97-year-old woman in Arizona falls victim to state's stringent voter ID law.

97-year-old woman in Arizona falls victim to state's stringent voter ID law.

thinkprogress.org

A 97-year-old Arizona woman who has voted in every election since 1933 says she won’t be able to vote in November, due to the state’s stringent voter ID law that requires proof of citizenship for those registering to vote and a photo ID when voting. Shirley Preiss was born in 1910 in Kentucky, before the state issued birth certificates. She has no driver’s license or passport. “Preiss said for someone who once lived in a time when women could not vote, the law is a step backwards.”

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...and justice for all? I guess not. This highlights a rally important issue in a Democracy, and that is the right to vote.

I personally believe that a large part of the reason politicians are pushing for voter ID and the like is to disenfranchise more Americans.

The lower the number of voters the better. That way it makes it so much easier for them to lie, cheat, and steal our democracy (republic).

It is a shame when a woman who has been voting since the 930's can not get some sort of waiver for her right to vote.

Now I begin to understand why McCain himself concedes that he may well lose the State of Arizona.

thinkprogress.org
(visit the link for the full news article)

I'll take her to get an ID. We must all vote and help those who cannot.

The voters in Arizona were largely responsible for the push to require some form of voter ID. If common sense was applied here, ie: "OK, this old lady is obviously not a Mexican national illegally in this country." then racial profiling would be charged. Arizona does offer a non-driver's license photo ID card which you can obtain from any DMV. She would require a SS number and, failing to have a birth certificate, she could use a variety of different ID forms such as a marriage license, previous voter registration document, I believe they even allow a sworn affidavit from her licensed health care provider. She could legally register to vote if she truly wanted to, but making waves and stirring the pot for people not familliar with Arizona's requirements and exceptions is simply more fun and gets her more personal recognition. I'm sure reading her name in the newspaper made the old bitty's day.

reply to post by Animal


She can attain a photo ID without getting a drivers licens, also her Social Security number/card is, with the ID enough to be able to vote.

If she is a registered voter, has a Social Security Card and gets her photo ID there isnt a problem eh?

reply to post by Rockpuck


All this can be done with no Birth Certificate? I thought not? Which is the crux of her problem I believe.

It's an unintended consequence that this woman has been inconvenienced. But as others have pointed out, her situation is rather easliy fixed. However, if these new laws keep thousands of illegals from voting, I think many would volunteer their time to take the lady down to get a picture ID so she can vote.