I hate to make it seem like all I do is watch the local news, but guess what, I do. And so it did not escape my notice that a new bill has made its way through the Virginia House of Delegates and is waiting for the State Senate's verdict. The legislation, House Bill 9, would require that voters present a valid ID to cast their vote come election time. The current laws in place allow for a voter without identification to sign an affidavit that affirms a "registered voter [is] who he claims to be." The new ID bill, in this context, seems to be a rather commonsense measure, so what is the big deal? What actually grabbed my attention was the amount of opposition the bill is facing.
Del. Mark Cole, R-Fredericksburg, was the one who introduced the bill which is now under attack. Cole says that the bill is intended to improve "the integrity of elections", without infringing on anyone's right to vote. Regardless of the bill's intent, it has come under fire from numerous groups. Opponents of the legislation complain it is discriminatory in nature, alienating minorities, the impoverished and the elderly.
The Washington Post quotes former NAACP Director Benjamin Chavis as saying that those who vote for the bill are choosing to "lynch democracy."
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