Comments about ‘Letter: Ignorance is no excuse with voter photo ID requirement’

It would seem that after 80 years since my birth that I have accumulated enough tax receipts,employment records, and other proof that I am entitled to vote that having to provide a birth certificate to get a photo ID is somewhat redundant. Besides, if the President of the United States doesn't have to provide a certified birth certificate, why should I?

@Henderson:

"Seems to me like they're more concerned with excluding those who might vote for Obama rather than improving the system."

Perhaps it's because the dead and the illegals seem to always vote democrat.

There is no such thing as voter fraud. There is election fraud, ie Florida 2000, Ohio 2004, but an organized effort to swing an election one voter at a time defies reason. Some day you all will see that every citizen should have the right to vote. The only rights you believe in are the ones you get without effort. It is your right but not your underpriveliged neighbor who doesn't deserve them as you. Is it because you are more successful? Is it because you have a car? Is it because you pay more in taxes? Any expense any citizen is required to pay to exercise there rights is nothing more than a poll tax. Period. Like I said before voter suppression.

Re: ugottabkidn: You stated that "...every citizen should have the right to vote." Yes, every CITIZEN should have the right to vote, and to vote only ONCE in each election.

Requiring photo ID is NOT voter suppression -- it is a vital part of protecting the sanctity of the vote by verifying that those who vote are eligible. Otherwise the win goes to the group who commits the most voter fraud, which undermines the very foundations of our free society.

ugottabkidn
14 of 200 registered illegal aliens voted in Utah in one year(voter fraud). In a larger state, with a President that is bending laws to acquire more votes for his party, it could happen.

No one is taking away anyone's right. People on welfare have to provide information that may cost them money to acquire (birth certificates, ss card, ID etc). 18 dollars for 5 years is not that much, and people have the right to decide. There are many states that require photo ID for welfare. If a person doesn't have one, they can vote, and follow it up with photo ID at the agency. Elderly people can vote by absentee. Most in nursing homes do.

$3.60 a year is a small price to pay for a honest election.

wrz - "Perhaps it's because the dead and the illegals seem to always vote democrat."

J Thompson - "Why do the dead and the non-citizens always vote for democrats?"

Awe....how sweet....twins. Mind you two don't expose your script when re-posting the talking points. Outside the blatant lies, hyperbole and exaggeration, it makes other readers question your premise.

Voter rolls have dead people, fictional people, pets, non-citizens in them. It's a fact, and has been in every election ever. Despite that, no investigation has ever shown that voter registration fraud has led to any actual voter fraud in the scale you claim. Yet the tactics you support (photo ID) would disenfranchise far more legitimate voters in every case. The data clearly supports this, yet you still defend trampling those voters constitutional rights for the sake of tilting at windmills.

re:SLars

"14 of 200 registered illegal aliens voted in Utah in one year(voter fraud)."

Actually, the audit found:

"According to state voter registration records, 14 of the 383 (who had tax ID numbers instead of Social Security numbers) actually voted in an election, but we could not confirm whether or not those 14 were actually citizens."

That is different that saying they were illegal.

If this voter ID push was coupled with a push to get rid of voting machines and moving back to paper ballots then perhaps we could take the Republicans serious.

A better solution might be to issue voter IDs when people turn up to vote.

If they didn't get caught, it didn't happen? Is that the same as if you don't get caught, it's not illegal.

14 people could decide a local election, 200 could decide the electoral votes in an
election. People here illegally have no problem using others names to get what they want. I would think voting would be second nature after work, welfare, etc.

If you are at a polling place, and know someone is not a citizen, step up and challenge his vote to the election judge. Citizens have a right to vote, and know that someone not a citizen is cancelling out their vote.

Re: Esquire Springville, UT
"It's about suppressing the vote, and particularly with voters who typically don't support the GOP."

It is disingenuous to suggest that those who vote Democratic don't have the mental capacity to grasp the concept of being required to produce their ID when voting. Certainly people who vote for the candidate and not the party have it figured out.

ITIN numbers are distributed by the IRS. No reason Utah could not find out(search ITIN it will tell you it's for foreign nations). This is the report that ended Utah giving out drivers licenses to illegal immigrants, and replacing them with driver privileged cards. We have long lines at the DMV NOW, because they gave out ID that could be used to vote, among other things.

Get use to proving your citizenship from now on.

Wastintime

Utah would never admit that illegal aliens voted. The ITIN is for non citizens that do not qualify for a SSN. Citizens, green card holders, and some visa holders use the SSN.

The ITIN is for foreign nationals and others who have federal tax reporting or filing requirements, non-resident alien individual not eligible for a SSN, A U.S. resident alien (based on days present in the United States) filing a U.S. tax return, A dependent or spouse of a U.S. citizen/resident alien, A dependent or spouse of a nonresident alien visa holder. (information from IRS.)

See how easy it is? ITIN's are not used by citizens. Our state must not use the Internet.

International precident would be to take a person's fingerprint. Not to require unconstitutional beuocracies.

There were what, 12 cases procecuted of voter fraud? The problem is not really a problem.

Now on the other had there are many international concerns of election fraud perpetrated by republicans.

@mikerichards: anytime people bring in conspiracy theories to support an argument I cringe. Keep your argument dealing with a basic premise: People should be required to bring a state issued photo ID when voting in an election so as to reduce the cases of voter fraud thereby making said election "more" honest. When we start bringing in people and personalities then we start looking to find out what type of Koolaid someone is drinking.

I RARELY agree with MikeR in anything but the basic premise that all Americans should have a valid picture ID when voting is one I do agree with him on.

You have to show a valid ID to board an airplane. You have to show a current, valid ID to rent a car, cash a check, get a loan, etc. What is so hard about requiring a valid ID to vote?