Virginia Rising

Nguyen: Making voting hassle-free

PILOTONLINE.COM

By Tram Nguyen

© July 16, 2014

The principle of American democracy rests on the idea that each person has a vote that is cast and counted equally, regardless of who they are or where they come from.

There’s no haggling over the rights of any registered voter to vote, and any attempt to do so goes against the grain of simple and true democracy.

Yet, counter to the idea of simple democracy, and evident throughout our history, is a theme that the fate of many is decided by a select few.

State Sen. Mark Obenshain’s recent move to push the State Board of Elections into reconsidering whether or not to allow Virginians to vote with expired photo IDs is a case where one individual’s interest supersedes the greater good of democracy.

It begs the question: Is the voter photo ID requirement really about election integrity, or is it about placing unnecessary barriers to voting?

If the aim of Virginia’s new photo ID requirement is to prevent individuals from impersonating others in order to cast a ballot, the expiration date of an ID card has no bearing on whether the individual is who they say they are.

In fact, several photo IDs acceptable for voting contain no expiration date, including the free voter photo ID card prescribed by the new law and provided by the Department of Elections. At a June 10th public meeting, several registrars in attendance stated that an expiration date has no impact on the ability of an election officer to verify a voter’s identity.

Despite testimony from registrars, electoral board members, community groups and citizens, the SBE voted to reconsider its ruling on what IDs are valid for the purpose of voting.

A final decision is not expected until late August, after a 21-day public comment period now under way. Changing the rules close to 60 days before the November election creates unnecessary confusion over what IDs voters need in order to vote, and could likely result in legitimate voters not being able to cast a ballot.

The SBE should not be in the practice of setting different standards for election administration – in this instance, only considering expiration dates for some forms of photo ID but not for all. In order to have free and fair elections, uniform standards must be in place.

The idea of hassle-free voting is not new and remains the philosophical basis of making the promise of democracy real to all citizens. Fifty years ago, brave women and men from around the country traveled to Mississippi to help African-American voters secure their constitutional right to vote.

Today a new generation of “freedom fighters” is embarking on a six-week campaign to help Virginians secure their right to vote. “Civil Rights activists and the students of Freedom Summer paved the way; it’s now time to finish the road,” declared Shelton Artis, a Freedom Summer 50 intern from Norfolk State University.

No matter our race or age, rich or poor, all Americans have the same power at the ballot box. Voting should be a hassle-free process, since it remains the one time we are all equal. It is up to us to make sure that Virginia lives up to that promise.

Tram Nguyen is the co-executive director of Virginia New Majority, a nonprofit working to expand democracy in Virginia.

See on Pilot Online: http://hamptonroads.com/2014/07/nguyen-making-voting-hasslefree