polls
Why can't we take photo at polls like they do for driver's licenses? People could register and sign up there if they don't have a photo id. They could get it ahead of time too to quicken the process. Memory chips and a small digital camera is all you need.