On Tuesday, I did my civic duty and cast my ballot early for the 2012 Primary. I showed up at my local public library and stood in line for roughly five minutes before I made it to a volunteer poll worker. As many of you realize, the people that volunteer for these types of things are retirees, typically over the age of seventy. This so happened to be the case for my early voting experience.
The retiree/volunteer had a laptop to checkoff voters. Now I don't know about your families, but my parents and grandmothers barely know what a computer is, nonetheless how to successfully use one.
Be that as it may, the poll worker asked for my name, address, and birth date. Under current North Carolina law, poll workers do not need to see photo identification before giving a ballot to a voter. This needs to be changed and here's why:
There are two registered voters in Stokes County blessed with the name, Kyle Hall. One is me, Kyle E. Hall, the other is Kyle D. Hall, another registered Republican.
The poll worker printed off a sheet for me to sign verifying my information.
It's a good thing I read it because I was getting ready to cast a ballot for Kyle D. Hall.
After I raised a fuss about it, the poll worker printed off a new form with my information. Who knows whether or not Kyle D. Hall can vote now or not. The computer system is going to show that Kyle D. Hall already voted. What if he shows up on Election Day, tries to vote, but can't because the system shows he has already voted? Who knows whether or not the poll worker went back into the system and cancelled Kyle D. Hall's vote?
This problem could have been avoided had I been required to show a photo ID.
The poll worker could have read my information instead of me reciting it to her. She could have looked at my photo ID and seen that it was in fact Kyle E. Hall standing before her asking for a ballot.
However, opponents claim that voter ID laws are discriminatory and would impose an unfair barrier to those who less likely have photo IDs, including the poor and elderly.
I don't buy it.
In today's world, you need photo ID for everything! At my job at Barnes and Noble, we are required to see photo ID when a customer uses a personal check AND when he/she uses a credit card. That's not discriminatory, that's just to make sure that he/she is the cardholder. It's called good business.
If you visit the State Capitol in Raleigh, you need a photo ID. If you travel by air, you need a photo ID. If you go to a UNC basketball game, you need a photo ID. If you purchase alcohol, you need a photo ID.
I'm sure individuals in North Carolina have photo IDs to do most of these things, regardless of wealth or age.
North Carolina has an online voter database. Who's to say that you a crook can't memorize a name, address, and birth date and vote for another person? With voter turnout so low, all the crook has to do is look up someone's voter information and see when he voted last. If it's been a while, most likely that voter isn't going to vote in this election and the voter isn't going to know whether someone has voted for him or not.
Now I'm not advocating for you to do this. My point is, voter fraud could be happening right now as you're reading this and the voter would have no clue.
The solution: voter ID.
If you're reading this, Kyle D. Hall, I'm sorry if you're turned away at the polls because someone has supposedly voted for you already. Just know that this could have been avoided had a) you either lived in a different county or b) our state had enough sense to pass a voter ID law.
The retiree/volunteer had a laptop to checkoff voters. Now I don't know about your families, but my parents and grandmothers barely know what a computer is, nonetheless how to successfully use one.
Be that as it may, the poll worker asked for my name, address, and birth date. Under current North Carolina law, poll workers do not need to see photo identification before giving a ballot to a voter. This needs to be changed and here's why:
There are two registered voters in Stokes County blessed with the name, Kyle Hall. One is me, Kyle E. Hall, the other is Kyle D. Hall, another registered Republican.
The poll worker printed off a sheet for me to sign verifying my information.
It's a good thing I read it because I was getting ready to cast a ballot for Kyle D. Hall.
After I raised a fuss about it, the poll worker printed off a new form with my information. Who knows whether or not Kyle D. Hall can vote now or not. The computer system is going to show that Kyle D. Hall already voted. What if he shows up on Election Day, tries to vote, but can't because the system shows he has already voted? Who knows whether or not the poll worker went back into the system and cancelled Kyle D. Hall's vote?
This problem could have been avoided had I been required to show a photo ID.
The poll worker could have read my information instead of me reciting it to her. She could have looked at my photo ID and seen that it was in fact Kyle E. Hall standing before her asking for a ballot.
However, opponents claim that voter ID laws are discriminatory and would impose an unfair barrier to those who less likely have photo IDs, including the poor and elderly.
I don't buy it.
In today's world, you need photo ID for everything! At my job at Barnes and Noble, we are required to see photo ID when a customer uses a personal check AND when he/she uses a credit card. That's not discriminatory, that's just to make sure that he/she is the cardholder. It's called good business.
If you visit the State Capitol in Raleigh, you need a photo ID. If you travel by air, you need a photo ID. If you go to a UNC basketball game, you need a photo ID. If you purchase alcohol, you need a photo ID.
I'm sure individuals in North Carolina have photo IDs to do most of these things, regardless of wealth or age.
North Carolina has an online voter database. Who's to say that you a crook can't memorize a name, address, and birth date and vote for another person? With voter turnout so low, all the crook has to do is look up someone's voter information and see when he voted last. If it's been a while, most likely that voter isn't going to vote in this election and the voter isn't going to know whether someone has voted for him or not.
Now I'm not advocating for you to do this. My point is, voter fraud could be happening right now as you're reading this and the voter would have no clue.
The solution: voter ID.
If you're reading this, Kyle D. Hall, I'm sorry if you're turned away at the polls because someone has supposedly voted for you already. Just know that this could have been avoided had a) you either lived in a different county or b) our state had enough sense to pass a voter ID law.
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