I’ve been amused by the not inconsiderable number of individuals who sanctimoniously point out that if people in places like Ferguson, say, don’t like what’s going on in local government, or if they have a problem with the makeup of that government, then all they need to do is trot off to the polls and vote. Take, for instance, this letter printed in a recent edtion of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

You want change? Prove it. Those signs people are carrying that say “Black Lives Matter” should be saying “Black Votes Matter.” Marching in the streets may get some attention short term, but where you can really make a difference is on Election Day by marching into the voting booths and casting a ballot for people who can address your concerns. March into the county Board of Elections and register to vote. March into the town hall meetings, the school board meetings, the state legislature and tell your stories. Because these officials have to know how their actions affect you personally. And if their actions show they aren’t listening, then vote them out. Run for office, get involved, pay attention.

Although I don’t think protests vs. votes is an either/or situation – in this case, we probably need both – the writer is, of course, right on a basic level.  We get the government we deserve. When large majorities of the citizens of Missouri – and I’m not necessarily talking about “those people” singled out by the letter writer above – failed to turn out to vote in 2014, the result has been legislators like those currently in Jefferson City who seem hell-bent on trashing the state as fast as they can.

But there’s a bigger story here than the one about apathetic voters. There are a number of socioeconomic factors that influence whether people vote and how they vote. And it’s this last fact that gets us to a whole other open can of worms. There are those who have noticed that who people are, their race, economic status, gender and age, corresponds to their partisan leanings. Lots of those people are Republican politicians or the people who give them money. The result has been a growing effort to keep the wrong people, who often tend to be “those people,” from voting. And it’s happening right here in Missouri. As Rebecca Rivas at the St. Louis American reports:

Just as many are stepping out of the movie theaters with images of the 1965 March on Selma fresh in their minds, Missouri state legislators are hearing about proposed Voter ID laws.

“On the anniversary of the March on Selma, the fight for voter rights have [sic] been exposed and celebrated,” said state Rep. Stacey Newman (D-87). “But they’ve also taught us that this never ends.”

On Tuesday, January 27, the Missouri House of Representative’s election committee listened to community members and experts testify about two voter identification bills, introduced by state Rep. Tony Dugger (R-141). The bill HB 30 would requires voters to show a “valid government-issued photo ID” at the polls, with some exemptions. Dugger is also proposing the bill HJR 1, which would amend the constitution to require voters to have government-issued photo IDs.

[…]

Voter ID laws have been criticized and found unconstitutional because they disproportionately impact people who don’t often have state-issued IDs – often people of color, people with disabilities, seniors and young voters.

In 2006, the Missouri Supreme Court struck down Missouri’s Voter ID law. According to the court opinion, the Secretary of State’s analysis in August 2006 estimated that approximately 240,000 registered voters in the state may not have the required photo ID.

Rep. Dugger offers a comically unlikely hypothetical concerning possible voter fraud to justify his (likely ALEC inspired) obsession with the photo ID project that he has repeatedly tried to enact:

Missouri’s Voter Rolls are severely inflated due to various reasons,” Dugger said. “There are 15 counties in Missouri with 95% or more of their eligible voters registered to vote,” said Dugger. “One county, Reynolds County, actually has more registered voters than eligible voters. With that problem out there, the potential for fraud is quite prevalent. There is no verifiable way to ensure that a voter voting on Election Day is who they say they are without some sort of a photo ID requirement.”

You really think that some sinister somebody is going to go through the rolls, figure out who doesn’t belong there, and then send ringers to impersonate them? Lots of effort for very little return, I’d say. Photo IDs only prevent this type of in-person voter fraud, and as reported in The Washington Post:

A new nationwide analysis of more than 2,000 cases of alleged election fraud over the past dozen years shows that in-person voter impersonation on Election Day, which has prompted 37 state legislatures to enact or consider tougher voter ID laws, was virtually nonexistent.

But Photo ID laws do pose an often insurmountable barrier to voting:

Since 2008, states across the country passed measures to make it harder for Americans – particularly African-Americans, the elderly, students and people with disabilities – to exercise their fundamental right to cast a ballot. Over thirty states considered laws that would require voters to present government-issued photo ID in order to vote. Studies suggest that up to 11 percent of American citizens lack such ID, and would be required to navigate the administrative burdens to obtain it or forego the right to vote entirely.

The irony should not be lost on anyone that we are hearing so many disapproving sounds about the failure of “those people” in Ferguson to turn out and vote rather than rampaging in the street, while at the same time our GOP lawmakers are trying their hardest to keep them from the polls.

It’s interesting watching the back and forth in social media over the election.

Here’s the thing, if you didn’t bother to vote on Tuesday and it wasn’t because a substantive physical impediment was placed in your path, no matter how much you protest otherwise, you’re just lazy.

And please, voter ID laws in various states are designed to put substantive barriers to voting in place. If you try to start an argument here that voter ID laws are needed to combat voter impersonation fraud you’re an idiot. Anyone who has worked a polling place on election day knows that the process in a polling location makes voter impersonation fraud a very risky enterprise for anyone who would attempt it. As if that risk is worth one vote in an election?

You were offended by all those mud slinging attack ads? They were designed to offend you so that you wouldn’t bother voting. The people who promote and use those ads want to encourage laziness. It’s all about suppressing voter turnout. If you want to make those ads stop get off your ass and vote. If everyone voted the very reason for the existence of those very, very expensive ads is gone. They people who pay for those ads may be cynical and vindictive, but they’re not stupid. They don’t waste money on things that don’t work. They’re expecting that voters are too lazy to figure that one out.

If you say you don’t like what either of the major parties stand for and say that’s why you don’t vote, you’re just lazy. Because if you weren’t lazy what you could do is go to your polling place on Election Day, pull a ballot, not mark it (that’s technically called an “undervote”), and turn it in.

Consider this – nationwide 38% of registered voters (not people eligible to register to vote – that’s a larger group) cast ballots in the election. The nationwide split of the vote cast for the two major parties was approximately 52%-48%. Do the math if you’re not lazy.

Spare me the “they just didn’t give me a reason to vote” excuse. You don’t need an excuse to vote, unless you’re lazy.

If close to 100% of registered voters pulled ballots and only 19% cast votes for the prevailing issue or candidate we’d laugh in their faces if anyone tried to claim that they “won” or they had a “mandate”.

If you didn’t pull a ballot on Tuesday and there was no physical impediment to your doing so, I don’t want to know you.

“…And, oh, by the way, if you look at those places where people have to wait in line to vote, if you look at the places where people have to wait in line to vote in America it’s where what are called poor people live and that’s wrong. Okay, that’s just deeply wrong…”

Previously:

David Axelrod – Missouri Boys State – June 14, 2014 (June 15, 2014)

Kansas City Mayor Sly James – Missouri Boys State – June 15, 2014 – on guns (June 16, 2014)

Governor Jay Nixon spoke at Missouri Boys State this evening in Warrensburg on the campus of the University of Central Missouri. His prepared remarks were followed by a freewheeling forty-five minute question and answer session.    

Governor Jay Nixon speaking at Missouri Boys State in Warrensburg on the campus of the University of Central Missouri – June 19, 2014.

The subject of early voting came up:

[….]

Question: ….You mentioned participating for voting. How do you plan on having more people participate in actual voting?

Governor Jay Nixon (D): I don’t plan it. I just tell you to do it. And if you don’t do it then idiots get elected and bad things happen. [applause, cheers]

You know what it is, I mean, sure, I’m for early voting, I’m for absentee voting, I think we ought to have voting on weekends beforehand, I think you ought to be able to show up and vote like two weeks beforehand, that fits your schedule instead of making it hard.

I don’t think there ought to be lines at the polls. I think it’s ridiculous to live in a world in which you can go to McDonald’s and get a cheeseburger in one minute, but if you’re gonna vote you’ve got to stand in line for three hours. [applause, cheers] And we ought to fund it to make sure people can vote [inaudible]. [applause, cheers]  And, oh, by the way, if you look at those places where people have to wait in line to vote, if you look at the places where people have to wait in line to vote in America it’s where what are called poor people live and that’s wrong. Okay, that’s just deeply wrong. You go to the, you know, you go to the really ritzy places where they got plenty of tax dollars and people don’t have to wait at all. By golly, they can order a Perrier and vote at their leisure. [laughter] But, uh, I think we need to make voting much easier for people, both in time and in the way you do it.

[….]

Beats me.

A bill, introduced yesterday, to have voters register by party and not allow crossover voting in primaries:

SECOND REGULAR SESSION

HOUSE BILL NO. 1963

96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVES PARKINSON (Sponsor), JONES (89), TILLEY, SCHOELLER, NANCE, SOMMER, CONWAY (14), McCAHERTY, LONG, KELLEY (126), SCHARNHORST, ZERR, BAHR, CURTMAN AND GATSCHENBERGER (Co-sponsors).

[….]

AN ACT

To repeal sections 115.135, 115.137, 115.155, 115.157, 115.163, 115.225, 115.249, and 115.637, RSMo, and to enact in lieu thereof nine new sections relating to primary elections, with penalty provisions.



Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:

[….]

4. Any person updating or changing such person’s party affiliation as required under section 115.166 may update or change such party affiliation for the upcoming election at any time before the deadline for registration for such election established in this section. Any update or change to such person’s party affiliation made after the deadline for registration established in this section shall be effective only for subsequent elections.

[….]

3. For all primary elections held after January 1, 2013, any person who is entitled to vote in such primary under this chapter shall be entitled to vote only the official primary election ballot of the political party designated in the person’s voter registration. Any person attempting to vote or voting a primary election ballot of a political party other than that for which the person’s designated party affiliation qualifies the person to vote shall be guilty of a class four election offense as provided in section 115.637.

[….]

3. Any person who fails to designate a party affiliation shall be registered without a party affiliation. The election authority shall notify the person by mail that the person has been registered without a party affiliation and that the person may change or update the person’s party affiliation as provided in section 115.166.

[….]

Who would ever consider crossover voting in a primary?

Once again the forces of evil are trying to get themselves reelected. This time those who say they are defenders of our Constitution are stabbing that document in the heart by trying to deny people their right to vote.

Like Jason Voorhees in some bad ‘Friday the Thirteenth” movie, voter ID has been resurrected.  No matter how often the courts and good and decent people shoot it with a silver bullet or put a wooden stake through its heart, it comes back to life.

A few years ago, Missouri passed a voter ID bill which, fortunately, was struck down by the Missouri’s Supreme Court. Let me relate the problems I had with the law before it was overturned.

If you’re an 87 year old woman who has lived in the St. Louis area for your whole life, had a driver’s license for over fifty years, never been a felony, and wants to vote –  Good luck. Especially, for anyone that does not have someone to escort them around.  At least that’s what I found out trying to help my mother in law to get a voter ID card.

I and the rest of the family had the emotional task of moving my in laws from a retirement home to full time care.  Along with the physical move came the administrative nightmare of changing the address, phone number, cable, and insurance. Now, add to that list getting voter ID cards.    

My father in law would be a lesser problem.  I had his birth certificate; and being a man, he has never had a name change. Unfortunately, without her birth certificate, my mother in law would be a challenge.  

I went to the Department of Revenue website to see what I needed to do.  If you were renewing a valid driver’s license, it was clear that there was an exception for needing a birth certificate for those over 75 year old. It was less clear for my mother in law, who hasn’t had a valid license this millennium.  

A call to the DOR, in Jeff City, quickly confirmed her need for a birth certificate.  My request that Governor Blunt go over to Illinois and pick it up for me was met with a chuckle and an “I don’t think so.”  That chuckle turned to laughter as she overheard me mutter, “Only two more years.”

A call to the St. Clair County recorder verified that, yes, indeed my mother in law was born; and for only $11.95, I could confirm it.  I thought I was home free, but then I remembered that the website had said something about other proof being need if there was a name change.  I realized her birth certificate would have a name different than the one she has used for the last 67 years.

Another call to Jeff City established that indeed a marriage certificate was needed. A call to St. Louis County would substantiate that for another $6.00, I could affirm that she was not living in sin.

Now, I am not against jumping through some hoops if there really was a problem in voter fraud, but my feeling is this was just an example of what business school textbooks refer to as management by exception.  An example of management by exception would be a teacher demanding a 1000 word essay on getting to school on time from the entire class just because one particular child is always late.  

The nexus of voter ID law lies in the election of 2000.  The St. Louis Board of Elections sent out a letter to all registered voters who had not voted within the last year warning those not replying would be removed from the voter list.  This resulted in 33,000 names taken off the list.

Lacy Clay, running for his retiring father’s Congressional seat, warned the Board that they had taken thousands of legitimate voters off the list; and if they didn’t allow these people to vote, they would be sued.  The Board did not relent and chaos rained on November 7th.  

Because of that chaos, a federal judge ordered the polls open until 10 PM and to accept votes from anyone that showed up.  The voter’s registration would be verified later.  The next day a firestorm of protest began with Senator Bond’s hysterically, fist pounding, accusatory speech.  The culmination of this outrage is the current voter ID law.

Was there massive voter fraud, or was this new law just management by exception punishing all voters because of the abuse of a few?

Secretary of State Matt Blunt investigated the 2000 election and found that out only 135 people that voted were not registered.  In addition, 14 dead people voted, 86 voted twice and another 1400 votes were in one way or another questionable.  

Those numbers might seem shocking, but put into context the questionable votes were only six hundredths of one percent of the total Missouri vote.  That’s like worrying about 60 cent of a 1000 dollar bill.  All Missourians are now being punished for the misdeeds of an extremely small minority.  This is classic management by exception.

In the rush to correct a flaw that was affecting only a few hundred votes, politicians are disenfranchising ten of thousands of elderly and disabled.  Despite hundreds of thousands of Missourians needing non driving voter ID’s, less than 500 were issued in the first month of the program.  

In a Post Dispatch poll, only 18 percent of Missourians favored voter ID’s.  In the Legislatures’ special session four years ago, legislators need to be repeal or revised the voter ID law so Missourians are ruled by what is best for the majority not by exceptions.

I worked the election yesterday and was sadly disappointed in the turn-out.  We were busy enough with 1 or 2 voters coming in and the occasional 5 but no where near the numbers that should be coming out.

We had a photographer visit out polling place

http://ballwin-ellisville.patc…

As we told him and he say we were busy but not slammed.  In fact, at the end of the day we weer under 20%!  I went to vote during lunch time (near 1PM) and at my polling place was #26!  

People complain that West County and the suburbs are red.  Where were they today?  I bet the average age of the people that showed to vote was almost 50.  

What does it take to motivate people to do what they are expect, as citizens, to do?  Do these folks not see the rest of the world where people DIE and get tortured in order to get the right to vote?

Yes, it may have been a smallish election but those local positions often lead to bigger ones.  A butterfly flaps its wings…

[poll id=”

52

“]

Go. Vote. Now.

Volunteers are working the phones.

It’s five hours until the polls close.  

The polls in Missouri are open.

It’s twelve hours until the polls close.

If you vote today we’ll guarantee that all those GOTV phone calls will stop – until September or October 2012.

By paper ballot. And no republican got my vote. Nor will they ever.

Several hundred people in line at a Warrensburg precinct.

I was in line at 5:20 a.m. There were several hundred people in line at my precinct by the 6:00 a.m. start to voting. While in line I received a call from a friend in a rural precinct in our county. She told me there were several hundred people in line. They were standing along a highway in line.

Election day GOTV packets for canvassers are ready to go.