I searched and there didn't seem to be a diary on this. I think it could be vital in the 2008 election.
The House just passed H.R. 4844, which would require i.d. cards in order to vote in federal elections.
This bill would
require everyone who wanted to vote to present a photo i.d. with proof of citizenship in order to vote in federal elections 2008.
By 2010, to vote, you would have to have photo ID that specifically states you are a citizen. I don't think my driver's license does that.
In response to criticism that this would be a burden for the poor, the bill says that states must provide the identification cards free anyone who can't afford them. (This is an unfunded mandate, the kind the Republicans are always grousing about, except when they pass them.) I really doubt the poor and minority people will actually be able to get the i.d. cards necessary unless they are lucky and persistent.
I'm not sure I would be able to prove I'm a citizen without sending for a certified copy of my birth certificate, which would be time-consuming and costly. And I am a committed voter. What about the average person who thinks about voting in the last few weeks before an election?
This is an unfair, unjust, and probably unconstitutional bill. I don't know exactly what to do, but I think something should be done. Is there any way we can stop the Senate from passing this?
I hope some of the very savvy people here at Kos can take up this issue.