Ruth Bader Ginsburg Writes Blistering Dissent On Texas Voter ID Law
Justice Ruth Ginsburg issued a blistering dissent after Conservatives on the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Texas can use its controversial voter identification law.
Ginsburg went on to argue that the Fifth Circuit was negligent in ignoring the findings of a full trial in district court, which found that the law was “enacted with a racially discriminatory purpose and would yield a prohibited discriminatory result.”
“The potential magnitude of racially discriminatory voter disenfranchisement counseled hesitation before disturbing the District Court’s findings and final judgment,” Ginsburg wrote. “Senate Bill 14 may prevent more than 600,000 registered Texas voters (about 4.5% of all registered voters) from voting in person for lack of compliant identification. Id., at 50–51, 54. A sharply disproportionate percentage of those voters are African-American or Hispanic.”
“…Texas has been found in violation of the Voting Rights Act in every redistricting cycle from and after 1970,” she wrote.
While Republicans claim Voter ID laws are a means to uphold the integrity of the vote, it’s a thinly veiled obstacle created to stop a large number of registered voters from casting their ballots, most of them black, Hispanic and/or elderly.
Copyright 2014 Liberaland
By: Anomaly100
Jake October 18th, 2014 at 12:13
Hooray for justice Ginsburg – not afraid to call this what it is – A POLL TAX – a new Republican tax – why is nobody else saying this?
Wayout October 18th, 2014 at 12:58
When something is available for free it isn’t a tax, poll or otherwise.
mea_mark October 18th, 2014 at 13:06
So all the documents required for getting an ID are now free? I don’t think so. Therefore it is not free it is essentially a tax or fee that is being imposed on those that can’t afford it, in order to keep them from voting.
OldLefty October 18th, 2014 at 13:17
Like mea_mark said, the documents, and the transportation, (often over 100 miles)…is.
Jake October 18th, 2014 at 13:17
Liar liar liar – unless they are giving out free IDs to people with different color skin from Republicans – THIS IS A TAX! Its a Melanin Tax.
mea_mark October 18th, 2014 at 12:14
If the courts are acknowledging this is an unconstitutional law but are allowing Texas to implement it anyways, does that mean that if people are not allowed to vote they can sue the state of Texas for having their constitutional rights knowingly, willfully violated? It would be interesting to see thousands of cases filed against the State of Texas. Sounds expensive.
Kick Frenzy October 18th, 2014 at 16:12
I really would love to see that happen.
Anyone here live in Texas?
And know how to get a class action lawsuit together?
;)
mea_mark October 18th, 2014 at 16:17
I am thinking a whole bunch of separate cases, to crash the whole system in Texas. Make Texas pay many thousands of dollars for every person they won’t allow to vote. This should go down in history as one of the stupidest things the republicans have ever done.
R.J. Carter October 18th, 2014 at 16:20
That’s kind of “Cloward-Piven” isn’t it?
Kick Frenzy October 18th, 2014 at 16:24
It is and I agree that it’s not the best method.
I would rather see one large class action suit that gets heavy media coverage.
That being said, after reading the description of that method, I immediately recognized it as part of the strategy that Republicans have used since President Obama was inaugurated.
Of course, they also employ the opposite (do nothing excessively) to achieve the same outcome (stall out government, trying to make the president take the fall for their actions).
mea_mark October 18th, 2014 at 12:14
If the courts are acknowledging this is an unconstitutional law but are allowing Texas to implement it anyways, does that mean that if people are not allowed to vote they can sue the state of Texas for having their constitutional rights knowingly, willfully violated? It would be interesting to see thousands of cases filed against the State of Texas. Sounds expensive.
Kick Frenzy October 18th, 2014 at 16:12
I really would love to see that happen.
Anyone here live in Texas?
And know how to get a class action lawsuit together?
;)
mea_mark October 18th, 2014 at 16:17
I am thinking a whole bunch of separate cases, to crash the whole system in Texas. Make Texas pay many thousands of dollars for every person they won’t allow to vote. This should go down in history as one of the stupidest things the republicans have ever done.
R.J. Carter October 18th, 2014 at 16:20
That’s kind of “Cloward-Piven” isn’t it?
Kick Frenzy October 18th, 2014 at 16:24
It is and I agree that it’s not the best method.
I would rather see one large class action suit that gets heavy media coverage.
That being said, after reading the description of that method, I immediately recognized it as part of the strategy that Republicans have used since President Obama was inaugurated.
Of course, they also employ the opposite (do nothing excessively) to achieve the same outcome (stall out government, trying to make the president take the fall for their actions).
William October 18th, 2014 at 12:19
Texas the lone brain cell state.
William October 18th, 2014 at 12:19
Texas the lone brain cell state.
Wayout October 18th, 2014 at 12:58
When something is available for free it isn’t a tax, poll or otherwise.
mea_mark October 18th, 2014 at 13:06
So all the documents required for getting an ID are now free? I don’t think so. Therefore it is not free it is essentially a tax or fee that is being imposed on those that can’t afford it, in order to keep them from voting.
OldLefty October 18th, 2014 at 13:17
Like mea_mark said, the documents, and the transportation, (often over 100 miles)…is.
garyinaz66 October 18th, 2014 at 13:00
of course we need to have proof of i.d. to vote, thinking otherwise is insane and defacto backing of fraud
Voter Fraud in Arizona’s 2014 Election? You be the Judge. Video and more. Find out what this thug was saying to A. J. LaFaro, the Chairman of Maricopa County Republican Party. WARNING: Very foul language.
http://www.gilbertwatch.com/index.cfm/blog/voter-fraud-in-arizona-s-2014-election-you-be-the-judge/
NW10 October 18th, 2014 at 13:09
I’ve been voting via mail for the ten years I’ve been registered to vote. When are you right wingers going to ban mail in ballots?
NW10 October 18th, 2014 at 13:08
John Fugelsang said it best: if right wingers truly believed in needing IDs to vote, they’d ban mail in ballots.
(((NW10,PATRIOT! ✓ᵛᵉʳᶦᶠᶦᵉᵈ))) October 18th, 2014 at 13:08
John Fugelsang said it best: if right wingers truly believed in needing IDs to vote, they’d ban mail in ballots.
(((NW10,PATRIOT! ✓ᵛᵉʳᶦᶠᶦᵉᵈ))) October 18th, 2014 at 13:09
I’ve been voting via mail for the ten years I’ve been registered to vote. When are you right wingers going to ban mail in ballots?
OldLefty October 18th, 2014 at 13:13
If they were even remotely sincere, they would move heaven and earth, to make it very easy for people to get the IDs and and not require them until everyone who voted for decades without them, can get them.
They should have mobile trucks to take them to the people…. even if it takes a decade.
Instead, they are making it very difficult for the elderly, the poor and students to get them.
Rusty Shackleford October 18th, 2014 at 13:55
If they were even remotely sincere, they’d just ink people’s fingers. Cheaper, easier, accessible to everyone, and stops in-person voting fraud exactly as effectively as any ID.
R.J. Carter October 18th, 2014 at 13:58
Although it does nothing to verify citizenship — unless the system also implements some sort of card-check of a non-photo variety.
Rusty Shackleford October 18th, 2014 at 14:00
Citizenship is already verified when you register to vote.
R.J. Carter October 18th, 2014 at 14:21
When you register, yes. But if you’re not showing that registration when you’re actually casting the ballot, it’s essentially useless.
Rusty Shackleford October 18th, 2014 at 14:31
Why? How do you plan to cast a ballot without being registered?
R.J. Carter October 18th, 2014 at 14:41
You give the pollworker a name and they give you a ballot.
Rusty Shackleford October 18th, 2014 at 14:56
Is this a thing that happens? People voting in other people’s names in person?
R.J. Carter October 18th, 2014 at 15:18
Without checks, how would we know?
Red Mann October 18th, 2014 at 15:49
Because the number of actual fraud cases is on the small side of miniscule. Is this worth the disenfranchisement of tens of thousands and the millions of dollars that have, and will be, expended?
Some republicans have publically admitted that the reasons for this is to give their party an advantage. Of course this idea goes back a ways:
“Now many of our Christians have what I call the ‘goo-goo syndrome.’ Good government. They want everybody to vote. I don’t want everybody to vote. Elections are not won by a majority of people. They never have been from the beginning of our country, and they are not now. As a matter of fact our leverage in the elections quite candidly goes up as the voting populace goes down.” —Paul Weyrich, 1980
OldLefty October 18th, 2014 at 13:13
If they were even remotely sincere, they would move heaven and earth, to make it very easy for people to get the IDs and and not require them until everyone who voted for decades without them, can get them.
They should have mobile trucks to take them to the people…. even if it takes a decade.
Instead, they are making it very difficult for the elderly, the poor and students to get them.
Rusty Shackleford October 18th, 2014 at 13:55
If they were even remotely sincere, they’d just ink people’s fingers. Cheaper, easier, accessible to everyone, and stops in-person voting fraud exactly as effectively as any ID.
R.J. Carter October 18th, 2014 at 13:58
Although it does nothing to verify citizenship — unless the system also implements some sort of card-check of a non-photo variety.
Rusty Shackleford October 18th, 2014 at 14:00
Citizenship is already verified when you register to vote.
R.J. Carter October 18th, 2014 at 14:21
When you register, yes. But if you’re not showing that registration when you’re actually casting the ballot, it’s essentially useless.
Rusty Shackleford October 18th, 2014 at 14:31
Why? How do you plan to cast a ballot without being registered?
R.J. Carter October 18th, 2014 at 14:41
You give the pollworker a name and they give you a ballot.
Rusty Shackleford October 18th, 2014 at 14:56
Is this a thing that happens? People voting in other people’s names in person?
R.J. Carter October 18th, 2014 at 15:18
Without checks, how would we know?
Rusty Shackleford October 18th, 2014 at 15:27
When the original person comes in to vote and finds out that they already voted, duh, or when the fraud comes in AFTER the original person already voted. Pretty risky maneuver on the behalf of the fraud. It’d be safer to do it via mail-in. Of course, voter ID would do jack shit to prevent that.
R.J. Carter October 18th, 2014 at 15:55
Really? By claiming to be Joe Smith down the street, whom you know isn’t voting that day because he’s one of the 80% that doesn’t give a crap, and you present an ID that says you’re Jim Johnson, that wouldn’t prevent it?
Kick Frenzy October 18th, 2014 at 16:10
Sure, photo ID could prevent that type of voter fraud.
But that isn’t an issue we’ve had to deal with in any meaningful numbers.
That’s like me building a thousand foot wide moat around my house because of that one time when a few crickets got inside.
Except for the crickets would cause more of a disturbance than the amount of fraudulent votes cast in the entire history of the country.
And most of them would have made it in by flying over the moat anyway (that’s my allegory for fraud via mail-in votes, which is the majority of fraud cases).
Rusty Shackleford October 18th, 2014 at 16:23
And if we ink your finger, that means your attempt to imitate Joe disqualifies you from making your own vote. A net gain of zero for a big risk, so why would you do it?
R.J. Carter October 18th, 2014 at 18:54
Still assuming you were registered in the first place to have a vote to lose.
Rusty Shackleford October 18th, 2014 at 20:11
You think people who can’t even be bothered to register to vote care enough to risk prison committing voter fraud?
R.J. Carter October 19th, 2014 at 14:13
Depends on how close state boundaries are.
Red Mann October 18th, 2014 at 15:49
Because the number of actual fraud cases is on the small side of miniscule. Is this worth the disenfranchisement of tens of thousands and the millions of dollars that have, and will be, expended?
Some republicans have publically admitted that the reasons for this is to give their party an advantage. Of course this idea goes back a ways:
“Now many of our Christians have what I call the ‘goo-goo syndrome.’ Good government. They want everybody to vote. I don’t want everybody to vote. Elections are not won by a majority of people. They never have been from the beginning of our country, and they are not now. As a matter of fact our leverage in the elections quite candidly goes up as the voting populace goes down.” —Paul Weyrich, 1980
Foundryman October 18th, 2014 at 13:22
Just how bad is Texas’s vote fraud problem? Are hundreds of thousands of people going to be denied to vote because one person voted fraudulently last time?
And why can’t the state send everyone registered a temporary voter ID registration to be used this cycle? It’s pretty obvious the law is designed to keep legitimate voters from voting, which of course is the biggest fraud of all….
Jake October 18th, 2014 at 13:24
I’m fairly sure there has not been a successful prosecution of voter fraud in Texas in the last 200 years.
mea_mark October 18th, 2014 at 15:41
You already are supposed to have a voter registration card, it just doesn’t have a picture on it. Now you need an additional GOP approved picture ID to vote in Texas.
Foundryman October 18th, 2014 at 13:22
Just how bad is Texas’s vote fraud problem? Are hundreds of thousands of people going to be denied to vote because one person voted fraudulently last time?
And why can’t the state send everyone registered a temporary voter ID registration to be used this cycle? It’s pretty obvious the law is designed to keep legitimate voters from voting, which of course is the biggest fraud of all….
mea_mark October 18th, 2014 at 15:41
You already are supposed to have a voter registration card, it just doesn’t have a picture on it. Now you need an additional GOP approved picture ID to vote in Texas.
Suzanne McFly October 18th, 2014 at 13:52
Disenfranchise thousands to stop one possible fraudulent vote? Makes no sense to anyone with a brain cell.
jasperjava October 18th, 2014 at 14:20
Makes perfect sense to those who would benefit from disenfranchising thousands of voters.
Suzanne McFly October 18th, 2014 at 13:52
Disenfranchise thousands to stop one possible fraudulent vote? Makes no sense to anyone with a brain cell.
jasperjava October 18th, 2014 at 14:20
Makes perfect sense to those who would benefit from disenfranchising thousands of voters.
whatthe46 October 18th, 2014 at 14:04
if the i.d. must be a picture i.d., then they are still screwed (unless they are able to get it on time) texas does not give picture i.d.’s at the time of aquiring your i.d. the i.d. is pictureless and takes a couple of weeks before you receive it in the mail. which is dumb.
whatthe46 October 18th, 2014 at 14:04
if the i.d. must be a picture i.d., then they are still screwed (unless they are able to get it on time) texas does not give picture i.d.’s at the time of aquiring your i.d. the i.d. is pictureless and takes a couple of weeks before you receive it in the mail. which is dumb.
Dcbos October 18th, 2014 at 14:30
Flat out changing America One vote at a time;this is not the Roberts court its the Jim Crow court ; this Court is a part of a scheme to turn our country into the land of barons and surfs; planed by the Birchers who are using their wealth to get people to vote against their own best interest.
rg9rts October 19th, 2014 at 03:53
Its working….isn’t it
Dcbos October 18th, 2014 at 14:30
Flat out changing America One vote at a time;this is not the Roberts court its the Jim Crow court ; this Court is a part of a scheme to turn our country into the land of barons and surfs; planed by the Birchers who are using their wealth to get people to vote against their own best interest.
rg9rts October 19th, 2014 at 03:53
Its working….isn’t it