Kami Mueller: Woodhouse memo an understandable GOP communication

Regarding the Aug. 19 editorial “ ‘Party line changes’ ”: Not only do Democrats support letting people register and vote on the same day with no verification of eligibility, support creating chaos at the polls by allowing people to cast ballots outside their Election Day precinct and oppose our common sense voter ID law, they now believe that only Democrats should be allowed to make suggestions of when, where and how people vote early.

NCGOP Executive Director Dallas Woodhouse, with transparency and full legal authority, asked local Boards of Elections to consider our point of view, including opposition to Sunday voting and support for changes to early voting that we felt would best serve the public, candidates and election staff. The county board members are independent, and we at the NCGOP have every right to thoroughly communicate our perspective, just as the Democratic Party does.

I’d like to be able to say that the Democratic Party and the Republican Party have the same goal: an election process that is fair, that ensures those who have the right to vote can vote, that prevents voter fraud on both sides of the aisle and preserves the integrity of the election process. But I’m not certain Democrats actually share those beliefs.

We need a photo ID to rent or buy a home. We need a photo ID to open a bank account. We need a photo ID to get welfare, food stamps, Medicaid or Social Security, unemployment payments or a job. We need a photo ID to buy a cell phone, purchase certain cold medicines, get married, purchase a firearm, adopt a pet and, wait for it, to get a permit to hold a rally or protest against North Carolina’s reasonable and valid voter ID law. Oh, the irony!

Early voting and absentee voting serve a purpose: to provide means in which voters can reasonably cast votes without hardship if they are not able or it’s inconvenient to vote on Election Day. But because there are those who commit fraud (documented as recently as this past primary election), these means must ensure every vote cast belongs to a real person, who holds a real constitutional right to vote.

One fraudulent vote cancels out one legitimate vote. Every legitimate vote belongs to a person exercising a constitutional right. Is it not the very definition of “democratic” to protect everyone’s right to vote?

So why are Roy Cooper and the Democrats kicking and screaming? Because unfairly casting fear helps them. It’s time for the Democrats to stop using this false narrative. Every functioning member of society has a photo ID. If they don’t, they can obtain a free one and have had several years now to do so. This protects everyone, equally, which is something the Republican Party unashamedly will continue to fight for.

The length limit was waived to permit a fuller response to the issue.

This story was originally published August 22, 2016 at 5:46 PM with the headline "Kami Mueller: Woodhouse memo an understandable GOP communication."