Virginia Voter ID Leaders Respond to Ex-Felon Soros

Republicans in Virginia are outraged over the attempts by ex-felon George Soros to overturn voter ID in a transparent attempt to help Hillary Clinton’s campaign.  The arguments in favor of overturning Voter ID are devoid of fact and high on partisan rhetoric.  By contrast, the partisan arguments in favor of Voter ID are fact-filled. 

Delegate Rob Bell helped lead the fight for Voter ID’s passage in the Virginia House of Delegates.  In an email to supporters Bell pointed out:

As reported in the New York Times, this suit is part of a coordinated national campaign funded by George Soros and organized by Hillary Clinton’s lawyer, Marc Elias.  Democrats have lost the argument in the state legislatures and with the voters (polls show Virginians support the measure 75% - 23%).   Democrats now seek to overturn the photo ID requirement in court, just in time for Hilary’s Clinton’s campaign in 2016.

Virginia State Senator and Voter ID bill sponsor Mark Obenshain also emailed his supporters.  His email was equally as persuasive (emphasis ours). 

The bill, which I sponsored in 2013, was drafted so it would comply with the framework established by the Supreme Court and it even had a one year delayed enactment clause (even though it passed in 2013, it was first applied to the 2014 general election) to give opponents a chance to challenge it if they thought they could. Of course, no grounds existed to mount a legitimate challenge and the law was implemented without incident or criticism last November.  Out of more than 2 million total votes casted, less than 800 voters casted provisional ballots due to photo ID requirements, proving wrong the fears of widespread voter disenfranchisement. The Washington Post even reported that as many as 450,000 voters could be turned away--a crazy and outrageous figure that they ultimately retracted.

The reason it worked so well is that the overwhelming majority of voters have IDs, and for those who don't, the law allows them to secure one free of charge through their local registrar's office.  Moreover, for those infirm or homebound voters, they can still vote by absentee ballot with no ID requirement. Where's the burden there? The only burden is on fraudulent voters and those who benefit from their votes.  It's no wonder that there were no complaints after the election last November.

It is ironic that fundraising emails to supporters by elected Republican officials are arguably less partisan and more factual than lawsuits filed by Hillary’s lawyer funded by Soros.  Thank you Delegate Bell and Senator Obenshain for your leadership.  Shame on you Elias, Hillary, and Soros for trying to disenfranchise voters.