Open Letter to Senator Cardin – Look in Your Own Backyard for Voter Disenfranchisement

Senator Ben Cardin, as one of the 16 Progressive Senate Democrats “petitioning” the U.S. Justice Department to enforce the Voting Rights Act and Federal Civil Rights Act, (Washington Examiner, June 30, 2011), you stated your “concern” about voter disenfranchisement of the voting process, if required to show a photo ID at the polls. As one of your voting constituents in Maryland, I have a few questions to ask.

Senator, why is your concern about voter disenfranchisement so selective? Why have you said nothing about your constituents (over 7,000 at least), who were recently disenfranchised when they petitioned to get a recent state law on the ballot in 2012? As you know, their petitions were rejected, without recourse, by the Maryland State Board of Elections. These petitions were submitted by Maryland voters seeking to take to a state referendum, the issue of offering in-state tuition to illegal immigrants. They were rejected for a myriad of minor reasons, such as not including their area code with phone number. Senator, why have you said nothing about your 7,000 constituents who were recently dis enfranchised, where there is no opportunity for recourse?

Senator, why are you not concerned about voter fraud? Under the current system, how do I know that the person standing behind me is really eligible to vote? Without photo ID, chances of voter fraud greatly increase. One need only look at the 2008 election and the voter fraud committed by ACORN . Senator, with at least 500,000 illegal immigrants in Maryland, a known sanctuary state, why are you not concerned about real and growing possibilities about voter fraud perpetrated by those who intend to subvert section 1.7 of the Maryland Constitution, let alone our U.S. Constitution?

Voters are required to have a picture ID the first time they vote, AND, they should be required to show it each time they go to vote. One might ask, in the words, of my child, “what is the big deal?” Really! When one goes to the store, and writes a check, a government issued ID must be shown. Last time I checked, a government issued ID costs $15.00 in Maryland and is free to those 65 and over.

If you and your Democratic colleagues in the Senate are so concerned about “disenfranchisement” then why not push to eliminate fees for government issued-IDs?

Senator, by your actions, or should I say, your inaction, you are showing that this “concern” over disenfranchisement is nothing but self-serving demagoguery by you and your fellow Democrats who are only looking to boost Democrat election prospects.

Senator, since the polls do not verify who comes to the polling place by way of valid picture ID, please, then consider me one of your disenfranchised voters. Really Senator Cardin, if you are truly concerned about voter disenfranchisement, then you need only to look in your own backyard at not only the above mentioned petition signers in Maryland, who had no right to redress and to those of us whose vote may not count due to fraud at election time. Those constituents, Senator Cardin are the ones with whom you should really be concerned.

Alexandra Brown