May 6, 2008
Re: MIA: Voter I.D. and Scrapping of the Straight Party Lever
Secretary of State Ralph Mollis appeared on WHJJ's Helen Glover Show this morning. He attempted to explain why a voter I.D. law that passed a US Supreme Court challenge by six to three cannot be brought to Rhode Island during this legislative session
The only logistic barrier to this law is the absence of a mechanism for the state to provide, free of charge, picture identification to those voters who presently lack it. The Secretary of State has been aware of this requirement for several months and has even suggested that such a requirement could be fulfilled by the DMV. Yet he took no steps in the interim months to facilitate this solution in time for legislative action.
What, then, is the real reason for the delay to this important election reform?
Not necessarily, or not only, the DMV which is what everyone seems to think of first.
Some years back, I was homeless (well, I had a room at the YMCA) and broke, but needed ID. The Department of Elderly Affairs is authorised to issue State-recognized photo-ID: at the time, two bucks vs. over forty for driver's license (understandable - just that DEA not widely publicised).
Could the DEA format be extended to other agencies/institutions? With fee rescinded? RIPTA, for example, issues photo IDs to disabled and elderly.
The actual answer to your question is this:
Ralph is in WAY over his head.
Posted by: Greg at May 6, 2008 6:53 PMI testified at one of Mollis' citizen forums on election reform-I was very specific about what was needed.The panel sat and drooled in their laps.The audience,on the other hand,got it.RI politicians are largely pond scum.They are so damned afraid of rocking the boat it is pitiful.
Posted by: joe bernstein at May 6, 2008 8:14 PM