Thread: Supreme Court sides with Attorney General; ID needed to vote

Published: 10.20.2006

Supreme Court sides with Attorney General; ID needed to voteBy Howard Fischer
CAPITOL MEDIA SERVICES
PHOENIX -- Arizonans will need to bring identification to the polls next month if they want their votes to count.

In an unsigned opinion Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court threw out an order by a federal appeals court blocking the state from enforcing the voter ID provisions of Proposition 200 while it is being challenged in court. Instead, the justices sided with arguments by Attorney General Terry Goddard that the state's interest in protecting its elections from fraud outweigh the possibility that some people without the legally required identification might be disenfranchised.

In fact, the justices took a slap at their colleagues on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for issuing their original order in the first place. They said the appellate judges provided no reason that they issued the legal stay in the first place and overturned the original order of the trial judge who actually heard the evidence.

The justices stressed that Friday's order does not mean that they believe the provisions of Proposition 200 are legal. But they said their decision was necessary to "allow the election to proceed."

http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/printDS/152068

This subject never ceases to amaze me. We have to show our ID at airports, to cash a check, etc but when voting most do not have to show it. Does that mean it isn't that important who is elected? I just don't get it.

The justices stressed that Friday's order does not mean that they believe the provisions of Proposition 200 are legal.

I can't imagine why it would not be legal to ask for ID.
I have been asked for the past 30 years to show my drivers license
when I go to vote. Without ID anyone could use your name to vote. Or anyone, legal citizen or not could vote.
ID sounds like common sense to me.

Forty years I've walked up to the election worker and handed my picture driver license. Never even imagined a person shouldn't identify myself. I may be too dumb to live here and need to go to Europe. Where's the ACLU ?