In a Sept. 29 interview with talk radio host Micheal Smerconish, President Obama indicated that he is encouraging his Justice Department officials to potentially challenge Voter ID laws.
SMERCONISH: Are the goal posts being moved on you in 2012? In my native Pennsylvania there’s a move afoot that would change the way in which electoral votes are apportioned. You picked up 21 in ’08, you’d of only had a net gain of one if this new rule, this new system were to come into effect. I look at that, and the requirement of photo IDs in some states, and the reduction of advanced voting and I wonder what’s going on out there on a grand level. What’s your level of concern?
OBAMA: With respect to Pennsylvania the people of Pennsylvania will ultimately decide how they want to allocate their electoral votes, and I’ll leave it up to them. I will say that my big priority is making sure that as many people are participating in our democracy as possible. Some of these moves in some of the other states that we’ve seen—trying to make it tougher to vote, restricting ballot access, making it hard on seniors, making it hard on young people. I think that’s a bit mistake and I have made sure that our Justice Department’s taken a look at what’s being done across the country to ensure that people aren’t being denied access to the franchise.
Voter ID laws have recently passed in Texas, South Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Kansas, and even deep-blue Rhode Island. Despite consistent polling showing that North Carolina voters support Voter ID, Gov. Bev Perdue vetoed HB 351, the “Restore Confidence in Government Act” at the end of the General Assembly’s long session this year. It appears President Obama agrees with Perdue’s reasoning that Voter ID would limit voter turnout, despite evidence to the contrary.
As a native born North Carolinian I want the Republican’s investigated NOW!! go Obama- instead of trying to limit voters we need to encourage more voters
Which is representative of a democratic legislation? a million dollars or a million votes? If you say dollars you are not part of America and I am sure a gated/guarded community in Mexico or Brazil will do for you- adios
The majority of North Carolians seem to disagree with you, WT.
I disagree with you Neal. Republicans are worried about winning an election fairly, so they make it harder to vote. From college students to the elderly, the object is to make it difficult. When voter turnout is high and citizens are paying attention, Republicans lose.
Also, Neal you are not qualified to speak for the “majority” of North Carolinians.
Bunny et al,
Since you seem so worked up about this, would the actions taken to loosen up on registration and voting have been taken to help a particular party? It seems only logical if you are saying that putting some common sense safeguards in place (supported in polling by 4 out of 5 NC voters) is favoring a party?
The latest Civitas poll results show 77% percent of North Carolinians agree with Voter ID. That includes a majority of Republicans, Independents, Democrats, and every other demographic.
Given the choice, most Pennsylvania and U.S. voters want a national popular vote.
A survey of 800 Pennsylvania voters conducted on December 16-17, 2008 showed 78% overall support for a national popular vote for President.
Support was 87% among Democrats, 68% among Republicans, and 76% among independents.
By age, support was 77% among 18-29 year olds, 73% among 30-45 year olds, 81% among 46-65 year olds, and 78% for those older than 65.
By gender, support was 85% among women and 71% among men.
The National Popular Vote bill would guarantee the Presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states (and DC).
Under National Popular Vote, every vote, everywhere, would be politically relevant and equal in every presidential election. Every vote would be included in the national count. The candidate with the most popular votes in all 50 states would get the 270+ electoral votes from the enacting states. That majority of electoral votes guarantees the candidate with the most popular votes in all 50 states wins the presidency.
National Popular Vote would give a voice to the minority party voters in each state and district (in ME and NE). Now their votes are counted only for the candidate they did not vote for. Now they don’t matter to their candidate.
With National Popular Vote, every vote, everywhere would be counted for and directly assist the candidate for whom it was cast.
In Gallup polls since 1944, only about 20% of the public has supported the current system of awarding all of a state’s electoral votes to the presidential candidate who receives the most votes in each separate state (with about 70% opposed and about 10% undecided). A Washington Post, Kaiser Family Foundation, and Harvard University poll shows 72% support for direct nationwide election of the President. Support for a national popular vote is strong among Republican voters, Democratic voters, and independent voters, as well as every demographic group surveyed in recent polls in closely divided Battleground States: CO– 68%, IA –75%, MI– 73%, MO– 70%, NH– 69%, NV– 72%, NM– 76%, NC– 74%, OH– 70%, PA — 78%, VA — 74%, and WI — 71%; in Small States (3 to 5 electoral votes): AK – 70%, DC – 76%, DE –75%, ME — 77%, NE — 74%, NH –69%, NV — 72%, NM — 76%, RI — 74%, and VT — 75%; in Southern and Border states: AR –80%, KY — 80%, MS –77%, MO — 70%, NC — 74%, and VA — 74%; and in other states polled: CA — 70%, CT — 74% , MA — 73%, MN – 75%, NY — 79%, WA — 77%, and WV- 81%.
On Election Night, most voters don’t care whether their presidential candidate wins or loses in their state or district . . . they care whether he/she wins the White House. Voters want to know, that even if they were on the losing side, their vote actually was directly and equally counted and mattered to their candidate. Most Americans consider the idea of the candidate with the most popular votes being declared a loser detestable. We don’t allow this in any other election in our representative republic.
The National Popular Vote bill has passed 31 state legislative chambers, in 21 small, medium-small, medium, and large states, including one house in AR (6), CT (7), DE (3), DC (3), ME (4), MI (17), NV (5), NM (5), NY (31), NC (15), and OR (7), and both houses in CA (55), CO (9), HI (4), IL (21), NJ (15), MD (10), MA(12), RI (4), VT (3), and WA (11). The bill has been enacted by DC, Hawaii, Illinois, New Jersey, Maryland, California, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Washington. These nine jurisdictions possess 132 electoral votes — 49% of the 270 necessary to bring the law into effect.
NationalPopularVote
A survey of 800 North Carolina voters conducted on December 17-18, 2008 showed 74% overall support for a national popular vote for President.
Support was 75% among liberal Democrats (representing 13% of respondents), 78% among moderate Democrats (representing 24% of respondents), 76% among conservative Democrats (representing 11% of respondents), 89% among liberal Republicans (representing 3% of respondents), 62% among moderate Republicans (representing 16% of respondents), 70% among conservative Republicans representing 21% of respondents), and 80% among independents (representing 12% of respondents).
Support was 75% among respondents living in Democratic state House of Representative districts (representing 59% of respondents) and 72% among respondents living in Republican state House of Representative districts (representing 41% of respondents)
By age, support was 69% among 18-29 year olds, 71% among 30-45 year olds, 77% among 46-65 year olds, and 72% for those older than 65.
By gender, support was 81% among women and 65% among men.
http://nationalpopularvote.com/pages/polls.php#NC_2008DEC
Those are interesting results toto, but I’d prefer that you contacted us in other ways rather than spamming our threads.