Unneccessary expense

February 05, 2009 01:06 am

— Editor, The Transcript:
The Norman League of Woman Voters supports your Jan. 30 editorial position in opposing the Oklahoma Republican idea that "any change in election reform would have to include a proposal of requiring voter's identification at the polls." Legislation will be introduced this session requiring photo identification at the polls. (SB4 introduced by Sen. John Ford from Bartlesville and HB1037 by Rep. Sue Tibbs of Tulsa). These bills are part of a national drive aimed at a non-existent problem of voter fraud at the polls.
According to former Oklahoma State Election Board Secretary Michael Clingman, studies in Oklahoma and other states have shown little evidence of voter fraud with people who are not properly registered trying to vote. In the presidential election Nov. 4, 2008, 1.4 million votes where cast in Oklahoma, and only six voters found a signature by there name when they arrived at the polls to vote. An investigation of these six signatures showed that other registered voters had accidentally signed on the wrong line without the mistake being caught at the time.
The national LWV position on voter IDs is that this requirement is an unnecessary barrier for many voters and would mean that fewer eligible voters would be able to exercise their right to vote then those who currently vote.
There are about 11 million eligible voters in the U.S. who do not have a photo ID and have no easy way to obtain one. Many of these people rely on public transportation, that may not take them to where they can get a photo ID. Others are working 9 to 5, the time most offices for obtaining IDs are open.
Since poll taxes have been ruled unconstitutional, states cannot charge citizens a fee for registering to vote. This means that photo IDs would need to be issued with no cost to the voter but would cause considerable cost to the state.
Contact your legislators and let them know that requiring photo IDs for citizens to vote is an unneccessary expense to the state and an action that could disenfranchise thousands of Oklahoma voters.
Barbara Robinson
president, League of Woman Voters of Norman