Friday, November 18, 2005

Georgia voter ID

Georgia is trying to require citizens to pay for an ID in order to have the right to vote. This recalls the heyday of the racist south when poll taxes were the norm in order to prevent poor blacks from voting (other methods of "persuasion" were used to prevent more affluent blacks from voting). Of course, the legislators in Georgia who support this effort say that they are just trying to decrease voter fraud. Now comes this report with the choice quote from the sponsor of the Georgia legislation:

According to the memo, Burmeister told the Justice Department that she was "aware of vote-buying in certain precincts" and detailed one episode in which she said former Augusta Mayor Ed McIntyre offered to put her name on a card and then round up black voters and "pay them to vote for the candidates on the card in exchange for $2,000." McIntyre, who died last year, was convicted in 1984 in connection with extortion.

The memo, leaked to The Washington Post, went on to state: "Rep. Burmeister said that if there are fewer black voters because of this bill, it will only be because there is less opportunity for fraud. She said that when black voters in her black precincts are not paid to vote, they do not go to the polls."

1 comment:

Scott said...

Meanwhile the honorable Jim Crow is crowing with delight for his loyal republican cadre.