Natalie Winningham: No voter ID required
Governor Phil Bryant recently said he believes that Mississippi voters should voluntarily show identification when voting on Nov 6. In a rare show of solidarity, conservatives across the state praise President Barack Obama’s willingness to fork over his ID when he cast his vote in Illinois nearly two weeks ago as proof that even the Democrats are doing it. Bipartisanship is a beautiful thing.
Of course, no one has been quick to point out that early voters are required to show identification in Illinois, so the President of the United States had to show his ID to vote in his home state. You do not.
Despite the fact that the law is not in effect for this election, many well-meaning Mississippians intend to do exactly that. Never mind that most voter fraud does not take place in person and would not be prevented by asking Mississippi voters to show valid proof of their existence on Election Day. Instead, voters passed a feel-good law that lets them pretend to take action when the truth of the matter is that we have been duped into selectively suppressing the votes of law-abiding citizens. If stemming voter fraud was the real goal, mail-in absentee ballots would be more closely scrutinized.
Clarion Ledger
11/6
Magnolia Tribune
