MSNBC
No expiration date, no voting.
New voter ID laws across the country could play a pivotal role in turnout this coming presidential election. It's a steady topic of discussion here at The Last Word, where I have been working as an intern this summer. I go to college in Pennsylvania, 20 minutes outside of Philadelphia — a swing state no less — so I was curious to see if these new laws would affect my very first time voting.
Most state department websites have the current voter ID laws and voter registration process, so I went to check out mine on VOTESPA.com. Once I got to the website, I realized that I am ineligible to vote in the upcoming presidential election. I panicked to myself that thousands of other college students must be exempt from this law. I called one of my peers in a panic, and she confirmed that we cannot currently vote.
According to the new voter IDs laws in Pennsylvania, "all photo IDs must contain an expiration date that is current, unless noted otherwise."
My college ID, like many other students, does not have an expiration date, deeming many of us unable to vote.
Some colleges have been looking to mend this problem. The Dean's Office at Bryn Mawr College, where I'm enrolled, told me they plan to redesign and reissue IDs to show date of births and expiration dates. Though since every college or university is different, there is no general consensus on how colleges will specifically get the message out to its students on the extra hurdle, or whether students will go the extra step to acquire sufficient identification.
This is seemingly easy fix for a college student does not solve the greater issue for thousands of residents in Pennsylvania. Some people may not have the flexibility to get off work to obtain an ID or simply not have the means to acquire new identification.
According to a new study out by the ACLU, more than one million Pennsylvania residents think they'll be able to vote in November — except they don't have the proper, valid photo ID. Many political players and government agencies have been speaking out against the new voter ID laws, saying that the right to vote is being jeopardized by state's legislation.
Former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell told MSNBC's Hardball, "There is no voter fraud." During his eight year stint in office, he said he encountered less than two cases per year of someone committing voter fraud. Rendell said the new law targets "heavily Democratic" and "heavily minority and older" voters in left-leaning areas.
The issue is now being taken up by the courts. Civil rights groups started to challenge the law in state court on Wednesday and U.S. Justice Department launched an investigation Monday to dertmine whether the law is discriminatory.
— By Kelly Wilkinson
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Excellent article, Kelly. I shudder to think what name calling Rush Limbaugh will indulge in after this one. Brace yourself; thoughtful and articulate sorts always tweak his college dropout issues...
As a resident of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, I am appalled at what this Republican governor has done. Nearly a million people, primarily Democrats, of course, will be disenfranchised by this Draconian voter law.
I have a passport and a drivers licence, so it will not affect me, but I talk to people all the time who have no idea that they will be unable to vote in November.
They have spent thirty years gutting the educational system of this country; now we see the results.
Unfortunately, it may be to their benefit to have an uninformed electorate. It is tragic. Pennsylvania was once was a reliably blue state. It has become unrecognizable since the GOP got control of it.
I'm thinking the Isle of Man if this continues. That should be far enough away from the T-Party.
Mitt Romney has just proven that he can be an alienating force on several continents!
Amazing. Oh, please make a faux pas on "bangers and mash!" I can see at least six ways that that could go wrong! Oh please, Mitt!
Voter advocates: Get a web site up to document these excessive restrictive ID requirements, state by state details first, last and always.
OK, it's easy; to vote, follow instructions.
to vote, follow instructions; don't rely on someone else;
The most frightening thing about this is that people won't realize until they try to vote. The GOP is spending big bucks to suppress voters, but no money to inform them of the changes, update as to what is happening in the courts with these Jim Crow tactics, etc.. Of course, now that Romney has stepped in it over and over again, it may be a moot point.
Penn State is changing our ID cards because of the law - We're changing the ID card to include an expiration data for new students. Students with existing IDs will get a sticker.
Everyone should be carrying a state ID card, similar to a driver's license issued by the state in which you live. While I do understand the shady side of this law and what it is attempting to do, I don't understand why people continue to walk around with no actual form of ID on them. What do you do when you collapse on the ground and the paramedics can't determine who you are, what you blood type is, where you are from, etc? Or since this is college related, how the heck do you get into bars, nightclubs, etc? I mean the only people this would really be affecting is those who don't actually live in the state they are attending college and would like to be able to vote everywhere. I mean if you go to school in PA and actually reside in say NJ, you shouldn't be able to vote in PA in the first place.
I think its OK if a state wants to make sure that all the people voting are actually US citizens. But if you're gonna do that, you need to make attaining legal ID readily accessible, and NOT a few months before an important election. And in this day of budget cutting, I doubt there is money in the budget for that! This effort is so organized, I do believe it is happening to suppress voting. Cough up some money, PA, and prove that its not true. I won't hold my breath!
Clearly people who are so concerned about voter fraud know what they're doing. I would not wait for the courts to sort it out, the stakes are too high. Take a day off of work if you have to, drive grandma to get a state ID - or a NRA identification - and for heaven's sake, VOTE. Students - pressure your school to comply with voter registration laws for identification, don't let 'em get away with "well, we're planning to do it." You're paying a fortune for that education, demand appropriate ID!
My suggestion to Ms. Wilkinson is that in the 100 days ahead she tear herself away from the chow hall at ritzy Bryn Mawr College and obtain an epiration sticker for her College photo OD, or get a Government issued ID so that she might vote. But that would mean that instead bitching to Little Lying Larry she would have to get off her ample arse and take care of business.
Much ado about a bureaucratic fart.
Dear Keith after reading what appears to be your own personal thread I've come to the conclusion that you are quite the @!$%# lol just saying
If these friggin morons are so GD lazy that they can't get off their fat asses to get a ID to prove they are registered to vote --- then , THEY DON"T DESERVE TO VOTE!
Plus, how many people out there don't already have a photo ID? Hold up your hands. Yeah thats what I thought.
PS - Hey Kelly, did you think to look on the backside of your card? I noticed you didn't print that side on the blog.