Duh, easy: What could possibly be wrong with requiring voters to carry ID?

It is an absolute mystery how opponents of the bill requiring those who vote to carry identification to cast their ballot can justify their argument.

You have to have identification to cash a check, to get into a bar and even to claim your tickets at a will call window at a theater.

Why in the world shouldn't you have to have it to cast a vote on something as important as who is going to run your city, county, state or nation?

Of course, we jest. Everyone in the world knows why there is such fierce opposition to requiring photo identification. We will say it in a word: Power.

If there are requirements to vote, those who are not meeting those basic demands are not going to vote -- and that will cut down on a party's ability to mobilize a segment of the vote.

Opponents to the requirement say poor minorities, who are not likely to have state-issued ID, are not going to cast ballots. They also say the same for some other immigrants who might have citizenship issues.

Again, duh.

That is exactly the reason why we need more voter oversight in the first place.

There is no reason anyone should not have a state-issued identification card -- and why they should not be able to produce it at a voting booth. If they needed it to make a private transaction or to obtain a benefit, they most certainly would make sure they had one and were able to produce it on demand.

If they are too lazy to get such a card -- shame on them. And if they simply don't have one because they are afraid of the official consequences or cannot qualify for one, they should not have the right to vote.

There is already too much fraud and questionable dealings in the voting game. Requiring accountability is not only reasonable, it also legitimizes the process. Making sure people vote once, where they are supposed to and when they are supposed to is simply the right way to handle any election.

And there really is no other way to make sure that the person who is casting a ballot is the person who is supposed to be casting that ballot.

The goal really should not be getting more people to vote. The objective should be getting those who are legally allowed to vote to do so correctly and fairly.

No one who is following the rules should have a problem producing identification. There is no danger to them at all.

So don't fall victim to the smoke and mirrors of fairness and discrimination calls by local organizations and others.

That is nothing but hogwash.

This is about control, power and numbers.

Fairness has nothing to do with it.

It is up to us to keep this process honest and to support those who are putting the rules in place to make it so.

Published in Editorials on March 17, 2011 10:38 AM