why, actually the Dems had more votes but the Reps just took the office anyway. I am all for good voter registration, but not at the expense of the individual voter.

The only way the democrats can win is by cheating or buying votes. The voter ID would make it harder for the cheating to continue. People would only be able to vote once. Dems think you should vote early and often.

Why are the democrats so afraid to have on vote on voter id's? We need a vote on this and let the public vote on this bill. It's the public that are the ones voting. We need photo id's to get library cards. We need photo id's to rent movies. We even need them to buy cold medicine.

That's true. But maybe we're already too late in that regard?

I would not have an issue with leaving a thumbprint on 1st thought of it. However, we have seen abuse of powers in the past by govt. and I would not want my print in a database to be used against me.

Does anyone have a problem with leaving a thumb print when you vote?
Actually you leave one now unless you wear gloves.
So what would be the problem for voter VERIFICATION?
I would think everyone would want to make sure we have the most transparent voting system in the world since we are so quick to present this concept to everyone else.

nyconserv1--Yes, I have heard of the supposed "widespread" voter fraud in Milwaukee. Truth is, after an investigation, one person was charged with voting twice in an election, by the US Attorney at Milwaukee. The trial ended in a hung jury. The Feds declined to retry the suspect. US attorney Steve Biskupic made a statement indicating there was no widespread voter fraud in Milwaukee. I'll take his word for it, after all he is a republican :)

No, Republicans are being smart and only want legal US citizens voting. But heres the problem, people here illegally can have a drivers licence also. That is something that must stop also. If you are here illegally, you don't have our rights. The problem here is also that the Democrats realize that a number of thier votes, (not all), come from people here illegally and if we asked to see ID's when showing up to vote, most of them wouldn't be able to vote and they would lose a large voting block that usually leans severely to the left.

Bub, didn't you hear about the widespread voter fraud in Milwaukee during the primaries? Also, how do know there is not widespread voter fraud? Did you hear it at DU? If you owned a business, would you let anyone cash a check without ID? If you say yes, tell me where your store is located.

Let me get this correct. I need an ID to cash a check, open an account, buy alcohol or cigarettes, but not one to vote? This kind of backward thinking can only come from a demoncrat. How dumb does the demoncratic party think voters are? I guess if people have no common sense, than they must feel that way. As for me, I have more faith in people. I think they have the brains to get an ID to vote.

An ID to vote as a way to show citizenship is an excellent idea. Why are the democrats afraid of this? maybe because they won't be able to get non citizens a chance to vote. If there are hardships on why someone can't afford an ID for some reason, then I have no problem for assistance for a legal citizen of our country. Keep it up republicans and protect my vote and my right of citizenship in this great state and country!

Vote fraud is not wide spread or a large problem. The proposal is attractive to Republicans, as it will block Democrats from rallying the poor and street people to vote in elections. These folks are unlikely to have state issued ID but are more likely to vote democratic. Placing restrictions or qualifications on the right to vote is never a good idea. A constitutional amendment accomplishing the same thing, is a terrible idea.

Nothing worth doing is free. Voting is no different. When you go to the polls, you must wear clothes. Is the price of those clothes a poll tax? You may say that the money paid for your clothes doesn't go to the government, but there is a sales tax on clothes as well as other taxes on manufacturers for materials and transportation, etc. Are those taxes a poll tax?
If it's too far to walk to the polls, is the cost of transportation a poll tax? If I need glasses to read the ballot, is the cost of those glasses a poll tax? The idea of a reliable I.D. is so that a volunteer poll worker can verify that you are who you say you are. Yes, some may manufacture counterfeit I.D. cards. Some people can pick locks too, but I advise you to lock your doors anyway, because most people cannot. No matter how rampant voter fraud is, preventing it is in the best interests of all voters, in that illegitimate votes dilute legitimate ones. Yes, there are other forms of vote fraud. That does not mean that we should allow this type of fraud because that kind of fraud exists. Neither should we allow those other types of fraud, or any kind of fraud, for that matter.

I'd be more accepting of the argument for them but still not completely on board. It is nearly impossible to make them so easy to obtain that you will never prevent a voter from casting a ballot due to ID roadblocks. If you did make it that easy, you would have the same problem you have today. If voter fraud were really so common, is requiring IDs really going to stop them? No, they would simply make fake IDs. It would, however, likely prevent some legal, eligible voters from casting a ballot.
This whole issue is a diversionary tactic. Voter fraud is not so rampant as some would have you believe. Bush's own Justice Department found no organized movement to sway federal elections by voter fraud (see link below). Most counts of "voter fraud" are people making errors on their voter registration, not trying to vote illegally. Even if you solved the small amount of voter fraud going on, you would still have people committing election fraud by using caging lists, intentionally under-staffing and/or inadequately equipping polling stations, improperly purging registered voter lists, intimidating voters, etc. One person can cast dozens of ballots in 12 hours using voter fraud, one person can prevent hundreds or thousands of people from casting votes in minutes by using these other techniques.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/12/washin...

So if the ID is free and easily obtainable, then your (Bubs) okay with it?

Jefferson would roll over in his grave.

I guess if the ID is free you should be able to prove your identity with a birth certificate an social security card at the polling places and then stand in line like you do at the DMV and have your picture taken and ID made for you while you wait.??

Yelling and shouting, huh! Don't these people have anything more important to do? Oh wait, their politicians. Why can't they put half of their energy into fixing real problems.

Is this AB 158? I don't see any provision in it that offers a free ID to anyone who wishes to be a voter.
Even if it is a "free" ID, there will be many people, poor and otherwise, who may not be able to leave work, travel to a DMV, and stand in line to wait to get their ID. Unless we make the ID "free" and easily obtainable, it is still essentially a poll tax.

proartist,
And just how did registering 30+ years ago prove that I am who I purport to be on election day?

Just lay down a thumbprint and be done with it.

Proof of eligibility is already in the "system" for when you first register to vote, you have to supply specific documents to validate your identity. A voting-ID may be "free" to the electorate who want it but someone has to pay for the printing/publishing of these IDs and, in the end, it's the taxpayer. Wisconsin should be very proud we have same-day voter registration which - by observing the numbers of first-time voters lining up to register in the February primary - only encourages voters and increases the ability of Wisconsin citizens to participate.

Actually all those free id's would be costing all taxpayers something...

Bubs has it all wrong. The Republicans proposed photo ID with a provision to give everyone who didn't have a phote ID, one for FREE. No cost so it is not a poll tax.

Because an ID that costs money is a poll tax. An ID that costs money and is easily obtainable by every potential voter is a poll tax and an attempt at voter suppression.
Bringing up voter fraud is also an attempt to take the focus off election fraud which is a much more effective and common way to skew election. Yes, we should work to prevent both voter fraud and election fraud. That doesn't mean we need this piece of legislation.

I don't get it. you need photo ID to buy alcohol and cigaretts but, not to vote.

Perhaps because it is so easy to get a fake photo id. Fix that process first maybe?

Why anyone would be against showing proof of eligablity before voting to prevent fraud and duplicate voting is unbelivable..