Progressive Minds

Today, House Republicans passed what is tantamount to an unconstitutional poll tax.

They passed a voter ID law which will require everyone to present a photo identification before voting in federal elections by 2008.

The bill does stipulate that the ID cards must be provided free of charge to those who need them.

However, as I've noted before here on the blog, a federal judge struck down this very type of bill in Georgia.  Republicans in Georgia tried to implement a voter ID law (which citizens in the state would have had to pay for).  The judge struck it down as an unconstitutional poll tax. GOP lawmakers in Georgia revised the bill to make the IDs free of charge, but the judge in the case said it still places an undue burden on certain vulnerable populations (i.e. the poor, elderly, etc). 

Now, Republicans in Congress what to implement on a national level, was has already been deemed unconstitutional at the state level.  In short, Republicans want to keep certain populations from having access to the voting booth.  Certain populations that, just by coincidence, overwhelming vote for the other party.

This is an attempt at voter supression (which has been more of a problem than voter fraud).

House passes bill to make voters show ID