This is an op-ed piece I have submitted to our local news organizations.  Voter rights are obviously very important, so much so that members of the Black Caucus walked out of the House in protest.  I would encourage everyone to contact your representatives in the General Assembly and ask them to oppose Bill #H3418.   I appreciate your support in this matter.

 At the end of every election cycle, regardless of the outcome, there is a similar observation. Those who study the trends and analyze the results lament the poor turnout among qualified voters. This past election was truly historic within our state because of the increased participation. More than 1.9 million South Carolinians cast their ballots in the general election. We also experienced a significant increase in Pickens County. Voter registration increased and over 45,600 residents of our county cast their ballots last November. This compares with only 27,977 voting in the 2006 general election. This represents a 61% increase in citizen participation in this most fundamental aspect of democratic government. Even though the results in Pickens did not trend in the direction I desired, this involvement is to be applauded as an indication of our citizenry assuming responsibility and demanding their voices be heard.

With this recent history it is surprising that members of the S.C. House would even be considering a bill, Photo ID # H3418, that would impede this participation. The bill, which would require voters to present a DMV- issued ID at the polls, will deter a number of our low income and elderly residents from voting because of the potential expense involved if one does not already have an ID. It will also create an additional level of bureaucratic regulation at the DMV for citizens to deal with. It could potentially open our state to lawsuits and Federal review which would require wasting taxpayer dollars while being defended in court. Most significantly it will make it harder for citizens to exercise their constitutional right to vote. There are already effective voter identification measures at polling locations. This was evidenced by the lack of any outcry concerning voter fraud during the 2008 election cycle. Given the statewide increase in voter registration the process appears to have worked exceptionally well last November, without additional safeguards. Phillip Bowers, Chairman of the Pickens County Republican Party was quoted in the Pickens Sentinel stating “Although I know of no problems with voter fraud in Pickens County it does happen and eventually will come to us”. I am surprised Republicans would advocate increasing government regulatory authority even as they acknowledge a lack of justification. Where is the party of limited government in this action? 

This bill is not about protecting the voting process, it’s about disenfranchising people who tend to vote Democratic by placing obstacles in their path to the voting booth. It’s a reaction by Republicans to the increase in Democratic support in South Carolina. Until Republicans can present a strong case which establishes a need for placing added requirements on voters, Democrats will oppose this legislation and any other that limits citizen access to the ballot box. I would respectfully suggest the General Assembly spend it’s time and energy focused on defined problems, such as the current economic crisis which is being worsened by our Governor’s indecision concerning stimulus funds, instead of tilting at nonexistent windmills. 

John G. Painter, Chair
Pickens County Democratic Party 
#(864)-906-1343
johngpainter@hotmail.com

This entry was posted on Monday, March 2nd, 2009 at 9:00 am and is filed under 2009. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.