Voter ID battle shifts to Kansas, By Julie Bosman, October 15, 2015, New York Times: “Amelia Flores, a high school senior with plans to become an electrical engineer, eagerly filled out a form to register to vote for the first time at the Kansas State Fair last month. But she left the fair without registering, stymied by a state law championed by Republicans who dominate elected offices in Kansas that requires her to provide proof of citizenship. ‘I think it’s ridiculous and restrictive,’ said Ms. Flores, who later received a notice in the mail informing her that she must produce a birth certificate or other proof of citizenship to complete the registration. ‘A lot of people are working multiple jobs, so they don’t have time to get this stuff done. Some of them don’t have access to their birth certificate…'”
Tag: Voter identification
Voter ID Law – Pennsylvania
Key part of voter ID law in Pennsylvania is delayed for election, By Ethan Bronner, October 2, 2012, New York Times: “A Pennsylvania judge on Tuesday delayed full implementation of a highly contested state law requiring strict photographic identification to vote in next month’s election, saying that the authorities had not done enough to ensure that potential voters had access to the new documents. The judge, Robert Simpson, who upheld the law in August when it was challenged by liberal and civil rights groups, was instructed by the state’s Supreme Court two weeks ago to hold further hearings. He was told to focus on the question of whether enough had been done to ensure ‘liberal access’ to the picture ID cards or alternatives…”
States and Voter ID Laws
- Amid lawsuits and controversy, states prepare for voter ID, By Jake Grovum, August 30, 2012, Stateline: “Tennessee has held town halls in each of the state’s 95 counties and instituted special Voter ID-only hours in motor vehicle offices. Wisconsin has revamped its training scheme for 1,800 local elections managers. Pennsylvania just this week unveiled a new, streamlined voter ID card. Those are among the many steps states have taken to prepare for November’s elections under a host of new or stricter voter identification laws enacted around the country since 2010, even as challenges to those same laws continue to wind through the courts. The suits mostly claim that Voter ID discriminates against the poor and minorities who are less likely to carry the needed identification. In some states, lawsuits are casting doubt on what the rules will even be on Election Day…”
- Texas voter-ID law is blocked, By Sari Horwitz, August 30, 2012, Washington Post: “A federal court on Thursday blocked a Texas law that would have required voters to show photo identification, ruling that the legislation would impose ‘strict, unforgiving burdens’ on poor minority voters. Describing the law as the most stringent in the country, the unanimous decision by a three-judge panel marks the first time that a federal court has blocked a voter-ID law. It will reverberate politically through the November elections. Republicans and Democrats have been arguing over whether tough voter-ID laws in a number of states discriminate against African Americans and Hispanics…”