Once again we are being inundated with rhetoric that is intended to scare the residents of this state that the Federal Government is once again trying to roll back voter protections and make it harder for eligible voters to register to vote.
“Earlier this year, congressional Republicans introduced the SAVE Act, legislation that would make it more difficult for American citizens – including married women, rural voters, and veterans to cast their ballots.”
Seriously in Maryland? There is a $3B hole in the state budget and this is what the Legislature is concerned about? Let’s unpack the issue here and see what is really going on. With their hair on fire, the writers of the MarylandReporter.com commentary say, “We can’t stand by as the federal government advances ant-voter policies that strip neighbors, friends, and families of their freedom to vote.” What ant-voter policies are they talking about? In the State of Maryland, we register voters at the DMV – some call it “Motor Voter”. If you are at the DMV to obtain a “Real ID” as required by the Real ID Act of 2005 – you can also register to vote. This would include married women, rural voters, and veterans – although I am not sure what the writers had in mind when they included veterans.
There also seemed to be an issue with a woman who married and changed their name, as well as other identification requirements to register to vote. Here are the document choices that must be presented to the DMV to obtain a Real ID:
- **Proof of Identity**: This can include a valid U.S. passport, birth certificate, or a government-issued photo ID.
- **Proof of Social Security Number**: This can be a Social Security card, a W-2 form, or a pay stub with your Social Security number.
- **Proof of Residency**: You may need to show two documents that confirm your address, such as a utility bill, lease agreement, or bank statement.
- **Legal Name Changes**: If your current name is different from the name on your identity documents, you may need to provide legal documents that support the name change, such as a marriage certificate or court order.
Under the SAVE Act (Safe and Accurate Voting Extensions Act), identification requirements for registering to vote can vary by state, as the act allows states to establish their own rules regarding voter ID. However, generally, you may need to provide one or more of the following forms of identification:
- **Photo Identification**: This could include a driver’s license, state-issued ID, passport, or military ID.
- **Proof of Citizenship**: Some states may require documents that prove your citizenship, such as a birth certificate or naturalization certificate.
- **Proof of Residency**: Documents that show your current address, such as a utility bill, bank statement, or lease agreement, may also be required.
It appears that there is sufficient overlap between the two federal requirements that meeting the criteria for one or both does not deny any voting rights to anyone who starts the process with a Real ID. Even the marriage name change dilemma is satisfied.
As a conservative and a Republican I want to see every eligible voter in this state cast a vote on election day or deposit their vote in the institutionalized drop boxes so that every Marylanders vote counts. As the minority political party in the State of Maryland every vote is needed if we are to have any say at all in the running and management of our state.
As I stated earlier – the legislature needs to focus on solving a $3B shortfall in the state’s budget – voter registration will take care of itself.
Congressional sessions focus on multiple issues at a time. They present many different bills and acts on the floor. The budget deficit is not related to protection of voter rights, it is fallacy to conflate the two issues in such a way. When federal laws are threatening our rights, it is up to the states to push back and protect their residents. How can you claim to be in favor of voter rights while standing against enshrining our rights in our state? Acts like this one are made to protect the values you claim to hold here, and working to pass this act does not mean our state legislature is pulling their focus from the budget deficit. If you want to talk about proposals and legislation surrounding the budget issue, then focus on that. There are plenty of concerns about how maryland is planning to handle our deficit, this is not one of them.
If you read what I wrote instead of looking for a reason to oppose what was written you would understand that 1. No one’s voters rights are in jeopardy- only in the minds of liberals. if you can get a drivers license you can register to vote. 2. There is no document confusion. 3. There are no ID requirements in Maryland to vote. 4. You don’t even need to go to the polls to vote! As for the legislature there is a short amount of time to accomplish a large agenda … a $3B shortfall should be a priority fixing something that ain’t broke is a waste of valuable time.