Ohio challengers banned from polls

[CarlSpackler]

http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/11/01/ohio.challengers.ap/index.html

Personally, I think this was the right decision. Having these inexperienced challengers from both parties at polling sites would cause nothing but chaos. I can envision my own reaction if I were challenged at the polls--it would not be pretty.

[sam h]

This was obviously the right thing to do. The Republicans presented no real evidence of fraud, since all they had was a bunch of registered mail from the Republican party that had not been accepted. I wouldn't have accepted it either.

The greater point is that we have a system for vetting registrations. People have to prove certain residency facts to get registered and then poll workers are supposed to make sure they are who they say they are on election day. If you don't like that system, then introduce legislation to change it. Allowing extremely partisan volunteers to go around challenging registrations in the polling place is just madness.

[JimBob2232]

I dont know why this is such an issue. This seems so simple to me. Simply print up a list of all residents in the voting district. Make people show photo ID. Mark them off as they come in to vote. Duh. Why is this so friggen difficult?

[adios]

Because Id's aren't required generally speaking. For instance they're not required in New Mexico. Also people move around from precinct to precinct.

[JimBob2232]

so require an ID. Everyone has one. If you move, you vote absentee in your old precint unless you moved in time to legally change your address. It seems so simple to me.

[elwoodblues]

Because it takes less than 1 day to change the law. You can't just decide today to change what is legally required to vote.

[JimBob2232]

Understood...but today isnt the first time this has come up. Why do politicians only think about these things a week before elections then forget for the next 207 weeks?

[PITTM]

since it costs money to get an ID, states can't require that you have one to vote.

rj

[elwoodblues]

I don't think it's that big of a concern. In Minnesota you can same-day register with a utility bill or driver's license. Alternatively, you can same-day register by having someone who is registered vouch for you. The benefits of high voter turnout (Minnesota has always been very near the top) outweigh the potential for voter fraud. I think the issue should be periodically revisited to determine if actual voter fraud (versus just the potential for it) is occuring to an extent that it would outweigh the benefits of liberal voter registration rules.