IT’S COMMON SENSE: It’s amazing that in this world we live in—with all its high-tech security: PIN numbers, passwords, and retina-scans to offer one’s proof of exactly who one is—there’s no requirement to show any identification when registering to vote at city hall. You need to show ID to cash a check, to drive a car, to buy a plane ticket, and to use your AAA card to get your flat tire fixed. So what’s wrong with asking people for identification when they register to vote—to prove who they say they are in order to cast their ballot?

We all know voting is the most fundamental constitutional right—where one can participate in changing government. It’s important to many people that you prove who you are in order to vote. We all know that voter fraud takes place—in many cases—through absentee ballots; but also often in the voting booth, where voter fraud has been discovered throughout the country. Recently, Florida election officials announced that after cross-referencing voter rolls with driver’s licenses and other materials, they concluded that over 2,000 registered voters were not U.S. citizens—and that I’m sure, is just the tip of the iceberg.

It’s time to ensure the integrity of the election process. We need to hold cities and towns and all political parties accountable, since we all have a great stake in the process. This isn’t about racism or classism or suppression; it’s about common sense. I want to know that my vote counts along with millions of others who have earned their right to vote.

Paying taxes and being a good American citizen is a great example, for starters. If I go to Mexico or Iran, can I vote? No, and I can’t get a job either.

Voter fraud exists and it’s time has come and gone. This country needs laws in place before it’s too late. The world is out of control but that doesn’t mean we as a nation have got to be part of all the insanity. Let’s bring back common sense to the election process—prove who you are—take a ballot—and vote. This issue is just too important to ignore.- JDM