Comments on: The Voter-Fraud Myth: What Racist Voter ID Laws Are Really About

By: Luke Visconti

Luke Visconti — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 22:08:10 +0000

You can’t prove there is a problem because there is no problem. It’s like asking, “When did you stop beating your dog?” Luke Visconti, CEO, DiversityInc

By: Robert Lamb

Robert Lamb — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 18:52:46 +0000

Voter fraud is dismissed in this article as rare, when in truth no study can include all cases of voter fraud because not all are caught. The article rasies an intersting point to include fringe elements, but a lack of routinely collected and published data by election boards, county prosecutors, and state election agencies has made it difficult for scholars to conduct studies of voter and other forms of electoral fraud. As long as our head remains in the sand of the depth of the problem, asking for voter authenticity will be incorrectly treated as another demographically based scare tactic.

By: Ought Thoughts

Ought Thoughts — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 20:34:08 +0000

@Joe Steele – wonderfully and poetically summarized.

By: Luke Visconti

Luke Visconti — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 19:56:09 +0000

You’re right—there are plenty of poor white people impacted by this. But wealth correlates to race in our country. On a percentage basis, Black and Latino voters are impacted far greater than white people. Just do a web search and follow the trail to which states—and which political party—are pushing this issue … and make the oh-so-small-leap to a conclusion. Now, regarding your advice: Please have some concern for the bigots and trolls that regularly send us racist flames that we don’t publish. If I got over myself, where would those lonely bigots, homophobes, sexists and other trolls go? What would they do all day? Oh, the humanity. Luke Visconti, CEO, DiversityInc

By: Dave

Dave — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 18:53:56 +0000

Luke, they are some poor white folk as well. In this article, I believe it’s more social and age discrimination than racial. I was for the ID issue, until I read this article. I didn’t think of ederly folk not having birth certificates, etc. But, too me, it’s not a racial issue. Moreover, if someone disagrees with you – you call them a troll or bigot or racist. Get over yourself. Not everyone is a bigot or racist that disagrees with your articles. Seems too me you’re being the arrogant one.

By: Joe Steele

Joe Steele — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 12:25:45 +0000

Given the data which is supposed to be objective, the confirmed claims of voter fraud are statistically insignificant. So for those who support voter suppression for whatever reasons – racial, anti-immigrant, socio-economic classists, etc, it is still wrong. It’s merely a power play to usurp the institutional processes to take power for control purposes. What really makes me angry as a contractor working in various parts of the world to help “others” with Democracy and Governance on behalf of the USA, it feels as an American like “the cobblers’ children do not have shoes.”

By: Luke Visconti

Luke Visconti — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 02:00:19 +0000

I think ID is a red herring—it’s throwing us off the trail:

1. I can find zero evidence of fraud being committed that rises above inconsequential. Therefore, the “franchise of voting” is NOT in jeopardy.

2. An “any level” or “zero tolerance” argument is disingenuous because whatever fraud is being committed is not significant.

3. Even if you’re concerned about a single false vote, one must consider greater harm. What is more important—hundreds of thousands of Americans voting or potentially stopping inconsequential voting fraud?

4. “Potentially” is a key word—the honest people will still be honest, but why would an ID law change the behavior of people intending to defraud the voting process? Think about all the people arrested for producing false ID at college campuses—for drinking. Take a walk through certain neighborhoods and you’ll see SSI-document vendors peddling false identification. Forcing honest people to get identification changes nothing. Go back to point one.

Bottom line is there’s no problem to be solved—except the problem that some people have of poor (non-white) people voting, a right which has been under attack since this nation was founded. This voter ID effort is all about racism and bigotry; it’s constructed to appeal to those who are fearful of the “other” Americans. It divides to conquer. I cannot imagine anything more anti-American than a group of people organizing to disenfranchise groups of Americans to serve their selfish interests. Luke Visconti, CEO, DiversityInc

By: Linda

Linda — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 21:51:57 +0000

Steve, there are many places, where, if you are known in the community,you don’t have to have an ID to do any of the items that you mentioned. Reread the article and “walk a mile in their shoes”. They are unable to easily get the documentation to get the required id and have no need for it in their daily lives……….

By: Luke Visconti

Luke Visconti — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 14:30:45 +0000

I don’t “believe” that voter fraud is insignificant–every study that I can find PROVES that voter fraud is insignificant. There is also plenty of evidence that the voter ID laws are targeting Black and Latino voters–like the threatening billboards that are springing up in poor areas all over swing-state cities. Your phrase “people who will, for whatever reason, not pursue obtaining government provided identification that would allow access to the franchise” is disingenuous and implies ill intent among those poor people affected by these new laws. There is no evidence that people don’t WANT government ID. For some people, the cost is prohibitive, and in some states, like Georgia, the timing of these laws coincided with the closing of motor-vehicles offices in poor areas. Finally, it’s not like I tapped either you or Dave and asked your opinion–you guys came on to this site and posted comments. I think people who present seemingly reasonable arguments while ignoring inconvenient facts on this subject are either intentionally ignorant or bigots. I don’t think either of you guys are ignorant, or you wouldn’t be on this site (because it’s clear you’re not regular readers). Luke Visconti, CEO, DiversityInc

By: Bruce

Bruce — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 13:11:24 +0000

Requiring voter ID in order to combat fraud assumes there is no problem with people obtaining counterfeit or fake IDs. There are more cases of fake IDs than there reported cases of voter fraud. Therefore, requiring ID as a solution seems like it adds a layer of fraud to the voting process.