Voters need to keep in mind the federal authority could ultimately make voting more difficult if extremists are placed in office. Justice Scalia has upheld the integrity of the American people. He simply stated there are good laws already in existence that require a voter to be honest when he or she registers. The penalty for lying is perjury. That is not enough? People have to prove their innocence before the charges are pressed?
The Arizona challenge to the federal laws ASSUMES people chronically lie and therefore it is necessary to weed out the liars before they commit perjury. It is nonsense. Integrity is important. This entire disclosure thing is really out of hand. Name, rank and serial number before being given voting rights. Funny, I thought being born in the USA was enough.
The burden of proof when litigating crime falls to the state. Citizens in the USA are innocent until proven guilty. Stating a voter is a citizen is all that is required. It is up to the state to prove they are committing perjury. The state does not have the right to assume a person is guilty of perjury before they vote.
A crime occurs after the fact. There are checks and balances for fraud through the court system.
Richard Wolfe
USA Today
June 17, 2013
...The ruling, (click here) which could impact other states as well, is at least a temporary victory for liberals who want to expand access to the polls and a defeat for conservatives concerned about potential election fraud.
In a 7-2 decision written by Justice Antonin Scalia, the court said Arizona's proof of citizenship requirement -- passed by voters in 2004 -- went too far beyond the 1993 federal "motor voter" law that was designed to simplify voter registration procedures.
The federal law requires registrants to claim U.S. citizenship on a mail-in post card, under penalty of perjury. The Arizona law requires separate physical proof of citizenship. The justices' decision upholds congressional authority over federal elections and could make it harder for states to impose additional restrictions.
But Scalia said Arizona could try a different approach to challenge the federal law's pre-emption, thereby holding out the possibility that the state could resurrect its proof-of-citizenship requirement....
The Arizona challenge to the federal laws ASSUMES people chronically lie and therefore it is necessary to weed out the liars before they commit perjury. It is nonsense. Integrity is important. This entire disclosure thing is really out of hand. Name, rank and serial number before being given voting rights. Funny, I thought being born in the USA was enough.
The burden of proof when litigating crime falls to the state. Citizens in the USA are innocent until proven guilty. Stating a voter is a citizen is all that is required. It is up to the state to prove they are committing perjury. The state does not have the right to assume a person is guilty of perjury before they vote.
A crime occurs after the fact. There are checks and balances for fraud through the court system.
Richard Wolfe
USA Today
June 17, 2013
...The ruling, (click here) which could impact other states as well, is at least a temporary victory for liberals who want to expand access to the polls and a defeat for conservatives concerned about potential election fraud.
In a 7-2 decision written by Justice Antonin Scalia, the court said Arizona's proof of citizenship requirement -- passed by voters in 2004 -- went too far beyond the 1993 federal "motor voter" law that was designed to simplify voter registration procedures.
The federal law requires registrants to claim U.S. citizenship on a mail-in post card, under penalty of perjury. The Arizona law requires separate physical proof of citizenship. The justices' decision upholds congressional authority over federal elections and could make it harder for states to impose additional restrictions.
But Scalia said Arizona could try a different approach to challenge the federal law's pre-emption, thereby holding out the possibility that the state could resurrect its proof-of-citizenship requirement....
