Area college students protest voter ID bill : News-Record.com : Greensboro & the Triad's most trusted source for local news and analysis

GREENSBORO — A voter ID bill would keep young people and the elderly from voting, a group of college students and state legislators said Monday at Bennett College.

Students from area universities have been working behind the scenes to protest the proposed voter ID bill that is currently in the House. They held a forum Monday morning to discuss the bill and followed it with a press conference to voice their concerns.

“This bill makes it more difficult for me to exercise my vote and my voice,” said UNCG junior Caleb Patterson. “The voter ID bill would add one more obstacle to vote, which will discourage students from voting.”

HB 351 would require voters to show photo identification, such as a driver’s license, military ID or a voter registration card. Identification cards such as those issued to college students would not be accepted.

“We are getting involved because we as young people are fighting for our right to vote, said N.C. A&T senior Mitchell Brown. “This is an assault on our voting rights.”

The bill is called the Restore Confidence in Government Act, but state Rep. Alma Adams said it does anything but.

“That’s a big joke,” said Adams, who attended the event along with Rep. Marcus Brandon. “This bill does in fact disenfranchise people. It will certainly impact and hurt you as students. It will hurt minorities and African-Americans. It will hurt the elderly. It will hurt a lot of people in our state.”

Adams suspects legislators behind the bill have ulterior motives. Minorities and young people came out in droves in the 2008 election that put President Barack Obama in the White House, and Adams said the bill was an attempt to keep some of those same voters away from the polls in the 2012 election.

Obama has announced that he will seek re-election.

“There is some thinking, I believe, that the turnout will be large and so whatever can be done to keep you away from the polls, to make it difficult when you get there to vote, I think those are the initiatives that are being undertaken in our General Assembly,” Adams told the students.

Contact Jonnelle Davis at 373-7080 or jonnelle.davis@news-record.com.

Mr. JMS

April 4, 2011 - 3:04 pm EDT

I doubt these people are really students. Let's see their ID.

ustaxpayer

April 5, 2011 - 3:50 pm EDT

Every LEGAL adult is required to carry some form of Identification. Whats the problem? Just show it to cast your vote and move-on.....

April 5, 2011 - 3:52 pm EDT

Good thing we don't need to show our birth certificate..Oooops...look out Obama!!

April 4, 2011 - 3:12 pm EDT

These wet behind the ear kids are just spouting words they have heard from the left wing liberals. They have NO proof, evidence or anything of substance to back their claim that this will "in fact disenfranchise people".
I give people more credit than these kids. I belief people who are REALLY interested in voting will have no problem with being required to have a voter ID. Because the people who are REALLY interested in the process also knows how important it is to protect the process from fraud.

Panacea

April 4, 2011 - 9:41 pm EDT

Translation: because these kids have a point of view I don't want to hear, I will dismiss them and insult them.

JMS, tactics like ID have been used to disenfranchise people in the past. This is why it is not currently allowed. Take a look at your history and how black people were legally prevented from going to the polls even though they had the right to vote.

There's no credible evidence any real fraud is taking place, hence Voter ID is not necessary to protect the integrity of the vote.

rmacz

April 5, 2011 - 5:39 am EDT

Hence......voting has become less important than other situations requiring an ID.

Hence....in conclusion, you do not need an ID to do anything illegal.

HotRodLincoln

April 5, 2011 - 11:28 am EDT

This is part of the Republican Party war on America. Thanks Phil, another Republican hoop to jump through.

david909

April 4, 2011 - 3:14 pm EDT

How much trouble is it for you to show your id to get your party supplies.

LIBERALLARRY

April 4, 2011 - 3:35 pm EDT

It is very difficult to hold up your pants with one hand and talk loudly on the cell phone and show an id, get a life man and help a DEMOCRAT get elected the CHICAGO way , NO ID !

retiree

April 4, 2011 - 6:58 pm EDT

The Chicago way is to have dead people voting.

gaga

April 4, 2011 - 3:18 pm EDT

I agree with the comments that have been submitted. We have to provide IDs for almost everything we do any more, why shouldn't we have to to vote?

April 4, 2011 - 3:24 pm EDT

NOBODY SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO SHOW AN ID TO THE POLICE, TO BUY BEER , OR VOTE. OUR FREEDOM SHOULD NOT REQUIRE AN ID , I DONT EVEN HAVE A WALLET, MY PANTS ARE SO LOW I CAN'T FIND MY POCKETS.

April 4, 2011 - 3:26 pm EDT

I WOULD LIKE TO SEE ALMA ADAMS ID !

General Greensboro

April 4, 2011 - 4:10 pm EDT

Welcome to N-R.com, Larry.

Did you know your capslock is stuck? You might want to get someone to look at that for you.

goodtoknow

April 4, 2011 - 3:33 pm EDT

Many of us, including Donald Trump, would like to see Obama's birth certificate.

April 5, 2011 - 11:40 am EDT

It just blows my mind. The Republicans that comment on here are so hateful and ignorant that it just blows my mind. what really scares me is how many of them it is. I may be right next to one of these loons at the Walmart and not even know it. They be standing there looking at me thinking "where is his birth certificate?". ROFLMAO Guess what! Obama is running again and the Republicans have no contender. You'll get 4 more years of the best President we've had since Roosevelt. ROF some more. Lets hear it one more time "Where is his birth certificate". I bet Phil Burger wants to see it too along with a drivers license. ROFLOL

jeaniegnc

April 4, 2011 - 3:37 pm EDT

My goodness, how many college students do not have a drivers license? Not many, I believe. The same would apply to the elderly, how many do not carry identification that would be acceptable. In fact, if the elderly are treated at a medical facility, you are required to show a picture identification. This bill should not create a problem for law-abiding voters and I hope it passes!

TDLB

April 5, 2011 - 11:27 am EDT

How many college students don't have a drivers license? Probably the same number as the counts of voter fraud in NC in 2008 (43 btw) Seriously, step outside of yourself, many out of state students don't have drivers licenses...simply because some areas provide great public transportation. My college roommate didn't have a drivers license for the first two years of school because she was from NY and didn't need one.

April 5, 2011 - 11:43 am EDT

Well, a lot of the elderly don't have a drivers license and vote absentee ballot.

Bosco

April 4, 2011 - 3:49 pm EDT

About the only people the "Fool in the Hat", as she is affectionately known down east, can get to back her position is a bunch of gullible college students. Where are they registered to vote anyway? You cannot do any activity on a college campus without an ID. What a pile. Shut up and go back to class someone is paying for you to attend.

April 5, 2011 - 11:39 am EDT

True, you can't do much on campus without an ID... a STUDENT ID...which all students at NC schools have...however if you go to a private school, like Bennett, you couldn't use that ID to vote. To obtain said student ID you only have to show a government issued document, i.e. SS cards, birth certificates (which have no Photo) For some students, their student ID is their form of photo identification....and ALL NC students should be able to use their school IDs to vote.

rogerwx

April 4, 2011 - 4:15 pm EDT

I think, come election time, I'll don a hat, and drive to GSO from Person Co. Being first in line, say, "my name is Alma Adams, my address is 'whatever it is' and see the look on Alma's face when they tell her that she's already voted. I was in the election tech support industry. I saw Democrats busing folks to vote in FL in 2000 who did well to repeat their name and ANY address. Speaking with lengthy exposure to the demographics of voters, we need fewer, not more people allowed to vote. P'BO is proof of that.

shroomer

April 4, 2011 - 4:31 pm EDT

Voting and politics is like a poker game. No money, you don't play. They have no stake in the game. Typically, they vote the way their liberal professors teach. Get a job and start paying taxes, then you can vote

April 4, 2011 - 9:53 pm EDT

"Typically, they vote the way their liberal professors teach."

Prove it.

bbzeus14

April 4, 2011 - 5:10 pm EDT

All voting citizens should be protesting the legislation! It rather accurately demonstrates the far-right Republican political mind-set. It insults democracy.

ravencottage

April 4, 2011 - 5:27 pm EDT

And unqualified/illegal voters don't insult democracy? By the way we live in a republic not a democracy. It's interesting to see who is against this legislation since opposition to it rather accurately demonstrates the far left Democrat political mind-set.

April 4, 2011 - 6:29 pm EDT

The ONLY ones who are concerned with this bill are the ones who try to cheat the system. In other words: DEMOCRATS !

northernp1

April 4, 2011 - 6:43 pm EDT

How is this law, if it passes going to prevent minorities and the elderly from voting? That comment makes no sense, and someone should do their homework before spouting comments that have no meat to it. This law makes sense and should have been in place before now. College students, minorities, the elderly and everyone else who has a valid drivers license will not have a problem voting in their district on issues that are specific to their area.

April 4, 2011 - 7:10 pm EDT

I have yet to hear one valid instance in which a college student, or elderly person (I'm on Medicare too), would have their vote "disenfranchized" as they like to say. Give us the examples, and not just the talking points. If I vote legally, but there is someone who votes illegally, isn't my vote being compromised and am I not disenfranchized?

If college students from other states (or other counties in NC) are registered to vote here in Guilford County, they should also not be allowed to vote in their home state or home county. Double-voting is one way the Dems have cheated the system.

Also, have you ever noticed these "news conferences" are staged by democrats as if that were the majority of the community? Wonder if the young Republicans would get the same publicity if they wanted the N & R to show up at a press conference in support of the voter ID bill? I doubt it since they are probably working and studying to gain an edge in the job market and don;t have free time for this stuff.

April 4, 2011 - 9:56 pm EDT

Look at the history of black voting rights. Voter ID would bring those days back.

You can't register to vote unless you are a legal resident of the state. If you are a legal resident of North Carolina, you cannot vote in your home state because you are no longer a resident there.

To prove residency when you register to vote you must show documentation, which can include things like a phone bill or electric bill. If you aren't paying your bills in your home state, you can't prove residency.

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