Posted on 05/25/2006 9:00:10 PM PDT by Graybeard58
PHOENIX -- A second lawsuit was filed Wednesday challenging provisions of a voter-approved initiative.
Legal papers filed in U.S. District Court here contend it is unconstitutional to require people to prove U.S. citizenship before registering and proof of identification when casting a ballot.
David Rosenbaum, who represents various groups who filed suit, wants a federal judge to void those provisions which were part of Proposition 200 adopted by Arizonans in 2004. Plaintiffs range from the Hopi Tribe and the Arizona Advocacy Network to People for the American Way, a national group formed to combat what it sees as "the influence of the radical right and its allies.''
Rosenbaum acknowledged that the law -- and subsequent state rules -- provide an extensive list of what would-be voters could produce to prove identity. These range from driver licenses and passports to utility bills and bank statements.
But Rosenbaum said many people do not have access to any of those documents.
For example, the lawsuit said people who are poor don't have government-issued documents like a license and are less likely to have two recent utility bills or bank statements in their names. Similarly, those living in nursing homes also are unlikely to be driving and also don't have vehicle registration documents or utility bills.
Rosenbaum said many reservation residents live at places without traditional addresses. And he said women who recently married could be disenfranchised because they changed their name but don't have identification reflecting that change.
The lawsuit said individuals can obtain some of these documents, like a state-issued identification card made available for those who do not drive. But that comes at a cost, as does getting a certified copy of a birth certificate. And that becomes an impermissible financial burden on the right to vote.
Rosenbaum said the system in place prior to Proposition 200 worked just fine, even without proof of identification. He said there is no evidence of voter fraud and it already is a crime for would-be voters to misrepresent who they are.
A virtually identical lawsuit was filed earlier this month by the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund saying that the ID requirements interfere with the rights of minorities. Rosenbaum said he expects the two cases to be consolidated.
Kevin Tyne, the deputy secretary of state, said he believes the provisions of Proposition 200 are constitutional and will be upheld. Tyne promised to defend the voter-approved initiative.
Oh for goodness sake.
I work with seniors that are often also impoversed and sometimes very ill. Strangely enough, they can always provide enough identification.
This is such a crock.
Illegal aliens vote almost openly here in California. About 8% statewide is a fair estimate.
If you can't produce an ID you are not involved enough in the system and shouldn't be allowed to vote anyway.
It is probably these same poor people on welfare who had to show ID to open a bank account for Direct Deposit or when they cash a check.
This is such crap.
It is probably these same poor people on welfare who had to show ID to open a bank account for Direct Deposit or when they cash a check.
This is such crap.
Especially at Denny's to get their "senior" discount where they steal all of the sugar packets off of the table.
---Illegal aliens vote almost openly here in California. About 8% statewide is a fair estimate.---
The Democrats were sending out mail-in registrations to every one getting a new drivers license at one point. Anyone that wants to can vote in California.
New lawsuit challenge Prop 200 (Open Borders Crowd Never Rests)
"This is worse than open borders. They want to aide in the theft of representative government by foreigners"
Yup, so here we are now and the heck with this pragmatic BS!!! If we don't enforce these basic constitutional laws, abolish all the darn laws!!!!!
"Illegal aliens vote almost openly here in California. About 8% statewide is a fair estimate"
Unbelievable!!! Kick the illegals out, nuke them, land mines, or whatever it takes to protect the borders!!!
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