Continuing to dissect executive orders

By Rita Cook
Correspondent
Texas Metro News

Last week President Trump signed an executive order to help to secure Federal elections to assure only verified US citizens are allowed to vote in our elections. The order is also to ensure all votes are received by election day.

Executive Order #14248 has seen some push back with commentary stating it threatens to undermine America’s elections.

Some have even called it racist.

The executive order is laid out as “preserving and protecting the integrity of American Elections.” The order’s overall tone is to confirm everyone who is voting in an election in the United States shows up at the polls with some form of government ID.

Seems like an easy one. I have never showed up to vote and not been asked for my ID and I have always had it.

There are certain states that might have a different set of rules, my friend in New York was told he did not have to show his ID when he voted in the November election. He ask why he didn’t need to show it and they would not answer him.

The order is also about confirming everyone’s vote is accounted for by Election Day.

What does that mean, no mean hanging around for days waiting for the results of an election that not long ago was called on election night. For the mail-in ballot

voter it means your vote must be received, not just postmarked by Election Day.

This is important because no matter the side of the aisle you are currently sitting on, voter confidence as of late has completely dropped. Many are saying this executive order will bring back some of that list confidence.

This executive order is supported by a bill known as the Safeguard America Voter Eligibility Act or SAVE Act. What is astounding to me is it has been introduced into Congress for a second time now since it failed to pass on the first attempt due to Democrat pushback.

I wasn’t sure of the reason why Democrats did not want voter integrity to be at the forefront, but it was explained to me by a minority man. He said the argument is because the blue has decided a voter ID requirement is racist. He said he disagreed with this argument and took offense to the fact that Democrats believe minorities are more likely not to be able to obtain an ID due to the cost, the time that it takes to get proper identification and not having reliable transportation that it takes to get to the offices like the DMV.

“I don’t know about you, but I think if you are telling an entire group of people they are too poor or too stupid to simply get an ID that is kind of…,” he said on a social
media post.

He also pointed out in the November election only two of the 20 jurisdictions that Democrats won required voter ID. He said even so, in these same states you
need an ID to go fishing, drive a car, buy alcohol/tobacco, and get a job.

Others say what is really confusing about the Democrats voting this down is that it seems to be one of the most agreed on political issue across the country.

There is a poll that shows 80% of voters agree that a person should have to show some form of photo ID to vote.

Another factoid is that the US isn’t trying to break new ground here, almost every country in the world requires voter ID. Why then are there certain politicians in the US who have decided the US should become a country where voter ID requirements is a problem?

Rita Cook is a world traveler and writer/editor who specializes in writing on travel, auto, crime and politics. A correspondent for Texas Metro News, she has published 11 books and has also produced low-budget films.