Associated Press
Desiline Victor, a 102-year-old Florida voter
On the night he won re-election, President Obama ad-libbed a line in his victory speech: referencing election reform, he said, "By the way, we have to fix that." He brought up the issue again in his inaugural address: "Our journey is not complete until no citizen is forced to wait for hours to exercise the right to vote."
And it was clearly a top priority in last night's State of the Union address.
"We must all do our part to make sure our God-given rights are protected here at home. That includes one of the most fundamental right of a democracy: the right to vote. When any American, no matter where they live or what their party, are denied that right because they can't afford to wait for five or six or seven hours just to cast their ballot, we are betraying our ideals.
"So tonight, I'm announcing a nonpartisan commission to improve the voting experience in America. And it definitely needs improvement. I'm asking two long-time experts in the field -- who, by the way, recently served as the top attorneys for my campaign and for Governor Romney's campaign -- to lead it. We can fix this, and we will. The American people demand it, and so does our democracy."
Obama pointed to Desiline Victor, a 102-year-old woman in North Miami, who was told when she arrived at her polling place that there would be a six-hour wait -- which she endured.
What kind of modern democracy forces a 102-year-old woman to wait in line for six hours to participate in her own democracy? Ours is.
In an environment in which nearly all policymaking is almost impossible, election reform will be a heavy lift, but not for the usual reasons. This isn't about deficits or big government; this is about the Republican Party's deliberate campaign to make voting more difficult.
The American mainstream sees inexcusably long voting lines and the worst voting restrictions since Jim Crow and thinks it's a national disgrace, but for GOP policymakers, the problems are a feature, not a bug. The more voters are able to participate in an election, the harder it is for Republicans to win, so the results are predictable -- a policy agenda that creates longer voting lines on purpose, closes early-voting windows, addresses imaginary voter fraud through punitive voter-ID laws, and restricts voter-registration drives.
Obama's case for reform is compelling, but the challenge comes from Republican satisfaction with the status quo.
Still, the issue's role in the State of the Union will further raise its visibility, and at least creates a chance for legislative action. Michael Waldman, president of Brennan Center for Justice, which specializes in these issues, liked what he heard from the president.
"Tonight, the president spoke powerfully of the need to improve the way we run elections in America. He's absolutely right. His appointment of a new bipartisan commission is an important step, focusing on improving the experience of voters. This should be a critical part of the larger mission of modernizing elections so every eligible citizen can vote and have that vote counted. The moving story of Desiline Victor, told by the president tonight, underscores how vital this mission is. We urge the commission to think boldly, and we urge the Congress to do its part by enacting minimum national standards to modernize elections."
It's worth noting that the commission has its own hurdles. Obama clearly wants the panel to have bipartisan credibility, but by tapping Mitt Romney's lawyer, the White House has made Ben Ginsberg the commission's co-chair -- that would be the same Ben Ginsberg who helped represent the Swift Boat liars' smear campaign against John Kerry in 2004. In 2006, Ginsburg famously said, "Just like really with the Voting Rights Act, Republicans have some fundamental philosophical difficulties with the whole notion of Equal Protection."
The president's goals may be admirable, but Ginsberg's inclusion suggests expectations for this commission should probably be kept in check.
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Love her
We must all do our part to make sure our God-given rights are protected here at home.
Freedom isn't free, and our rights must be fought for. But our rights are just that - Ours, and not bestowed on us by gods or men.
I think that the Indiana College Republicans may do more to change the Repubs' minds than the commission, especially with that Ginsberg in it. Not that it's going to be an easy push; when Obama was talking about voting rights last night, Boehner looked like was was being forced to suck on a bushel of citrus fruit, and it wasn't sweet oranges, either.
i saw boehner when mr obama was talking to fix the voting system,,you are right,,boehner did not like it,he looked so sour and mean,the fact remained it is not normal to wait 6 hours or more for our right to vote,,thank you mr obama,,something need to be done about it
I was very heartened by Obama's remarks about the need to stop voter suppression. But why did he appoint Ben Ginsberg to the commission?!? That man is about as sleazy as it gets. He was a critical part of the Florida recount in 2000, he represented the swift boat lie campaign in 2004, and last year he was national counsel to the Romney campaign, one of the sleaziest campaigns ever. This is like hiring a fox to guard the hen house!
I share your concerns, but wasn't Joseph Kennedy brought in to "fix" Wall Street? And when Kennedy's laws were repealed the result was the '07-08 crash?
Point being maybe the best person to fix the system is the person best versed at gaming the system. ?
We'll have to see.
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Why is it that when there is an election in a foreign land such as Venezuela or Iran news channels such as CNN make it a point of speaking of reports that accuse their governments of fixing the election. But when it is happening right here in the USA by some states it gets a passing mention.
Commenting on it would be partisan, so it's best to just say nothing at all.
Reading over the Declaration of the United States I had to laugh out Loud when I got to the long list of Reasons Our Founding Fathers declared as the reasons for the Declaration.
While reading over that list it was so easy for my mind to picture oppressions that Republicans are imposing on the Majority of Americans. How could they be so far out of sync with what the people need, and still get voted into the office they hold ?
If the Majority voted them into office, what happened ? Did they Lie about what they stood for to get elected ? I mean, I do not follow every single political race in our nation, but I have to believe that only with a majority vote does anyone get to represent the voice of the people.
Or am I being Fooled as well ? Is there something I have missed ?
If In fact, the majority of the people are Not being represented in our Nation, what is the Remedy ? Where are the safeguards we can fall back on, to make sure This gets Fixed ? We must have some, Right ? We would not govern ourselves and allow this huge miscarriage of Justice to go Unchecked ? Or would we ?
Maybe fixing the vote will become the First baby steps in the Right direction for our Nation, to get back on Track for our Democracy.
Gerrymandering and voter suppression.
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This voting obstruction makes more sense to me now..... It's not just an effort in the states as to national elections. It's not just in red state governments as to re-defining women's health, voting, immigration and the like. It started in the Congress.....first they stymied, roadblocked, and generally "stopped" majority rule by not allowing votes they knew had broad support - but they abused the filibuster in the Senate. Interferring with votes must be in the platform of these people...or maybe it's in the water Rubio was drinking. Minority (party) rights should be protected, but does this mean we allow minority to dominate the majority?
great story and a heartfelt moment in last night's SOTU
I am glad that Ms.Victor's plight was highlighted in the SOTU address. Everyone needs to be made aware that there is a plot/conspiracy to steal future elections , as well as this one. The efforts are being funded by ALEC and the Koch bros. I really believe more air time needs to be devoted to these issues and the shadow government of ALEC. Bill Moyers did an excellent documentary on PBS. We, the people, can not let this travesty unfold any further. Stand up for everyone's right to vote and then vote these rethugs out in 2014 from the state houses to the national elections in 2016.
I hope that the commission will look at the system we have in Colorado. We have a good vote by mail system along with early voting. Our Republican Secretary of State did try to purge the voting rolls, but a quick call to the County Clerks Office or on-line check assured that anyone paying attention did not get purged. All you have to do to stay on the vote-by-mail list is to register to be on it and to vote regularly.
I now get ballots for all elections automatically in the mail. It is really great for local elections that might get over looked. And we always get a voter's guide; what I call my little blue book that has information about ballot initiatives and judges, etc. When I get my ballot, I can sit at my desk with my blue book and take as long as needed to decide whom and what to vote for. Then I seal the envelop, sigh it, and put on a stamp and put it in the mailbox or I can deliver it to the ballot box at the County Clerks Office.
I think Oregon has a good mail in system too.
I recently moved to Washington where all voting is done by mail. Ballots are received two weeks before election day along with a pretty comprehensive voter guide. What a concept! And it works.
We've had that in Oregon for years. Love it! So much more civilized than taking time off work, which in some jobs you may get in trouble for (thinking of my sister's employer here).
We don't need a commission, just set in place early voting and Sundays that were taken away in this last election and it's fixed.
What happens in US elections is a sham. I used to consider Indian elections to be shamefully conducted, but ever since they moved to electronic voting machines and made the Election Commission non-partisan and a constitutional body, India has seen an astronomical decrease in poll issues. In India, there is no way someone has to wait for 6 hours to vote in an election. In Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Malaysia or name any nation that practices even a rudimentary democracy, no one has to wait 6 hours in line to vote.
That Americans in this age has to suffer shows how backward the Conservative/GOP have become. History will not be kind at them ...
No early voting for her! And of course her family couldn't help her at all with this, but I bet she has people around her to help her in other ways.
Really John? Because she didn't vote early, its her fault she had to stand in line for 6 hours? And your last line wouldn't have anything to do with the color or her skin would it? Come on, you should know better than that. The system is flawed, in some major ways. Simple as that--we do need to fix it and it should be done before the next major election. I for one am glad that the issue has been recognized, and hopefully clearer minds will prevail and do something about it so NO ONE should have to stand in line for 6 hours to vote in the good old USA.
dear john, many people of her generation like to go to the polls, they don't like atm machines and fancy cell phones, my mother is one of them, your an ass..
To Desiline Victor - Love is the life saver that gives back many times.
IN Washington you have no choice but vote by mail. We were not given a choice in that eother... and sense when is voting a God given right? it is a Constitutional right. If you wnat to reform the election process get rid of the Electoral College... go strictly by the popular vote. The states are the ones that control and decide how voting is done it should not be a Federal Gov issue. And there is a very good reason for that ... the states retain some power and are able to make their own decisions.
VOTE BY MAIL through the United States Postal Service !!
VOTE BY MAIL !! Through the United States Postal Service !!
Take a look at the Oregon Experiment.
It seems to work, no polling intimidation etc.