Election integrity? Who needs it? Asking citizens to show government-issued ID before entering the voting booth is racist, sexist, and a whole bunch of other -ists.
Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., runs down the numbers provided by dependable sources like the Center for American Progress report, “Voter Suppression 101: How Conservatives Are Conspiring to Disenfranchise Millions of Americans.:
18% of senior citizens don't have a gov't photo ID
— Rep. Keith Ellison (@keithellison) May 30, 2012
25% of African Americans don't have gov't photo ID
— Rep. Keith Ellison (@keithellison) May 30, 2012
Many student IDs are not valid forms of gov't photo ID. Many woman don't have gov't IDs in their married name.
— Rep. Keith Ellison (@keithellison) May 30, 2012
W/ focus on Voting Rights, great turn out at 2012 Faith Leaders Summit called by Cong'l Black Caucus (CBC) & Conf. Of Nat'l Black Churches
— Rep. Keith Ellison (@keithellison) May 30, 2012
600,000 voters in TEXAS do not have valid ID under recently passed statute.
— Rep. Keith Ellison (@keithellison) May 30, 2012
78% of Black men between 18 and 24 in WI do not have state issued photo ID. Wonder why Gov. Scott Walker pushed photo ID in WI?
— Rep. Keith Ellison (@keithellison) May 30, 2012
Why would Gov. Scott Walker do such a thing? You know why. Racism.
Ellison’s implication is that voter ID laws lead to minority voter suppression, but the facts simply don’t back him up:
Heritage Foundation proves this claim false. And it’s not just false on paper, it’s false in practice. Georgia implemented such a law (and South Carolina’s is even more lenient) six years ago. Know what happened? Voting by black voters increased from 513,700 in 2006 to 741,000 in 2010. How racist!
But, but, shut up! Voter fraud is a myth pushed by power hungry ALEC and its racist conspiracy to disenfranchise black voters.
ALEC movement to push gov't issued ID bills was done w/ malice aforethought. Advocates KNOW "voter fraud" is a myth; the point is POWER.
— Rep. Keith Ellison (@keithellison) May 30, 2012
By spewing scare-tistics and attacking ALEC, Ellison exposes his thirst for power over minority voting blocs.
If Ellison cares so much about the 25 percent of black Americans he claims have no ID, why isn’t he fighting to end their exclusion from full participation in society? This is about politics, not people.
We’ve been required to show government-issued photo ID to board a plane, use a debit card, open a bank account, set up direct deposit, enter government buildings—the list goes on and on. If millions of Americans can’t do those things, isn’t that the problem? And isn’t that why voter ID legislation in states like Minnesota has included provisions to help people get ID?
Who looks at these statistics and thinks, “I’m a-okay with millions of Americans lacking the basic identification they need to go about their daily lives”?
Keith Ellison and the anti-ALEC mob, that’s who.
