POLITICS

Colin Powell: Republican Party Should Say 'We Want Everybody To Vote' (VIDEO)

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell doubled down on his criticism of the Republican Party on Monday, questioning the GOP's efforts to institute voter ID laws.

In an appearance on MSNBC's "Morning Joe," Powell stressed that the party needs to be inclusive when it comes to the polls.

“Should we really have gone after reducing the turnout of voters in those places where we thought it would make a difference?" he asked. "The Republican Party should be a party that says, ‘We want everybody to vote,’ and make it easier for people to vote and give them a reason to vote for the party, and not to find ways to keep them from voting at all."

Powell's comments come a week after he slammed the party as a whole, charging that there is "a dark vein of intolerance in some parts" of the Republican structure.

"What do I mean by that?," he said. "What I mean by that is they still sort of look down on minorities."

Voting problems are among the issues on Congress' slate for its next term. The Associated Press reported in December that 17 states had instituted photo ID laws, with some yet to take effect during the 2012 Elections cycle.

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BEFORE YOU GO

PHOTO GALLERY

7 Ways You Could Be Disenfranchised

7 Ways You Could Be Disenfranchised

You're an average voter in Pennsylvania. The night before Election Day, your wallet goes missing, leaving you without immedia

Pennsylvania

You're an average voter in Pennsylvania. The night before Election Day, your wallet goes missing, leaving you without immediate access to any of the identification you'll need to vote at your local precinct the following morning. This would be a problem under <a href="http://www.ncsl.org/legislatures-elections/elections/voter-id.aspx#PA" target="_hplink">Pennsylvania's proposed photo ID law</a>, since <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/pennsylvania-voter-id-ruling_n_1919187" target="_hplink">blocked by a state judge</a>. While many people in this situation may have backup forms of identification, <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/pennsylvania-voter-id-law_n_1652469" target="_hplink">studies have shown</a> that a significant percentage of would-be voters don't. The state's safeguard against the immediate disenfranchisement of people in this situation would be a provisional ballot cast on the day of the election. But this doesn't mean your vote counts, yet. Anyone who casts a provisional ballot is required to "appear in person at the county board of elections" within six days of the vote to provide proof that their ballot was valid. If you're able to take time away from your job to do this, the process still requires a would-be voter to either show up with valid ID -- a replacement driver's license <a href="http://www.dmv.state.pa.us/fees/index.shtml" target="_hplink">would cost $36</a> and considerable time -- or to sign an affirmation that you are indigent and not able to afford the fees associated with acquiring a photo ID. Even if you make a rapid and somewhat expensive turnaround to get a replacement ID -- or alternatively swear under oath that you are too poor to pay for such a document -- there is no guarantee that your vote will end up counting. Many elections are largely decided before provisional voters have a chance to verify their validity, which could serve to discouraging them from following up with election officials or leave them effectively disenfranchised. In 2008, <a href="http://www.eac.gov/assets/1/Documents/2008 Election Administration and Voting Survey EAVS Report.pdf" target="_hplink">only 61.8 percent</a> of all provisional ballots cast were fully counted. If strict photo ID measures were implemented, however, the number of provisional ballots submitted would likely increase, as would the requirements for voters hoping to make them count. <em>(Photo: AP)</em>