Can the Republican Party Be Saved?

[boston_e]

I don't understand why it is a problem to get an ID if you are here legally. If you are not here legally than you don't get to vote.

sending everyone an ID would require knowing where everyone is kinda bigbrother like

If everyone of voting age already has an ID needed for so much else, why do we need to send anyone an ID?

Because surprisingly, there is a not insignificant block of people who are here legally in a socio-economic group (not the type who are likely to frequent K-Zone) who don't have easy access to ID's.

[boston_e]

First of all, MLB NEEDS to stay out of politics. Shame on them.

Now on that list, there is some incomplete information. First, poll workers, and poll workers ONLY can hand out food and water to voters in line. The provision is designed to keep partisan individuals from interfering with the voters waiting to vote. Second, there was mischief involved with the voter drop boxes used in 2020, so the provision limiting them is to limit them to places where they can be monitored.

There are already rules about campaigning within a certain distance of polling locations and laws about interfering with someones ability to vote so this would be totally redundant. In reality it is a clear attempt to discourage people from staying in line to vote, and it is not surprising that long voting lines tend to happen in strongly demorcratic areas.

I believe it SHOULD be illegal to mail out unsolicited ballot applications of any type. If you're too damn lazy to ask for one, you do not deserve to vote.

Voting is a right. Shouldn't the true goal to be maximize voter participation by making sure it is as easy as possible for anyone who is legally able to cast a ballot to do so? I'd actually suggest that it SHOULD be required for every state to send out information on how to register and ballot applications to every legal voter in the state. It isn't about being lazy, it is about people not having the knowledge or ability to do so.

Not sure about whether I agree of disagree about limiting time to request an absentee ballot.

Agree - not sure if I have an opinion on this.

ID's need to be required for all to vote. If you do not have an ID, you are already massively crippled in out society, as you cannot do many things.

So because someone is crippled in our society, we should further disenfranchise them by working to suppress and make it harder for them to exercise their right to vote? I personally wouldn't have an issue showing my ID, but as others have mentioned this is a solution to a problem that does not exist and would likely suppress the vote of many who do not have ID.

Going to the wrong polling place should mean poll workers should direct you to the correct polling place. You should not be allowed to cast a ballot in the wrong precinct as that can affect local races.

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Probably true - the other solution would be to only allow a person who shows up in the wrong place to only make choices for which they are eligible (if they go to the wrong town, they can vote for statewide candidates but not town or city candidates etc)

[daytripper]

I don't understand why it is a problem to get an ID if you are here legally. If you are not here legally than you don't get to vote.

sending everyone an ID would require knowing where everyone is kinda bigbrother like

If everyone of voting age already has an ID needed for so much else, why do we need to send anyone an ID?

Because surprisingly, there is a not insignificant block of people who are here legally in a socio-economic group (not the type who are likely to frequent K-Zone) who don't have easy access to ID's.

Sure they do, it is not difficult to get an ID and if you want to vote you should have to prove who you are. I could care less about absentee or early voting or if someone gives you water. If you can prove you have the legal right to vote you vote. If not you don't.

[deadheadskier]

I don't understand why it is a problem to get an ID if you are here legally. If you are not here legally than you don't get to vote.

sending everyone an ID would require knowing where everyone is kinda bigbrother like

If everyone of voting age already has an ID needed for so much else, why do we need to send anyone an ID?

Because surprisingly, there is a not insignificant block of people who are here legally in a socio-economic group (not the type who are likely to frequent K-Zone) who don't have easy access to ID's.

Sure they do, it is not difficult to get an ID and if you want to

Totally ignorant.

I'll give you one example. We had an elderly neighbor we essentially adopted. She had no family except for essentially an estranged son who eventually died six months before her. The last two years of her life she spent about eight months in and out of a state run nursing home. Frail and in her late 80s she could no longer drive. We took her where she needed to go from doctors appointments, to getting groceries, bring her dogs to the vet, to set up her final services and even to get an absentee ballot to vote.

If not for us I don't know how Lois would have survived. What if she didn't have neighbors like my wife and I to look after her?

There are many, many elderly like Lou's around the country who would find it very difficult to get an ID. There are an estimated 600k homeless people in this country, many of them veterans struggling with psychological problems. It would be very difficult for many of these folks to get an ID or find the polls.

These people deserve an easy mechanism to exercise their right to vote the same as people with able bodies and minds like you and I.

Find a solution that makes it vastly easier for ALL eligible people to get an ID and then we can talk about requiring one to vote. Until then? No.

[daytripper]

You need an id for everything else in life, you should need one to vote. Quite simple.

[deadheadskier]

You need an id for everything else in life, you should need one to vote. Quite simple.

Easy for an able body and minded person to say....

I guess you feel the elderly, homeless and others with challenges are SOL.

[boston_e]

You need an id for everything else in life, you should need one to vote. Quite simple.

On the flip side, it is quite simple to stick with the status quo as there is no compelling reason to make a change. Classic case of finding a solution to a problem that does not exist.

[daytripper]

Status quo used to be you could get everything else you now need an id for without one, but now you need it. If you want to vote you should need an id. It's not that difficult.

[daytripper]

The right to own a gun is guaranteed to me in the constitution. If I need an id to buy one (which you should because times are different than 1790) you should need one to vote.

[deadheadskier]

The right to own a gun is guaranteed to me in the constitution. If I need an id to buy one (which you should because times are different than 1790) you should need one to vote.

Guessing these same folks also struggle with exercising their second amendment along with a whole other things that you apparently take for granted.

F em right?

[daytripper]

The right to own a gun is guaranteed to me in the constitution. If I need an id to buy one (which you should because times are different than 1790) you should need one to vote.

Guessing these same folks also struggle with exercising their second amendment along with a whole other things that you apparently take for granted.

F em right?

I have no desire to argue with you, let's just agree to disagree.

[Bubba]

I don't understand why it is a problem to get an ID if you are here legally. If you are not here legally than you don't get to vote.

sending everyone an ID would require knowing where everyone is kinda bigbrother like

If everyone of voting age already has an ID needed for so much else, why do we need to send anyone an ID?

Because surprisingly, there is a not insignificant block of people who are here legally in a socio-economic group (not the type who are likely to frequent K-Zone) who don't have easy access to ID's.

Sure they do, it is not difficult to get an ID and if you want to

Totally ignorant.

I'll give you one example. We had an elderly neighbor we essentially adopted. She had no family except for essentially an estranged son who eventually died six months before her. The last two years of her life she spent about eight months in and out of a state run nursing home. Frail and in her late 80s she could no longer drive. We took her where she needed to go from doctors appointments, to getting groceries, bring her dogs to the vet, to set up her final services and even to get an absentee ballot to vote.

If not for us I don't know how Lois would have survived. What if she didn't have neighbors like my wife and I to look after her?

There are many, many elderly like Lou's around the country who would find it very difficult to get an ID. I get that, but would it be so hard to figure out how to provide Lois and others like her some form of acceptable ID? She clearly must have a Social Security card and a Medicare card, so providing another form of ID should not be overly complicated.


There are an estimated 600k homeless people in this country, many of them veterans struggling with psychological problems. It would be very difficult for many of these folks to get an ID or find the polls. Let's look at that for a moment. How do you provide a homeless person with a mailing address and polling place? The person, by definition, has no home, no permanent residence, no permanent voting location. How does the homeless person have a right to vote in local elections? In any city or county with multiple polling places, which one is "local"?

As for people with psychological problems, do we really want them voting? Isn't that how we got Trump?

These people deserve an easy mechanism to exercise their right to vote the same as people with able bodies and minds like you and I.

Find a solution that makes it vastly easier for ALL eligible people to get an ID and then we can talk about requiring one to vote. Until then? No.

I agree - find a solution that makes it easier to vote, not harder, but keep the practical aspects of this in mind, including that having an ID is hardly an insurmountable problem.

[Guy in Shorts]

I'm with Bubba and Daytripper. Having an ID is a reasonable request. A secure election process is paramount.

[Bubba]

I'm with Bubba and Daytripper. Having an ID is a reasonable request. A secure election process is paramount.

I still think it’s a solution in search of a problem but it’s a relatively harmless way to shut the Republican outrage machine up.

[deadheadskier]

I don't understand why it is a problem to get an ID if you are here legally. If you are not here legally than you don't get to vote.

If everyone of voting age already has an ID needed for so much else, why do we need to send anyone an ID?

Because surprisingly, there is a not insignificant block of people who are here legally in a socio-economic group (not the type who are likely to frequent K-Zone) who don't have easy access to ID's.

Sure they do, it is not difficult to get an ID and if you want to

Totally ignorant.

I'll give you one example. We had an elderly neighbor we essentially adopted. She had no family except for essentially an estranged son who eventually died six months before her. The last two years of her life she spent about eight months in and out of a state run nursing home. Frail and in her late 80s she could no longer drive. We took her where she needed to go from doctors appointments, to getting groceries, bring her dogs to the vet, to set up her final services and even to get an absentee ballot to vote.

If not for us I don't know how Lois would have survived. What if she didn't have neighbors like my wife and I to look after her?

There are many, many elderly like Lou's around the country who would find it very difficult to get an ID. I get that, but would it be so hard to figure out how to provide Lois and others like her some form of acceptable ID? She clearly must have a Social Security card and a Medicare card, so providing another form of ID should not be overly complicated.


There are an estimated 600k homeless people in this country, many of them veterans struggling with psychological problems. It would be very difficult for many of these folks to get an ID or find the polls. Let's look at that for a moment. How do you provide a homeless person with a mailing address and polling place? The person, by definition, has no home, no permanent residence, no permanent voting location. How does the homeless person have a right to vote in local elections? In any city or county with multiple polling places, which one is "local"?

As for people with psychological problems, do we really want them voting? Isn't that how we got Trump?

These people deserve an easy mechanism to exercise their right to vote the same as people with able bodies and minds like you and I.

Find a solution that makes it vastly easier for ALL eligible people to get an ID and then we can talk about requiring one to vote. Until then? No.

I agree - find a solution that makes it easier to vote, not harder, but keep the practical aspects of this in mind, including that having an ID is hardly an insurmountable problem.

So we are in agreement. Find the solution to get IDs in everyone's hands easily and then we can require that ID to vote. People like day tripper think it's "easy". That is not the case for a very large part of society.

Homeless people should be allowed to establish residency in whatever locale that they might be receiving services. Designate a local soup kitchen, shelter etc. as their domicile. Feds should offer ID services at those locations if there is hardship for someone to get to the town hall. But these people should be provided the help they need to vote. Hell many of them are homeless and suffered trauma while fighting to protect those rights for us.