A reader directed Bluestem's attention to yet another case of non-partisan local officials asking voters to consider the burdens that the voter-restricting Photo ID Amendment will create.
In the op-ed section of today's Alexandria Echo Press, township and town clerks express concerns over voter ID:
Editor’s note: The Echo Press is printing the following commentary to help voters get a fuller understanding of the voter ID amendment that will be on the ballot this fall. The writers hold non-partisan clerk positions.
By Adrian Ledermann, Brandon Township clerk; Rebecca Anderson, Carlos Township Clerk; and Marcia Okerlund, Carlos City clerk
We are city and township clerks representing other city and township clerks, but we are not representing city or township governments. We are non-partisan officials, who hold various personal political party convictions and are the head election officials in our various precincts. We have the following serious concerns regarding the proposed Voter ID Amendment to the Minnesota Constitution on the November election ballot.
The ballot title and question on the ballot will not provide all the necessary information for voters to be completely informed . . .
They provide the text of the amendment, rather than the shorthand ballot question, and parse it with the problems they see being generated by the passage of the amendment. Go read their analysis at the Echo.
Like so many local election officials across the state, they do not believe there is a voter fraud problem in Minnesota that the amendment will fix:
The present Minnesota election laws have proven to be very fair (only 153 felon cases convicted in 2008 out of 2.9 million voters — a problem not fixed with voter ID; no voter impersonation cases in the last 50 years) and have led to some of the highest turnouts of voters compared to other states. To put this amendment on the Constitution to fix a problem that does not exist only compounds people’s right to vote, and compounds our task as election officials. Our Minnesota Constitution seeks to give people the right to vote and should be kept at that. Any election reform policy should be regulated by legislation completed by the legislative and executive branches of government across all political party lines.
As election officials in our various jurisdictions, we take the oath to uphold our Constitution and our election laws and will continue to do so. We are honored to assist all people in their right to vote in our great democracy.
For more information about problems the voter restriction amendment will creat, visit Greater Mn Counts.
Map: Carlos Township and Carlos town.
It doesn't matter which part of the state is discussed -- rural or urban, conservative or liberal. The elections officials, persons from all walks of life, seem to be speaking as one, and what they are saying is: This will be ugly and costly if you pass it.
Posted by: Phoenix Woman | Sep 21, 2012 at 09:46 PM