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Author Topic:   Who Wants Honest Elections?
jwhop
Knowflake

Posts: 2787
From: Madeira Beach, FL USA
Registered: Apr 2009

posted September 21, 2006 01:08 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for jwhop     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Well, it's sure not democrats. Democrats oppose every effort to eliminate fraud, eliminate illegal aliens from voting and oppose requiring ID for those voting which would also eliminate double, triple and quadruple voting. It would also eliminate one of democrats strongest voting blocks..the dead.

Of course, most Americans approve of efforts to eliminate fraud from the voting process. It's democrats who find themselves on the wrong side of the issue.

House acts to require voters to prove citizenship
Wed Sep 20, 2006 4:49pm ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In a move to crack down against illegal immigrants voting in U.S. elections, the House of Representatives voted on Wednesday to require Americans to provide proof of U.S. citizenship to vote in federal elections.

Democratic opponents said the bill would discourage eligible voters. But it passed with overwhelming support of Republicans who argued that it would prevent fraud and stop illegal immigrants from casting ballots in U.S. elections.

"Those who are in this country illegally want the same rights as United States citizens without obeying the laws of our land," Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite, a Florida Republican, said during the House debate. "We should not let these criminals defraud our election system by allowing them to vote."


The legislation passed on a largely party-line vote of 228-196 and although immigration issues are a hot topic in this year's congressional elections, it has little chance of winning Senate agreement before the November 7 vote.

The bill would require voters to present a photo identification to vote in federal elections in 2008. By 2010 the photo identification would also have to show the voter is a U.S. citizen.

Democrats said the bill's requirements would hurt the poor, the elderly and others unable to easily obtain the documents required. They argued that obtaining required documents can be expensive and that there was no evidence to suggest voter fraud is widespread.

"It's an imaginary problem," Rep. Charles Gonzalez, a Texas Democrat, told reporters. "This is calculated to disenfranchise a certain segment of our society and those are minorities. The collateral damage will be seniors, the homebound, victims of disaster and members of the armed services."

But Republicans argued that requiring proof of citizenship and a photo identification would not impose a great burden on voters because identification is routinely required for other purposes.

If it were enacted it would likely face legal challenges. Judges in Missouri and Georgia recently ruled unconstitutional state laws requiring voter photo identification. Several other states do require photo or other forms of identification.

BORDER SECURITY

It is one of a number of immigration-related measures House Republicans planned to bring to a vote before the November 7 congressional elections. Last week the House authorized the construction of a 700 mile fence along parts of the 2,000 mile border with Mexico. The Senate was poised to take up the measure later this week after it cleared a procedural hurdle.

Democrats have accused majority Republicans of pushing the border security measures weeks before the election for political reasons after they failed to agree on a comprehensive immigration overhaul sought by President George W. Bush. Bush wants legislation that would create a guest worker program and that would have allowed millions of illegal immigrants a chance to legalize their status.


Critics said the voter identification bill passed by the House on Wednesday also was part of election politics.

John Trasvina of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund accused Republicans of bringing the measure up so they could use it in campaign ads against political foes.

"It would certainly make a nice 30 second ad. Somebody's opponent saying, 'He voted against a bill that requires only U.S. citizens to vote,'" said Trasvina.

Chellie Pingree of Common Cause also denounced the bill, saying, "It's a political opportunity for them to show that they are tough on fraud. It is an anti-immigration issue."

"I think it stirs up voter fears at the polls," Pingree said.
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=politicsNews&storyid=2006-09-20T204854Z_01_N20466565_RTRUKOC_0_US-USA-IMMIGRATION.xml&src=rss&rpc=22

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