Let's face it. The Republicans seem to have pulled off a coup. The Obama administration does not seem inclined to go after these state laws attempting to rob people of their voting rights.
Something has to be done. But what?
Here is a proposal.
Start now. Research the requirements for getting a picture ID in the state you are in. It may require a Social Security card. It may require mail (like a bill) coming to the place of residence in the voter's name. It may require a birth certificate. In any case, this is necessary information. Call your Driver's License Bureau and find out.
Here is a handy website to get you started. www.ncsl.org/default.aspx?tabid=16602.
Second, start the voting drives NOW. This means finding out who does or does not have the identification required by your state. Churches can be very effective with this, making sure that all their members have this identification in advance and on hand to vote. School organizations can start early getting the message out -- if you are going to be on campus next year, you will need a state ID so you can vote.
Third, help your people collect and have their documents ready. Have a way for each person to hold the documents in an organized fashion.
Fourth, hold fundraisers to obtain the funds for identification charges. Yes, poll taxes are illegal, and where they are requiring strict photo IDs, such a charge is a poll tax. Pay what you have to -- we can sue the states for it later. We need to get the IDs collected now.
Fifth, if pictures are needed, organize trips to the License Bureaus. Start early. Start now. Bus them in. The sooner the better. Yes, be prepared to wait as the system overloads, but don't be discouraged. Such overloads will get plenty of attention. Have some printed literature explaining that since your state has decided to take away the rights of hundreds of thousands of people to vote (on the basis of one or two cases of voting fraud per year) that this is necessary to regain your voting rights. Have the phone numbers and email addresses of your state representatives printed so people can complain to them about the issue. Call the TV stations to tell them of your voter's rally. Get attention, lots of it.
Republicans have tried to disenfranchise about 5 million voters for 2012. We can dramatically cut those numbers and give them a lot of grief as we work to get voters their rights back. Those voters we help will remember who helped them and they will remember who tried to take away their rights to begin with.
START NOW! Post what is being started. Here's to a successful reclamation of our rights!