STOP THE BALLOT BOX DISCRIMINATION

STOP THE BALLOT BOX DISCRIMINATION
We Need Your Help Right Now!

Last week, the Missouri Senate began debating SB 1014, a bill that would deny voting rights to 170,000 senior citizens and disabled Missourians. After the recent Republican failures in special elections and Jim Talent's reelection looking more and more unlikely with each passing flip flop, some Republicans have resorted to an old tactic- voter suppression.

This bill would attempt to reverse the last 50 years of civil rights progress by enacting a blatantly discriminatory voting identification bill. This mandate would serve as a tremendous barrier to voting for seniors and the disabled that don't own a current driver's license or other photo id as the legislation requires.

While the bill would clearly make it harder for Missourians to vote and add to the already long lines on Election Day, it wouldn't prevent any known problems in our election system.

Every Democratic State Senator opposes this bill. Please click on "Send This Message" and send a message to the Senators listed here and tell them not to take away one of our most basic rights. VOTE NO ON SB 1014.

Sample Letter for Campaign

Subject: STOP THE BALLOT BOX DISCRIMINATION

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

SB 1014 will not fix Missouri's election problems; but it will keep many Missourians-mostly seniors and those with disabilities- from being able to cast their ballot on Election Day.

Missouri voters already have to prove their identify when they vote- they have to show their Voter ID card and some other form of ID with their current address, like a utility bill. And they also have to sign their name, which is matched against their signature on file.

If we want to fix our elections system, we should use common-sense solutions that address real problems without getting in the way of anyone's right to vote.

I urge you to vote no on SB 1014. I look forward to hearing from you on this.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
March 20, 2006

Background Information

Missouri Voter ID Q and A

Q: This bill doesn’t sound like such a bad idea to me – shouldn’t people have to prove who they are when they go to vote?

§ Missouri voters already have to prove their identity when they vote – they have to show their Voter ID card and some other form of ID with their current address, like a utility bill. And they also have to sign their name, which is matched against their signature on file.

§ But if this bill is passed, it could mean that thousands of Missourians would lose their right to vote, simply because they don’t have a photo ID.

§ This bill will not fix Missouri’s election problems; but it will keep many Missourians – mostly seniors and those with disabilities – from being able to cast their ballot on Election Day.

Q: I remember what happened in 2000 – all of those dead people and dogs voting. We need to crack down on voting fraud.

§ You’re right – we should prosecute anyone who commits fraud, to the fullest extent of the law. But the fact is that there not a single indication that people are trying to vote under someone else’s name – dead or alive.

§ If we want to fix our elections system, we should use common-sense solutions that address real problems without getting in the way of anyone's right to vote. For instance:

- We should centralize our voter database so that someone’s name can’t show up in more than one polling place

- And our elections officials should regularly “clean” voting lists so that ineligible voters are taken off – that will get rid of the problem you mentioned, where some deceased voters showed up on the rolls.

(NOTE: There is NO evidence that anyone attempted to vote using the names of these dead individuals – OR the infamous dog)

§ The fact is, this bill won’t fix Missouri’s election problems; but it will keep many Missourians – mostly seniors and those with disabilities – from being able to cast their ballot on Election Day.