http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/W/W...
The republican suppression effort continues.

Degreze- glad you are still around. I noticed digriz was gone and I do know those other names just don't know they are you and couldn't pick out any others either. Don't have time for memory game ! )

Smile, chase kittens. Did you not know that the Royal hunting ground is ALWAYS forbidden???

Wow.........your 8:52 digiscreech poobah. Priceless. How long did it take you to think that one up? Dig within your feeble mindlessness. It amuses me how you twist and tweak. Some of it's quite good, as you have a certain flair. That one sucks, however. Beneath you, really. You can do better. Try some similes, or quotes.

"DiGriz, aka Robot_Lord_of Tokyo, aka Mudsill"
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I gave all three of those to you. Handed, actually. You still have no clue. There are now more than ten. Did you actually think that I left for two months? :p
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Silly wabbits.

Hey. Who said I left?? You just are not that intelligent, Poobah. I've been here the whole time. I'm currently letting my hair down, so to speak. I enjoy your paranoia, however. It's fuel for the fire.

vatoloco, the article is about voter registration records, which is something the voter ID law also doesn't fix.

1 in 8 voter records flawed....

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/st...

Disenfranchisement is removing the right to vote. No one in Wisconsin or anywhere in the U.S. is being disenfranchised. Lefties love to throw that word around for shock affect.

http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/dead-Vo...

It was DiGriz, aka Robot_Lord_of Tokyo, aka Mudsill.

The idea of voter ID is to help make voting and voters responsible. Any time you have a division as big as we do in this nation right, now, there is the possiblity of cheating to win. It is human nature when you feel strongly about something, and want your ideas to win. To allow all to vote, and not hold people accountable to prove they are who they are is opening up the system to major flaws. The unfortunate part is that this country has gone away from accountability. Also the Dems are calling it an attack on the old and immagrants. I say it is a way to make people more responsible. Apparently that is a scarey word to some people.

Welcome back, Robot_Lord_Of_Tokyo aka DeGryse. I forgot about that alias until you mentioned Tralfamadorians. You behaved yourself for as long as you could and then started back by attacking an 84 year old great-grandma.

DeGryse said, "This is not 13th Century England."

Give Walker and the Fitzgerald brothers another year and it will be.

DeGryse said, "Bull. This is not 13th Century England. I can trace my ancestry back to 1515 in Cheshire Enland via birth records."

Sorry, if birth records won't cut it here for Obama, they won't cut it for you and your ancestors either. We need to see the original long form birth certificates with raised stamp for each of those relatives.

You are pathetically ignorant on the issue of birth certificates. Many, many people, particularly elderly people like Ruthelle Frank, NEVER had a birth certificate issued to them.
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Bull. This is not 13th Century England. I can trace my ancestry back to 1515 in Cheshire Enland via birth records. So could most people if they even tried. My parents were both born in the 20's of the last century. They both have birth certificates. My grandfather was born in Saint Louis in 1886, and although there is no paper birth certificate that I'm aware of, there are other substantiating records. Peddle your fear-mongering somewhere else. I don't know anyone legal who can't substantiate their birth, living or dead, and I've been alive awhile. Go ahead, give your life up to the press, and someone that you don't know, but that makes your point in your own mind. Intellectual wavering..........if you had a clue.

nomores"F'd Up"
I used a word like this having to do with go get your ..... id and they deleted me.

Looks like poopchute is rolling out Ruthy again! A woman who would much rather play a victim and attempt to turn herself into a martyr than go take responsibility for fixing the documentation that she should have fixed decades ago. I get a kick out of the idiots who claim that a one time charge to fix documentation which residents should have been responsible enough to correct on their own, constitutes a poll tax. I guess it just goes to show how pathetic and desperate some of the anti-Walker contingent has become.......with good reason I guess:)

totellthetruth- absentee requires a copy of DL to go with the ballot.

westorbust"Why is it that people don't understand the difference between a financial transaction and voting"
you don't think voting for somebody and the results of that ISN'T a financial transaction????
it is a HUGE one!!

mssassy- ms obvious- lets say you crash and nobody will know who the heck you are if you cannot speak for yourself. I assume SOMEDAY you will need transportation someplace and if you are in a wreak wouldn't you want somebody to be able to identify you and call a kin. If you drive w/o id on you- you are just being stupid and may be risking your own life or if you are DNR they wont know that now will they!!??
You want "extreme" for not getting this. I gave you a not so extreme thing that COULD happen!!!

I'll tell you exactly what I'm talking about, wislady, even though you already know it. You said, "poobah That video is getting old. This woman did not want to pay for the corrections to HER birth certificate."

"This woman" NEVER had a birth certificate. As she stated in her own words in the first TEN SECONDS of the video I linked you to, "I went all these years without a birth certificate." If you had watched the video instead of just regurgitating your same old parrot talk you wouldn't have said she didn't want to pay to correct something SHE'S NEVER HAD! [ http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pla... ]

"The first thing Florence and her husband noticed was that the Division of Motor Vehicles does not make it immediately clear that you can obtain a voting ID for free"
NOTHING IS FREE
There is a "counter fee" as well for those who do things there that can be done on line.

poobah
Go look at it again, and use the closed caption also.

Near the end of the video, the woman said "SHE COULD GET A BIRTH CERT FOR $20. Then it looks like she said she could get the errors corrected and it might cost up to $200. (the closed caption is not all correct, but that is what is seems she is saying).

DeGryse screeched, "And seriously..........anyone who does not have a copy of their birth certificate is a flat-out idiot. That's one of the most important documents that you should posess, and if you don't have one, then I, for one, really don't care if you can vote or not, because your are obviously too stupid to know what you are voting for, regardless of whom. I've had a copy of my birth certificate SINCE I WAS BORN."

You are pathetically ignorant on the issue of birth certificates. Many, many people, particularly elderly people like Ruthelle Frank, NEVER had a birth certificate issued to them. Why don't you take a few hours to research the history of birth records in Wisconsin and then come back and tell all of us just how "stupid" and how much of a "flat-out idiot" Ruthelle Frank is. [ http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pla... ]

DeGryse, I didn't realize F'd Up & Kaysbrew had offspring until I read your post.

DeGryse said, "I've had a photo I.D. since 1982. Anyone who can't get even a free I.D. offered by the state is just stupid. In today's society, and the world of the internet, there is no excuse. This is a non-subject to anyone with a brain."

Tell that to Ruthelle Frank. 84 years old. Town board member. Has voted in every election since 1948. Never had a birth certificate. Has lived in the same home her entire life. She is not a stupid woman. She has a brain and this voter suppression law is a very important subject to her. [ http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pla... ]

And seriously..........anyone who does not have a copy of their birth certificate is a flat-out idiot. That's one of the most important documents that you should posess, and if you don't have one, then I, for one, really don't care if you can vote or not, because your are obviously too stupid to know what you are voting for, regardless of whom. I've had a copy of my birth certificate SINCE I WAS BORN.

I've had a photo I.D. since 1982. Anyone who can't get even a free I.D. offered by the state is just stupid. In today's society, and the world of the internet, there is no excuse. This is a non-subject to anyone with a brain. -
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If you truly are having problems getting an I.D., move to Mexico, cross the river into the U.S. in the dead of night on a raft, and hook up with the friends you made along the way. They'll help you out.

And Ertech, they've been doing that for how many years w/o requiring an ID? If such a law were to be introduced it should have had a grandfather clause or a transitional time period. The way it was done is just another example of Walker thinking he is Emperor. That is bad enough, but those of you who support him apparently can't see that the Emperor is wearing no clothes.

See Page 16
http://webapps.wi.gov/sites/recall/Recal...

wislady said, "poobah That video is getting old. This woman did not want to pay for the corrections to HER birth certificate."

You just confirmed what I've suspected all along. You don't even read or watch cited materials before spouting off with your partisan rhetorical replies that make absolutely no sense whatsoever. If you had watched the first 10 seconds of that video you would have heard Ruthelle clearly say, "I went all these years without a birth certificate." It was the VERY FIRST THING she said. And how do you respond to my comment? By saying, "This woman did not want to pay for the corrections to HER birth certificate." Hello? Hello? Anyone home?

Yawn....

None of these anecdotal experiences warrants changing the law to allow citizens to vote without a govt issued I.D.

Perhaps Andrea kaminski advocates allowing people with expired drivers licenses to vote? Nah, Kaminski believes that all old people-you know the 96+ year old demographic without certified birth certificates-will be disenfranchized because the state requires her to prove who she is....

I wonder why Ms Kaminski failed to disclose that her organization is suing the state to stop the Voter ID law? Ms Kaminskis organization, along with the ACLU, and NAACP are all parties to this law suit-where Florence Hessing is named.....if Kaminski is going to write an editorial piece she should at least have the decency to disclose her position as a litigant in a legal case that she is party to. She has a dog in this fight-and yet she doesnt have the courage to tell people....how convenient.

In full disclosure-I have no interest in this case-nor am I party to this litigation. Also, 15 States currently require voters to have govt issued identification to vote and 26 others have pending legislation requiring ID. The vast majority of citizens support this legislation.

Bowlgal said, "This new class is filled with hate and vile."

Do you have anything besides partisan rhetoric to contribute to the conversation?

"or in-person request for a birth certificate."
Very mis-leading article.
People who want to vote Republican will absolutely find a way to obtain on ID. Why are the Democrats constently complaining about ..well..everything.
Was I this unhappy when I was voting Democrat?
Of course, I don't think we are dealing with Democrats of old. This new class is filled with hate and vile.

Please, I could not even read the entire "whining" article. Again, brave citizens have sacrificed their lives to protect our rights to vote. Sorry that providing a photo ID is an inconvenience.

poobah

That video is getting old. This woman did not want to pay for the corrections to HER birth certificate. Maybe the democratic party can pay for the corrections (which she said might be up to $200.00). Nice way of twisting the story, but it is old news.

Please watch this video featuring Ruthelle Frank. [ http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pla... ] This is your chance to watch and hear Ruthelle's story in her own words.

Make sure you have acceptable voter ID, register to vote and be sure to vote to recall Walker/Kleefisch. Remember Ruthelle Frank!

third-eye you are so full of yourself and the corrupt GOP it is their words and no one else that claim this GET A CLUE as to who the fraudulent ones really are The reality is no one that wants him gone would sign the names of the ones claimed that would be the rotten tactics of your GOP YOUR DEAR SCOOTER HAS TO GET SUPPORT FROM OUT OF STATE...fedup yada yada yada I would be more worried about the corrupt ones you support as to which county will find votes to put up for those as before.. It will never end with the GOP and their dictation to this state and the corruption they have bestowed upon it. SarahB1 you are battling with ignorance and in my opinion people who know the truth but are not adult enough to admit it and look at the whole corruption within the GOP Scotty AKA JOHN DOE and his former and present staff are all evil and corrupt. Good bye scooter and Jeff

How can anyone speak against voter ID when fraud is in the heart of the left? I am speaking of the corruption and outright fraud that has been uncovered in the recall Walker petitions.
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westorbust Feb 13, 2012 at 10:30 a.m.
What are these facts you speak of?

Superdave, there wasn't a problem to begin with. If there was a problem with felons voting, why wasn't that the thrust of Republican efforts?
Why is it that people don't understand the difference between a financial transaction and voting? It's because that's all we do, we buy stuff, so we have no other measure to compare it to. It's a poor comparison, and says more about what we have lost, civically, than anything else.
Furthermore, why do people think we need more restrictions in our lives. Repubs and "libertarians" rail against government spending, involvement in nearly everything and generally see ID's a big brother watching over you, yet if it is painted in some kind false and fantastical "people are stealing the election" light, you bend over wimper, "ok master".
Why is there no focus on voting machine software, hacks or manufacturers? If you want to sway an election fraudulently it would be much easier to hack voting machines, or tamper with the counting than some kind of conspiracy where thousands of people would have to vote illegally. Oh, but lets not let the facts get in the way of belief systems.

What the person in this article is intentionally neglecting is that anyone (ID OR NOT) can vote by absentee ballot. A great deal of elderly people have this set up, including EVERY resident in a WI nursing home. All Florence had to do was ask for an absentee ballot, but did you ask her to do that or want to whine about it because you don't like the new law. I think you are skirting the real issue, voter fraud. If you were REALLY intent on honestly in elections you would see the real issue of voter fraud and work to preserve the integrity of elections by ensuring that each citizen gets on vote.

@zoom: LOL. Just messin' w/you. I put the "cigs and booze" comment in especially for you - and you took the bait! Hahahaha.
My larger point is this: our society requires a photo ID for many things, it is easy to get for most people most of the time. If there is a problem getting it, that problem should be solved but that should be easy enough.
Re: felons voting, another problem to be solved. My guess is that they would tend to vote Dem, but that's just a guess. It doesn't matter to me which way certain groups tend to vote, what matters is protecting the integrity of the process. No one is being disenfranchised simply by being expected to show a photo ID, that is ridiculous.

I go to Shopko for my new glasses and when I write a check they ask for my picture ID. How do so many "seniors" (who apparently don't drive) get their glasses? Just askin'. . .

"The poor have to show ID to buy their cigs and booze."

Ridiculous comment. How old are you? Besides, over a certain age, no one gets carded for booze and tobbaco, and buying those things is not a Constitutional right.

Interesting that no one has commented on the felon issue, which was the most documented form of voting fraud found in a 2008 report by the Milwaukee PD. Why doesn't this new law address that issue? Is it because felons usually vote Republican?

@mssassy: You obviously didn't comprehend my last post, you failed to address any of it. To the issue of the catch-22 - obviously, if this situation exists, it must be fixed. But I simply don't believe that this affects very many people, and the solution for those that it does affect is self-evident.
@zoom: Why are the poor, elderly, and students affected? How are they possibly functioning in society now? Other than a case where you can't get a copy of your birth certificate because the court house burned down and you've always had everything in your former (now deceased) spouse's name and the dog ate your homework....sorry! Not buying it. Students generally already have photo ID from their school. The poor have to show ID to buy their cigs and booze. The elderly have a history in the community. There are ways of accomplishing this onerous task. It can be done!
Where do people get off thinking they can just wander into a voting booth and vote without having to prove their identity? I think photo ID requirements should be expanded to other situations, such as any application for benefits from the various government programs. It's just common sense.

Right-on usaret. To answer your question, most people I know who don't vote simply believe that their one vote doesn't matter. Some are just willing to take whatever hand that is dealt to them. But they ALL have photo IDs or birth certificates.

1. How many students do not have ID's? Some are able to get illegal ID's to show they are old enough to buy booze or cig's so how come they can't get Legal ID's or is that asking too much of them. How many students drive cars? Seem's they can get ID's to do that?
2. The poor, don't they need ID's to get certain items from various organizations? How did they get those ID's?
3. The way some of the comments are made its as if once you become old (elderly) you can't do anything which I find insulting since I am now in that elderly catagory. If you are so worried about it what are you doing to help the person besides mention it here? Birth certificates from way back when are a problem but it would be better if you could come up with a solution for these special cases. Complaining and blaming sure doesn't help. It is a time for common sense to take over, especially in the case of someone over 96yrs of age.
Again I ask, of the 40 or 50% of the WI voters who don't vote, what was the prevention that stopped them from voting?

According to the Wisconsin site for ordering a certified birth certificate at http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/forms/F0/F0..., the following forms of identification are required to get your copy: One of these: Wisconsin driver’s license, Wisconsin photo ID, out-of-state driver’s license or photo ID card. OR Two of these: Government-issued employee ID card or badge with photo, US Passport, Check or bank book, Major Credit Card, Health Insurance Card, Recent dated, signed lease, Recent utility bill or traffic ticket.

This law should add some integrity to our voting process - I can see why the public unions don't like it.

Superdave, the three groups most disenfranchised by the law will be the poor, the elderly, and students. The poor and students tend to vote Democrat.

Thank you for admitting that few instances of voter fraud have surfaced! There are simply few people willing to commit a felony by impersonating a REGISTERED voter. The largest number of voting errors actually comes from felons who are ineligible to vote. The new law doesn't fix that issue! Ask yourself why!

SuperDave...you obviously DIDN'T read the article...how does one "just go get an ID" if they cannot get a birth certificated without ID?!?

Okay, I still don't get the opposition to voter ID. Some GOP say without it the unions, etc. will have people double vote, illegals, dead people will vote, etc. etc. Some Dems say obviously this is an attempt by the GOP to disenfranchise certain groups.
To me, this is a no-brainer. Show ID and vote. No ID? Get an ID. This is not rocket science, nor is it an insurmountable barrier.
LOL - this reminds me of the whole kids-walking-to-school discussion. Today's kids have smartphones, they have access to pretty much all the information in the world, and they are pretty adept at using the technology! Yet some parents assumed their little charges were somehow incapable of crossing the street!!! Hahahahaha. Still giggling here.... Ummmm....it's called "look..both..ways..before...".... HAHAHA.
http://gazettextra.com/news/2009/apr/25/...
Back on topic. Why is it that opponents of Voter ID think that this will tend to disenfranchise LIBERAL voters? (Else why would the GOP support it???). Is this an admission that liberal voters are in general stupider than conservative voters? I don't feel that way, but that's the implication!
And while it may be true that few instances of voter fraud have surfaced, the problem is that voter fraud may not generally be exposed. Sometimes crime goes undetected, isn't that also obvious?
I don't get it. This is not 1776. Nor is it Mayberry, NC in 1961. Election officials don't recognize everyone who comes in to vote. So we do the obvious thing, show ID. Why is this such a difficult concept?

Someone needs a shower-I smell Demy methink .puke

WalterReuther, it's not just you. But then again, this is not unusual when a social problem presents itself and an article is written about said problem: one side of the political spectrum sees the problem and their comments reflect that. The other side, (invariably the republicans), thinks that the point of the article is to spoon feed people instead of being able to even wrap their minds around the concept that a catch 22 actually does exist, and their "solution" is rarely helpful, but in fact, creates a larger problem...I say this mostly tongue-in-cheek, but...fairly accurately?

Walter- You are right but the people who have been "arguing" with you will never get it. They are on here to argue anything that rational people see as normal. I'm trying hard not to engage them at all. Their opinions correlate with the lunatic fringe portion of the GOP.

WR: Your right, why make excuses that perpetuate the problem? Applies to both sides don't you think?

WR-OK

Is it just me, or are A LOT of readers really not getting the point of the letter writer's concerns here?

vatoloco,
But if you need a birth certificate to get an ID if you previously had no ID, as the rule now apparently stipulates, how does one obtain either one? That is the problem for people presented in this article.

poorrichard,
Very few of these people have a hard copy of their birth certificate on hand. They haven't needed it for years. They have their social security card, and their bank accounts have been set up for decades. Their lives are very simple and limited to a small geographic area. They don't require a birth certificate and years ago things were much, much different. The internet and electronic documents and identity theft have changed the way the world is for younger generations. For seniors, however, it wasn't like that when they were young. Depending on their station in life, people didn't need very much personal documentation to get through life.

usaret,
There was no excuse for not voting until now. That's what this article and discussion is about. People that want to vote are finding that they might not be able to because of the "imperfect system". Do you realize that when you make excuses for it like that, the problem is perpetuated and not solved?

WR-I'm sure you're right about many of the elderly in Milwaukee. Maybe these people should be voting by absentee ballots. At some point in their life's a birth certificate should have been required for something-An SS card,marriage license,admission to a nursing home, credit for a house-I don't know what else. I would think it would be hard to get thru life w/o a birth certificate.

WalterReuther: as I stated--"No system is perfect....". Now, could you please explain the excuse given for NOT VOTING?

Walter

There is a lot of identity theft going on.... I was a victim of it and it sucks.....a lot of paperwork involved and I had to prove that I was who I am.....I had to totally redo my credit history and place alerts on it because other people were taking out car loans etc.....it was a nightmare........

I agree that you should provide an I D to get a birthcerticate....

I remember a few years ago when Democratic Governor Jim Doyle vetoed a Voter ID bill claiming it would disenfranchise the elderly. Within a week or two his signed a bill into law requiring people to show a photo ID to buy cold medicine. I guess somehow he thought that a photo ID would not prevent the elderly from buying cold medicine. Another example of the hypocrisy of the left.

usaret,
Doesn't requiring a birth certificate to get an ID while at the same time requiring an ID to get that birth certificate seem like "playing games", as you put it?

Please explain to me the excuse given by the 40 to 50% of the eligble voters in WI have for not voting in an election. What prevented them from voting????? How about not caring enough to participate but willing to complain if it doesn't go their way? Both sides are making a mountain out of a mole-hill that neither side is going to win in the long run. I've seen on credit cards the line "see ID". Ask the customer and they provide a PHOTO ID. Now if verification was important to them why should it not be important when voting? No system is perfect, never will be but let's stop playing games.

poorrichard,
Some people do not have an expired license to show. Having worked with elderly citizens in the city of Milwaukee, I can tell you that there are many, many people that have never had a driver's license. They have never driven. They've never had a car. They've used public transportation their entire lives. They've also never had ID or a need for it. Now to get an ID in order to vote, they need to get a birth certificate which many do not have. To get that birth certificate they need the ID. How does this make sense?

wislady,
The answer is simple; because they don't want to break the law by obtaining a fake birth certificate even though they need a birth certificate to get an ID which they need and ID to get which they need a birth certificate to get which they need an ID to get which they need a birth certificate to get which they need an ID to get which they need a birth certificate to get.....See? Simple.

dhorse,
It is not required by law to have a state ID. If you drive, you must have a license. If you do not drive there is no legal requirement to have or carry identification. You must be able to identify yourself if you have committed some sort of crime, but if you never commit a crime and have no run in with police, there is no need for you to identify yourself to law enforcement. Your argument has no merit. You claim that a citizen should have ID. I would argue that a citizen need only to consistently follow the law. Having ID is not required by law.

I know several area seniors, predominantly women, who *never* had a driver's license......

shopier - and you call me ignorant.
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This part of my post was removed by the Feduptaxper.

If people can go to all the work that is involved in getting fake birth certificates, why can't they get a real ID?

Birth certificates that were sent to city under investigation
By CATHERINE IDZERDA ( Contact ) Friday, Feb. 10, 2012

JANESVILLE — The blank birth certificates were sent Fed Ex.

And Homeland Security signed for them—or rather intercepted them before they reached their destination in Janesville.

At 7:50 a.m. Wednesday, Janesville police officers assisted Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in a check of the package's destination: an apartment on Woodlane Drive, Janesville.

The package contained "blank authentic Puerto Rican birth certificates where the names … could be filled out to capture or make a person's identity," according to police reports.

The man who lives in the apartment allowed authorities to search his home. The man's name was not on the package, and he said he had no idea who sent it to his address.

A spokesperson for Immigration and Customs Enforcement said no arrests were made but would not give out any other details.

It's not clear if Wednesday's incident was connected to "Operation Island Express," a two-year undercover operation run by ICE. On Jan. 11, ICE announced that 50 people had been accused of conspiring to sell the identities of hundreds of Puerto Ricans to undocumented immigrants on the U.S. mainland in what authorities called "the largest single fraud case" in the organization's history.

People buying the documents often use them to obtain additional identification documents.

In December, a Twin Lakes man who allegedly sold three matching sets of Puerto Rican birth certificates and Social Security cards to an undercover agent was indicted in federal court on identity fraud charges.

http://gazettextra.com/news/2012/feb/10/...

lovemycountry, this article is in the opinion section.

RAF, the voting process, new or old, was not used for the recall.

Feduptaxpayer, this law does nothing to prevent ineligible felons from voting! They are actually cast the most fraudulent votes, international or not.

Shouldn't this piece be labeled an "editorial" under the title, lest people think there's an element of truth to it ?

dhorse......It's challenging because the democrat leadership has no faith in the members of their party. They must truly believe that their members are too lazy, stupid, and/or ignorant to figure this out. I'm not talking about the current article, but rather their opposition to this law from the beginning. It is really sad that they think so little of their supporters:(

I'm still wondering why this is challenging. If you're a citizen, why do you not have an ID card? It just doesn't make sense. If you decide not to drive anymore, it would be okay to like drivers license expire, but then go to the DMV get an ID card. The argument of a burden is silly at best and completely inappropriate. If your citizen of legal age get an ID card.

The fraud found in the recall petition circus is proof enough voter ID is needed in this state.

@bucky123- I love your comment. You nailed it with " bigotry is just below the surface". That is exactly what it is.

I can't help myself and don't usually personally attack but feduptaxerpayer- you are truly truly moronic.Stop blogging and go get yourself some sort of education or, if not that, mental help.

The paranoia runs deep in this discussion and the bigotry is just below the surface. I am aware of no instances of voter fraud in the news in Wisconsin. History shows many instances of laws passed and later found unconstitutional to limit peoples ability to vote. Look up Jim Crow if you need examples. This law is wrong on its face we already have laws to deal with voter fraud this is a bald faced attempt to keep people from voting or at the very least make voting more difficult.

My 87 year old mother-in-law needed a current photo I.D. to fly down to Tucson later this month. She went to the DMV in Elkhorn, showed her expired driver licence and a few minutes later left with a new FREE I.D. card. This was Wednesday of this week. Unless they changed the laws yesterday something is fishy in this article.

I agree with many others, trash law.

Put all partisanship aside here.
To get a photo ID you have to show a birth certificate. To get a birth certificate you have to show a photo ID. This is a rule that was recently put into effect. This could definitely hinder voters (Dem or Rep) from exercising their right. This is a problem that needs to be dealt with immediately.

I also find it suspicious, to say the very least, of how to get a copy of your birth certificate, the policy "recently changed".

GOP, just be honest. Just come out and SAY that you want to make it as difficult as possible for those who may vote against you. That would at least give you credit for your honesty. This way, though, you just look like power hungry (starving) idiots.

"You lefties need to get over this 1st amendment rights."-feduptaxpayer@12:39pm

OMG! What on earth do you think that you are talking about? What in the heck does the 1st amendment have to do with voting rights?

You should probably stick to your normal name calling, anything above that and your ignorance shows like a strobe light.

fedup, my guess is that the elderly, such as the woman experiencing difficulties obtaining a state issued ID, are not purchasing many items at Best Buy. ESPECIALLY if it is out of stock. Forgive me for being Ms. Obvious, but times have changed within the last 20 years. During this time, many of the people who actually care about the good of America, more than their individual,personal situation, have removed themselves from the "working world". Many no longer drive. We have rolled with the changes, but many of those affected by the new voter ID law are not out in the world as much as you and I. Most of these elderly citizens have established bank accounts and have their SS checks directly deposited and have no need for a license or ID to cash their checks-till now. I think it's a shame.

I'd like to be Ms. Obvious again: "As a nonpartisan organization founded in 1920 by women suffragists, the League of Women Voters knows voter suppression when we see it." (Where did the "liberal" organization bash come from? I imagine since it's "women"...and we're always saying things like pro-choice and stuff...bad girls.)

“The voter ID law is disenfranchising people … including many seniors.” The only example Kaminski provides is a senior, so let’s go there. Why would those evil, crafty Republicans target seniors to disenfranchise? Seniors tend to have much more conservative values than young voters, though a recent study shows that contrary to popular belief, people don’t become more conservative as they age. Other studies have shown that you can’t reliably predict voter behaviour because of old age. The AARP would have you believe that seniors are a reliable Democratic voting bloc, but it just isn’t so. In other words, disenfranchising seniors doesn’t automatically help out Republicans or hurt Democrats, so why would they knowingly do so?

If the LWV wants to get out and assist anyone who is having trouble obtaining a photo ID, that’s a wonderful initiative, and they should fill their boots. Having documentation like birth certificates on-hand is going to be important sooner or later anyway. Helping out is a valid, useful thing for a volunteer organization to do, taking a partisan stance and whining about “disenfranchisement” isn’t.

Consider too, the frequently cited “onerous burden” of forcing someone to go to DMV to get the ID. Why, some people simply don’t have the means to do that! But if it’s too hard to get to DMV, isn’t it also too hard to get to the polls? If someone is so out of touch that they don’t know they now need a photo ID, or so mentally enfeebled that they can’t get an ID application processed, are they really “informed voters”? Just something to consider.

I will share my story again. Short time ago I made an out of stock purchase at Best Buy. I received an email when it arrived. The email specifically stated instructions to pick up my purchase. PRINT off the email and bring it into the store with A PHOTO ID. You lefties need to get over this 1st amendment rights.

This law will do exactly what it was intended to do, that is disenfranchise many voters. This is precisly what the authors of this law intended it to do.

"There must be some lefty woman around here that has a story to tell."-cnw1313@ 11:34 am. I wonder how many people like this think this way and yet view themselves as patriots. This law goes against the Constitution and it goes against what being an American is all about.

I thought America was a democracy, not a dictatorship!!

Sarah, Why don't they call it what it is, "The league of LIBERAL women voters"??? Gosh, did they have to go all the way to Bayfield to find 1 person who might have had a problem??? There must be some lefty woman around here that has a story to tell.

Obviously the purpose of this toxic legislation is voter suppression. Republicans will do anything to win, folks. They don't lose any sleep over robbing Americans of their right to vote, anymore than they do over robbing the poor to pay the rich. Let's just hope their gambit doesn't work. Let's hope that for every vote Republicans suppress, ten Americans who do vote cast their ballots against them.

It will be interesting to see how much lower voter turnout totals really are after the dead and non-resident votes are not there. Felons with ID will still be able to vote until an updated "felons not allowed to vote" list is ever provided to every elections polling place.

gpa, your son-in-law probably also had a certified birth certificate, and did you read the article about how the office issuing birth certificates RECENTLY CHANGED thier policy regarding birth certificates without photo id. Your son-in-law's experience is completely irrelevant to this woman's experience.

"poll" not "pole". Sorry.

Fed - Show me where non-residents, felons, and dead people voted in WI elections prior to this law. This law will keep more residents away from the pole than prevent non-residents, felons, and dead people from voting.

Most of the confusion is created by those against the Photo ID. If your vote is important to you then any perceived hassel is worth it. If your vote is unimportant to you, don't blame the system. It was made to protect not deny the legal voter.

You cannot have non residents, felons and dead people vote when you have voter ID. Or at the very least it makes it much more difficult. The UNIONs are going to do anything and everything they can to steal these elections. I for one will be glad when this is over an they all leave our state going Wah Wah Wah all the way back to DC.

Congrats gpawcat! You sure did bust that 96 year old woman! This article does go to show the actual intent of the voter ID law. It was meant to cause confusion among differnt sectors of the population to lead them to think it would be too difficult to jump through the necessary hoops to be able to vote. While the hoops may not be all to great for a large majority of the population, they cause just enough confusion for some to think either they will be turned away or it just isn't worth the hassel.

This article is nonsense! Do people really believe poor Florence at 96 gets no Social Security, no pension, no financial assistance of any kind, no work history, no permanent place of residency, and no relatives? Give me a break! It says in the article her drivers license expired years ago. Ha! Busted. My son-in-law moved to Wisconsin in 1985, got a WI license. Moved to Illinois in 1987. Came back to Wisconsin in 2005 with out a license. He just went to the DMV a month ago for a picture I.D. and they told him he had a WI license back in 85!