Fraud is overstated. Point me in the direction of any articles that show voter fraud is a widespread problem. Why shouldn't you have to show your ID to vote? Voting is a constitutionally protected right. SCOTUS has equated showing ID to poll taxes so that's not original with me. Innocent until proven guilty, police can't bust into your home without first obtaining a search warrant and you can't be forced to incriminate yourself, all reasons why you should not have to show your ID when voting.
Originally Posted by UnderConstruction
Lets set some ground rules. You use the words "wide spread", define what you mean. If I show a dozen cases involving hundreds of votes is that "wide spread". How about if I show indictments in a hand full of elections in various parts of the country, is that "wide spread"? How about if I show that election results have been overturned or that the wrong person took office, is that "wide spread"? Tell us exactly what you mean by what you said.
I will leave you with this as well, how can you exactly gauge voter fraud if you don't have voter ID to begin with. Any fraud you find will be much more than you can prove so what would you take as a multiplier?
As for voting being a consitutionally protected right....not exactly true. We have kind of agreed that the Constitution enumerates natural rights but voting was not in the original document because each state decided their own representation. Later on the GOP passed an amendment that gave free slaves all the rights that free people had (and that included voting) except each state was responsible for how that was done. The democrat controlled south was pretty bad at making sure that happened. The GOP then gave women universal sufferage which including voting rights which was still decided at a state level. About the only solid thing you can point at where voting was absolutely central to the amendment was giving the right to vote those from 18 to 21 years of age. Even then, you can have right taken away by being convicted of a felony or being judged to be insane but even some states go around this. So it is hardly universal like any RIGHT is. Granted voting is way up there but then explain to me, if someone commits voter fraud then why are they not hit with a civil rights charge against all the people that they cheated. That is, if voting was recognized as a universal right.