State law now requires voters to show ID at the polls. File photo
Mark Taylor
mtaylor@gardnernews.com
A new law went into effect on Jan. 1 that requires all Kansas voters to present identification before casting a ballot at the polls.
Brian Newby, election commissioner, said he believes requiring ID will provide an additional layer of protection against voter fraud.
“I definitely thing there is going to be a greater overall voter confidence, and many voters over the years have wanted voter ID,” he said. “We have not had any issues that voter ID would have prevented. I think it’s 37 states that now have some sort of voter ID, so this is really part of a bigger trend nationwide. I think it will help ensure voter confidence in knowing that someone cannot impersonate them (at the polls).”
However, the law excludes mail ballot elections, including the upcoming $72 million bond issue for the Gardner Edgerton School District.
Newby said mail ballot elections are among the exceptions to the law.
Otherwise, voters will be required to present a valid photo ID before casting votes in person or requesting an advance ballot by mail.
Acceptable forms of ID include: driver’s licenses, state ID cards, concealed carry handgun licenses, U.S. passports, employee badges or identification documents issued by a government agency, student ID cards issued by accredited colleges in Kansas and public assistance ID cards issued by a government agency.
Voters 65 or older will be allowed to use expired documents for identification.
In addition to mail ballot elections, exceptions include voters serving overseas and those with religions objections. Additional documentation is required for the latter.
Voters who apply for an advance ballot through the mail are required to include their driver’s license number or a photocopy of their ID.
Persons who do not have a valid driver’s license can apply for a Kansas ID card at the Johnson County driver’s licence offices.
For more information, visit jocoelection.org
Newby says: ““We have not had any issues that voter ID would have prevented”. No evidence that we have had any voter ID problems but he backs this system – doesn’t make sense to me. Koback is a politician thru and thru and there are people who buy into his baloney and we have scores just like him and the people vote and retain them in office. Also if Howe found that the voter ID law was violated, would he do anything about it??? Look to see what he did on the violations of the Open Meetings Act here in Gardner and you will have your answer – the wrongdoers are not being held accountable and responsible on issue after issue and your problems get bigger by the day.
I would hope that they get the “problems” with the voting machines fixed. I voted for John Topikar in the primary and Annabeth’s name showed up as marked. Also, happened on 2 other of my votes. Corrected the votes.Didn’t think anything of it. Until, the next week the same thing happened to John. He went to vote for himself and Annabeth’s name showed up as marked. Article was in the Kansas City Star. He called Newby over and it happened so many number of times out of 30 tries.
I have no problem showing my ID. I have to show it at my doctor’s office, and they certainly know me there. Further, on 1-11-2012: 3500 illegal immigrants paid $1500-$1600 to obtain State documents and driver’s licenses. Contact was the Missouri Department of Revenue license office in St. Joseph, Missouri. Several that operated the scheme are headed for “the cooler”.–from Local News
If you don’t mind showing you ID at the doctor’s office and the voting booth, why don’t you at least show your name here ‘State’?
I want to remind ALL CITIZENS that if they are not comfortable with the voting machines, they may ask for a PAPER BALLOT any time they vote. Unless they have changed the rules recently, YOU DO HAVE THAT RIGHT.
I also want to remind all people with mobility problems that they can have it set up to have a paper ballot delivered to them at home so they may vote and mail in their ballot. Contact your local election office in the state of Kansas and I am sure they would be glad to help you on that matter.
Charlie K. –why don’t you post your name?
Charlie K.–I know you would love to know who I am since you said you wanted to tell my neighbor to HER face that she is a liar. Your bravery is something else.
@State, this isn’t so much about whether Charlie K really wants to know who you are…it’s all about Judith repeatedly making an issue about people who post out here anonymously, but only the ones who disagree with her.
You frequently second whatever Judith says, State, so you can bet you’ll never hear her criticizing YOU for posting anonymously. Actually, I agree with you that there are very real reasons that people are uncomfortable about posting their names in their online activities. Judith clearly feels the same way about herself because she ALSO has posted anonymously in the past, and probably still does today. That makes her an incredible hypocrite, which was, as I gather, the gist of Charlie K’s post
That is correct. As long as Judith continues to use her ‘cowardly backstabbers’ line on anyone who posts anonymously and doesn’t agree with her, I think I will start using it on her good friends State and Senior, who she never seems to mention in her rants. Which is I’m guessing is because you always agree with her.
I already post more of my name than you do ‘State’ so you have no room to criticize me. I guess my bravery is something else because yes, I would tell you that you are a liar to your face if we ever met. I doubt you have enough courage to say the same to me or anyone else. The same goes for Judith who loves to criticize people from the safety of her keyboard but is always conspicuously absent from meetings when she would have to say these things to people’s faces.
I am in a profession of high standards. We don’t go around telling people they are liars. Obviously, you are a bunch of rednecks. So be it.
Yes, no respect for the teacher or the rest. Like Judith says “morals have gone down”.
I follow this blog for Judith’s posts. Not your snide remarks. Shows you all don’t have any sophistication.
I don’t know the other posters you refer to Charlie K, but I will say: grow up; formulate your own opinions and quit badgering others. You have a right to your thoughts, as do I. I do agree that name calling gets us nowhere. I wasn’t going to post on this thread, but I will say now that excluding mail ballots is silly. If there is voter fraud, it would be easier to forge a mailed ballot than go to the poll booths and say you’re someone you’re not.
@State
Oh you are in a profession of high standards are you? What exactly is it that you do that requires such high standards of behavior but allows for the low intellegence you possess? I guess I am used to calling people out when they lie and not allowing it, no matter the situation. I cannot think of any scenario or situation where you should allow someone to sit and blatantly lie to everyone.
Apparently calling people liars is unacceptable, but calling them rednecks is just fine? Also, your idol Judith calls people liars and plenty of other things on a daily basis and apparently you love her for it. Why am I not allowed to call you a liar when you lie but you and Judith can call me and everyone else whatever you please? Answer me that with all of your fancy Edgerton sophistication? (HA!)
@Senior
I have my own opinions on everything here. The problem is that they cannot be heard over the constant off-topic ranting of Judith and State. I would love it if we could all have an intellegent conversation here over facts and information, but that doesn’t seem possible with certain people around. So do not criticize me for badgering others without doing it in double to Judith or you are just as hypocritical as the rest.
The truth is I only act this way because I think Judith and her good ‘friends’ deserves a taste of their own medicine. I’ve tried to have reasonable discussion with thembut since all they understand is name-calling and personal attacks then that is all they will get from me.
If you can’t take ownership of your comments when you call them names, insult them, praise them or whatever, then you are a cowardly backstabber and not really interested in solving problems or improving the lousy governments you have – that is my opinion. I have stated before and will state it again – I believe all entities, regardless of who they are and whether they agree with me or not, should have the integrity, ethics, character to take ownership of their comments. You may not like what I say, but at least I say it to your face which involves no backstabbing. I think having that kind of integrity really gets to some people because they don’t have that same decency, especially the worthless politicians and bureaucrats and thieves, and since they have operated behind the screen and in the back rooms for so long, that is the only way they know how or want to operate – they never want that sunshine on their forehead or to actually bear witness to their words, actions or inaction. They don’t STAND for anything of value considering how they hide and work in secrecy. THAT IS MY OPINION.
Let’s see if we can find some definitions for those terms you like to use so well, Judith:
“Cowardly” – Judith’s favorite politician, Larry Fotovich calling someone’s daughter “dumb”.
“Backstabbing” – Judith looking up and posting someone’s bankruptcy records from years past, solely for the purpose of smearing them because of their involvement in the recall effort.
“Lowlife” – Judith rabidly condemning what she calls questionable behavior from people she dislikes, while openly condoning similar, or worse, behavior from her own political friends.
The only consistent thing Judith ever does is to accuse others of what she, herself, does all the the time. So whenever she starts up on the “cowardly, backstabbing, lowlifes”, it’s important to realize that she apparently sees the world through the mirror image of her own behavior.
Judith Rogers is a lying scumbag. PERIOD. She takes tidbits of information and twists them into misinformation. That makes her a flat out LIAR.
Judith, if you think for a second your pathetic little “that is my opinion” tag line will keep you from being sued, you are just as stupid as you sound in your posts. I DARE you to question me on this.
Charlie K. I understand your frustration over name calling, etc It is disappointing. I disagree with you on “they’ll get the same from me.” I always try not to sink to that level. (Try being the key word). It’s always better to try to set an example and raise people’s standards, as opposed to sinking. If they choose to sink – that’s on them, but I don’t want to be down in the mud and muck with them. At a certain point, people who only point fingers and rant or rave lose credibility.
I believe in calling the lowlifes out and will continue to do so – I am entitled to my opinion and I have the freedom of speech to allow me my opinions. What do you want to do??? Keep silent while the wrongdoers continue to rot your halls of government and create so many adverse affects that the average man suffers terribly. Any person worth their salt down thru history speaks out about the lowlifes, corruption, manipulation, conniving, etc. and they stand tall and take ownership of their convictions because they don’t want their country to burn like Rome did. But you always have the losers and criminals out there who would love to silence you for their own selfish, greedy reasons. I can only pray that the days of Dictators are short lived and not allowed to prosper. People can sit on the fence for only so long – they will have to make a choice regarding their future somewhere along the line. Secrecy, wrongdoing and back room wheeling and dealing will never be beneficial for the people
Hey, Coward, who are you????………scared to fling your hate to my face??????? Take an anti-coward pill just like you probably take that little blue pill for another problem and sign your name to your comments……………bet you won’t do it………..lowlifes never stand up and take ownership of their words, actions, inactions……….they are swimming in the gutter……….
Charlie K. with all of YOUR Gardner sophistication, why is it that when I shop in Gardner, I hear women hollering the “F-word” at their kids?
Edgerton has an Arts and Cultural Committee. So, you can back off your snide remarks.
Further, Charlie K., it looks like you have a lot of corruption to clean up in Gardner. Also, all the police standoffs and prison escapees coming home to roost. Why not crusade against this, rather than picking on pet animals and having them evicted and picking on senior citizens, and a woman at that.
What in the world is your point, State? How in the world does that apply to anything Charlie K said?
Judith, perhaps you didn’t notice, but I’m flinging YOUR cowardly, backstabbing, lowlife hatred into your face. Did I make up the items I listed? Are they false?
And really, if you’re trying to tell me that you have NEVER posted anonymously, ANYWHERE, then your criticism of anonymity might have merit. Ah, but we all know that you post anonymously all the time. In the past, and even now. Do you want me to link in the recent post that you dropped out here, but didn’t put your name on? Should I start searching, for instance, the Kansas City Star for your own name versus your anonymous nickname?
And, since you’re such a big, hypocritical coward, Judith, maybe you could demand that your buddies, State of Affairs and Senior post THEIR names. Maybe you could join me in demanding that Gardner News tell us who filed the latest KOMA complaint against our Mayor.
Unless you demand EVERYONE’S identity, including yourself, YOU are the cowardly, backstabbing, lowlife, playing your pathetic hypocrisy games.
I am dying of laughter………….the Coward is having a hissy fit again………….I’ll give you three guesses as to filed that KOMA complaint but in case you are still in doubt, contact the DA’s office but you are too much of a coward to do that……….we have a new game on reality TV……..name that COWARD…………you are signed up for the premiere, Coward of Gardner area………..you would qualify to be on the show but you couldn’t go since you must be AFRAID I will hunt you down….you are not worth hunting down and I don’t care to go to the gutters to find you…….I think the police will soon be tracking you down, however, to place you on a 72 hour hold while they evaluate your mentality………….
Hey, Coward, are you going to be our new Council member???? I highly doubt it since cowards are afraid to step out from behind the screen…………and hopefully even the Dictator wouldn’t be stupid enough to appoint an unstable person but you never know since we just got rid of one……..
@ Word, Charlie K. referred to my “fancy Edgerton sophistication”. Just wanted to point out that maybe Edgerton has higher ideals than the main flow in Gardner.
I gathered that. I actually read the posts. My point is, how in the world does a random mom dropping the f-bomb make YOUR point? Do you even know if the mom in question is FROM Gardner? Do you have any evidence that either Edgerton’s or Gardner’s sophistication could be measured by counting cusswords uttered in stores?
I mean, Judith.
Why can’t you face the truth? You always attack the most meaningless topic, usually so that you can hide your pathetic hypocrisy.
Run, Judith, RUN!!!
But you can’t run away from your own words. And quite clearly, your own words run away from you way too often.
@Word–it was more than 1 “mommy dearest” that were hollering at their kids. Really a fine sophisticated vocabulary and example for the kids. However, our Vice President whispers it in our President’s ear. And, people slam Judith for saying morals are in the gutter.
Further, in todays’ national news: A grandmother is in the hospital after being beaten at a restaurant over the weekend. Celebrating her grandson’s 7th birthday on Sunday afternoon when she asked customers at a nearby table not to swear around the children. She was told to shut the “F-up”. Then, this man punched her in the face and dragged her by the hair. Hospitalized with injuries and requiring a CT-scan.
State of Affairs: Your recent article about the man punching the Grandmother in the face reminds me so of our our own Pugh who assaults people he wants to shutup and he is closely followed by the likes of the Dictator and some council members and/or administration staff who don’t mind breaking the law whatsoever and it sounds like they are ready to do it again. Gardner’s Finest…………….and you have the high tax bill and a lousy government to prove it.
So, Judith and State…are you claiming that Dennis Pugh beats women? Are you saying that the Mayor of Gardner beats women? Are you even saying that Larry Fotovich is a woman?
Reading your comments, those are the only conclusions we can draw. The similarities between State’s entirely non sequitur post and the events involving a headlock and scuffle over a video camera are so profound that we’re left wondering if Judith and State even understand the difference between a dangerously violent man who would beat a defenseless women with children senseless, and a couple of middle-aged men acting like children.
Given that, we’re left to assume that Judith and State are WILLFULLY libeling Pugh and, worse, the Mayor…attributing to the two of them unthinkable acts of violence that are neither true or supportable. Even GIVEN Pugh’s childishly poor judgement.
So…Webmaster of Gardner News. Consider yourself notified. Judith and State are clearly telling falsehoods about Gardner citizens. Does your disclaimer mean nothing? Are you willing to face legal actions for condoning, or even encouraging, the type of behavior from people like Judith and her mirror-image, anonymous, State of Affairs?
The ball is in your court. Until the Courts grab your…well…
Blah, blah, blah… more off-topic nonsense. Now you want to come out and push up Edgerton as some sort of bastion of morality and class. Give me a break.
I have a rude awakening for you though. This is America and we have freedom of speech here so I suppose those people you are talking about have a right to say what they want don’t they? If you don’t like freedom of speech maybe you should move to China?
Anyway, none of this is conducive to the topic at hand so it doesn’t matter anyway. Just more misdirection and crap from you two.
Now, where is it that I have said anything about Mr. Pugh?
I heard women repeatedly using the “F-word” at their kids while shopping in Gardner. Was glad to get away from them. My parents did not allow profanity in our house. When I went to school, there was a Family Living class. Also, our grade report graded us on citizenship. Further, we said the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag followed by the Lord’s Prayer. (Now, the norm is to burn the flag and the Lord’s Prayer is offensive.)
I don’t see how you can condone profanity and violence as “the norm and proper behavior”. I do hope that the perpetrator in this grandmother’s case is in the “slammer/cooler” and that the judge throws the books at him and doesn’t give him a pat on the hands.
Just think how traumatized for life the little 7 year-old Birthday boy and his guests will be. And, to think this happened at a restaurant that is geared to children and their birthday parties. Lord, have mercy, I do hope that this man does not have children of his own. And, we wonder how the country has gotten out of hand.
The local news is reporting the fact that this afternoon a 5 year-old boy in Virginia stabbed 2 children and 1 adult over a juice box. The victims were taken to the hospital but had non-life threatening injuries. Is this “the norm”? It appears that is what you are telling me.
Once upon a time, my poor pet dog dislocated her back and suffered a severe spinal injury. It left her paralyzed, incontinent, and barely able to drag herself along with her front legs. She was in misery, a happy, active dog reduced to an awful existence. The greatest mercy we could offer her was to have her put to sleep.
My siblings and I were traumatized, crying for days, unable to understand how the dog we’d kept as an almost-member of our family for all our lives, had to suffer such an ignoble fate and early death. It left its mark on all of us. I still remember the date of her death.
So, see…I can tell a sad story, too, State.
Of course, just like your stories, they have NOTHING AT ALL to do with any of the topics at hand. Can you see if you can try to keep to any one of the subjects being discussed? I mean, I’ve got TONS of sad stories that I can include into every conversation out here…like you seem prone to doing…but there’s a difference between the sadness and struggles that we humans face or witness in our everyday lives and the discussion of some completely unrelated subject.
Maybe the country has…as you put it…gotten out of hand because people can’t remember what they were talking about long enough to figure out how to resolve the issues we face. At any rate, you’re a first class out-of-hander when it comes to derailing threads. Maybe you ARE Judith, after all…
Pugh’s and the Dictator’s actions have EVERYTHING to do with lousy government and breaking the law – that is if you are a reasonable, decent citizen.
Don’t try to force your morality and religion on everyone else. This is America. We have freedom of speech and freedom of religion, it’s in the Bill of Rights in case you didn’t know.
Don’t like it? Get out.
@Charlie K.–Why should I move to China? China has facilities at ports encircling the United States. With the completion of the intermodal here–the inland port, I will be right in the center–the topping with the cherry on top.
Ha even better!
Intermodal=China. Except of course China doesn’t have as nice of an Arts and Cultural Committee as the one in Edgerton.
I hope that you secretly know and understand how ridiculous you are. I have to think that you do and you just like to try and irritate people. If people could really be as stupid as you and Judith then I would probably lose all faith in humanity.
@Charlie K.–ditto to you.
@ State
“ditto” – Very clever response, bravo.
Um…you didn’t add “that is my opinion” to the post where you implied that Pugh’s childish actions were sanctioned or directed by Gardner government. So that must mean you’re stating it as fact. After all, including Pugh (who if you recall is not a part of Gardner government) into an allegation that Gardner government is “law-breaking” makes a pretty strong statement that his actions were condoned or directed by Gardner government.
Webmaster? Libel?
As usual, your post is heavy on libelous content and absolutely devoid of proof.
Even worse, you stoop to your usual cowardly, backstabbing, lowlife hypocrisy to try to condemn as “law-breaking” the entirety of Gardner government on the basis of a KOMA warning from the DA. That, too, is libelous…keeping in mind that the Mayor nor anyone currently sitting on the Council, have been convicted of breaking any laws.
What’s that you say? That the DA found what he considered to be KOMA violations? Well, at least the Mayor didn’t try to hide his mistake, hire lawyers to sue anyone who questioned it, or conduct secret meetings with a get-out-of-KOMA-free proxy. It’s nice of you to admit that, from your perspective, “reasonable, decent citizens” like yourself applaud KOMA lawbreakers (in intent, at least) who try to hide their actions from the city. Nice to see that you don’t mind people who break the law (or almost do) as long as they’re good at covering their tracks. Paints the perfect picture of what Judith REALLY stands for.