Posted on 10/20/2006 2:09:23 PM PDT by Babu
24 minutes ago: WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court ruled Friday that Arizona may require voters to provide photo IDs when they cast their ballots next month.
The justices cautioned that they were not issuing a ruling on the constitutionality of Arizona's law. "As we have noted, the facts in these cases are hotly contested," the court said in an unsigned five-page order.
The ruling merely allows the Nov. 7 election to proceed with the photo ID law in place. Federal courts still will have to resolve a lawsuit contending that the law will disenfranchise numerous voters, particularly the elderly and minorities.
Courts in Georgia and Missouri have blocked similar laws.
Justice John Paul Stevens, in a brief concurring opinion, said the high court's action makes it more likely that the constitutional issues "will be resolved correctly on the basis of historical facts rather than speculation."
The law requires voters to prove citizenship when registering to vote and to show photo IDs when they go to the polls. The law was meant to make sure illegal immigrants weren't casting ballots.
Opponents of the law contend it discourages some people from voting, including the elderly, poor and disadvantaged who don't always carry IDs. Arizona residents, Indian tribes and community groups filed suit in May.
A federal judge ruled the state could enforce the law. But the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals later blocked it from taking effect for the Nov. 7 election.
In his bid to allow the state to go forward, Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard told the justices that "voter registration at the polls is an emerging issue of national importance. States have a compelling interest in curbing fraud and protecting the integrity of elections."
Voters without proper ID may cast provisional ballots and furnish identification within five business days of the election.
Lacking photo identification, voters still can cast ballots during the state's early voting period. State officials said there is ample time to compare signatures on the ballot with those on registration rolls.
Polls schmolls...they also had Kerry winning in a landslide, remember?
ping
Also in AZ, we have a proposition placed on the ballot by Democrats, to award a million dollar lottery to a lucky voter each election.
This gives us a little of a control group that we can get clues from after the election, in analyzing a straight election versus what will be seen in some states.
Munsil may not be the best R candidate, but he can't be worse than Johnette Lesbiano. She's got to go!!!!
It's apparent the state GOP decided to let Janet have this one, and will be offering a competitive candidate in 2010.
To Munsil's credit, he had GREAT organization on the ground early in the primary and was able to get his matching funds early. Those funds blew Goldwater out of the race...he didn't get his until a couple of days before the primary. I'm still new to AZ politics, and unsure of the nuanced funding rules (they gotta be pretty screwy) but it's apparent that early, grass-roots organization wins primaries.
Again, I'm sure this year will be the last time Munsil is on a statewide ballot...he'll lose the Govenors race by at least 10 points in a state where the GOP Senate candidate wins by 10.
Excellent! Nice to see some sanity from SCOTUS (vs. Kelo, Roe...).
ping
YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Don't they have to show ID when they apply for food stamps and welfare?
Nice....
Excellent news~~!!!!!
bump
This should apply to Missouri also, hopefully.
How much I.D. do we need to have with us?
This is a fantastic decision by the court. Bout time!
1
If it's the Channel 8 - ASU poll, they had Basha ahead of Symington by 10 points just a few days before the election. Symington won by at least five points if not more.
Picture that TV commercial with the two gunfighters. Slap!
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