Nuns Turned Away At Ind. Polling Station

Some Complain About Indiana's New Strict Photo ID Election Law

(AP)  About 12 Indiana nuns were turned away Tuesday from a polling place by a fellow bride of Christ because they didn't have state or federal identification bearing a photograph.

Sister Julie McGuire said she was forced to turn away her fellow sisters at Saint Mary's Convent in South Bend, across the street from the University of Notre Dame, because they had been told earlier that they would need such an ID to vote.

The nuns, all in their 80s or 90s, didn't get one but came to the precinct anyway.

“One came down this morning, and she was 98, and she said, 'I don't want to go do that,”' Sister McGuire said. Some showed up with outdated passports. None of them drives.

They weren't given provisional ballots because it would be impossible to get them to a motor vehicle branch and back in the 10-day time frame allotted by the law, Sister McGuire said. “You have to remember that some of these ladies don't walk well. They're in wheelchairs or on walkers or electric carts.”

Nonetheless, she said, the convent will make a “very concerted effort” to get proper identification for the nuns in time for the general election. “We're going to take from now until November to get them out and get this done. You can't do this like school kids on a bus,” she said. “I wish we could.”

Elsewhere across the pivotal state, voting appeared to run smoothly, despite the fears of election experts that the Supreme Court's recent refusal to strike down Indian's controversial photo identification law could cause confusion at the polls.

A voter hot line set up by the secretary of state's office had no complaints regarding photo IDs as of 3 p.m., said spokeswoman Bethany Derringer. In a primary expected to draw record numbers, most calls concerned precinct locations.

“The No. 1 call they've heard so far is just people asking where they can go to vote,” Derringer said.

But a group of voting rights advocates that established a separate hot line reported receiving several calls from would-be voters who were turned away at precincts because they did not have a state or federal identification bearing a photograph.

One newly married woman said she was told she couldn't vote because her driver's license name didn't match the one on her voter registration record, said Myrna Perez of the Brennan Center Justice at New York University's law school, coordinator of the 1-866-OUR-VOTE hot line. Another woman said she was turned away from casting her first-ever ballot because she had only a college-issued ID card and an out-of-state driver's license, Perez said.

“These laws are confusing. People don't know how they're supposed to be applied,” she said.

Indiana's photo ID law is the strictest in the country. The Republican-led effort was designed to combat ballot fraud, said supporters, who also have acknowledged that no case involving someone impersonating a voter at the polls has ever been prosecuted in Indiana.

The state's American Civil Liberties Union sued, calling the law a poll tax that disproportionately affected minorities and elderly voters, those most likely to lack such identification. On April 28, the Supreme Court ruled 6 to 3 that the law did not violate the Constitution.

Since then, advocacy groups have fretted that people showing up to vote in Tuesday's primary would not understand their rights under the law, which include being able to cast a provisional ballot and obtain a proper ID within 10 days so that ballot would be counted later.

Rick Rice, a precinct judge at the Charles Martin Youth Center in South Bend, said one person complained about the voter ID law when he attempted to use a federal identification that didn't have an expiration date on it.

“I didn't know who it was put out by, but we couldn't accept it,” Rice said. “He had a driver's license, he was just trying to make a point. He wanted to push it and the law is very clear.”

Rice said the man voted, then asked where he could write to file a complaint.

Sean Greene, of the nonpartisan electionline.org, was monitoring precincts in the Lafayette area of Tippecanoe County. “It's going pretty well,” he said, despite long lines. “Most of the people I've seen today are prepared and used to this. They have their IDs out already.

That thought was echoed in South Bend, where Elizabeth Bridges, 63, said half of the people working in her voting precinct were family members, but still she showed her ID.

“I think the law is a good thing because a lot of people are crooked,” she said.

John Parker III, agreed.

“I think it's a good thing because I don't want anyone coming in and voting for me,” he said. “Someone could come in here and just use my name.”

[rf35]

"Brides of Christ." I haven''t heard that term in a while. It makes me think that the polygamist group in Texas was maybe just doing what Jesus is doing. That guy has more wives than you can shake a stick at.

[Marie Zarankevich]

Whoever was in charge of arranging for this trip to the voting place for the nuns was also responsible for making sure that they were not going there for nothing. -- THAT person/people should have gotten all the information WAY before the trip. -- Just like, with any persons of advanced age, you must ascertain that there will be a restroom available at the destination. -- It''s all just common courtesy, to the elderly nuns, that is. -- Have a fun day!

[obamasgranny]

those nuns just might have Obama supporters and just what he needed to push him over the top. It was probably some white, middle class, blue collar workers that turned them away and made sure that they didn''''t vote. Oh wait....Obama isn''''t drawing the Catholic vote either!

Never Mind!


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by KidofSTL at 01:05 PM : May 07, 2008
______________________________________________________
Of course they were,..I mean anybody who would devote their whole life to Christ most certainly believes in Pastor Wrong!! NOT!!

[nothappyatall]

Oh wait....Obama isn''''t drawing the Catholic vote either!
Never Mind!
Posted by KidofSTL

The cathoholics will only vote for a rightwing buybull thumper type like bush the anti choice anti g@y rights nut who claimed god talks to him and told him to invade Iraq.

[kidofstl]

those nuns just might have Obama supporters and just what he needed to push him over the top. It was probably some white, middle class, blue collar workers that turned them away and made sure that they didn''t vote. Oh wait....Obama isn''t drawing the Catholic vote either!

Never Mind!

[nler1]

they could be terrorists...

[bobnjersey]

[we need someone in who will REVERSE 8 years of destruction and damage ...
(Posted by newster1 at 09:15 AM : May 07, 2008)

In your wildest hallucinations, who do you think will fulfill your fantasy???]
[Posted by LibH8er at 09:19 AM : May 07, 2008]

i think a monkey would be able to do this ... after a little time to adjust to the surroundings.

[bobnjersey]

[Prevent nuns from voting? I don''''t think anyone prevented them from voting, they didn''''t obey the law. Right? ]
[Posted by missybelle at 11:37 AM : May 07, 2008]

yes ... they have a ''habit'' of doing that.

[missingamerica]

Prevent nuns from voting? I don''''t think anyone prevented them from voting, they didn''''t obey the law. Right?

Posted by missybelle at 11:37 AM : May 07, 2008

And we certainly can''t have "nun" of that, especially since nuns are notorious for actually voting their Christian principles instead of just professing them as a ploy to gain power and wealth...

[missybelle-2009]

By preventing nuns to vote does this mean that there is a huge Conspiracy to mess up the votes in states where Clinton is favorable to win??


Posted by in_correct at 10:01 AM : May 07, 2008

Prevent nuns from voting? I don''t think anyone prevented them from voting, they didn''t obey the law. Right?

[In-Correct]

By preventing nuns to vote does this mean that there is a huge Conspiracy to mess up the votes in states where Clinton is favorable to win??

[locke10]

You posters are not on your game today. First of all, to those who say the nuns were probably voting for McCain: I doubt that seriously, since this was the Democratic Primary. Next, to pattykonz: None of them drives is grammatical; None stands for not one. It would be correct to say Not one of them drives. Them is the object of the preposition and None is the subject. (Sorry, I am an English teacher.)

[lochlan-2009]

So, a bunch of people didn''t read the rules (including some old "nuns"), tried to slip past the rules, (unintentionally or intentionally, who knows), and got turned away.
Are we suppose to be upset about this. If they let them through, then I would be upset. It''s bad enough the majority of people do no research into the candidate they vote for, atleast they have to research the rules on voting.

[parrot123-2009]

The religious reich is the one who put BUSH in power solely due to his anti abortion anti g@y agendas.
Posted by newster1 at 09:15 AM : May 07, 2008

Whatever happenned to those promises - 8yrs after the fact ??? Anyone ?? Any Repug ?

[libh8er]

Yes, for them, McCain is still a kid. LOL.
Posted by abbe91 at 05:14 AM : May 07, 2008

Now THAT was funny! :)

[libh8er]

we need someone in who will REVERSE 8 years of destruction and damage, not another Bush clone to keep the policy of failures and borrowing going like they have been.
Posted by newster1 at 09:15 AM : May 07, 2008

So Captain America will be your write in candidate? :) In your wildest hallucinations, who do you think will fulfill your fantasy???

[nothappyatall]

Uh, last time I looked this was a free country where anyone''''s vote counted whether the vote was for a Republican or a Democrat. They will have their vote. I believe the have 30 days or so to get IDs. By your statements its obvious you people dont want a free election you want to win and you dont care how you get there.

Posted by mudrose

"you people"? what group do you THINK am I in mudrose that makes me part of the group called: "you people"?, FYI: I am a registered libertarian- Ive had it with BOTH main parties- the re-pubic-cons and the dumbocraps, one thing''s for sure, if McBush gets in we are done and over with- we need someone in who will REVERSE 8 years of destruction and damage, not another Bush clone to keep the policy of failures and borrowing going like they have been.

The religious reich is the one who put BUSH in power solely due to his anti abortion anti g@y agendas.

[libh8er]

Just because you are a nun or clergy doesn''t mean you are above the law. If they didn''t want to get picture ID''s they could have probably voted absentee ballot. The polling officer did the right thing.

[mudrose-2009]

"I think you got that backwards, those nuns would be voting for their right wing favorite- the bush clone, anti abortion anti g@y rights man McBush. They WANT the votes.

Posted by newster1 at 01:37 AM : May 07, 2008"

Yes, for them, McCain is still a kid. LOL.

Posted by abbe91

Uh, last time I looked this was a free country where anyone''s vote counted whether the vote was for a Republican or a Democrat. They will have their vote. I believe the have 30 days or so to get IDs. By your statements it''s obvious you people don''t want a free election you want to win and you don''t care how you get there.

[pattykonz]

You guys really need to brush up on your editing. This article was too painful to read til the end!!!
"None of them drives"???!