The poor and the indigent - coming to a polling place near you...

[^_^ 5,021]

After years of deliberate neglect, the Justice Department is finally beginning to enforce the federal law requiring states to provide voter registration at welfare and food stamp offices. The effort ... promises to bring hundreds of thousands of hard-to-reach voters into the electorate.

The National Voter Registration Act of 1993, better known as the motor-voter law, is well-known for making it possible to register to vote at state motor vehicle offices. However, the law also required states to allow registration at offices that administer food stamps, welfare, Medicaid, disability assistance and child health programs. States were enthusiastic about the motor-vehicle section of the law, and millions of new voters got on the rolls while getting a driver’s license. But registration at public assistance offices proved far less popular.

In part, that was because of additional paperwork at those offices, but in many states, Republican officials did not want to provide easy entry to the voting rolls for low-income people whom they considered more likely to vote Democratic.

...

In April, however, President Obama’s Justice Department sent the states a set of guidelines making it clear that it expected full compliance with the public-assistance office section of the law — the first time in the 15-year history of the motor-voter law that the Justice Department has explained what kinds of offices are covered and what procedures are to be used. The guidelines make it clear that people applying for benefits must not only be offered the chance to register but must be given help in filling out the forms if they ask. If states do not comply voluntarily, lawsuits are likely to follow.

The administration will undoubtedly be accused of acting in a self-serving political way by making it easier for more Democrats to vote.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/10/opinion/10tue1.html

[slim 1,514]

We've long had the question "would you like to register to vote" on all our public handout forms here in Hamilton County.

[^_^ 5,021]

We've long had the question "would you like to register to vote" on all our public handout forms here in Hamilton County.

clearly, enforcement of the law has not been uniform across the country.

[slim 1,514]

clearly, enforcement of the law has not been uniform across the country.

Or necessary. Not till now, anyway.

It's long been enforced in urban areas but it's been lax in more rural places where there are actually more people on welfare, they're just more spread out. (And white.) The writing is on the wall and it's saying "get all the democratic voters you can... or else you're going to lose in 2012....."

Grasping at straws.

[^_^ 5,021]

Or necessary. Not till now, anyway.

It's long been enforced in urban areas but it's been lax in more rural places where there are actually more people on welfare, they're just more spread out. (And white.) The writing is on the wall and it's saying "get all the democratic voters you can... or else you're going to lose in 2012....."

Grasping at straws.

Does it bother you that the poor and indigent may be given an opportunity to register and perhaps learn about their role in our electoral process?

[mawilson 2,133]

Someone should volunteer and "help them" fill out the forms, wink wink.

[^_^ 5,021]

Volunteer to help the poor? God forbid, I might get the cooties.

[mawilson 2,133]

Volunteer to help the poor? God forbid, I might get the cooties.

Help them register as Republicans.

[^_^ 5,021]

Help them register as Republicans.

Your help would be much more productive if you actually helped them fill in their mail in ballots.

[slim 1,514]

Does it bother you that the poor and indigent may be given an opportunity to register and perhaps learn about their role in our electoral process?

Not at all. It bothers me that we have to ONCE AGAIN make special considerations for them to do something the rest of us do on our own.

There's a break in the US between people who "can" do whatever they need to and want to and those who "have to be given the opportunity" to do so.

Your help would be much more productive if you actually helped them fill in their mail in ballots.

I was thinking along the same lines. It's not like registering them helps anything.... until they get ballots at home. But, even then, like the Census, they'll probably need two or three before they finally can be inconvenienced enough to send one back in. (Or they'll send all three hoping to get counted!)

The well-made point here is this is a group of people ONCE AGAIN using another group of people for their own gain and in the end, neither really benefits because of it. Yes, there is some temporary benefit, of course, but we're going to see in our lifetime what happens when you run out of other peoples' money.

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

Your help would be much more productive if you actually helped them fill in their mail in ballots.

Why are you calling poor people stupid?

[^_^ 5,021]

Why are you calling poor people stupid?

I had voter fraud in mind. What are you, stupid?

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

I had voter fraud in mind. What are you, stupid?

I dont read minds.

[peejay 327]

The administration will undoubtedly be accused of acting in a self-serving political way by making it easier for more Democrats to vote.

I'm sure the party political commissars will drive a van or mini-bus to the projects and browbeat the residents door to door into piling in to go vote so their welfare checks don't get taken away by the mean ol' Republicans.

This from the same party political commissars that want to institute card check in lieu secret ballot for unions so they can get up in peoples faces to browbeat them into filling out union cards.

Isn't democracy wonderful?

[Obama 2012 1,714]

You should lose your voting rights after being on welfare for more than a year..... just sayin'

-The Emperor has spoken.