Still the only voter ID anyone should need
For a variety of reasons, I never got around to reading that Sunday Chron story about True The Vote, that self-styled “watchdog” group that claims to be interested in ferreting out all those instances of “vote fraud” that nobody else can find, mostly because they don’t exist. I just couldn’t bring myself to read it, because I find the existence of organizations like that to be equal parts mystifying and infuriating. I always thought it was understood by all that this country was founded on the principle that everyone gets to have a say in how we are governed. Sure, our definition of “everyone” was pretty narrow back in 1788, and we’ve generally done a piss-poor job of living up to that principle, but still that principle was and is a cornerstone of our democracy. As such, the idea of people working to make it harder for their fellow citizens to vote is anathema to me. The right to vote is precious and should be defended, not challenged by a bunch of vigilantes. It’s utterly shameful that in the last decade or so that voter suppression has become such a key strategy for the Republican Party, with the effort being spearheaded by misguided and often malevolent individuals like Catherine Engelbrecht, Hans Van Spakovsky, Kris Kobach, and many others.
Anyway. I didn’t read the story, but Juanita did, and you should go read what she has to say. If you need more than that, go read Abby Rapoport’s report on True The Vote. May this be the last election we ever hear from them.