Texas set to require Voter ID

[nathanm]

Most elections are not decided by a few votes.  For those that could, the provisional votes can be verified and counted. If it takes a week or so, that's the price of fairness.

Oklahoma state law requires that the provisional ballots be completely counted by the Friday immediately following the election at 12:01PM. Not much time if you have to secure a birth certificate to replace a lost ID card and take all that to the election board office downtown to prove your identity, given that it's unlikely they will give voters until even Friday to do it, since they have to be completely finished by noon.

Unless the law as passed is going to change that, it's a bad law. If they are going to proceed down the road of stupidity, they could at least allow the use of a passport. But no, it doesn't have an address on it, so it's no good.

[Gaspar]

Most elections are not decided by a few votes.  For those that could, the provisional votes can be verified and counted. If it takes a week or so, that's the price of fairness.

+1  That's the most reasonable thing I've ever heard in this thread. . . Therefore it will never fly.

Red Arrow You will now be countered by a set of ludicrous scenarios, until your logical point is forgotten.

Thank you for playing.

[Gaspar]

If they are going to proceed down the road of stupidity, they could at least allow the use of a passport. But no, it doesn't have an address on it, so it's no good.

So do you believe that production of positive voter identification prior to casting a ballet is stupid?

[Red Arrow]

Oklahoma state law requires that the provisional ballots be completely counted by the Friday immediately following the election at 12:01PM.

Another law that needs to be changed.  I can't remember anything that took effect the Monday following an election. 

[nathanm]

So do you believe that production of positive voter identification prior to casting a ballet is stupid?

I believe it's a solution in search of a problem. If there were serious doubts as to voter fraud in an election, the signature on the registration form could be compared to the signature in the precinct sign-in book.

[Gaspar]

I believe it's a solution in search of a problem. If there were serious doubts as to voter fraud in an election, the signature on the registration form could be compared to the signature in the precinct sign-in book.

So your answer is that valid identification is a stupid idea.  Signatures should suffice.

We've never really been close enough in an election for it to be a question. . . Or have we.

In 2008, due to high voter turnout, it was found that thousands of extra people voted in Ohio.  The signatures matched the registrations, the only problem was that the PEOPLE WERE DEAD, some for a very long time.

How would you feel if it was discovered that thousands of dead Republicans are voting in Oklahoma?

I noticed that my grandmother's name is still on the roll at my polling place.  She died in 2002.  I told the election worker to cross her name off because she is dead, and he wrote something down on a slip of paper, but said he couldn't cross her off.

She was a Republican, and all anyone has to do is walk in there and claim that they are her.  What is to stop them?

[nathanm]

In 2008, due to high voter turnout, it was found that thousands of extra people voted in Ohio.  The signatures matched the registrations, the only problem was that the PEOPLE WERE DEAD, some for a very long time.

Do you have a reference for that? Or are you talking about the dead people who are still registered?

She was a Republican, and all anyone has to do is walk in there and claim that they are her.  What is to stop them?

Better management of the voting rolls and verification of signatures in close elections.

[Cats Cats Cats]

Dead people are pushed off the roles.  If that isn't part of the process then it needs to be.

[Gaspar]

Dead people are pushed off the roles.  If that isn't part of the process then it needs to be.

She died in 2002, and was still on in 2004. 

I am willing to bet that quite a few Dead folks are still on the rolls, and I bet some of them still vote.

There is no reason for us to use an archaic system like the signature roll for voter identification.  I don't understand why anyone would be against real voter identification that can't be faked.  What is so threatening about that?

[nathanm]

She died in 2002, and was still on in 2004. 

I am willing to bet that quite a few Dead folks are still on the rolls, and I bet some of them still vote.

There is no reason for us to use an archaic system like the signature roll for voter identification.  I don't understand why anyone would be against real voter identification that can't be faked.  What is so threatening about that?

As I'm sure you're quite aware, fake IDs aren't hard to come by.

Currently in Oklahoma, having dead people removed from the voter rolls is a responsibility that falls upon the family. (or the executor of the estate) You're supposed to send in a death certificate so the person can be removed.

[Townsend]

Currently in Oklahoma, having dead people removed from the voter rolls is a responsibility that falls upon the family. (or the executor of the estate) You're supposed to send in a death certificate so the person can be removed.

Moving that to the top of my priority list when a loved one passes.  Check

[Gaspar]

Moving that to the top of my priority list when a loved one passes.  Check

I knew there was something we forgot to do between the funeral and the wake. 

How much do you want to bet that everyone from last year's Tulsa World obituary database is still on the Tulsa rolls?

This would make a great INVESTIGATIVE REPORT.

[nathanm]

If you don't like it, have the law changed to require the election board to monitor death certificate issuance or something to remove dead folks from the rolls.

[Cats Cats Cats]

It should be very simple to tie death certificate DB to a voter registration DB.

[Hoss]

It should be very simple to tie death certificate DB to a voter registration DB.

If they were smarter, they'd subscribe to the Social Security deceased file.  Don't the voter regs have SSN number on them?  I know where I work we provide a service similar to this; the SS sends us a file every month with deceased on them.