Did you read it?

Mike- you write "Soon they will also get their Photo taken as part of the process. After they sign, they get a real(not provisional) ballot. Great so far. We then send a conformation letter to the provided address and they return it to city hall as final verification"

As you describe it they get a real ballot (not provisional). Then a confirmation letter is sent to the address. Since they cast a real ballot (not provisional) before the confirmation letter is returned to City Hall, then what happens if the confirmation letter is never returned? The vote was already cast and counted.

If the letter is not returned the sheriff is sent out to verify, if the sheriff cannot verify it becomes a criminal case with a name and a photo. Imagine, America's first documented case of voter fraud....

Mike- Surely you jest. The vote would still count and the fraudulant person who cast the vote illegally could be in Timbukto.

That's how the system works in New Hampshire.
Of course provisional ballots are never counted early enough to make any difference, effectively silencing a vote.
Ohio just finished counting provisional ballots two days ago.
Arizona has 135,000 provisional ballots waiting to be processed.

It takes approximately 2 generations to create a fundamental shift in cultural perceptions, for example on issues related to civil rights, abortion, and religious liberty (and liberty from religion!).

To fix "the crazy," it would take a vastly improved education system and fundamental progress on civil and human rights in each state. It's no secret and no surprise that they bring up the rear on the education spectrum.

We have always checked identities at the polls Seamus.

No we have not always checked identity at the polls, all we did was simply ask who you are and then allowed you to vote.

And that is not an identity check?

All one would have to do is get a name from the obituaries and vote in that person's name. the information is readily available online. There is no way that would be detected.

Wasn't it you Seamus who pretended you did that last election?

Yes, of course someone could go to the polls with a dead persons name and try to steal ONE vote. I know Republican's think that sounds like a cool thing to do, but would anybody risk it? For just one vote?

What does the person do when the name has been taken off the list?
What do they do when the poll worker knows the dead person?

Charlie:

You're ignoring the fact that the poll workers are sentient, adult human beings. They *KNOW* many of us personally, and up until 2012, the only photos I was ever asked to show at the polls were photos of the kids/grandkids.

And until you solve the problem of providing *EVERY* eligible voter with an easily-obtained, free voter ID, then demanding an ID is just a way of disenfranchising the "undesireable" (read: "likely to vote for the Democrats") voter.

So your suggesting that a fair and ethical ellection be based on who knows who with a wink and a nod Atlant? How about we try that with our taxes or my proof of insurance with the ACA or with a security clearance down at BAE? Or is there another reason you think it is a good idea to have the vote so lackadaisicaly cast?

Jan- Many laws are implemented that require the citizen to bear the burden of getting proper documents to participate. Examples;
1) Obamacare- Every citizen must now show they have health insurance that meets a certain standard. The citizen must bear the burden to prove they comply and get insurance, either on their own, or through their workplace, or applying to a gov't exchange. The citizen must do the work to prove compliance.
2) Driver license- To drive an automobile you must bear the burden of taking a test and showing government that you can drive.
3) Taxes- By April 15 you need to account for every penny that you earned, or invested. Governmentt does not pay for your accountant to assist with ever increasing tax law complexity. The citizen bears the burden.

Freedom is not free. People participating in freedom need to bear the burden of keeping their freedom.

"Provided with....."??? Shall we hand deliver ballots to everyone too, along with a pen to mark them?

ID's are available for free. 100% of eligible voters can get an ID. They do have to leave their homes and go get the ID as it is not practical for the government to bring the ID equipment to their homes and make a house call.

"A voter who does not have an approved photo ID may obtain a free photo ID for voting purposes only by presenting a voucher from their town/city clerk or the Secretary of State to any NH DMV office that issues identification."

http://merrimack.patch.com/articles/faq-how-the-nh-voter-id-law-will-work

So you get to walk down to the polls and vote while the I.D.less citizen just has to walk down to town hall and then walk over to the DMV and finally walk back to the polling place.....
Comparable burdens.....

Mike- if the ID less citizen waits until the last minute to register to vote then they put the burden upon themselves. When is the next election....4 months from now for town elections. 2 years for congressional elections, and 4 years for the next President election. If someone waits, then they are lazy. We need to stop holding everyone hands and people need to take personal responsibility. There are exceptions, of course, maybe someone just moved into town, or has been away for an extended period of time, or hospitalized....but, that is not many people.

I so understand your holier than thou attitude. It very natural to instinctively say, screw them. Why should we let lazy people vote, stupid people, Spanish speakers?

Sure you say, there may be exception, but your willing to keep them from voting because the majority of people will get to vote and that's what really counts. That the difference between a Conservative and Liberal. I also have those gut feelings, but I also think about the constitution. The reason for voting. The right to vote. Is it worth an ounce of effort to insure that ALL eligible Americans are allowed to vote? I say yes.

Mike- their is nothing preventing all eligible Americans from voting except their own indifference and inaction. Are you saying we should print ballots in Spanish? How about French, German, Mandarin, Italian, Danish, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Hindi, Arabic, Portugese, Bengali, Russian, Japenese, Punjabi, Cantonese, Polish,

We should all work on this until there is nothing preventing all eligible Americans from voting.
I did not suggest that ballots should be printed int Spanish.

Seamus:

"IDs are available for free" to anyone who can manage to get themselves to their town/city clerk's office and then to a DMV substation.

Not everyone who is eligible to vote can do that and it is not proper that we disenfranchise those folks.

"Not everyone who is eligible to vote can do that and it is not proper that we disenfranchise those folks."

So, these folks are able to go down to the town hall and register to vote and they are able to go down to the polls on voting day, but if they lose their ID, they are not able to get a new one?

Proud Conservative is throwing out a lot of unsupported and unproven principles and accusations in this rant which makes it pretty much nothing more than an unsupported opinion.

Just as a point of fact (I can see your eyes glazing over, the four letter F word, "FACT"), the voter ID law was not in full effect this November. Only part of it was. I would be interested to hear from Tony about how many "challenged ballots" there were.

These people were not allowed to cast a ballot.
http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Tenn-to-appeal-voter-ID-ruling-over-library-card-3981564.php

They did cast a ballot. It was provisional as they did not have the correct form of ID.

provisional = doesn't count

Of course YOU have not heard of it. You live in your right wing crazy "news" bubble.
You see and hear only what you want to see and hear and, like the tea party have no concept of reality.
www.huffingtonpost.com/.../gop-voter-suppression_b_1994729.html
.

There is no doubt that Voter I.D. laws make it easier for almost everybody.
Its the "almost" that Democrats worry about.

I think New Hampshire's I.D. system is working and I think we can make it even more functional as long as we remember that we want all New Hampshire residents to vote.

Tim:

> An income tax is NOT going to lower your property tax.

Actually, in New Jersey, for my retired parents, it had *PRECISELY* that effect.

You are wrong -- see my reply to Tim above.

Sorry, but when I pay my own cell phone bill, I don't have much compassion for the Obama phone lady...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpAOwJvTOio

Its actually a Reagan Phone, and ironically enough you are paying for hers each time you pay your cell phone bill.

I remember the Reagan administration and there were not a lot of cell phones around in 1988, much less free cell phones from the government...

The government is the solution??? Really? Are you that disconnected from reality?

Even sadder is that voters are bribed into the tent of the donkey with promises of free stuff.

Nonetheless, the New Jersey income tax did exactly what it was supposed to do: it reduced the property taxes for people with low incomes such as retired folks. And New Jersey, compared to New Hampshire, is a high taxes, high services state.

NJ has the second highest tax burden in the country. NH ranks 44th.
http://taxfoundation.org/article/state-and-local-tax-burdens-all-states-one-year-1977-2010

NJ residents pay on average $2,643 more to the state than the NH residents pay to NH. $4,853 vs. $2,210. That is 120% more...

We should not be like NJ

Perhaps the Dems did so well this year because the R's had a hard time getting IDs.

Did you ever think of that?

@Jan, no one ever mentioned that leadig up to this because too much propaganda like the article above is being spewed. Voters beign required to present identification is good for the election process and should be more stringent; NOT because it helps one side or the other but because it aids in the integrity of the election process.

Our integrity was just fine before - our SOS and our City Clerk have been awesome. And this asault on voting is an insult to them and all of us who've voted here for years and years.

Until everyone has been supplied with a voter ID - requiring some proof be shown to vote is just plain wrong.

Because its not about 'sides' - its about rights.

@Jan I absolutely disagree that our integrity is or has been just fine, take a look at the all too common lawsuits over ellections in recent history. They have more than raised integrity questions about the voting process. So anything that aids in turning the integrity or perception of integrity around is a good thing.

Now in addition to registering to vote you have to obtain qualified identification, people have roughly 2 years to so before the next election; if you value your right to vote one has more than ample time to get identification.

Your absolutely right about it not being about sides, I could not agree more; it is about our right to a fair and legal vote; not a vote so easily watered down with potential fraud. I want everyone who has a right to vote to do so and do so without question that those who do not have that right do not diminish the right of those who do.

Next we need to solve the problem of people voting more than once in different states or counties.......have any ideas on that? (because we both know that both sides have been caught doing just that)

NH does not have any problems with voting!

And the national ID card would solve your snowbirds voting in NH and FL issue, and a revamping of our voting nation-wide. But that issue seems to make a lot of people uncomfortable.

"And the national ID card would solve your snowbirds voting in NH and FL issue" first of it is an issue for all who have the right to vote not mine alone, but thank you for the consideration he seem to bestow to just me. Furthermore with such heart felt resistance to even requiring identification by none other than you how are we supposed to take the step of going national with it?
I like your snow bird example though; however you missed college students voting at home and here as well as those who travel from as short a distance as neighboring New England states much less Florida.

"NH does not have any problems with voting!" this comment is simply laughable as you aptly point out the "snow bird" issue.

At least with proof of identification we could begin to go after those who do vote twice by crossing the records independantly and provide ample evidence that they did affirmatively vote twice because they in fact showed identification thus ruling out that someone else may have done it. Effectively all we can do is catch them in the act as of now.

Do you even think for yourself or do you simply get your position from talking point memos?

Oh, they have no problem getting one. Their problem is getting one that shows they're a US citizen.

Oh you mean people who are on the government take...........yea no kidding thats how the democratic party wins these elections they tell those less well off that it is someone else's fault and they desserve that other class of people's money....then they promise to give it to them and make it "fair" for everybody. Kind of like the quid pro quo with public labor unions and the democratic party, you support me and you will get a good deal.......both the politician and the union working to get the union the most money possible so they can then contribute more during the next ellection cycle.....great deal for everyone involved but the tax payer.

Hi Charlie,

I disagree with your whole "gifts" angle. If that was true, what about the upper-class and Republicans?

Same goes with the right FTP.......the left is just better at drawing the lines. It is not about who needs the most or even providing something to someone who needs it the most. It is about where the dollars are promised across demographic and geo political lines and that is that sad part. It is exactly that which will bring America to its' knees in debt. Neither side really cares as it will be somebody else's problem later.

The really sad part is that our election process has been boiled down to how you can dive America by gender, age, race, sexual orientation, wealth or what have you to garner the most votes. when in reality the job demands that you unite the citzens to a common goal of properity for all. So in or to get the job of being a uniter you demonstrate being the best divider........last time I checked the best plan was to hire the best candidate based on qualifications and plan, not how well they carve up the turkey that is the populous.

In addition we leave it to the minority fringes to determine who the majority can vote for with the primaries. Then we complain that we have only hardliners from either side instead of the more middle candidates who will compromise. Somehow we are confused by this without it ever dawning on us that maybe, just maybe, it is because of how we conduct elections in the first place.

isn't it funny how quickly the conversation stops when someone speaks from the middle?