The Free Press, Mankato, MN

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October 28, 2012

Your View: Old, young voters have plenty of time to get ID

Jamie Milbrett, New Ulm

Much has been written in The Free Press regarding the Voter-ID amendment.

My View writer Nancy Fitzsimons claims there’s no evidence of voter fraud in Minnesota, and cites a study by the Brennan Center for Justice, claiming to be non-partisan.

However, according to scholars at the Heritage Foundation, “the authors of the Brennan Center study appear to have pursued results that advance a particular political agenda rather than the truth about voter identification.”

Those who still believe there’s no evidence of voter fraud in Minnesota can visit ProjectVeritas.com. Watch how easy it was to register NFL quarterbacks Tim Tebow and Tom Brady to vote in Minnesota without ID.

Others say that the Voter-ID law will keep seniors from getting an ID, claiming it’s too hard for them to get to the DMV. My own father is turning 80 and needed to have his ID renewed. He’s wheelchair-bound, so I took him to the DMV. The whole process, including new picture, took all of 10 minutes.

Your View letter writer Zukiswa Mpande claims it’ll be too much of a hassle for young people to get an ID and will be a “pain and nuisance” for them. Yet, I have never heard of it being a pain or nuisance for them obtaining ID when they turn 21 so they can get into bars. Mpande also states young people “have great optimism and energy.” With all of that energy they shouldn’t have any problem getting a valid photo ID.

If the amendment passes, everybody young and old will have 730 days until the next mid-term election to obtain an ID. That seems more than adequate to me.

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