- Texas driver license issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)
- Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPS
- Texas personal identification card issued by DPS
- Texas concealed handgun license issued by DPS
- United States military identification card containing the person’s photograph
- United States citizenship certificate containing the person’s photograph
- United States passport
The above noted on the Texas Secretary of State web site:
http://votetexas.gov/register-to-vote/need-id/
I have 2 beliefs regarding this issues. You may not like how I feel.
ReplyDeleteI don't have a problem if photo ID's are used to vote the way we use them in identifying ourselves to open a bank account, to get a US passport, to get married, to get a driver's license (in most states) to get Social Security, to get health care services, to get a drink in a bar, to apply for a job, etc., etc. We use them for dozens of reasons every day in our country to identify ourselves.
The problem I have is that the GOP and Democrats made individual voting fraud a special [absurd] political issue, as a reason to protect us from illegal voters who may go to the polls to vote in our elections. This is the least of our worries.
The truth is that the amount of illegal voting at the polls is virtually nil. If the GOP simply wanted to stop voting fraud issues it is more important to focus on the voting machine integrity issue, which occurs much more throughout our nation.
Protect us from the machines and the companies who manufacture them, e.g., Diebold, who is permitted to contribute to political campaigns. That is a conflict of interest, but our government does not protect us in that manner. We basically take it for granted that voting machines work in the best interests of the community at-large, when that may not be the case.
Also, protect us better from the people who oversee/run elections and those who manage voting and counting or collecting the votes at polling places. There is more election fraud at these levels than people voting illegally in place of others. In other words, protect us from the system in place.
Several years ago I wrote several letters and an article on the issue:
http://theuniverseatyourfeet.blogspot.com/2011/03/re-voter-machine-integrity-and-voter.html
That said, I believe in these current times everyone should carry a photo ID. It's important for all of us to do so. It's important for our children to carry photo ID's as well as adults.
And... if it is a law we must now all follow, then offer to make photo ID's for free or at a very affordable cost to everyone.