How Georgia Keeps Poor Black People From Voting
Some terrific letters to the editor about this in The New York Times. Here are two of the six:
To the Editor:Several dozen full-time black Atlanta college students tried to buy the Georgia ID card to vote in local elections on Sept. 20. They were denied access to the ID card because they refused to surrender their home-state driver's licenses to the Department of Motor Vehicles.
Is there a shred of doubt that the new Georgia poll tax is more about politics than about fraud prevention?
Janice L. Mathis
V.P., Rainbow/PUSH Coalition
Chicago, Sept. 13, 2005
To the Editor:Not only is the new Georgia voter ID law passed by Republican lawmakers and signed by a Republican governor a poll tax, but it is also de facto total disenfranchisement of all who cannot drive.
As you note, these people are often the poor, the black and the elderly, who historically vote for Democrats.
There are only 58 locations that sell the ID cards in a state with 159 counties, and there is virtually no public transportation throughout Georgia.
If a person has no driver's license, how on earth is he or she supposed to get to the locations where the cards are sold?
Mim Eisenberg
Roswell, Ga., Sept. 12, 2005
For more on how democracy is being threatened by sleazy electoral processes, read Steal This Vote, by Andrew Gumbel.
Okay, maybe I'm missing something, but on the college student example, I thought that holding on to your home state driver's license meant that you were still a resident (temporarily away for college) of your home state - in other words, you should be voting by absentee ballot in your home state. If you're not a Georgia resident for purposes of drivers' licenses, why are you a resident for purposes of voting?
Or has that changed since my college days?
JenL at September 19, 2005 3:52 AM
This is yet more rank stupidity. The author wishes to allow me to register as a voter in every state in the Union, regardless of residency, and does not care in the least if I am actually entitled to vote. If I care to make use of this example, I could apply for Voter ID in every state I travel through, then vote in all of them by absentee ballot. Nuts!
Radwaste at September 19, 2005 7:35 AM
JenL, you are right. In addition, the very nominal fee for the ID is waived for people that claim financial hardship. Even if a person cannot drive and there is no public transportation, I am sure that they have a friend or family member that would be willing to drive for them.
nash at September 19, 2005 9:20 AM
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