When I voted a month ago, I was required to show an ID.  I asked if that was legal, and was told that it was the only way to be sure that I was who I said I was.

I ask again.  Was that legal?  I live in Virginia.  It was a local election, but they ask the same thing during national elections.

If it isn't legal, what is my recourse?  These are nice people, volunteering at the polls, and I am sure they think they are right.  By the way, I honestly don't have a problem with showing an ID to vote, but I don't think it should be a requirement if it is illegal to do so.

Jan

according to:

http://www.electionline.org/Default.aspx?tabid=364

Acceptable forms of identification include the following: Virginia Voter ID card, Valid Virginia driver’s license, Military ID, Any federal, state or local government-issued ID, employer issued photo ID card, social security card. Any voter who forgets to bring acceptable ID to the polls may still vote but, will be requested to sign, under oath, an Affirmation of Identity form affirming that he/she is the voter he/she claims to be. For persons who registered to vote in Virginia by mailing their registration applications on or after January 1, 2003, the federal Help America Vote Act of 2002 requires those persons to show identification (ID) when voting for the first time in a federal election if they did not send a copy of one of these IDs with their voter registration applications. Any of the following types of ID are acceptable: A current and valid photo ID (for example a driver’s license); or a current utility bill, bank statement, government check or paycheck that shows name and address; or another government document that shows name and address (for example a voter card). This new federal ID requirement applies the first time a person votes in any federal election, either on the day of the election or by absentee ballot. If the voter does not present one of these forms of ID at the polls, that person can still vote, but must cast a conditional ballot. This is a paper ballot that the local electoral board counts the day after the election, after it verifies the person was qualified to vote in that precinct. When the person votes in other elections after his or her first federal election, the regular Virginia ID requirement will apply, as it does to all other voters. Source: State board of elections Web site

Cloudy's right about the fig leaf of voter fraud to rationalize disenfranchisement. It sounds sensible enough to wish for honest elections and thus rule out voter fraud. Even Jan in Virginia has commented in favor of it here. But when there's a demonstrable harm involved, the gain must be commensurate, and it's clearly not here. People are being denied the vote in a manner that's not only unfair but, by no means incidentally, discriminatory in terms of race, party affiliation, and political beliefs. In turn, the relation of the measure to voter fraud is a sham.

I've no doubt that ballot boxes have been stuffed in the past. It's not a serious factor in recent elections, but it could return, and it won't be because of not requiring IDs. It is easiest to stuff ballots the old fashioned way, but adding votes rather than adding voters. And where it was by paper in the past, Diebold is the most obvious way to arrange it now.

In contrast, try to imagine how likely it is for someone to distort an election by bringing out people pretending to be you and me. To have an impact, someone has to research the names and addresses of hundreds or thousands of registered voters, estimate which would vote against their candidate, get to the polls ahead of them, and fake their signatures. 

John 

http://www.haberarts.com/

Thanks for the info (and for doing my research for me --> embarassed much?)

OK, so it is legal in Virginia.  As I have said before, that is fine with me.  I know my fellow TPM'ers disagree with me, but I don't know anything else you can do -- from riding on a plane to cashing a check, or even opening a bank account that you cannot do without a simple ID. 

I also wonder about the studies. 

“…immigrant and minority voters are significantly less likely to be able to provide multiple forms of identification, such as a copy of their original birth certificate, or a recent bank statement. In full, we asked respondents about their ability to provide approximately six unique forms of identification, and immigrant and minority voters were consistently less likely to have each form of identification. Because our data reflects the identification trends of actual voters, not just adult citizens, the findings go far to suggest that voter identification laws could immediately disenfranchise many Latino, Asian and African American citizens.”

The fact that immigrant and minority voters were less likely to be able to provide SIX unique forms of id -- so what?  If anyone should be able to prove citizenship it should be a naturalized citizen (immigrant)!  Do you think they lose those papers?  Who cares if they can't find their original birth certificates?  They don't need that to vote.  I think this "study" was designed to prove a point, and by making the bar so high for things immigrants are least likely to be able to produce it "proved" the point of the researchers.  Who has to produce 6 forms of ID and birth records to register to vote?  NO ONE!  So the disenfranchisement BS is just that.  I have several friends who are relatively new citizens.  The first thing they did when they got their "citizenship papers" was to register to vote.  Did they need more forms than their citizenship papers?  No.

Although I agree that the republicans want this to keep people away from the voting booths, I don't think that is enough of a reason to abandon the idea of assuring that voters are legitimate.  I believe that ID's should have the OPPOSITE effect, because they would keep people from denying the vote from those who have their ID's in hand.  I know I am in the distinct minority, but there you are!  (Not the first time for me)

Jan

Jan,

me and my wife live in a town of 60,000 and have been voting at the same location for a gazillion years, and for the most part the people who work the polls are the same people, ergo, we're never asked for ID. I imagine this is how it is in most places in the country. Were you a stranger to this particular voting location?

However, I do understand what your point.