did i really hear this? advocating voting rights for non-citizens (Page: relocate, showing)

[foma]

I think I was in the car when I heard this so it had to have been NPR, or maybe it was on TV while at the gym but I didn't get to hear the whole thing so please give me the details if you know what I'm referring to here. This was probably a few days ago.

I thought I heard there were advocates who are suing the State saying that Arizona's law requiring voters to show proof of citizenship is unconstituional? Really?

I hate to start something here because to a certain degree I do empathize with illegal immigrants (no hate emails please) but isn't this going a little too far? It is my fundamental right as an American citizen to vote. How can anyone refute that to try and include non-citizens?!

I wish I remember where I heard this so if you know anything about this story, share the link if you got it!

[Rachiie]

Originally Posted by foma

I hate to start something here because to a certain degree I do empathize with illegal immigrants (no hate emails please) but isn't this going a little too far? It is my fundamental right as an American citizen to vote. How can anyone refute that to try and include non-citizens?!

I just wanted to share my thoughts on non-citizens voting. I do believe that only a citizen of the country should be eligable to vote. However, I am a UK citizen living in the US, I choose not too vote in the UK as I am unaware of the real politics and issues as I am non-resident. I would like to vote in the US as many of the matters disscussed around the election do affect my husband and I, but I do believe that voting should only be allowed by citizens.

Also please remember not every non-citizen is an illegal immigrant, it was a long process for my husband and I to acquire visa's. Maybe we should have just popped across the border

[foma]

I absolutely agree with you and as a child of an immigrant, I know exactly how the process works because I had to go through it myself.

You make a valid point and I would even consider permanent residents having more of a "right" to vote than illegal immigrants but I digress. My reason for posting this is to see if anybody else heard the story I did and if I heard correctly. Thanks for sharing!

[NCN]

One of the questions on the voter registration is "are you a citizen of the United States." Sounds like someone was objecting to having to show proof of this instead of just stating it. That is not really letting non-citizens vote, it is making people show proof of it. Non-citizens cannot legally vote. I think we will have non-citizens voting though. They don't seem to care about any of our other laws, so why should they care about this one. I used to register voters and they used to have to swear on the Bible or affirm that the information on the registration was correct. Now we just have a mail-in registration. The statement is on the registration, but probably a little less noticed.

[silverbear]

I didn't catch the story, but I suspect it has nothing to do with allowing non-citizens to vote. I don't think anyone is advocating that. The issue is probably if having to show proof of citizenship is an unreasonable burden and if that burden is applied uniformly to all voters or applied selectively through racial profiling.

[foma]

Originally Posted by silverbear

I didn't catch the story, but I suspect it has nothing to do with allowing non-citizens to vote. I don't think anyone is advocating that. The issue is probably if having to show proof of citizenship is an unreasonable burden and if that burden is applied uniformly to all voters or applied selectively through racial profiling.

Perhaps you may be right in which case, I don't see how showing proof of citizenship is an unreasonable burden. Everyone has identification. If you don't have a passport, you have your naturalized certificate. The only burden is remembering to carry it with you when you vote!!

Dangit, I wish I remembered where I even saw it so at least I can try to look it up!

[foma]

I searched on NPR and found this if anyone is interested: Could a Photo ID Law Hurt Representation at Polls? : NPR.

I don't remember any part of this interview so I can't say if this is what I heard but nonethess, related.

[Rick Lee]

Originally Posted by silverbear

I didn't catch the story, but I suspect it has nothing to do with allowing non-citizens to vote. I don't think anyone is advocating that. The issue is probably if having to show proof of citizenship is an unreasonable burden and if that burden is applied uniformly to all voters or applied selectively through racial profiling.

Yes, that's how the folks who wants felons and foreigners to vote try to frame the debate, because it's the least outrageous of their arguments. Anyone who can't afford a driver's license and still wants to vote may need to rexamine their priorities. Why do they want to vote? Because they can afford to read newspapers, watch news on tv and surf the Internet? Seems to me one of those things could be sacrificed for the $32 or so it takes to get a state-issued ID. I doubt you can collect welfare, food stamps or Social Security without a proper form of ID. Why should you be able to vote without it?

The true intentions of such folks became obvious a few years ago when Georgia tried every possible way to get ID's to people who claimed to be too poor to get one and thus said requiring ID to vote would be the same as "disenfranchisement" (the most overused and least understood word in American English today). GA first offered ID's for free to those who couldn't afford them. Not good enough. The whiners said the poor folks could not get to DMV. Nevermind that they'd probably also have a tough time getting to the polling station. Then GA said they'd actually send mobile photo vans/units around to neighborhoods to issue the ID's FOR FREE for people who couldn't afford them AND also couldn't get to DMV. Still not good enough.

If you can't get your hands on a legitimate state-issued ID, you really have no business voting.

[Bummer]

Originally Posted by Rachiie

Also please remember not every non-citizen is an illegal immigrant, it was a long process for my husband and I to acquire visa's. Maybe we should have just popped across the border

Excellent point, Rachile . . . thanks for the clarification.

All too often the terms ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT and IMMIGRANT are used interchangeably . . . there is a HUGE DIFFERENCE.

I have the utmost respect for anyone willing to relocate and endure the process of being a LEGAL RESIDENT and/or a CITIZEN of the United States, however, I have absolutely NO respect or trust for a lazy, inconsiderate, law-breaking, first-person-singular, common criminal illegal.

[nitram]

This article is what maybe some are refering to:
FAIR: Non-Citizen Voting in Federal Elections