Thursday, March 15, 2012

Many Say Voter ID Laws Are Not Discriminating

One News Now--Several states are embroiled in bitter debate over requirements for voter identification before going to the polls. While Democrats say there is no significant proof of voter fraud, Republican legislatures and conservative advocacy groups say preventative measures are necessary.

Democrats and liberal activists across the country contend the elderly, disabled, and poor will be hard-pressed to satisfy ID requirements being pursued. But Republicans refute that claim, arguing IDs are used widely as part of daily interactions in society and that the law provides adequate safeguards for them.

Deneen Borelli -- a fellow with the Project 21 black leadership network and author of Blacklash: How Obama and the Left Are Driving Americans to the Government Plantation --says states like Indiana and Georgia, for example, provide free photo identification.

"This all goes back to maintaining the integrity of our voting process for our country -- because there have been situations not all that long ago, as a matter of fact, where there have been instances of voter fraud," she tells OneNewsNow. "And this is what we want to prevent, because it cancels out those who are properly identified and have a qualified vote."

Writing last month for Fox News, Borelli addressed critics' arguments that some people cannot afford the time, money, or effort needed to apply for a valid ID, stating: "It's perplexing how so many groups complaining about voter ID laws have the funds to register voters, educate voters, and transport voters to the polls, but never budget anything to rectify ID problems or ask if people have all that's required of them on Election Day."

Borelli also says, sadly, some are attempting to equate obtaining a valid photo ID with past voter discrimination.

"Years and years ago when it came to a poll tax or a literacy test, those were actual roadblocks," she acknowledges, "but having someone present photo identification is really to prove who that individual is and to prevent voter fraud."

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