Let's Require All Voters to Show Their ID Cards

Robert M. Levy

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Dueling Party Chiefs

This is the fourth of a series in which Moore County’s Republican and Democratic party chairmen will address various political issues. The issue discussed is elections. Jim Heim is chairman of the Moore County Democratic Party. Robert M. Levy is chairman of the Moore County Republican Party. For Heim's take, click here.

When horses were tied to hitching posts on Broad Street in Southern Pines, and when a trolley rolled down Midland Road, Moore County voted much the same way it votes today.

Those citizens who could take the time off work went to their precinct between sunrise and sunset to cast a ballot and participate in democracy. There was no need for identification. Everyone knew everyone else or knew of them within one degree of separation. It was a system that worked well for the 19th century, but it is woefully antiquated in 21st century North Carolina.

All citizens have a right to vote. Yet there is in our country within the concept of "ordered liberty" both the right to vote and the right not to vote. This writer would never require voting by persons so disinterested in government that their ballot would be influenced by random guessing.

That is perhaps why we should not be "alarmed" by low voter turnouts. It can be argued that "voter self-selection" actually strengthens self-government by making sure that voters are self-motivated to be well informed. But this cannot be our policy until and unless we tear down every obstacle that keeps legitimate citizen voters away from the ballot box.

Democracy depends upon participation, but it must be bolstered by the popular perception that ballots are cast and accurately counted on behalf of those citizens entitled to do so. Yet Democrats block election reform and erode this confidence by insisting that voters casting ballots not show the same identification that they must show to buy a pack of cigarettes or a beer.

Republicans, too, may block greater access to polls by favoring restrictions on poll hours and days. It is clear that lack of confidence in the validity of the electoral process leads to apathy and the erosion of faith in self government.

This writer, for one, believes that greater access to polls by working men and women will boost the conservative Republican vote totals. Workers, black and white (and any color combination), realize that higher taxes on modest homes and incomes infringe on economic freedom.

Ordering a free people to buy only government-approved products and listen to government-approved messages from unelected czars destroys personal freedom. And no one, not even a Hispanic citizen, would object to flashing the same identification to a poll worker that the voter must show to pay for tortillas with a check.

It's time to eliminate the baloney that keeps our election system mired in yesterday. It's time to make a secure democracy work for everyone. And this will require compromise.

Every citizen in North Carolina ought to receive a single tamper-proof card that functions as an identification card, a driver's license for those privileged to drive and a voter identification card. The cost of the driving endorsement would cover the cost of issuing free identification and voting cards for those who, for whatever reason, do not, cannot or should not drive.

The single card would contain on its magnetic strip necessary age, residence and citizenship information similar to that which is placed on a credit card. Voting would occur for two weeks prior to "Election Day" at all DMV offices, saving county elections boards both money and time.

The DMV office computer would swipe the card and issue an appropriate ballot. The scanned ballot information would then be sent to county or state talliers. On "Election Day," voters could vote, not just at "home," but at any precinct in the state. The swipe of a voter card would trigger the precinct computer to issue a ballot appropriate for the voter.

Confusion about where to vote on a busy business Tuesday would be gone. A construction worker living in Raleigh could vote near his job in Durham. Voting at the "firehouse precinct" over a cup of coffee with your friends and neighbors would still be available, but the voting process would also become "tech-friendly" for the generation beyond ours.

Of course, there will be problems implementing any system of electronic voting. Computer "geeks" smarter than I am will have to work out the details, including the availability of -provisional ballots for those whose identification cards have become "magnetically challenged."

But the political necessity of both greater voter access and acceptable ballot security is clear. Democracy depends upon citizen participation. Democrats cannot encourage noncitizens to vote by blocking measures to require positive voter identification. Republicans cannot insist upon restricting poll access by opposing expansion of early voting.

Both parties must work to bring the voter process into modern times, encouraging compromise for the sake of democracy.

So, with this article, this Republican Party chair will issue a challenge to his Democratic counterpart: Let us both join in a project to require positive identification of citizen voters. Let us increase polling hours for those entitled to vote. Let us both advocate full citizen participation in secure balloting.

Increased voter participation without positive voter identification will only lead to cynicism. Positive voter identification without poll access will likewise be ineffective. But compromise to preserve democracy for all citizens is that on which our constitutional democracy depends. The future of democracy depends on us.

Robert M. Levy is chairman of the Moore County Republican party. Contact him at Law52@prodigy.net.

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dustyrhoades 2 years, 10 months ago

I'll agree with all of this except for the part about the DMV handling the actual voting. They're slow enough with the stuff they already have to do.

Psychodad1972 2 years, 10 months ago

Remember, Chuck, if you do not vote, everyone else will vote for you. If you have never found anyone, Republican or Democrat, wotrth voting for, then you are arguing against self government. If you argue against self government, then what would you replace it with?

You have chosen to "drop out and tune out". You need to "drop in" even if you do not want to stay for long.

As for Dusty, you are agreeing with a Republican. There is hope for you yet!

dustyrhoades 2 years, 10 months ago

psychodad: some of my best freinds are Republicans. a couple of them are even sane :-).

lachm 2 years, 10 months ago

If you elect to NOT be involved; that IS your right - then DON'T bitch and complain with what you get.

joycemccloy 2 years, 10 months ago

If you want more secure balloting, then it must be in person.

The reason for voter apathy is not because it is hard to vote, but because many voters are low information voters - they only vote in elections where they know something about the candidate.

The reason we can't vote from anywhere in the state is that a. we have a secret ballot (to prevent vote buying, selling, coercion) b. voting loses integrity when done remotely and not in public c. The only way we could vote from anywhere in the state is to do so online, which removes the secret ballot, opens up the entire state's election to tampering by insiders and from anywhere in the world, and disfavors those who do not own pcs or do not have easy internet access. If Google and the Department of Defense cannot keep China from hacking their systems, why would we expose the foundation of our democracy to hackers?

Voting is easy, being an informed voter is hard.

To increase turnout, run compelling candidates and compelling campaigns. Educate and inform all voters, not just the stalwarts who do spend alot of time studying politics.

None 2 years, 10 months ago

ChuckTaylor ~ I asked one of my cousins to sign my petition yesterday - funny; he wasn't registered to vote. He said because it really didn't make any difference! They are going to do what they want to once they get in office. How true a statement. The Electorial College determines presidential elections, not the vote of the people.

And look what's happening right here in Moore County....Honesty and total transparency. What a joke! We just provide the money, just like a money tree.

None 2 years, 10 months ago

"On "Election Day," voters could vote, not just at "home," but at any precinct in the state." and I'd ride aroung the county paying people without tranportation $5.00 to "swipe" their card. Sort of "tombstone" voting!

SANDHILLSK9 2 years, 10 months ago

By Law we all should have some kind of picture ID with us all the time, so why a new card at ... oops i forgot just an other Law nobody enforce in this state, the officer might get sued for profiling! In other countries around the world you might be arrested and hold confined until you identified!

For people who are not in town on election day .. early voting was enabled.

Chuck you got the right not to vote and also to complain, but don't it would feel better for yourself, even you might not win, at least you tried?

For myself lets see how much Damage we can do in November!!

Poundman 2 years, 10 months ago

we don't need some new special ID with bar codes etc. Just a flash of a driver's license would be enough. Though I agree we should have to show a picture ID. DO NOT agree it should be in anyway handled by the DMV. That's ludicrous.

CSmithson 2 years, 10 months ago

There's not even a need for picture ID to vote on election day. Just requiring ANY identification, even a couple of pieces of commercial mail with the right name and address on them, would virtually eliminate the possibility or fear of widespread voter fraud. For the fraud (dead people voting, etc.) to have any measurable effect, you have to get a lot of people to go to different polling places to vote under other people's names. It is highly unlikely that enough people will steal or counterfeit that much mail or other non-government ID AND get it past poll workers in notable numbers.

Sally244 2 years, 10 months ago

I think the idea is a good one, but the trickery is in the details. How to set up a true honest system has always been overlooked and ignored. We've all heard horror stories of voting places loosing votes, machines not working, or machines not recording correctly.... These issues usually come up at voting time and never get attention during the rest of the year. Somehow this is alright for the parties depending on who is winning or loosing. It's almost like we expect it and accept it.

We really do need voting reform and to take it seriously without any chance for fraud. Can that happen? Will politics get in the way? Will anyone take it seriously? I hope so. We just have to keep demanding it.