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Mississippi should adopt voter ID
Published Saturday, August 8, 2009
If any area of Mississippi should support making voter identification a mandatory practice, Southwest Mississippi should.
In almost every election, allegations of voter fraud bubble up. The most recent case in Wilkinson County dragged on for months and months and sparked investigations from all sorts of sources.
Mississippi’s voting system should be above reproach. At the moment, it’s not. In fact, it’s a sinister looking man lurking through a dark alley.
By not requiring a voter to show identification to prove his identity, catching people who lie in order to vote illegally is difficult at best.
Federal laws require employers to fill out forms when hiring a worker to ensure the employer has examined forms of identification in an effort to prove the employee is, in fact, a legal resident of the United States.
But the State of Mississippi thinks that federal practice is too restrictive for what is arguably the most important thing a citizen can do — vote.
Instead of moving to get rid of the holes in our current system that encourage voter fraud, our state has chosen to remain stuck in the past — mostly out of fear that a voter ID requirement would harm black voting turnout.
That notion at one time had merit. Not so long ago the system — run solely by whites — was manipulated to minimize the rights of black citizens. But that system has changed. Today, Adams County has two of five county supervisors who are black. Exactly half of the city’s aldermen are black and approximately half of our area’s judges are black, too.
The fears that voter ID would be a return to days of the oppressive Jim Crow era, those fears can — and should — be eliminated through bi-partisan efforts to put the voter ID matter on the ballot and then educate the public on how helpful and harmless voter ID laws can be.
Comments
Posted by fraidoclowns (anonymous) on August 9, 2009 at 1:09 a.m. (Suggest removal)
How right you are.
Posted by ProNatchez (anonymous) on August 9, 2009 at 2:07 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I am all for it.
Posted by OldGrandDad (anonymous) on August 9, 2009 at 5:21 a.m. (Suggest removal)
After those 3 Black Panther guys intimidated voters with billy clubs with nothing done to them, all these crys about id's leading to intimidation ring awful hollow and lame.
Posted by Natchez3 (anonymous) on August 9, 2009 at 7:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Ask yourself if you believe we ALL deserve truth and fairness in an election? I did and signed this form a week ago.
Posted by DUCKHUNTER (anonymous) on August 9, 2009 at 10:01 a.m. (Suggest removal)
any picture ID with your personal information on it does the trick, and an ID can be acquired at the DMV; so why institute a money accruing (taxes NOT well spent) plan for a system that's already in effect?
hire poll workers that actually check ID's, CUT AND DRY!
Posted by beammeupscotty (anonymous) on August 9, 2009 at 11:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Even with all the laws in place and a voter ID requirement fraud will still occur. ID will help but a conscious wouldn't hurt either.
Posted by buttercup26 (anonymous) on August 9, 2009 at 12:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Make it a must have !!!!!!! Do as duck hunter says, go to DMV and it only takes minuets
Posted by rushinghjr (anonymous) on August 9, 2009 at 2:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Another winning editorial for the ND!
Posted by Preacher (anonymous) on August 11, 2009 at 9:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It was time for voter ID years ago when a local mayor said, "and we bussed in 200 votes we didn't even need". And in Vicksburg folks were stopped from voting when they arrived in vans with Jefferson Davis county tags when they said, "we're just doing what we did in Natchez". Get a grip. It's past time. Get IDs.
Posted by rushinghjr (anonymous) on August 11, 2009 at 11:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)
That last ia s powerful statement! Sounds like federal voting? Thanks Preacher!
Posted by jugghead52 (anonymous) on August 12, 2009 at 6:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)
its like up in Jackson last year a man went to 3 different polling places and each time he and his father voted, but hears the best part his father has been dead for 8 years.
Posted by marinefrmntz (anonymous) on August 12, 2009 at 3:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Voter ID IMO, should have been done since the very beginning. How can you not identify who is voting? It makes no sense and undermines the peoples faith in the voting system.
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