SUN Thisweek Apple Valley and Rosemount by Sun Thisweek

Opinion

October 12, 2012 SUN THISWEEK - Apple Valley - Rosemount

Amendment 2 Photo identification required for voting Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to require all voters to present valid photo identification to vote and to require the state to provide free identification to voters effective July 1, 2013?

Voting restrictions outweigh Voter ID requirement will the merits of photo ID be a benefit, not a burden This country is stronger when virtually every adult is empowered with their constitutional right to vote. Few restrictions should limit this right, and a change in those limits should only be made when it’s been demonstrated that the rights of the majority are in danger. There are two principles of a free election on which all should agree. Those who either are not citizens or who have lost their right to vote should not be voting. Every citizen regardless of economic physical condition, politics, religious belief, race, gender or age must be given an opportunity to vote. On Nov. 6, Minnesotans will vote on a significant change in voting rights – a constitutional amendment that would require a valid voter identification with a photograph of the individual voting. If passed, the amendment also says the state must issue photographic identification at no charge. A voter unable to provide a government-issued photograph identification would be permitted to cast a provisional ballot that can be counted only after lawful identification is provided. The Editorial Board of ECM Publishers Inc., heard presentations by two experts on both sides of this question. One representing opposition to the amendment was Mark Ritchie, secretary of state, and a chief proponent, Rep. Mary Kiffmeyer, former secretary of state. After those presentations and some discussion, the board voted to oppose the voter ID amendment. Republicans who have proposed the amendment argue that strict voter ID laws are necessary to prevent voter fraud. The editorial board’s primary reason for opposing the amendment is lack of evidence of voter fraud and voter impersonation in Minnesota elections. According to an exhaustive search and analysis of voter fraud by the Carnegie-Knight’s “News21” program, there have been 10 cases of voter fraud and no cases of voter impersonation in Minnesota since the year 2000.

ECM Editorial Proponents of the amendment point to 6,200 people who voted in an election whose addresses could not be traced. The inability of following up on the addresses for 6,200 out of two to three million voters is not proof of voter fraud and much less conclusive proof that the constitution should be amended. County officials are concerned that passage of the voter ID amendment alone would cost local, county and state governments millions of extra dollars. Some experts believe that voter photo ID would make it more difficult for poor people and minorities to vote. Proponents counter that the amendment would strengthen the integrity of the voting system and guarantee that the one voting is the one in the photograph, eliminating voter impersonation. The News 21 study, however, showed that of 146 million registered voters in the United States in elections since the year 2000, there were 10 cases of voter impersonation. The editorial board also noted that Minnesota consistently is a leader in voter turnout, in part because it has same-day voter registration that would be eliminated in favor of provisional voting, which some experts believe could reduce the number of voters, drive up the cost of elections and delay the outcome. The editorial board also stressed that the mechanics of conducting an election should be handled in the Legislature and not by amending the constitution, which was written to protect voter freedom. In the final analysis, the empowerment of every citizen to cast a ballot outweighs the prevention of perceived but unproven voter fraud. This is a product of the ECM Editorial Board. Sun Thisweek and the Dakota County Tribune are part of ECM Publishers Inc.

Letters to the editor policy Sun Thisweek welcomes letters to the editor. Submitted letters must be no more than 350 words. All letters must have the author’s phone number and address for verification purposes. Anonymous letters will not be accepted. Letters reflect the opinion of the author only. Sun Thisweek reserves the right to edit all letters. Submission of a letter does not guarantee publication.

by Mary Kiffmeyer

Editorial Response

SPECIAL TO THE TRIBUNE

Opponents of Photo ID claim there is “no problem.” But, how could you possibly know that 2.8 million voters are who they say they are without a photo ID requirement? From the 2008 presidential election, we have over 6,200 ballots out of 23,000 cast by voters who still cannot be found. How do you prosecute a voter or find out if their vote is eligible if you cannot find them? It is too late to remove their ballot and somehow the rest of us are expected to just believe they were all eligible. That just doesn’t make sense when a simple solution like photo ID exists. Minnesota is the 34th state to propose strengthening the integrity of the voting process using an ID requirement, 17 of which require the voter’s photo and several countries around the world, including Canada and Mexico, employ some form of voting identification. Minnesota’s vouching system is one of only two states that use it and not used anywhere else in the world! Opponents of photo ID say that previous recounts have gone smoothly so – all must be well. But recounting ballots is at the end of the process and by state law cannot account for fraudulent voters. Counting ballots accurately that never should have been in the ballot box to begin with, is not a measure of a good election system. The photo ID amendment would require a voter to show a government-issued valid form of photo identification, something that at least 98 percent of registered Minnesota voters already have. This proof of identification would include a state ID, a driver’s license, a U.S. passport, a U.S. military identification card or a tribal ID card. For those select few who do not already possess a valid government issued ID, the amendment also includes a provision requiring the state to make state-issued photo IDs available to the public, free of charge. Current constitutional voting eligibility requirements gives citizens the right to vote if eligible. A voter must be 18 or older on Election Day, a U.S. citizen and a resident of Minnesota for at least 20 days. Felons without rights being restored or under guardianship also do not have the right to vote. There is nowhere else in society today, including union elections and the Democratic National Convention, that operates

without an ID requirement. So why would we not take something as valuable as a ballot, which controls the future of our government, just as seriously? Furthermore, there is nothing in this amendment that requires any local government spending above what is currently spent today running elections as they usually do. Mail balloting, absentee voting and same day registration in Minnesota will continue if voters approve the amendment this November. There is not one word in the amendment that would eliminate these methods of voting. The current Minnesota absentee ballot already asks for a form of eligibility verification through a driver’s license number or social security number. The only difference is that, as with military and overseas absentee ballots, these boxes would become a requirement not optional as now. Mail balloting, under the amendment, would allow for a voter to provide a witness signature to confirm that the voter presented a valid form of identification. If a voter forgets to bring an ID, they would cast a provisional ballot, which 44 other states use to ensure every single voter can vote. They will have time to verify their identity with a local election official (including any city, township or county office) between Election Day and the official certification of the election seven days later. Then results will be included in the official tally. In similar sized states as Minnesota, provisional ballots account for on average of approximately 1.5 ballots per precinct not the outrageous number claimed by opponents. Armed Forces deployed overseas would most certainly be able to vote if the amendment passes. These voters are protected federally under the MOVE Act and UOCAV Act and thus are not affected by state laws or constitution. With this constitutional photo ID amendment, our election system will continue to be easy to vote while using a photo ID will make it harder to cheat! Mary Kiffmeyer is a Minnesota state representative (R-Big Lake) and a former secretary of state. She was the chief author on the photo ID constitutional amendment bill. Columns reflect the opinion of the author.

Letters Hall has the experience To the editor: Pat Hall, Senate candidate in District 57 (Apple Valley/Rosemount) is a new face in the political arena, and desires to serve the legislative area that I was honored to represent for 24 years. I encourage you to support Hall in his election effort. I knew him when he was my constituent and now I have had the privilege to visit with him as he seeks your vote. I believe Hall and I agree on many of the principles that guided me in representing your interests at the State Capitol. He understands that the “power is in the people,” and with “patience and persistence” he can serve your legislative district and all of Minnesota well. He wants to be a consensus builder

and has excellent training and background in conflict resolution. So, I believe Dr. Pat Hall has the experience, people skills, work ethic and background to serve Senate District 57 honorably and to the best of his ability. Although I am now retired and live in rural Minnesota, I care deeply about my Rosemount and Apple Valley neighbors and businesses. I encourage you to vote for Pat Hall to be your next senator. DENNIS OZMENT State representative, retired Apple Valley-Rosemount

Stealing signs To the editor: We are in the midst of the most important seasons in our government. Soon we will be making impor-

tant choices about who will govern us and in Minnesota choices about changes to our state constitution. The beauty of the season is we have the freedom to voice opposing opinions without fear of retaliation by those who oppose us. We are protected by a constitution that upholds our freedom to bring our principles and moral convictions into the public arena. With that backdrop, we have placed lawn signs in our yard in support of our beliefs. We had been warned to take in our lawn sign regarding the marriage amendment each night so it would not be stolen. We could not believe when we came out one day last week to find our sign gone. Sometime from when we had placed it outside in the morning to late afternoon, the sign had been stolen. A

DISTRICT 196 EDITOR PHOTO EDITOR . . . . . SPORTS EDITORS . . . ................ SALES MANAGER . . . .

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small thing to some but to us a sign of the disrespect from those who do not agree with us. Civility needs to be an essential part of all politics. Next time please leave the sign where it is and instead knock on my door so we might respectfully discuss our differing stands with each other. PAT FLYNN Burnsville

Mack deserves re-election To the editor: In a letter to the editor published in the Sept. 21 edition of Sun Thisweek, Nika Davies undertook to unjustifiably criticize Rep. Tara Mack for her votes on various bills and argued that she should be replaced by Roberta Gibbons, an inexperienced, but obviously another tax-and-spend liberal out to confiscate more tax money from Dakota County residents for further funding DFL causes. We should be thankful that we have a state representative willing to exhibit necessary fiscal restraint. Davies leveled criticism at the fact that Mack voted in favor of the Cedar Avenue bus rapid transit over a much more costly and less flexible light right system. Minnesota taxpayers have already been saddled with the need to heavily subsidize the Hiawatha and Central Corridor light rail lines. The Cedar Avenue BRT system is a significantly less expen-

sive alternative that will act as a feeder to the Hiawatha line to increase ridership and, hopefully, decrease its current level of government subsidy needed to maintain service between the Mall of America and downtown Minneapolis. Davies then cites Carrie Lucking, the executive director of Alliance for a Better Minnesota, a DFL organization dedicated to placing as many DFLers in public office as it can, for her wholly biased and negative analysis of Mack’s voting record. It’s a safe bet that the state DFL Party chair would also offer criticism. Mack has served her constituents well during her years of dedicated public service and has earned and deserves re-election for her efforts to curb runaway government spending at the local level. THOMAS NIKOLAI Apple Valley

Friend to taxpayers?

taxpayers.” I don’t really understand what that means but it sounds to me that he probably “took the pledge.” You know the pledge that “No new taxes – no matter what.” That does not impress me in fact it does just the opposite. There are times that we must pay taxes but the important thing is that they get spent wisely. I am not sure that the taxpayers’ best friend is the guy that I want running our local budget. I have known Vicki Swanson for a number of years and I feel that she would do a good job representing us at the county level. Swanson will get my vote. BOB BROWN Apple Valley

Archbishop is correct To the editor: Twin Cities Archbishop John Nienstedt is biblically correct in supporting marriage between men and women. Nienstedt made it clear that marriage is best for children with a husband and wife. Scripture is clear that marriage is between a man and a woman. God has ordained it so. This is why same-sex marriage can never be put on an equal plane as traditional opposite gender marriage. For pastors marrying same-sex couples, they will have to answer to God.

To the editor: Many folks are not even aware that there is a vote for county commissioner coming up in November. This is a nonpartisan job and really ought to be kept that way. Apparently Kevin Ecker doesn’t know this. He wrote in the Sept. 28 Sun Thisweek how great Chris Gerlach is. He euphemized that he was one of the two state senators that was vot- KEVIN McCARNEY ed as the “Best friend of the Lakeville