The paternal, well-intentioned arguments that have been put forth against passing a voter ID law in Mississippi are just that — paternal and well-intentioned — but clearly divorced from the political realities of 2010.
Asking a voter for a photo identification isn’t going to intimidate anyone from voting — particularly not older African-American voters who had to take part in the civil rights struggle in Mississippi.
Those who suggest otherwise do so with an eye toward maintaining the status quo and with a heart toward partisan political advantage.
Voter ID will solve some aspects of voter fraud in Mississippi — but not all of them. Absentee ballot fraud is still the leading offender and voter ID won’t do much in curing that cancer on the concept of one man, one vote.
Early voting works
Republicans have long alleged that Democrats opposed voter ID because the lack of it served their political advantage. But in opposing early voting, Republicans are opening themselves up to the same allegations from Democrats.
Republicans have been loud and long in charging Democrats with defending a systemic lack of integrity in the voting process by refusing to support reforms that would stifle some voter fraud.
Now, in assessing why Republicans are opposing early voting, Democrats assert with no small amount of authority that Republicans oppose a voter reform that would increase voter turnout and bring convenience and ease of participation to the process.
Clearly, GOP opposition to early voting is rooted in the perception that early voting will raise voter turnout among people not predisposed to vote Republican.
The “danger” of early voting is a political creation, not a factual one even for Republicans. In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama carried 28 states —13 of which had early voting. Republican nominee John McCain carried 22 states —17 of which had early voting. Dangerous to the GOP? Not so much.
In the Southeast, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Tennessee all permit no-excuse, in-person early voting at election offices or other satellite locations. The GOP carried every one of those states except Florida.
While that makes partisan sense, in a society that worships time, convenience and ease of participation that opposition won’t stand public scrutiny for long.
The scare tactic that those in the election fraud business want early voting really isn’t a claim borne out by the facts. The folks who want early voting are working people, soccer moms and others for whom convenience is the primary motivation.
State needs both
Mississippi voters will pass voter ID with ease. It’s an idea whose time has finally come.
So is early voting. The numbers prove that early voting laws across the country have been of more benefit to Republicans than to Democrats — as was the case in the 2008 presidential elections. Mississippi should be making it easier, not harder, for all eligible voters to exercise their right to vote.
Contact Perspective Editor Sid Salter at (601) 961-7084 or e-mail ssalter@clarionledger.com. Visit his blog at clarionledger.com. His talk radio show, On Deadline with Sid Salter, is broadcast on the SuperTalk Mississippi network.
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