Voter ID bill needs your support.

[FarmerRick]

Here's one of the issues that requires our voice to stop....

The Situation: Voter ID Bill

Last Thursday State Senator Charlie Janssen updated our group on his voter ID bill. This week it was to come to the floor for debate but had to be withdrawn because it has been demonized and demonstrated against, scaring the backers that Charlie thought he had. One simple fact is ignored: THERE IS NO LOGICAL REASON TO OBSTRUCT THIS BILL, OTHER THAN PROTECTING VOTER FRAUD.

Charlie and Deb Fisher have put their full support behind it. It's a simple measure:
It simply requires only that voters prove their identity before voting.
It treats every voter equally.
Voters can obtain an ID at no cost.
They can even vote late if necessary to obtain the ID.
It costs the state only $15,000/yr to administer.
There is no group - seniors, minorities, majorities - advantaged or disadvantaged.

Here's what Janssen's office is asking:
Right now only the liberals are being heard. They are demonstrating and manning the phones.
The first 15 Senators below are intimidated and wavering.
Only about half are needed to pass the bill.
But they're backing away because of the pressure.
This bill is going to die if we remain silent.
So what we need is simple. It's time to speak with one voice, as conservative Americans, and be heard. This is not TPP issue; not a 912 issue; not a Freedom Works; not GOP, etc. It's the right thing to do and is long overdue. So it's time to speak.

If you're a member of WinItBack, please phone/email as many of the Senators below as you can. If you know someone in their district, forward the information to as many as you can.
If you are the leader of another conservative group, please pass this to your members and ask them to call and email.
No organization will take credit for the win. What's important is that conservative Nebraskans be heard in large numbers and that we send the liberals a message that they can no longer control by intimidation.

There's also a small group of Senators trying to kill this by amendments or fillabuster - but we aren't going to waste our energy on them. Let's focus on what's right and let the results take care of the opposition.

This is one of our few opportunities to speak in a unified voice. WE NEED TO BE FINISHED BY TUESDAY! SO EMAIL THIS WEEKEND AND CALL FRIDAY, MONDAY or TUESDAY. Janssen's office will give us feedback on how effective we are, so make some noise in Lincoln!

SPEAK WELL - AND LOUD!


All Numbers begin with 402-471-____

Greg Adams      gadams@leg.ne.gov 402-471-2756
Brad Ashford     bashford@leg.ne.gov     2622
Lydia Brasch      lbrasch@leg.ne.gov       2728
Colby Coash     ccoash@leg.ne.gov         2632
Abbie Cornett   acornett@leg.ne.gov      2615
Galen Hadley    ghadley@leg.ne.gov       2726
John Harms      jharms@leg.ne.gov         2802
Russ Karpisek   rkarpisek@leg.ne.gov    2711
Bob Krist          bkrist@leg.ne.gov           2718
Paul Lambert   plambert@leg.ne.gov      2613
LeRoy Louden  llouden@leg.ne.gov        2725
John Nelson     jnelson@leg.ne.gov        2714
Rich Pahls        rpahls@leg.ne.gov          2327
Pete Pirsch      ppirsch@leg.ne.gov         2621
John Wightman jwightman@leg.ne.gov  2642


We can all make at least one or two phone calls.

[metaldoc]

Just got done giving a nudge to my rep.   I agree, this is one of the simplest and most cost-effective ways to reduce voter fraud.

[kozball]

Would this be LB 239 ?

[armed and humorous]

I don't know how important it is that we have this voter ID bill, but I'm certainly not opposed to it.  I don't believe it creates any significant hardship on anyone either.  I'm not going to look it up, but it seems to me that it is a law that a person has to have some sort of ID on them anyway (state, local, ?).  Seems to me I've heard of people being arrested because they had no ID, or money on them (vagrancy).  I don't know if it's still on the books, but at one time in some places, you had to have at least one dollar on your person, or you were considered a vagrant.  Weird, huh? 

[DanClrk51]

This is a much needed bill. When I first started voting back in 2004 I was baffled/surprised/appalled when I went to the polls to vote and they didn't ask me for my ID. All anyone needs is a name and an address. Someone could impersonate me and vote in my stead.
Voter fraud is a serious problem in this country and it needs to be stopped. This bill is very reasonable and should have been passed decades ago.

[AAllen]

I have had several conversations with Senators and many have asked me of my opinion on this issue.  The first thing I point out is I/We are a single issue org. and as their lobbyist/president I stick to that issue.  But I find it interesting that those that are complaining that the requirement of an ID that the state will give away for free to vote is a violation of someones rights, are the people that push to charge hundreds of dollars for a permit to carry a firearm, and wants to limit when where and who may even posses firearms.

A couple of the Senators on the above list told me their problem with the bill is not that it causes an undo hardship, but because the amendment allows for a non photo ID that can easily be copied or forged to be used.  There is also an issue with the DMV being ready to verify all the ID's that may need to be during polling.  Apparently there is a new system in place at the DMV that is a couple of years from being able to handle this with photo ID's.

[CitizenClark]

I don't know how important it is that we have this voter ID bill, but I'm certainly not opposed to it.  I don't believe it creates any significant hardship on anyone either.  I'm not going to look it up, but it seems to me that it is a law that a person has to have some sort of ID on them anyway (state, local, ?).  Seems to me I've heard of people being arrested because they had no ID, or money on them (vagrancy).  I don't know if it's still on the books, but at one time in some places, you had to have at least one dollar on your person, or you were considered a vagrant.  Weird, huh? 

There is no law requiring a person to carry ID.

What is this, Nazi Germany?: "Papiere, bitte."

The problem with this bill is that it arguably runs afoul of all sorts of case law relating to poll taxes and other barriers that prevent people from voting. If this bill passes, it will result in a bunch of legal fees for taxpayers and probably won't be on the books for very long.

But this bill won't pass. I'll give good odds on that.

[CitizenClark]

This is a much needed bill. When I first started voting back in 2004 I was baffled/surprised/appalled when I went to the polls to vote and they didn't ask me for my ID. All anyone needs is a name and an address. Someone could impersonate me and vote in my stead.
Voter fraud is a serious problem in this country and it needs to be stopped. This bill is very reasonable and should have been passed decades ago.

Could you point to a historical instance of voter fraud in Nebraska that you believe this bill would have prevented? Just one would be fine.

[FarmerRick]

Could you point to a historical instance of voter fraud in Nebraska that you believe this bill would have prevented? Just one would be fine.

I'm pretty sure it slips through the cracks most times and never even gets investigated... but here's one for you:

http://www.wowt.com/home/headlines/Suttle_Supporters_Bus_Homelss_To_Vote__113390539.html

[armed and humorous]

Something you might think about if you feel this is a fix looking for a problem.  If someone goes to the polling place and pretends to be some other registered voter, how will anyone ever know if the true registered voter never shows up to vote?  The only way this type of voter fraud would be detected is if the fraudulent voter showed up claiming to be someone else and that person had already signed in and voted, or the real registered voter shows up later and someone had already signed in using his name.  There is a sizeable percentage of registered voters who do not vote in every election, so the potential, at least, is there for this type of thing.  If someone were really trying, it wouldn't be hard to vote many times in a single election using the names of people they knew wouldn't be voting.  I'm not saying this happens, or happens a lot.  I'm just saying it could happen and there would be no way of detecting it (without this voter ID bill).  So, just because you don't find factual evidence of voter fraud, it doesn't mean there isn't any (or couldn't be any).

[jeredh]

But I find it interesting that those that are complaining that the requirement of an ID that the state will give away for free to vote is a violation of someones rights, are the people that push to charge hundreds of dollars for a permit to carry a firearm, and wants to limit when where and who may even posses firearms.

You're right; it's essentially the same argument we make about gun control.  I think that's what makes me uneasy about supporting this bill -- just a matter of consistency. 

At its best, this law would be another layer of obfuscation, but anyone who's sufficiently motivated to commit voter fraud will produce fake identification and vote anyway.  At its worst, it disenfranchises honest people who would otherwise vote, but don't care enough to take the extra step (regardless of how simple that step may be).

In all likelihood, we're just adding more laws without changing much of anything.

(Also, sorry about making this my first post!  I actually came on today find information about target shooting at WMAs!)

[CitizenClark]

I'm pretty sure it slips through the cracks most times and never even gets investigated... but here's one for you:

http://www.wowt.com/home/headlines/Suttle_Supporters_Bus_Homelss_To_Vote__113390539.html

Obermeyer said a lot of people in north Omaha do not have vehicles and Forward Omaha is helping them to vote early. In this case, Forward Omaha bused 60-people from the shelter to the election office -- an 8-mile trip. The Suttle supporter stressed that Forward Omaha was not telling the homeless or anyone else how to vote.

Forward Omaha says no one was paid to vote or told how to vote.
"The truth of the matter is we have registered voters in homeless shelters," says Noelle Obermeyer with Forward Omaha. "They have a right to vote and they need a ride and we're here to give them a ride. We're not telling them to vote one way or another. We're there to just give a ride."

Obermeyer insisted nothing they are doing is illegal and she also noted that 13 people who signed the recall petition gave addresses that were homeless shelters.

If you don't have a home, state law allows one to use the shelter or the election office as your registered address.

Homeless people aren't barred from voting, so I guess I don't see the fraud in this incident. When I was a resident advisor in my dorm in college, I gave many of my residents a ride to the polls on election day. I made three or four trips. Fraudulent?

[FarmerRick]

Try this link:  http://omaha.com/article/20110113/NEWS01/110119814

I clicked the wrong one in my earlier post.

[Gunscribe]

Since you have to have a Gov ID to get welfare, foodstamps, prescription drugs and check out library books, who is disenfranchised by this?

The people they claim that are affected by this already have ID.

Unless there is one or two lost hermits who grow their own food, chop their own wood, make their own clothes, candles and tools and only come to town once a year for the single purpose of casting a ballot everyone already has ID.

Yes ID for all registered voters!

[Dan W]

I am pretty sure you have to give ID to register to vote, I think the application calls for a drivers license or a Social security number. I think one can also use a bank statement or a utility bill to establish an address. 

But if you can't provide any of that information, in a legitimate form, you are not voting.

I don't quite see the difference between that and showing ID to cast a ballot.

Seems like the requirement to identify yourself is already there, so how can it be a burden the second time around.

[CitizenClark]

Since you have to have a Gov ID to get welfare, foodstamps, prescription drugs and check out library books, who is disenfranchised by this?

The people they claim that are affected by this already have ID.

Unless there is one or two lost hermits who grow their own food, chop their own wood, make their own clothes, candles and tools and only come to town once a year for the single purpose of casting a ballot everyone already has ID.

Yes ID for all registered voters!

I just got a library card here in Lincoln without showing any ID. I've never been on welfare or food stamps, so I can't speak to those. I do know that I have never had to present any sort of identification to pick up prescription drugs at the pharmacy--maybe I just have an honest face?

There is a major difference between all of the above and voting, in that the Supreme Court of the United States has held that you have a fundamental, constitutional right to participate in government via the ballot box. Restrictions on fundamental rights are subject to much more judicial scrutiny than restrictions on other rights, like, e.g., one's (statutory) right to get government welfare benefits. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strict_scrutiny and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fundamental_right#History_in_United_States_law.

[CitizenClark]

I am pretty sure you have to give ID to register to vote, I think the application calls for a drivers license or a Social security number. I think one can also use a bank statement or a utility bill to establish an address. 

But if you can't provide any of that information, in a legitimate form, you are not voting.

You can register to vote by mail; no inspection of a prospective voter's identification materials is required prior to your registration being processed. See http://www.sos.state.ne.us/elec/pdf/vr.pdf.

*CORRECTION: After doing a bit more reading, it appears that those who register to vote by mail are required to verify their identity when showing up at the polls the first time after registration. Again, though, the required ID materials are mostly things that a person would have acquired at no additional cost: " A copy of utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document which is dated within sixty days immediately prior to the date of presentation showing the same name and residence address provided on this application."

I don't quite see the difference between that and showing ID to cast a ballot.

Seems like the requirement to identify yourself is already there, so how can it be a burden the second time around.

The difference is that a state ID costs money. I personally know at least one person who does not have a drivers license (due to epilepsy) and who does not regularly carry ID on his person.

Remember, there are many people who don't even have bank accounts, so you may be overestimating the ubiquity of state identification cards, either in the form of drivers licenses or ID-only cards. The fact that "most people have a drivers license" isn't going to cut the mustard when it comes to arguing about setting up barriers to an individual's exercise of a basic constitutional right.

[Dan W]

First time registration by mail requires ID or proof of address

[CitizenClark]

First time registration by mail requires ID or proof of address

Yep, you are right, and I corrected myself above. As I mentioned there, the difference is in the form of ID required. Bringing a copy of my last electric bill to the polls costs me zero dollars. Going and getting a state ID card costs more than zero dollars. That is what drives the "poll tax" objections.

[Dan W]

This committee amendment allay your concerns at all?

32-322
(2) Prior to the statewide primary and general election in every even-numbered year, the Secretary of State shall notify each election commissioner and county clerk regarding every registered voter in the respective county who, according to the voter registration records of the Secretary of State, does not have a motor vehicle operator’s license or state identification card

Prior to the statewide primary and general election in every even-numbered year, the election commissioner or county clerk shall mail an acknowledgment of registration to every registered voter listed on the notification received from the Secretary of State for purposes of presenting identification at the voter’s polling place.

and 

(d) For voters other than a voter subject to subdivision
(c) of this subsection, the voter has presented a government-issued
photographic identification or the acknowledgment of registration
provided to the voter pursuant to section 32-322;