Supreme Court Throws voting rights under the bus...
The Supreme Court has ruled to uphold Indiana'a voter ID laws. These laws have the effect of making it more difficult for the elderly and the poor to vote. However, they have the "benefit" of ensuring that that our elections will never suffer the voting fraud like we have no record of taking place in the 20th century!
That's right-- make it harder to vote in order to promote society's interest in preventing something that literally never happens.
In dissent, Justices Souter and Ginsburg:
Indiana’s "Voter ID Law" threatens to impose nontrivial
burdens on the voting right of tens of thousands of the State’s
citizens, [] and a significant percentage of those individuals are
likely to be deterred from voting. The statute is
unconstitutional under the balancing standard of Burdick v. Takushi,
504 U. S. 428 (1992): a State may not burden the right to vote merely
by invoking abstract interests, be they legitimate, [] or even
compelling, but must make a particular, factual showing that threats to
its interests outweigh the particular impediments it has imposed. The State has made no such justification here, and as to some aspects of its law, it has hardly even tried.
More here.
- FILED UNDER: Editor Posts, Elections, Supreme Court
- April 28, 2008








OK - Please explain
What "nontrivial burdens on the voting rights" are they talking about?
Cost? It's free.
Forgot to bring your ID? No problem, you can cast your provisional ballot (immediately) and just bring in appropriate documentation in, oh a week to 10 days.
No Birth certificate? No problem, there's exceptions.
No Driver's license? No problem, it's a state ID, and it's free.
Can you come up with 1 scenario where a voter would be turned away? Or couldn't get an ID?
What frigging voting "right" is at stake here? And why is it necessary to prove past voter fraud to pass a law to prevent future fraud? You've got to present ID when you register - why is it such a big deal to present ID when you vote?
This is a case of the Supremes at their dumbest.
- parent
By houndogApril 28, 2008 - 5:42pm