Minnesota Vets On Opposite Sides of Voter ID Battle

In Minnesota this November, voters will go to the polls to decide if the state needs to change its voter identification laws. Veterans seems to be divided on the issue the amendment requiring photo identification to vote.

A pro-amendment group has a veteran touting the need to protect the right to vote and an anti-amendment group warns that it could threaten solider’s right to vote. Military overseas can currently self-certify their ballots and not have to prove their identity.

As usual there are two sides and the truth, which is simple – the amendment does not address the issue of overseas military voters in its’ language. If the amendment were to pass this November, the legislature would have to write a new law specifying how to deal with issues that arise from overseas voters.

There are reasons to be opposed to and for this amendment, but the military is not one of them. The states have long honored the military’s right to vote and there is not a specific intent to dissuade soldiers from voting in this amendment.

To be frank, I think it is just another way for groups to politicize military and veterans issues.  Let me know your thoughts.

Source: Duluth News Tribune

Similar Posts

3 Comments

  1. I don’t like to follow the republican train of thought but I just don’t see the problem here. You have to show your ID for just about everything in this country so why wouldn’t you have to show it to vote for the leader of it? Doesn’t make sense to not have to show ID except for the fact that it might make it tougher to vote. That may be true but it will also make it more urgent for people to get ID’s in the first place.

  2. It is a complicated issue. On one hand I don’t want anyone not entitled to vote voting but I can also see the hassles in implementing such an ID program. Obviously overseas voting rights of the military etc must be exempted from the ID requirement.
    I think in some states(Florida?) there has been problems of getting IDs to those who can’t afford to get a State ID. Those in Nursing homes, low income, seniors etc who just don’t have $15+ to get an ID or just physically can’t make it to the state office to get an ID. If such a law is passed it must make provisions and state money available to get those above ID cards. An alternative is to have pictures on social security cards, welfare cards, unemployment cards etc and allow them to be used as acceptable ID to vote. For that matter the state could accept the VA ID card too as voter ID.

Comments are closed.