Now that pesky former Gov. Beverly Perdue is out of the way, the state GOP is free to pursue its odd circus of obsession over voter fraud, this time without fear of a veto. A couple of hundred people crammed into the meeting room of the House Elections Committee on Tuesday to voice their views on the new Voter ID bill. NC Policy Watch, a leading progressive think tank, has provided a good video of speakers from both sides of the issue at yesterday's meeting:
The comments about Voter IDs continue today in Raleigh. That the Voter ID law is a ridiculous waste of time, especially in Charlotte. It targets a problem that has yet to be proved even exists - voter impersonation - while completely ignoring the only documented form of voter fraud that happens often enough to worry about: fraud by absentee ballot. Republicans who claim concern for election integrity have a problem, though, in that confirmed cases of absentee ballot fraud invariably reveal cheating by Republicans. And that, dear readers, is why the GOP targets fraud by impersonation - which many GOP supporters have long been seen as a culprit every time a Republican loses an election. That way, the most common type of voter fraud - absentee ballot fraud, mostly perpetrated by Republicans - is treated as if it doesn't exist. How do you say Twilight Zone? Many people, myself included, have pointed out that voter ID requirements are a coordinated, national GOP tactic, intended to trim the rolls of students, the poor and senior citizens, i.e., likely Democratic voters. It's really that simple, and the fraudulent campaign against fraud that's being perpetrated by Republican hacks really is that flagrant.
Anyone who wants more information about conservatives' campaign to challenge voters in "targeted areas" - i.e., wherever there are minorities, old people or students - can read Bullies At The Ballot Box, a report from Common Cause.
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