Voter ID

Cross-posted at the Brock Log.

Yesterday, the House of Representatives passed House Resolution 4844, The Federal Election Integrity Act of 2006.

The primary provision in this Act is that it requires

`(i) a government-issued, current, and valid photo identification; or

`(ii) in the case of the regularly scheduled general election for Federal office held in November 2010 and each subsequent election for Federal office, a government-issued, current, and valid photo identification for which the individual was required to provide proof of United States citizenship as a condition for the issuance of the identification.

I’m a big believer in grassroots politickin’. So much so, that I’ve been spending my Saturdays going door-to-door with candidates across North Carolina – something I’ll be doing each Saturday between now and the election.

While I spend a lot of time raising money and communicating through paid and free media, I know that there’s just no substitute for having a real conversation with voters about the things that trouble them.

That’s why here in North Carolina we have established a Training Committee that’s been hard at work teaching people the basics. So far they’ve trained over 500 people in 25 counties. And between now and the election, they’re expected to reach another 300 people.

Recently, this committee – under the leadership of Jeff Marsocci and Beth Secosky – produced an outstanding video on how to do door-to-door canvassing. Whether you’re new to this, or an old-timer, you should check it out. Watch it at www.engagingthegrassroots.com.

I hope you’ll be out there canvassing with me between now and November 7th.

Well, there's a first time for everyone...

Today, over at Facing South, Chris Kromm quotes from a Mother Jones article about threats to voting rights around the country.

Of the 11 examples they cite, 7 are in the South. #2 on the list is right here in North Carolina.

I was cruising around the other progressive blogs and sites today, and ThinkProgress.org has a interesting link to a article by Salon.com. It addresses the attempts by certain groups in our society to inhibit voting. Voter Surpression is not new to the United States. However what is new is that after all these years as a functioning republic, it is still allowed to stand.

North Carolina is not on the list. It is compromised of Arizona, Missouri, Indiana, California, Ohio, and of course Florida.

In response to this threat to democracy, our beloved DNC Chair Howard Dean hits the nail on the head in reference to these Conservatives without a conscience:

For Republicans, nothing is more important than their partisan interests, not even the American people's most cherished right to vote and have that vote counted.

Nothing gets white old rich men like Art Pope more activated than the possibility that they can't continue to buy elections. And no group in North Carolina is working harder to put him out of business than Democracy North Carolina. Their director of development, Molly Beacham, visited our political salon this weekend and made a compelling case for change. And the good news is this: you can help make the change happen. It's as easy as checking a box on your tax return.

Now you have a chance to support fair elections and fair courts -- and it won't cost you anything. Please mark "Yes" on the new check-off box on the N.C. income-tax form, called the Public Campaign Financing Fund. The Fund supports a public financing option for candidates for N.C. Court of Appeals and N.C. Supreme Court, and it pays for a Voter Guide for those elections.

Now you can do something besides bitch about the destructive influence of guys like the Puppetmaster on North Carolina elections. So go ahead. Take the first step for Voter-Owned Elections.

One of the right's favorite scary stories is the one about voter fraud. Sure, neither party needs to be reminded that every vote counts, or that important elections can be very, very close. But while the left and libertarians have been focused on the potential perils of black-box electronic voting, Republicans have kept up a steady drumbeat for state- or nation-wide voter ID cards. The basic idea is to create a small barrier to voting in exchange for the elimination of sneaky behavior at the ballot box—in North Carolina, our own Virginia Foxx (R-5) was trying to drum up support for a national voter ID card last year. But voting is a fundamental right, and every impediment to an individual's freedom to exercise their right to vote must come with a very good reason.