Obama: Voter ID Laws Intended to Suppress Vote; Voter Fraud ‘Just Not a Common Crime’

“State legislatures have instituted ░░░░░░░░ and practices that although ░░░░░░░░ the surface may appear ░░░░░░░░ have the effect of ░░░░░░░░ people from voting may ░░░░░░░░ a disproportional effect on ░░░░░░░░ kinds of folks voting ░░░░░░░░ if in fact those ░░░░░░░░ those trends those tendencies ░░░░░░░░ allowed to continue unanswered ░░░░░░░░ over time the hard ░░░░░░░░ battles of 50 years ░░░░░░░░ erode And our democracy ░░░░░░░░ And that means that ░░░░░░░░ decisions that are made ░░░░░░░░ the corridors of power ░░░░░░░░ across this country begin ░░░░░░░░ reflect the interests of ░░░░░░░░ few instead of the ░░░░░░░░ of the many So ░░░░░░░░ ve got serious business ░░░░░░░░ attend to here One ░░░░░░░░ of business is for ░░░░░░░░ Congress to pass an ░░░░░░░░ version of the Voting ░░░░░░░░ Act applause that would ░░░░░░░░ some of the problems ░░░░░░░░ have arisen And I ░░░░░░░░ I said when I ░░░░░░░░ in Selma that we ░░░░░░░░ glad you re here ░░░░░░░░ of Congress but we ░░░░░░░░ be even more glad ░░░░░░░░ ll be even more ░░░░░░░░ mood if you go ░░░░░░░░ to Washington and reaffirm ░░░░░░░░ s commitment to what ░░░░░░░░ fought for here at ░░░░░░░░ bridge Now so far ░░░░░░░░ hasn t happened John ░░░░░░░░ is ready to do ░░░░░░░░ There s legislation pending ░░░░░░░░ are people of goodwill ░░░░░░░░ both sides of the ░░░░░░░░ who are prepared to ░░░░░░░░ it but it keeps ░░░░░░░░ slipping as a priority ░░░░░░░░ of the reason we ░░░░░░░░ here is to reaffirm ░░░░░░░░ members of Congress this ░░░░░░░░ to be a priority ░░░░░░░░ this isn t working ░░░░░░░░ nothing s working We ░░░░░░░░ got to get it ░░░░░░░░ Applause At the state ░░░░░░░░ we ve got some ░░░░░░░░ members of state legislatures ░░░░░░░░ Florida who have been ░░░░░░░░ mechanisms to get more ░░░░░░░░ voting early voting online ░░░░░░░░ but sadly too many ░░░░░░░░ are making it harder ░░░░░░░░ folks to vote instituting ░░░░░░░░ ID laws that on ░░░░░░░░ surface sound good if ░░░░░░░░ poll the average American ░░░░░░░░ ll say yeah you ░░░░░░░░ have to show your ░░░░░░░░ ID but in practice ░░░░░░░░ turns out that for ░░░░░░░░ and for poorer folks ░░░░░░░░ s not always easy ░░░░░░░░ do And by the ░░░░░░░░ it doesn t actually ░░░░░░░░ a real problem because ░░░░░░░░ are almost no instances ░░░░░░░░ people going to vote ░░░░░░░░ somebody else s name ░░░░░░░░ s just not it ░░░░░░░░ out it s just ░░░░░░░░ a common crime Laughter ░░░░░░░░ might think about you ░░░░░░░░ shoplifting you know Attorney ░░░░░░░░ you know more about ░░░░░░░░ crime statistics than I ░░░░░░░░ but I am certain ░░░░░░░░ we ve actually looked ░░░░░░░░ the data on this ░░░░░░░░ almost nobody wakes up ░░░░░░░░ I m going to ░░░░░░░░ vote in somebody else ░░░░░░░░ name Doesn t happen ░░░░░░░░ the only reason to ░░░░░░░░ this law despite the ░░░░░░░░ of how it sounds ░░░░░░░░ to make it harder ░░░░░░░░ folks to vote You ░░░░░░░░ got state legislatures that ░░░░░░░░ rolling back early voting ░░░░░░░░ don t understand why ░░░░░░░░ would be opposed to ░░░░░░░░ out voting so that ░░░░░░░░ can arrange to vote ░░░░░░░░ on their schedule Because ░░░░░░░░ s hard If you ░░░░░░░░ working the midnight shift ░░░░░░░░ got to get your ░░░░░░░░ to school have to ░░░░░░░░ by bus and you ░░░░░░░░ a single mom it ░░░░░░░░ be difficult for you ░░░░░░░░ be able to vote ░░░░░░░░ in that window that ░░░░░░░░ provided and there s ░░░░░░░░ evidence that as a ░░░░░░░░ of early voting that ░░░░░░░░ increased fraud that people ░░░░░░░░ have become less committed ░░░░░░░░ democracy that they don ░░░░░░░░ feel that same sense ░░░░░░░░ civic pride as they ░░░░░░░░ if there s just ░░░░░░░░ day of voting There ░░░░░░░░ no evidence of that ░░░░░░░░ reason to roll back ░░░░░░░░ voting is because you ░░░░░░░░ to make it harder ░░░░░░░░ folks to vote So ░░░░░░░░ theory everybody s in ░░░░░░░░ of the right to ░░░░░░░░ In practice we have ░░░░░░░░ legislatures that are deliberately ░░░░░░░░ to make it harder ░░░░░░░░ people to vote and ░░░░░░░░ of them frankly are ░░░░░░░░ that shy about saying ░░░░░░░░ Think about that Think ░░░░░░░░ that How can you ░░░░░░░░ making harder to people ░░░░░░░░ vote how can you ░░░░░░░░ penalizing people because they ░░░░░░░░ t have a lot ░░░░░░░░ money not being able ░░░░░░░░ vote That s contrary ░░░░░░░░ who we are That ░░░░░░░░ not what we believe ░░░░░░░░ s not what John ░░░░░░░░ fought for The United ░░░░░░░░ of America we should ░░░░░░░░ no patience and no ░░░░░░░░ for the laws that ░░░░░░░░ at disenfranchising our fellow ░░░░░░░░ So we ve got ░░░░░░░░ keep pushing At the ░░░░░░░░ level we need a ░░░░░░░░ Voting Rights Act passed ░░░░░░░░ the state and local ░░░░░░░░ we ve got to ░░░░░░░░ back against efforts to ░░░░░░░░ it harder to vote ░░░░░░░░ we ve got to ░░░░░░░░ those legislators that are ░░░░░░░░ to make it easier ░░░░░░░░ vote.”