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Monday, December 12, 2011

Voter ID bill one step closer to becoming (unnecessary, expensive) law

Today, Pennsylvania came one step closer to fixing a problem it probably doesn’t have.

A state Senate panel this morning tweaked a measure to require all voters to show photo identification at the polls.

The amended legislation now would allow for university ID cards and those issued by nursing-home-type facilities to be accepted, and would require more information from those seeking an absentee ballot. It passed the Senate State Governmental Committee on a 6-5 vote.

Daryl Metcalfe’s voter ID legislation had already passed the House and has the support of the Corbett administration, so it just needs to pass the full Senate to become law.

Right now, Pennsylvania voters only need to present ID the first time they vote at a polling place. This legislation would require us to present ID every time.

For most Pennsylvanians, this isn’t a big deal. But 3.9 percent of registered PA voters, or 320,000 people, don’t have an ID that would be acceptable under this law, according to the Committee of Seventy’s guide to the issue (that number will come down with these tweaks, but it’s still significant).

Most of the controversy surrounding this bill has focused on the fact that many of those who don’t have ID belong to demographics that traditionally favors Democrats (elderly, low-income minorities). Democrats have argued that the move is an attempt to disenfranchise them.

Supporters of the bill argue that it’s an attempt to fight voter fraud. But here’s the problem: There’s no evidence of a meaningful voter fraud problem in Pennsylvania. In 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010 a grand total of four Pennsylvanians were convicted of voter fraud. Now, it’s possible that a mass of fraud has gone undetected. But that would be a surprise, considering that voter impersonation is a high-risk, low-reward proposition.

It seems to us that the state should find some evidence that fraud is a problem before embracing a solution that will make it harder for some folks to vote -- and cost a bunch of money, too. The bill’s fiscal note estimates a cost of $4.3 million to distribute photo IDs in 2011-2012 alone.

We don’t think supporters of the bill have made a persuasive case that it would be money well spent.

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Posted by Doron Taussig @ 9:55 PM  Permalink | 8 comments
Comments   
  • Comment removed.
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 11:49 PM, 12/12/2011
    There is voting irregularities in Philly, which is the legendary home of them, even if the Democratic press can't bring themselves to admit it or to check their own archives. Marge Tartaglione was not going to let any real evidence of actual voter fraud come out of the shadows.

    But the real issue is why won't Democrats simply organize a campaign, along with the voting drive, to help people get a critically necessary photo ID? You need a photo ID in today's world, voting is the least of it.
    — CleanupPhilly
  • Comment removed.
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:07 AM, 12/13/2011
    No, no voter fraud in Philly. There's only more registered voters in the city than population.
    — journalismIsDead
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 6:55 AM, 12/13/2011
    Government 'fixes" problems it allegedly doesn't have all the time. In the grand scheme of things, at least the so-called "waste" involved here is only a drop in the bucket. Why the selective outrage? The left craves more regulation in every area except voting. I wonder why?

    There is simply no reasonable argument against having to show ID in order to vote. How are you supposed to prove that fake votes didn't happen unless you go through EVERY single vote and match it with an eligible voter? Don't have to do that if you confirm everyones identity before they vote. The transitory nature of today's society just doesn't jive with the "small town" homey feeling that the poll workers know everyone that votes in their precinct.
    — Wiseman6
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 10:07 AM, 12/13/2011
    The absence of evidence of "voter impersonation" apparently is evidence enough for the House and now the Senate State Government Affairs Committee to pass the "Pennsylvania Voter Identification Protection Act." If the bill clears the Senate and signed into law by Gov. Corbett, hundreds of thousands of registered without government-issued photo ID may be disenfranchised.

    At the recent Random Hacks of Kindness hackathon at Drexel University, my team developed a prototype for a location-based web app that will provide voters with information on how to apply for a voter ID and, if necessary, obtain the documents they need to establish their identity. If users need to obtain, for instance, a certified copy of their birth certificate, they can type in their address to find the location, office hours, and directions using public transportation.

    The Cost of Freedom Project is a citizen-led voter protection initiative. For more information, please visit us at Facebook.com/CostofFreedom.
    — fayemaria
  • Comment removed.
  • Comment removed.


8 comments
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