Photo ID's and Voter Fraud

South Carolina's Photo ID law is just one more attempt to curtail the voting rights of likely Democratic voters. So far similar bills have passed or are proposed in 34 states. Most of them seem to have their origin in the efforts of the Kansas Secretary of State, Kris Kobach (don't worry about those initials). He has been leading what amounts to a crusade against illegal immigration, which has intersected with the long held Republican desire to suppress the vote as much as possible.

While both parties mount extensive get-out-the-vote efforts before each national election, it has been a watchword in Republican circles that they do better when the overall vote is smaller. This is because there are more registered Democrats than Republicans nationwide. That means that Vote Suppression must lurk at the core of the Party's principles. Photo ID laws are just the latest incarnation of the Suppression project.

The irony is that this effort is so obviously contrary to the Republican insistence that it is the party of freedom. Like the Patriot Act (which I have commented on in an earlier post) it is one of those legislative initiatives in which they show themselves willing to undermine the very liberty they vow to protect. The Patriot Act was passed amid the passions produced by the September 11th attacks, so it was harder to judge of its necessity or its likely consequences. But these have been clear enough in the aftermath as the encroachment of shadowy government agencies on our basic freedoms has grown enormously.

If we had been able to listen at the time, we would have heard law enforcement agencies declaring that they did not need the enhanced powers of the Patriot Act. They just wanted better funding. Similarly, if we pay attention now, we will notice that there is no evidence of voter fraud anywhere. People are not flocking to the polls pretending to be someone else in order to steal an election. No evidence of this has been presented in any of the 34 states that have passed or may soon pass similar laws.

You may soon hear Republicans argue that in the Supreme Court case that upheld the Indiana Law on narrow grounds no evidence was presented of any registered voter being prevented from voting. But that not surprising since the challenge to the law was brought before it was implemented.

I think it's time for the Republican Party to cease it's efforts to suppress the vote, and should embrace its core principles. Become the party dedicated to liberty that you claim to be.

As always, if you think I'm wrong, I'd be glad to hear your case. Feel free to comment.

CD