HOME    WORLD    U.S.    POLITICS    CRIME    ENTERTAINMENT    HEALTH    TECH    TRAVEL    LIVING
February 8, 2008
Court should strike down voter ID laws
Posted: 02:44 PM ET
Share this on:
Share | Permalink |

NEW YORK – I have blogged before about voter ID laws but I feel compelled to do so again, this time to address the problem of disenfranchisement that results from the ID requirements in place in some states.

Jami Floyd

Jami Floyd is an In Session anchor and frequent contributor to the AC360° Blog.

If you get to the polls in those states and don’t have a valid ID, you don’t vote, though in some states voters without ID have the rather onerous option of signing an affidavit, i.e., swearing under oath, that they are who they say they are – to secure their right to vote.

Supporters of these ID laws claim to seek a solution for the problem of voter fraud. But here’s the problem: The problem isn’t a problem. It doesn’t exist. In Indiana, the state with perhaps the most restrictive voter ID law in the country, there has never been a single reported case of fraudulent in-person voting.

Now, the Supreme Court has before it a challenge to the Indiana law, brought by the Democratic Party. A lower court upheld the law, but not before finding that the requirement will have a disparate impact on eligible voters of color, and those who are poor, poorly educated, elderly or disabled. (God help you, if you are all of the above.)

The last two presidential elections in this country have been terribly close. In 2000, the race between Al Gore and George Bush was, quite simply, too close to call. The lesson: Every vote counts.

Let’s hope the Supreme Court does the right thing by our democracy. The Court should strike down the Indiana law and strike a blow for this fundamental principal of our democracy - the right to vote.

- Jami Floyd, “In Session” Anchor/360° Contributor

Read more Jami Floyd blogs on “In Session”

More about: Jami Floyd •  Raw Politics
Previous article:

subscribe RSS Icon
About this blog

A behind the scenes look at “Anderson Cooper 360°” and the stories it covers, written by Anderson Cooper, the AC360° staff and a network of contributors. Insight you can’t find anywhere else.

We search the news each day to show you what’s on our radar and what we’re planning for the show each night.

For more details, read our tips on how to win 360° approval for comments.

Send your instant feedback to Anderson Cooper 360°.

Featured Contributors
Candy Crowley
Candy Crowley is CNN's senior political correspondent and an AC360° contributor
David Gergen
David Gergen is CNN's senior political analyst and former presidential advisor
Roland S. Martin
Roland S. Martin is a nationally award-winning journalist and AC360° contributor
CNN Comment Policy: CNN encourages you to add a comment to this discussion. You may not post any unlawful, threatening, defamatory, obscene, pornographic or other material that would violate the law. All comments should be relevant to the topic and remain respectful of other authors and commenters. You are solely responsible for your own comments, the consequences of posting those comments, and the consequences of any reliance by you on the comments of others. By submitting your comment, you hereby give CNN the right, but not the obligation, to post, air, edit, exhibit, telecast, cablecast, webcast, re-use, publish, reproduce, use, license, print, distribute or otherwise use your comment(s) and accompanying personal identifying and other information you provide via all forms of media now known or hereafter devised, worldwide, in perpetuity. CNN Privacy Statement.
Home  |  World  |  U.S.  |  Politics  |  Justice  |  Entertainment  |  Health  |  Tech  |  Travel  |  Opinion  |  Living  |  Business  |  Sports  |  Time.com
Podcasts  |  Blogs  |  CNN Mobile  |  Preferences  |  Email Alerts  |  CNN Radio  |  CNN Shop  |  Site Map
© 2009 Cable News Network LP, LLLP. A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved.
Powered by WordPress.com VIP