Georgia’s “Disturbing” New Law
By Rob on Domestic Issues
Say Anything
The New York Times:
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Georgia has passed a disturbing new law that bars people from voting without government-issued photo identification and seems primarily focused on putting up obstacles for black and poor voters. The Justice Department is now weighing whether the law violates the Voting Rights Act. Clearly it does, and it should be blocked from taking effect.
The new law’s supporters claim that it is an attempt to reduce voter fraud, but Secretary of State Cathy Cox has said she cannot recall a single case during her tenure when anyone impersonated a voter.
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Read the whole, stupid thing.
fairvote.org
So the assumption being made here is that applying for a $10 identification card will be too difficult for poor people and blacks.
But I’m wondering, why would this necessarily be harder for blacks than other demographics? Like, for instance, white people? Or Hispanic people? Is the implication here that black people are dumber or poorer than other segments of the population? So dumb and/or poor that they can’t apply for and receive identification? Isn’t that a rather arrogant, borderline racist assumption to make?
Now go read this, which is text from the actual law passed in Georgia. Specifically Section 7, which reads as follows:
The department shall not be authorized to collect a fee
for an identification card from any person:
(1) Who swears under oath that he or she is indigent and
cannot pay the fee for an identification card, that he
or she desires an identification card in order to vote
in a primary or election in Georgia, and that he or she
does not have any other form of identification that is
acceptable under Code Section 21-2-417 for
identification at the polls in order to vote; and
(2) Who produces evidence that he or she is registered to
vote in Georgia.
Well what do you know. If you don’t want to pay the $10 it takes to receive a state identification card all you have to do is sign a form stating that you cannot afford it and bam… you’ve got yourself some identification.
So what, exactly, is the opposition to this law based on?
Isn’t it a bit ludicrous to say that $10 is going to put a financial hurt on anybody, especially in light of the fact that people can get the requisite identification for free if they can’t afford the fee?
If this is the sum total of the opposition to this law I’ve got to believe that the people advocating against it are acting on ulterior motives, and the only ulterior motive I can think of is the fact that they want to keep it easy to commit vote fraud.
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