[EL] Adventures in Voter ID

[Edward Still]

I went to vote in the primary this morning. I showed my Medicare card to
the polling official. She said, "We need something with your address on it."

Me: "No, ma'am, you don't. This is an acceptable form of identification
under the law." [Ala. Code § 17-9-30.]

She: "Let me go check this on the computer."

In the meantime, the other polling official has found my name on the poll
book.

The first polling official can't find whatever it is she is looking for "on
the computer" and walks to a sign by the entrance. The sign lists all the
acceptable forms of ID. Finally, she returns with my ID and says, "If he is
on the book, let him vote."

 The justification usually given by Republican legislators pushing voter-ID
laws is the prevention of impersonation of the voter. The theory has been
that a Social Security card, a Medicare card, etc. are so valuable that I
will not let it out of my possession. Those government ID do not have my
address on them, nor does my passport -- the gold standard of
government-issued picture IDs. So, why did the poll worker ask for an
"address ID"? Perhaps she had been told that in training.

Being a poll official is a tough job. I know because I have served as one.
But it is made tougher by training that tells poll workers that the purpose
of an ID is to check my address.



Edward Still
Edward Still Law Firm LLC
130 Wildwood Parkway, Suite 108, PMB 304
Birmingham AL 35209
205-320-2882 (voice & fax)
  still at votelaw.com
  www.votelaw.com/blog
  www.edwardstill.com
  www.linkedin.com/in/edwardstill <http://www.linkedin.com/in/edwardstill>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://webshare.law.ucla.edu/Listservs/law-election/attachments/20120313/42df9251/attachment.html>