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However, today a lot of folks will have to drive a lot farther just to be able to drive.

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency's website says their office at the Clarke County Courthouse is still open, but soon a lot of others nearby won't be. On Wednesday, the agency announced that it would close 31 offices throughout the state, leaving 29 counties without a place where 16-year-olds can take a driver's test, whether they pass on the first try or not.

That's an inconvenience.

But there's something bigger happening here.

In 2011, Alabama lawmakers approved the state's voter ID law, making it illegal to vote in Alabama without a government-issued photo ID.

For most folks, that's a driver's license.

In those 29 counties you might be able to register at the courthouse, but you won't be able to cast a ballot there unless you have that ID.

That's not just an inconvenience. That's a problem.

But it gets worse.

Look at the list of counties now where you can't get a driver's license. There's Choctaw, Sumter, Hale, Greene, Perry, Wilcox, Lowndes, Butler, Crenshaw, Macon, Bullock ...

If you had to memorize all the Alabama Counties in 9th grade, like I did -- and even if you forgot most of them, like I have -- you can probably guess where we're going with this.

Depending on which counties you count as being in Alabama's Black Belt, either twelve or fifteen Black Belt counties soon won't have a place to get a driver's license.

Counties where some of the state's poorest live.

Counties that are majority African-American.

Combine that with the federally mandated Star ID taking effect next year, and we're looking at a nightmare.

Or a trial lawyer's dream.

When the state passed Voter ID, Republican lawmakers argued that it was supposed to prevent voter fraud. Democrats said the law was written to disenfranchise black voters and suppress the voice of the poor.

Maybe, maybe not.

But put these two things together -- Voter ID and 29 counties without a place where you can get one -- and Voter ID becomes what the Democrats always said it was.

A civil rights lawsuit isn't a probability. It's a certainty.

You don't have to know what a three-point turn is to see where this truck is going.

It's only a matter of time before some lawyer takes the state where that test administrator took me -- back to the courthouse.

Chizzang wrote:The odds of this be a coincidence are about 5,000,000 to 1

kalm wrote:We, here in the kick ass state of Washington can not only vote by mail, we can renew DL's by mail.

But IT, why wouldn't Alabama Republicans intentionally do this? It restricts their competition and it's perfectly legal.

clenz wrote:

kalm wrote:We, here in the kick ass state of Washington can not only vote by mail, we can renew DL's by mail.

But IT, why wouldn't Alabama Republicans intentionally do this? It restricts their competition and it's perfectly legal.

We can do it online...suck it

89Hen wrote:

Chizzang wrote:The odds of this be a coincidence are about 5,000,000 to 1

Spot on Cleetus. It's no coincidence.


Counties ranked by population, bolded are the affected counties. Almost looks intentional that they are closing mostly lightly populated counties. Strange.

Jefferson
Mobile
Madison
Montgomery
Shelby
Tuscaloosa
Baldwin
Lee
Morgan
Calhoun
Etowah
Houston
Marshall
Lauderdale
Limestone
St. Clair
Talladega
Elmore
Cullman
DeKalb
Walker
Blount
Russell
Autauga
Colbert
Jackson
Coffee
Dale
Chilton
Dallas
Tallapoosa
Escambia
Covington
Chambers
Lawrence
Pike
Franklin
Marion
Barbour
Geneva
Cherokee
Clarke
Winston
Randolph
Bibb
Monroe
Marengo
Butler
Macon
Pickens
Henry
Washington
Fayette
Hale
Cleburne
Lamar
Crenshaw
Choctaw
Clay
Sumter
Conecuh
Wilcox
Coosa
Lowndes
Bullock
Perry
Greene

Chizzang wrote:Hey 89hen...
I'm sure it's all about whats BEST for the State of Alabama with all its citizens in mind



Alabama deserves to be what it is - I don't really care
there's a reason I live about as far away from that side of the country as I can get

kalm wrote:

clenz wrote: We can do it online...suck it

Vote or renew a DL? We can do the latter.

89Hen wrote:

Chizzang wrote:Hey 89hen...
I'm sure it's all about whats BEST for the State of Alabama with all its citizens in mind



Alabama deserves to be what it is - I don't really care
there's a reason I live about as far away from that side of the country as I can get

Chances of you admitting you jumped to a erroneous conclusion... about 5,000,000 to 1.

clenz wrote:

kalm wrote:We, here in the kick ass state of Washington can not only vote by mail, we can renew DL's by mail.

But IT, why wouldn't Alabama Republicans intentionally do this? It restricts their competition and it's perfectly legal.

We can do it online...suck it

clenz wrote:

clenz wrote: We can do it online...suck it

vote by mail
renew DL online...can't change address on DL online though. Must go in person for that.

Chizzang wrote:

89Hen wrote: Chances of you admitting you jumped to a erroneous conclusion... about 5,000,000 to 1.

is that a mirror you're gazing in or my eyes..?

AZGrizFan wrote:

Chizzang wrote:
is that a mirror you're gazing in or my eyes..?

Oh, just admit that you and your wet dream, kyjelly, just got fucking pwned.

Chizzang wrote:

AZGrizFan wrote:
Oh, just admit that you and your wet dream, kyjelly, just got fucking pwned.

Meh... I'm not convinced it isn't intentional
Its already been clearly shown that Republicans don't really want black people voting
why should this move surprise anybody



and who cares... STATES RIGHTS they can create whatever environment they want for their state

Chizzang wrote: there's a reason I live about as far away from that side of the country as I can get

Baldy wrote:

Chizzang wrote: there's a reason I live about as far away from that side of the country as I can get

Thank you!

89Hen wrote:

Chizzang wrote:The odds of this be a coincidence are about 5,000,000 to 1

Spot on Cleetus. It's no coincidence.


Counties ranked by population, bolded are the affected counties. Almost looks intentional that they are closing mostly lightly populated counties. Strange.

Jefferson
Mobile
Madison
Montgomery
Shelby
Tuscaloosa
Baldwin
Lee
Morgan
Calhoun
Etowah
Houston
Marshall
Lauderdale
Limestone
St. Clair
Talladega
Elmore
Cullman
DeKalb
Walker
Blount
Russell
Autauga
Colbert
Jackson
Coffee
Dale
Chilton
Dallas
Tallapoosa
Escambia
Covington
Chambers
Lawrence
Pike
Franklin
Marion
Barbour
Geneva
Cherokee
Clarke
Winston
Randolph
Bibb
Monroe
Marengo
Butler
Macon
Pickens
Henry
Washington
Fayette
Hale
Cleburne
Lamar
Crenshaw
Choctaw
Clay
Sumter
Conecuh
Wilcox
Coosa
Lowndes
Bullock
Perry
Greene

GannonFan wrote:

89Hen wrote: Spot on Cleetus. It's no coincidence.


Counties ranked by population, bolded are the affected counties. Almost looks intentional that they are closing mostly lightly populated counties. Strange.

Jefferson
Mobile
Madison
Montgomery
Shelby
Tuscaloosa
Baldwin
Lee
Morgan
Calhoun
Etowah
Houston
Marshall
Lauderdale
Limestone
St. Clair
Talladega
Elmore
Cullman
DeKalb
Walker
Blount
Russell
Autauga
Colbert
Jackson
Coffee
Dale
Chilton
Dallas
Tallapoosa
Escambia
Covington
Chambers
Lawrence
Pike
Franklin
Marion
Barbour
Geneva
Cherokee
Clarke
Winston
Randolph
Bibb
Monroe
Marengo
Butler
Macon
Pickens
Henry
Washington
Fayette
Hale
Cleburne
Lamar
Crenshaw
Choctaw
Clay
Sumter
Conecuh
Wilcox
Coosa
Lowndes
Bullock
Perry
Greene

Yikes, 89 ftw. Why are there posts after this one?