“An original or copy of a current other government document” - If this is one of the permitted documents in Ohio, why wouldn’t a passport fit into this category?
You will have to ask the State of Ohio but in the Ohio vote info I posted from rockthevote it says:
“An original or copy of a current (within the last 12 months) utility bill (includes a cell phone bill or zero balance utility bill from university housing) with the voter’s name and present address (note: a U.S. Passport is not valid ID, because it doesn’t have an address listed)”
There is a difference between what you need to REGISTER to vote…and an ID to vote if your state asks for that.
An ID to VOTE simply needs to be a picture ID with your picture on it…to prove you actually are YOU.
The registrars have already gotten proof of residency for newly registered voters. This is different. This type of proof needs to show that the person is actually a resident of the town on which he or she plans to vote…and wishes to register to do so. This would be a picture ID (and this could be a driver’s license, or passport…or even a school ID)…PLUS something that PROVES you reside there. Where I am, it can be a utility bill,that is due within 30 days (note…not a past bill…but one due within 30 days), mail received at the address, etc.
It is the job of the registrar to get the proof that the person is a resident of the town, and is therefore eligible to vote there.
That is not the job of the regular poll workers…unless they are the assistant registrars, or are doing EDR.
If a person’s name already appears as active on your voter registration list, they have already shown the appropriate proof of residency…unless there is an * next to their names.
For all…this election has federal positions on it. There MUST be an EDR (Election Day registration) place in every town. If someone is NOT currently registered, they can register and vote the day of the election IF they have the required documents to prove they are residents. If you are not registered…find out what you need…and where to go.
Okay, that added portion clarifies why passports aren’t acceptable for residency purposes. They show citizenship, thus establishing eligibility to vote, but they don’t prove WHERE you are entitled to vote. I guess if you had a passport with proof of residency it would work.
Ohio is apparently very difficult to get residency in. One of my co-workers is from Ohio originally and her D chose to go to school there. It’s her 4th year and she is just now getting residency, in large part because they refused to accept that she was living off campus with her aunt rent free. She finally drew up a lease and is giving her aunt rent money in order to get residency. She has a job there, pays taxes, registers and insures a car and more but they wouldn’t give her in state tuition until this semester. I am not sure if she is voting, haven’t asked.
Thumper, I have never heard of election day registration in PA, and every website I have checked (Allegheny County, votePA.org, rockthevote) says the deadline is 30 days before the election.
Even the usa.govsite says this - “Federal and state elections in the United States are run by the states themselves, according to Articles I and II of the Constitution (PDF, Download Adobe Reader). No two states run their elections exactly the same, so contacting your state or local election office is the best way to find out about your state’s unique election rules.”
Can you point me to where the fed government says there must be EDR?
(OK, I missed your reply before I edited.)
I don’t recall the exact details, but in my county there are a couple of court orders that people can get on election day (blue or white). One of them allows admission to the voting machine, the other gets a provisional ballot. If that happens on Tuesday, I will have to pull out my judge’s manual!
What I find so interesting is that to vote absentee in any state you do not have to prove you are the person who requested the ballot or the person filling the ballot out. You only have had to prove residency at the time of registration. The overwhelming amount of voter fraud cases stem from voting absentee yet all the “anti-fraud” efforts have been towards voting in person where voter fraud is practically non existent.
I just went and early voted in person. I had to give my name and tell them my address. I had to fill out a paper that also listed my address, birthday and either my license number or last 4 digits of my SS#. At no point did I have to show a picture ID. I had my license out but the lady said “you can put that away we don’t need it”.
One of the most famous cases of vote fraud was the Senate primary in Texas in 1948. Lyndon Johnson won one area by just a few votes. The voting rolls were found and magically the new votes were all in alphabetical order in the same handwriting. Clumsy but it got Johnson elected.
@abasket & @emilybee, I don’t know why that distresses you. We have no requirement for citizenship to own or carry a picture ID. My ex-MIL in a nursing home for 10 year (age 95) doesn’t have a picture ID. My mom didn’t have a valid one when she died last spring, hadn’t been able to drive for several years due to a stroke.
@intparent , I’m not distressed by not requiring ID. I’m vehemently opposed to that as a requirement. I just find it interesting that the push towards showing ID completely leaves out absentee voters - where fraud is a much bigger problem. Now, I have my own opinion why that is but that is not for this thread.
And do it now, not on Monday or Tuesday. The US government is expecting cyberattacks on those days potentially including sites like rockthevote, county registrars, and other places where people can get voting information.
H and I voted early a couple days ago. Our 23yo son was with us. When we were checking in, the volunteers asked our son if he was voting for the first time. Confused by the question, (thinking "First time in this election? First time at this venue??) he mumbled, “Yes.” (TBH, the first thing that crossed my mind was that they thought he’d already voted.)
Then came the announcement to the roomful of volunteers/waiting voters: “Hey everybody, this is “Joe,” and he’s voting for the first time today!” --followed by a round of applause. (S looks very young for his age, has voted in other elections). Good for a laugh on the way home.
In Ohio, you have to show government ID (must be an Ohio drivers license, not another state’s license) if you vote on Election Day but not if you vote early. Early voting continues until Monday midday. Many many voters are voting early.
“In California, voters must sign their absentee ballot. Signatures are checked.”
Signatures can be forged. Besides, I don’t believe election officials are qualified to determine if a signature is forged and to disqualify one’s ballot based on their assumption. Handwriting experts they are not. Why would you trust an election official to decide if that’s your signature?
Also, voters have to sign in when they go to vote in person. If only a signature is required to cast an absentee ballot it should be all that is required for one to vote in person.
Maybe they should make ones absentee ballots be signed and certified by a notary.
It should be equally as difficult to vote absentee as it is to vote in person if the reason for all these ID laws are to prevent voter fraud.
Or a better idea is to do away with all voter ID laws.
To request my absentee ballot, I had to know the last four digits of my SS number. I guess someone might then intercept my absentee ballot in the mail but then I would contact the voting office to say I hadn’t received it. I’m not sure there is a great opportunity for fraud there.
^ There is more fraud by absentee ballot then in person voting.
"Almost no one shows up at the polls pretending to be someone else in an effort to throw an election. Almost no one acts as a poll worker on Election Day to try to cast illegal votes for a candidate. And almost no general election race in recent history has been close enough to have been thrown by the largest example of in-person voter fraud on record.
That said, there have been examples of fraud, including fraud perpetrated through the use of absentee ballots severe enough to force new elections at the state level. But the slew of new laws passed over the past few years meant to address voter fraud have overwhelmingly focused on the virtually non-existent/unproven type of voter fraud, and not the still-not-common-but-not-non-existent abuse of absentee voting."
It would be a big hassle for a kid away at college voting absentee to get it notarized. For that matter, I don’t have one near my house. If I needed one, I would have to drive or take transit to get there. My previous state required a witness FROM YOUR STATE for an absentee ballot. My kid who voted absentee while away at college across the country had to find another student from her home state to witness – they witnessed for each other. If she hadn’t happened to know someone, she might not have been able to vote. These restrictions sound like a great idea, until you really think through the scenarios and whether the end result of vote suppression is worth it to deal with what from the evidence is a pretty hypothetical problem. But again… if vote suppression is the goal, then it makes more sense.
