Idea for a voter-ID-law (Would it be workable?)

[DetlefK]

Since the dozen cases of voter-fraud are a national problem, I would like to propose a national Voter-ID, backed up by a national voter-database.

- the bill would contain a provision, that anybody carrying such an ID is eligible to vote, no matter what state-laws say
- to obtain such an ID, you would have to register via mail with a national voter-database:
* notarized photocopies of documents that prove that this face belongs to that name
* recent address
- you are responsible for keeping the address up-to-date
- 1 month ahead of vote, a ticket bearing your name and your address is sent to that address
- that ticket being in your possession, combined with any low-quality-ID bearing your name, counts as voter-ID

(That's approximately how it's done in Germany. And usually merely having a voting-ticket qualifies you to vote.)


So, to commit voter-fraud, you could falsify documents upon entry to the database
or intentionally use a wrong address
or steal the voting-ticket of somebody who has the same name
or steal a voting-ticket for a name you have a matching fake ID to
or try to falsify a voting-ticket.

[ret5hd]

1. why is a dozen cases a national problem?

[demwing]

2. As you noted, voter fraud cases are counted in the dozens

So why implement a national solution for such a limited issue, especially when the "solution" includes a defacto poll tax?

[DetlefK]

7. It was intented to counter voter-suppression on the state-level.

If you have registered, the state couldn't purge from the voter-rolls, because federal law trumps state-law.

For example, if you are a student, you claim the dorm as your residence and the voting-ticket is tied to that address. The state could claim that you really live with your parents all it wants: You get to vote where you pick up your mail.

Or if you are so old, that you never got the appropriate IDs back then, I could imagine something like a sworn, written testimony to register: "The person on the attached photo is A. Hereby reputed under oath by B and C."
Once that old person is registered, the strict phase of voter-identification has been passed.


Yes, it would be kind of a poll-tax, but you would only have to pay it once.

[JustAnotherGen]

8. I wouldn't want

The states to have ANY access to the pictures.

I see where this comes from - the 'few dozen' cases - you are using . Go edit your post with that emoticon.

I stand in the position of a Federal Voter ID IF we are going to do something like this.

Know why? It kicks the 'states rights' assholes in the stomach. It punches them in the nose. And it's a sucker punch.

They want it - they do it the way of people who believe that the North won the Civil War, we let them win the peace by taking it OUT on my dad, his parents, and grandparents for more than 100 years (black folk in Alabama) - so they can go hang.

"They" can't be trusted. They need to shut up. And they will eat Federal Laws/Federal Solution or stop with their bullshit.

[Scuba]

3. A solution in search of a problem.

[Coyotl]

4. Unconstitutional and a bad idea.

Why are you trying to stop people from voting?

[LisaLynne]

5. A few dozen cases?

Sorry, WAY more concerned about the horribly long lines and wait times and other tactics that suppress the vote.

[HERVEPA]

6. A solution searching for a problem

[Jbradshaw120]

9. No good

I don't like it, but I don't like any national ID, with the understanding that we do have a national social security number, and I think this just p,ays into republica hands on voter ID. It is a bad idea to have voter ID laws their is not a significant problem. So no need to waste national resources on a non existent problem.