ACLU files federal lawsuit over Wisconsin voter ID law

Here.  Analyze this blurb from this recent article:

The ACLU, the ACLU of Wisconsin and National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty filed the complaint on behalf of state residents who may not be able to vote under the law. 

Note the speculation in the language: “on behalf of state residents who may not be able to vote.”  There is only rank speculation in this complaint and no actual evidence of anyone not being able to register to vote, obtain adequate photo identification, much less cast a vote.

Amended state voter ID bill moves forward in Pennsylvania

Update below on the Pennsylvania photo ID bill.  If this becomes law, this is a big deal in making photo ID uniform across the country. 

A state Senate panel this morning tweaked a measure to require all voters to show photo identification at the polls.

The amended legislation now would allow for university ID cards and those issued by nursing-home-type facilities to be accepted, and would require more information from those seeking an absentee ballot. It passed the Senate State Governmental Committee on a 6-5 vote.

and: Today’s changes also would require those seeking an absentee ballot to provide either their driver’s license number or last four digits of their Social Security number on the request form to prove their identity, and would allow driver’s licenses that expired within a year to still be an accepted ID.

If the measure is approved by early next year, poll workers during the April primary would ask for photo identification, but those without would still be able to cast a ballot. The law would go into full effect for the November general election.

Full story here.

Photo ID law in Pennsylvania by the end of the year?

…there is talk about trying to get so-called voter-ID legislation to the governor. The House in June approved a bill that would require residents to present identification before voting. The Senate is expected to take up the bill this week – although there is talk of making changes to it. Corbett on Saturday said he believed the measure would reach his desk before the end of the year.

rest of story at the link

Civil rights groups, Democrats fight early-voting limits

@ USA Today.  More than half a dozen states have passed new laws to reduce early voting, setting up a clash with civil rights groups and Democrats who claim the rules could disenfranchise minority voters in the 2012 election for the White House and Congress.

Once again, Democrats seek to conflate the protections of civil rights laws with their own partisan gamesmanship and potential gain.  Apparently, they believe there are now civil rights protections to have the opportunity to vote early and often.  Yes, a right to vote early 21 days as opposed to 14 days prior to Election Day or perhaps to vote 8 days prior instead of on Election Day. 

How about a voting right for absentee voting?  In fact, any voting process that may help Democrats on turnout is apparently constitutionally protected.  And how about a process that might help Republicans?  Nope, not protected.  Sorry, Republicans are out of luck.

Is the Obama Administration raising the white flag on the EAC?

An interesting bit of information came from the latest round of resignations from the EAC.  In a surprise nail in the coffin, the current general counsel and acting executive director at the EAC was nominated by the Obama Administration to serve with another agency.  Despite the desperate rhetoric of Democrats to save the EAC Zombie Land, the Administration has just dramatically undercut the already small chances of survival for the agency.  

This is almost as ironic as the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) undercuting the EAC by lobbying for the transfer of the collection of military voting data from the states from the EAC to the DOD.

While the Republicans have certainly led the way in terminating the EAC and finding cost savings by incorporating many of the EAC duties into the Federal Election Commission (FEC), the Obama Administration may have just shouldered equal responsibility for the action. At a minimum, Obama failed to consult with the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) and leading congressional Democrats who recently incorporated the “termination of the EAC” as part of their voter suppression mantra.   

With this action, how could the White House veto any bill terminating the EAC when they have just become directly complicit in its termination.  This really should be of no surprise considering the Administration has been no fan of the public financing of presidential campaigns.  For the Obamites, this was an easy one.