NOTE: This post will stay at the top of the page until Tuesday afternoon
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On Tuesday, March 10, Senate Bill 362, which will require photo identification to vote in Texas elections, is scheduled for a public hearing.
This public hearing is a fantastic opportunity for Texans to get involved and affect the political process.
To find out more about the Voter ID bill, I would suggest you start with Safe-Texas, which is a coalition of Texans dedicated to ensuring security and fairness in our election process.
Safe-Texas has a wealth of information about the bill, and what you can do to have your voice heard, to include:
- Show up on the south side of the Capitol at 7:45am on Tuesday. Wear RED! We have to show up early in order to go through security for the gallery in the Senate chamber.
- Be prepared to testify in favor of SB 362. If you are willing to testify in front of the committee, contact Eric Opiela at [email protected]. You can also sign in at the committee hearing as “in favor” of SB 362 without having to actually testify.
- If you cannot attend on Tuesday, you can submit written testimony that will be handed in to the committee. Please forward it to Eric Opiela at [email protected]
- Call your state senator and urge him or her to support SB 362. Contact information can be found here: http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/senate/Members.htm.
This is an issue that many citizens, regardless of ideology, very strongly support. Even if you have never testified before a legislative committee, we urge you to come out and support voter ID by joining us at the Capitol on Tuesday, March 10 at 7:45am.
I plan on being there on Tuesday. If you’re planning on being there too, find me and say hello.
Why I Support Voter ID Laws
I obtained my first piece of picture ID when I was 16 years old — my driver’s license. It has become the most important piece of identification I own, and has helped me obtain many other pieces of important and often times required Identification.
When I went off to college at Baylor University, the campus administration required me to have a school ID card with my picture on it. I couldn’t get into the library, the book store, or even my own dorm room without it.
Using my birth certificate and my DL, I was able to get my passport, which has been required to re-enter my own country when I’ve traveled abroad.
After a few years at Baylor, I decided to become a merchant marine, where I worked on sea-going black oil barges and tow boats. My job, effectively, was to pump oil to/from the barges and the dock hose.
At each doc, in order to do my job, I had to display my Merchant Marine’s certificate to verify that I was qualified as a Tankerman (Grade B and all grades higher). This was a requirement of the US Government.
After working on boats for a while, I joined the Army. They gave me not one, but two picture IDs (my military ID card and my Geneva Conventions ID). Despite the fact that I was being shipped off to fight for my country, I couldn’t even buy beer at the Class 6 without that ID.
I don’t know that I’ve ever held a job where I didn’t have to show at least one of those forms of ID to prove I was who I said I was.
I know I had to show several of them to get my current job.
And I don’t think my situation is unique at all. We all have to prove our identity or age or address so frequently as part of our day-to-day lives, that it’s nearly impossible to get by as an American citizen without some type of picture ID.
Though proponents of Voter ID laws will have you believe that poor, minority, and old people somehow are both 1) unable to get picture identification, and 2) yet still able to buy beer, rent or purchase a home, drive a car, get insurance, and all of the other day-to-day activities that require some form of picture ID.
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Can you cite any documented cases of voter fraud that would have been prevented had the voter(s) presented an ID card?
Pat, what is your opposition to having to prove who you are in order to vote?
Pat, Bexar County, 2006 elections. Documented cases of voter fraud.
Do you even know what is required to get a voter registration card in Texas? It’s easier to get a voter registration card than it is to get a Blockbuster membership.
At Blockbuster, you have to give them your driver’s licence and a credit card number.
To get a voter registration card in Texas, all you need is one of the following:
a paycheck stub with your name on it
a utility bill, rent receipt with your name on it
a library card with your name on it
Then you just check the little box that asks “Are you eligible to register to vote in the State of Texas”. Now we all know that everyone is honest and no one who was not eligible would register, right? I mean, there are no illegal immigrants registered in Bexar County, right? There are no illegals registered in Harris County, right?
If you believe that, then explain to me how the serial killer, Angel Resendez, an illegal immigrant, managed to vote three time (twice in local elections, once in a national election) in Harris County.
Don’t conflate rights with privileges. You do not have a constitutional right to rent videos, get a loan, utilities, or drive an automobile.
When raising the specter of voter fraud when you can only identify actual fraud in less than %.001 of all votes cast in any general election, you’re motives are suspect at best, particularly when you belong to a political party that claims less than 25% of its votes from people who have a well-established history of being discouraged and prevented from voting, legally and otherwise. So it’s understandable why you would want to erect barriers to those people getting out to the polls, but let’s not mince words by calling it this a “voter ID” bill, because what it really is is a Democrat voter suppression bill.
Thank goodness we still have a few reasonable Republicans left in the Texas House who will help kill this bill before the Governor ever sees it.
Can anyone cite any documented cases of actual, real people who, though legally eligible to vote, would be disenfranchised by this law?
Colin – it’s not about disenfranchisement – it’s about intimidating minority and elderly voters, many of which have (substantiated or not) real fears about casting a vote. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence – where is the proof that thousands of illegal aliens might be voting in American elections? When challenged ballots are subjected to review after an election, most obvious discrepancies such as duplication or deceased/unregistered voters are routinely discounted.
Itis may be a surprise to most conservatives – but a whole bunch of legal citizens do not carry ID and pay for everything with cash, and many of them are just the kind of voters Republicans would just as soon never see enter a polling place. 21 million American citizens have no photo identification, including 18% of citizens over 65, 25% of blacks, and 15% of citizens earning under $35K a year.
You want ONE documented case? Check out this lady in Reeves County, Texas! She was convicted for it!
http://www.oag.state.tx.us/oagNews/release.php?id=1620
No surprise at all. We call them non-citzens, because they are not U.S. citizens. You, however, call them democrat voters.
hth
Man, once again Urban Grounds and its posters are keeping me in the loop. Thanks Robbie . . . this is my go-to site for Rep-Dem debate.
First of all, there is no right to vote, it’s a privilege, just as is a driver’s license.
Greg Abbot should definitely prosecute some non-Dems to make his case stronger, eh? Or has he already? I see a lot of ink spilled about him only pursuing Dems.
The only person that would lose the right to vote under this law would be Pat’s fake lesbian daughter, since non-existent people cannot vote.
Also interesting is how Dems want responsible gunowners to jump through every hoop to legally exercise Second Amendment rights. God forbid the same requirements apply to the right to vote.
Bullshit.
The only person that would lose the right to vote under this law would be Pat’s fake lesbian daughter, since non-existent people cannot vote.
If she is non-existent she is definitely a democrat!
“but a whole bunch of legal citizens do not carry ID …” <–This is a bogus argument.
Let’s do some math:
-In 2007 there were 17.4 million Voting Age Population (VAP) Texans (according to Texas State Demographer).
-In 2007 there were 4.3 million state-issued non-Driver’s Licenses and 14.9 million driver’s licenses issued to VAP Texans – total of 19.3 million state-issued IDs (according to Texas Department of Public Safety).
-Therefore, there were almost 2 million more identification cards issued to VAP Texans than were age-qualified to vote!
And if, on election day, you can’t find your identification card, SB 362 gives you numerous alternatives to verify your identifty, including:
-a military ID
-a birth certificate
-a passport
-a concealed handgun license
-a utility bill
-official mail from a governmental entity
-US citizenship papers
-a marriage license
-adoption papers
-a Medicare or Medicaid ID card
-a temporary driving permit
-a pilots license
-a library card
-a hunting or fishing license
With this significant vote today, it is also important to remember the new law, which goes into effect 1 Oct.
Proof of lawful status now required for Texas driver licenses or identification cards.
First we insure the integrity of our DL’s, then we insure the integrity of our vote.
I’m a hard core democrat, and I honestly don’t see anything wrong with needing some form of ID to vote. Seriously. Though, I don’t see how this would stop any type of voter fraud. How easy is it to get a fake ID? Was pretty simple when I was in high school.