Though the story was largely overlooked due to the July 4th holiday, we learned last week that Pennsylvania's voter-ID law is poised to disenfranchise more than 758,000 registered voters this year. In other words, 9.2% of the state's 8.2 million voters will be blocked from participating in their own democracy because Republicans are trying to rig the election.
They're not even subtle about. Republican Mike Turzai, Pennsylvania's House Majority Leader, boasted that the state's new voter-ID law, ostensibly about the integrity of the electoral process, "is gonna allow Governor Romney to win the state of Pennsylvania."
Eugene Robinson explained today that this Pennsylvania scheme is proof that the Republican Party "is trying to pull off an unconscionable crime."
It's important to realize how true this is. Pennsylvania's new Republican-backed voter-ID law disproportionately affects African Americans, students, and the poor -- the very constituencies the GOP doesn't want to participate. And we're talking about over 9% of Pennsylvania voters -- more than enough to swing the state and the election to the far-right candidate.
Just to add insult to injury in this unconscionable crime, now there's this.
For those who can't watch clips online, this creepy ad is airing in Pennsylvania, showing lots of smiling people who love having to show their ID to satisfy the demands of Republican trying to rig an election cycle.
And who created the ad? I'm glad you asked.
Ryan J. Reilly had this report this morning. (Update: Daniel Denvir first broke this story over the weekend.)
The man behind a company that got a big state contract to educate Pennsylvania voters on the commonwealth's restrictive new voter ID law is a fundraiser for presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney. Ads created by his company, a Republican lobbying group, encourage Pennsylvania residents to obtain state-issued photo identification so they don't "miss out" on their right to vote.
Republican lobbyist Chris Bravacos, who according to the Center For Responsive Politics has thus far bundled $30,000 for Romney's campaign, is president and CEO of the Bravo Group, which received a $249,660 government contract from Republican Gov. Tom Corbett's administration for the ad campaign.
We're left with a Republican that's "trying to pull off an unconscionable crime," while adding an insulting and possibly-corrupt twist.
By the way, someone asked me last week why the Justice Department doesn't intervene in Pennsylvania the way it did in other states. The answer is simple: Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act covers Southern states with a history of discriminating against African-American voters, not Pennsylvania.
Update: In addition to the ad included above, Dave Weigel notes the other voter-ID commercial compares the voter-suppression tactics to the Voting Rights Act, which is pretty outrageous, even by GOP standards.
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Ok, we are all wringing our hands now. So what are we going to do about it? Does the Democratic party have a gotv plan that starts now?
Just got off the phone with the DNC Voter Protection Office which has been doing pushback across the country against these arcane laws since January 2009. I know I didn't know that either. I was told by Patrick that voters who need help getting the documentation required by the different new laws are asked to click the need help section on the following sites: gottavote.org; gottaregister.org; protectingthevote.org. Call the DNC at 202 863 8000.
PA Transportation Dept. is not releasing actual data showing number of residents who don't have photo ID. Also, ACLU has a legal challenge before the court to stop the law from going into effect.
Is there a clearinghouse collecting all the info about legal challenges, voter registration campaigns, donor organizations to support those who need to pay for birth certs, etc.? I'm all for challenging, but I also want to get as many eligible to vote as possible.
Keith and Ed, once upon a time, raised a lot of money for health clinics across the nation. Lawrence has raised millions for student desks for children in Africa. How about the MSNBC team or one of you doing the same for voter id documentation costs in states where federal challenges won't be enough to stop these laws from robbing citizens of their votes?
Well, Romney might not win, so this pal of his is 'pre-looting' government coffers, just in case.
When I lived in PA the procedure for obtaining a driver's license was complex, arcane and very expensive. A complete physical exam was required, so was a full eye exam (not just reading the chart at the DMV)--both expensive enough. Then you had to travel to Harrisburg in person to pay the license fee and get your license. Of course, no one had time (or even the driver's license!!) to do that.
So little storefront businesses were everywhere that for a fee would pay someone else to stand in line in Harrisburg for you. (They literally had to stand in line for you.) So in addition to the fee for the license itself, the costs for the physical, the eye exam, and the 'fee' for physically picking up the license (which was variable: one woman asked me 'how much I had on me' to calculate the fee) was quite exorbitant.
Forget the cost, forget the certified birth certificate. If an individual does not have a Social Security Card, not just a SSA number, that individual needs a valid, government issued form of ID to replace the card. Preferred forms of ID are unexpired State issued driver's license or ID card or USA Passport. If the individual does not have an unexpired driver's license, State ID card or USA Passport there are secondary forms of ID that sometimes may be acceptable. So the round robin is that you usually cannot get a valid driver's license with out a certified birth certificate and a SSA card. You cannot get an SSA card without a valid ID. A certified birth certificate is not a form of ID for Social Security purposes as it verifies someone was born but does not verify continued existence. So figure it out. Someone born a long time ago, the courthouse burned down so no birth certificate available, parents are deceased, has worked the same job for 40 years, has not needed to show a SSA card, has no work ID, does not drive and was born in another state or better yet, was "unofficially" adopted by the neighbors when abandoned by birth family. This happens!
Case in point, my mother. Voted in every election since 1940, former MAYOR York Pa., until 2007 JUDGE OF ELECTIONS!!! for the precinct in which she has been a registered voter since 1954, testified before a US senate comittee less than a year ago. After surviving lymphoma at age 89 decided to no longer drive and did not renew her license. Her passport is expired as well so there is no easy "acceptable" way of proving her identity to people who have known her for more than 50 years. The Republicans are promoting the disenfranchisement of American citizens because they cannot win otherwise. They love power, not the constitution. They should be ashamed.
I have a question about all these voter disenfranchisement efforts: Doesn't the fourteenth amendment apply? Here's section 2:
Yes, I know that part of this section (males 21 years of age) has been superseded, but it should still apply. And not having ID, which is a fairly recent state requirement, is not a crime, nor is it an act of rebellion. Usually. So why isn't anyone -- ACLU? Hello? -- challenging the various state laws on these grounds?
It's that "citizens of the United States" caveat. They argue Voter ID provides the needed "proof".
Instead of giving out the cute little "I voted" stickers, everyone should just dip their finger in ink like they do in the middle east. You can't vote twice and the ink does not wash off quickly. Of course that would never do with American voters but it would cut down on fraud.
I've been thinking about all the voter fraud hoopla, we need ID's to prevent people from voting more than once.
If you really want to vote multiple times you could just register in more than one state, and on top of that it would be possible to obtain photo IDs in those states as well. How are they to know that you have registered elsewhere.
I personally do not promote this type of thing but I'm just pointing out how hollow this photo ID to vote nonsense is.
You're an idiot. There is NO problem with people "voting multiple times". Not is there any problem with non-citizens voting. V-ID is all about Voter Suppression, blocking FAR more legit voters from voting than any number of pantom fradulent voting it supposedly prevents.
Voter ID goes to Commonwealth Court July 25th.
Let's hope the Judges act in accordance with the Constitution, and not their ideologies.
Some of the most racist people I have met are in PA. Abject hatred of Obama even before he was sworn in. Why is this then a surprise? (rhetorical)
Pennsylvania - If you are concerned that extremist powers have co-opted your voting rights and the power of your voice being heard call your Representative, Senator, Governor and state Legislators and voice your opinion. Asking everyone to Please call early and often between now and July 30th. Call Tom Corbett's office number is 717-787-2500 and voice your concerns and opinions on extending tax breaks on the middle class only.
Why are these people having to identify themselves when they have voted for decades at the same polling place, their signatures are on file, and they paid taxes in that precinct which their names are on file.
Suddenly a driver's license with a photo is needed? George Washington didn't have one and somehow he was accepted as at face value. He would be held suspect now?
Someone is suggesting that the board of election commissioners has become incapable of doing the job that they have done for over 200 years?
Regardless of the "free of charge" claims, a DL-54A costs $13.50. That's a poll tax.
At the 23 second mark, what's up with multiple people getting to vote with a single card?
Crazy socialists with their voting cards.
I knew that once they'd get away with stealing the 2000 election there would be no stopping them then. Some democracy we have when they can get away with something like this and not have to worry about legal consequences. But what else can you expect from people that have no sense of honor left in them.
I guess those 2 Black panthers who stood outside the BLACK voting precinct knew the GOP were full of dirt and filth. They are the real patriots. They knew that the racist white GOP were up to evil. They were ridiculed by the MSM as GOP schemed to take away the voting rights of Black people.
MSM has sat on the sidelines and watched in silence as GOP implemented their new Jim Crow laws. Shame on MSM, shame on the people who know better and sit in silence as this this crime continues. Shame on this country.
They are tackling a problem that does not exist. A person is registered at his precinct. he goes to vote. They look him up on the records and check him off. He votes. If somebody came in later with the same name, they look him up, he's already been marked down. John Doe #2 can't vote . It is only one vote per person-period.
Remember what they say about smiling faces: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sV69WBvFGBA
I'm about 80% certain that most of those "Photo ID" cards were PHOTOSHOPPED into the video. (I'm a video expert and the card images don't match the lighting/focus).
Addendum: Notice how they are all perfectly flat, level and facing the camera with no glare?
Can't help but wonder if stock "credit card commercial" footage was used with the V-ID cards inserted after the fact.