It took Congress 20 years to finally implement Real ID throughout the USA. Now, they don’t want to use it. Wonder why We The People mistrust Congress?
Now that everyone in the government, including TSA, knows who we really are, voters in 44 states can’t use Real ID as identification at their polling place. Why? If Donald Trump has his way, they’ll need a birth certificate or Passport in order to prove that they’re citizens. Fewer than 50% of Americans have a Passport. Heaven knows how many of us can provide a certified birth certificate. Mainly up to 70 million female voters will be unable to cast a ballot if the CARE Act passes the Senate.
Why won’t the majority of female voters be unable to cast a ballot? Because they’re married and took their husband’s name when they exchanged vows. In Texas most counties kept birth records at the county seat, in the Courthouse. Any idea how many of these magnificent old courthouses have burned over the past century since they were built? A lot. Goodbye, permanent records, goodbye voting privileges.
Every polling place I’ve ever been to, in a number of states as I moved around alone, then with my husband, I’ve always encountered a similar situation. Either the polling folks knew me as a neighbor, or if they didn’t they both checked me out to see that I am who I say I am and verified me to vote. If they didn’t know me by name, most knew my dog. I’ve had several really cool dogs over the decades, just lucky I guess.
Behind every desk was a duo: a Republican and a Democrat. They were ostensibly neighbors as polling places are local in nature, so perhaps they only saw one another at the polling place when there was an election, or they could have even played bridge on Thursdays as they had for the past forty years. They always worked together and agreed on voters. Now they do the same with my Real ID.
Most times, except at rush hour, the polls have light turnout. Last time was a special election and there were two clerks and only two of us voting at that particular moment. Every time, since I was 18 (nearly five decades for those who are counting) it has been a respectable and well-run organization. Every time I thank them for their service. Never has there been a police presence at the polls and I’ve voted in New York, California, Utah, Texas and Wisconsin. Different machines, different people, very orderly and professional everywhere.
The SAVE Act is nothing more than voter suppression. Our founders kept the federal government mainly out of federal elections for a reason. And they kept politicians, especially POTUS, out of it. No federal agency needs our state voting records. Ditto other state records including DMV et al. They just don’t. It’s only a way to re-gerrymander and do other nefarious things to remain in power forever.
There is no real issue of undocumented migrants voting illegally, and yes, it is already illegal for an undocumented migrant to vote in federal elections. Think about it. Is it worth losing your job, family and risk deportation to cast one vote? No. Republicans just want to accuse Democrats of encouraging “illegals” to vote, which they can’t, and don’t. That might explain why the minority tend to win elections when the party in power has crummy policies that are executed horribly.
Please vote. Primaries count. Off-presidential elections count. Our nation’s democracy counts. Under no circumstance think that your vote doesn’t matter, because it does. More than you know. Yours in citizenship, (US today, maybe Canadian tomorrow), Dee
Cooking with Dee 