Well, in the "just to ensure that the voter suppression effort is just as long a campaign as the primaries" category, our dear County Clerk in El Paso County, Colorado (otherwise known as Fort Dobson) has decided to ask the courts for "guidance" on the identification required for voter registration. Sound familiar?
Oh yes, the only statewide offices held by a Republican in Colorado - Secretary of State and Attorney General. But we are now at the county level for interpreting law.
The County Clerk for El Paso County Bob Balink has decided to go it alone.
Where have we heard these before: More below the fold
What's the plan?
he is willing to enact a proof of citizenship policy in the county so that it could be challenged in court.
A court ruling, he said, would determine the policy’s constitutionality and the Legislature would be forced to debate the matter.
"If the law says that you must be a citizen to vote and we’re not requiring proof that you are, then we’re not following the law," Balink said.
Balink said, in his opinion, anyone registering to vote will need more than a birth certificate to prove citizenship, they’ll also need a government-issued photo ID.
Colorado Springs Gazette Telegraph Nov 8, 2007 by Carlyn Ray Mitchell
Balink has decided the legislature just isn't doing its job (the legislature that just happened to flip to D control in both houses for the first time since 1964). So, staunch patriot that he is, he will plow that path undeterred.
What is his plan? Well, first, as a good fiscal conservative his first concern is saving money:
Balink met with Commissioners Wayne Williams and Dennis Hisey and County Attorney Bill Louis on Wednesday to discuss how the county can put the issue before a judge in a way that will minimize cost to the county.
"We were trying to figure out a way to get some clarity to the situation," Hisey said. "It appeared that Bob taking an action one way or another would provoke an action."
Colorado Springs Gazette
What does he want to do?
He wants a person to have to have to present a government issued photo ID (looking at a passport) as well as a birth certificate. Wonder who would be most effected?
"What they don’t realize, or they don’t care, I don’t know which it is, is that citizens, especially the elderly, sometimes naturalized citizens, sometimes the disabled or certainly the homeless, don’t have easy access to the documents that are required for a photo ID," said Cathryn Hazouri, executive director of the ACLU of Colorado.
Wonder what party that effects the most? Doesn't seem to be a stretch to seem that might be a slightly partisan effort.
John Morse, D State Senator from El Paso County (first in 20 years)seemed to get it:
Morse criticized the plan to invite a lawsuit, saying it would be a waste of taxpayer money.
So, the El Paso County Clerk is presenting this as a method of clarifying law at
a low cost
.
So, what needs to happen - and here is the call for help.
Someone needs to step up for the El Paso County Democratic Party and say "we will provide the legal assistance to file a challenge the second the County Clerk does this". And that statement needs to be made publicly to the El Paso Count Commissioners "there is no free lunch - if you let this guy forward with a voter suppression action, you will be paying a lot of legal fees."
In El Paso County, money is king. Is there someone out there who will help lay down the gauntlet?
Added
Oh, BTW, the ability to carry Colorado at a statewide office or for the electoral college is pretty well dependent on carrying more than 40% of El Paso County - so for the CO Sen pick up or the D presidential candidate - this one counts for them too.